How to Take on a Landscaper Who Took My Deposit and Is Hesitating to Take My Phone Calls?

kv123 on 25/05/2019 - 00:16

How to take on a landscaper who took my deposit and is hesitating to take my phone calls?

I have finally found a landscaper who looks trustworthy, had his abn looked up and have his company details. This person has mentioned my job would cost about 6k while I mentioned I would pay supplies myself and he just does the labour. I hesitated to pay him any advance/deposit knowing how some people got robbed. I still gave this landscaper a chance and paid him $1k in deposit and ordered supplies to my place. Now this person doesnt respond my calls. I tried calling from friends and he still doesnt respond.

What do I do now?

I have a legal invoice, I have transferred money via online banking. But where do I go next if I have no luck in the next few days?

Home & Garden

Comments

  • dcep on 25/05/2019 - 00:18

    got address ?

  • altomic on 25/05/2019 - 01:09
    +1

    what date did you pay him?

    • kv123 on 25/05/2019 - 09:36

      8th this month

  • Melb69 on 25/05/2019 - 07:54
    +1

    Sounds like a scam.

  • [Deactivated] on 25/05/2019 - 08:29
    -1

    Where did you find him?

    • kv123 on 25/05/2019 - 09:35

      gumtree

      • thatonethere on 25/05/2019 - 18:33
        +1

        Ah well. Won't do that again.

        I learnt that the hard way many years ago with a concrete (not the one who posted here recently).

  • Ocker on 25/05/2019 - 08:56

    Send his phone number to one of those pesky call centre's in India and let them hassle him with nuisance Telstra type calls

    • kv123 on 25/05/2019 - 09:38
      +2

      doesnt get my monies back.

      • Ocker on 25/05/2019 - 11:30
        +2

        Reckon you have done your money anyway, so why not go for revenge?

  • crashloaded on 25/05/2019 - 10:27
    -5

    Send statutory demand.

    • Almost Banned on 25/05/2019 - 11:48
      +2

      Holy crap I wish people who have no clue would not try to give legal advice.
      We don't know if this is a company.
      The debt is below the statutory minimum for a statutory demand.
      We don't know if there is a genuine dispute and I doubt this guy wants to spend a further $10,000 on a winding up when the stat demand is ignored.

      • crashloaded on 25/05/2019 - 12:38

        My bad, I forgot it's under the 2k. If you believe there is no dispute you can send a stat dem so that is irrelevant. It is all about wording the affidavit correctly. it's a landscaper running a business, I'd assume it's a company. Paying some guy with no company and no proof he actually has a landscaping business is pretty dumb :)

  • garetz on 25/05/2019 - 11:55

    Sounds like you are clueless, if all you need is labor, then why hire a landscaper ? You get a laborer, and pay his daily rate which can be about $250 a day. You gave him a chance to rob you, and what do you mean he looks trustworthy, it was the first time you ever saw him, why would you trust someone you just met.

    • DeepPocketsShortArms on 26/05/2019 - 12:12

      More like $600 for a daily rate. I don't know where you'd find qualified landscaper for $250 a day. If you did they wouldn't be worth taking on.

  • bobbified on 25/05/2019 - 12:00
    +1

    I tried calling from friends and he still doesnt respond.

    I imagine a scammer would continue to scam, so if he's not responding any calls (rather than just not answering your calls), could something have happened to him?

  • orangetrain on 25/05/2019 - 12:20

    Notify bank and police.

    Did you look at references?

    Sounds like the scammer looked up a random ABN and put ad on gumtree.

    • Tee Rex Arms on 27/05/2019 - 00:23

      Civil agreement

    • kv123 on 02/06/2019 - 02:38

      I did contact the police. they mentioned its civil issue.
      I did contact the bank and they mentioned they cant guarantee but will try.
      So not much luck here..

  • ihbh on 25/05/2019 - 13:01
    +1

    hmmm… in affluent areas that make significant and regular use of landscapers, I don't think anyone pays anything upfront. Even for large one-off projects, you'd make progress payments after completion of agreed stage.

    Next time ask for references and site some previous work before you part with your hard earned money.

    • DeepPocketsShortArms on 26/05/2019 - 12:14

      Most landscapers ask for a 5% deposit. From memory that's the max permitted before the job has commenced. After commencement it's usually agreed stage payments.

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