A MAN has warned “cowboy” builders have been targeting Huddersfield homeowners.
Manzoor Hussain, of Waterloo, said a company called ‘Greenacres’ failed to complete work on his driveway after pressuring his wife into paying £1,400 for the job before it was completed.
Mr Hussain, 49, says the company disappeared and in a phone call denied carrying out work on his drive.
Greenacres had agreed to resurface their front yard after cold calling at Mr Hussain’s house on September 6.
The company started work on September 8 by removing the old flagstones and laying down concrete.
But the following day, the workmen began pressuring Mr Hussain’s wife, who speaks little English, to pay £1,400 before the job was completed.
Mr Hussain said the company, which provided no contact details except for two mobile numbers, claimed it needed the money for further materials and would return to finish the driveway.
Greenacres then failed to return leaving a half-finished drive, despite repeated calls from Mr Hussain.
In one call, the firm said it had done a good job, but later denied it had carried out any work at the couple’s home, said Mr Hussain.
Supermarket worker Mr Hussain added: “They’ve made a botched job with the concrete.
“They put up the fencing on the side but they didn’t do the flagging on the side. It’s uneven and if it rains it leaves puddles.
“They pressurised my wife while I was asleep and she just handed over £1,400 and now they’re not answering their phones.
“I feel gutted.
“They said they would come back, they said they’d done a good job, then they said: ‘We haven’t done a job for you.’
“When I saw there was no address I should have been suspicious.
“My wife doesn’t speak good English and they took advantage of her.”
The Examiner rang the numbers supplied to Mr Hussain. There was no reply.
