Police have launched an investigation after several customers of a bespoke window frame company reported a Hove building company for fraud.
Pembroke & Nash Installations Ltd this week emailed customers to say it had appointed administrators to put it into voluntary liquidation.
A group of more than 60 customers who found each other from negative reviews left on Google estimate they have paid deposits totalling more than £400,000, some as long as a year ago, for work which has not yet started or has not been finished.
East Sussex County Council’s trading standards are also making enquiries.
The company, which is registered on Companies House with an address at 168 Church Road, is believed to trade from premises in Laughton.
After taking advice, several wrote to the company and to Patrick Kerrigan, who became its sole director in August 2021, asking for an installation date or the return of their deposits.
Meanwhile, the company promised several customers the same proposed installation dates – but these came and went without any work starting.
Belinda Handley paid more than £15,000 as a deposit, but has not had any work done to her windows.
She said: “In retrospect several things were just wrong at the time but they had a lovely brochure and had been around for 25 years.
“The survey of 19 windows and doors took very little time – they just walked around with a tape measure. They also offered several upgrades and reductions.
“It felt like they just wanted our deposit and would offer anything.”
Another customer paid almost £18,000 as a deposit, and hasn’t seen any work taking place.
She said: “I was pulled in with the glossy website and portfolio.
“I called them in September, they gave me a very professional quote within a few days and then hounded me for an immediate deposit, saying wood prices were rising.
“I now think it’s certain we have all lost our deposits.”
A third customer handed over more than £5,000 to replace two bays of sash windows, but work never started.
It is difficult to find reliable firms.
A firm called Trademark tried to turn a £1000 roof job into a needless new roof for £35,000. They reckoned without my engaging a surveyor and going to Trading Standards who told me not to allow the firm back and not to pay them any money. The firm evidently had previous.
It is worth noting that they are part of Check-a-Trade, which is meaningless: firms simply pay to be on its leaflets.
The Trademark employee, Paul from Hangleton, key referring to “Wendy in the office”. I doubt that she existed. What’s more, he said that he had recently had a baby: one shudders to think if the child’s upbringing by a fraudster.
Absolutely shocking that this can go on, one glance at companies house and you can see obvious evidence of these ‘directors’ swindling the system and fraudulently duping customers, more need to be done to protect customers and penalize the fraudsters.
Likewise Checkatrade needs to be more to protect its customers from companies being able to join up and stay associated when there is a clear track record of fraud, and likewise from posting fake reviews.
Hopefully action fraud and brighton council will do something to bring some justice to these victims, of which there are likely dozens more unaccounted for.
I think the whole practice of asking for deposits should be outlawed for non-commercial customers. Suppliers can borrow the money to fund materials etc and add the cost of borrowing to the price. Too many stories with this ending appear.