EVEREST HOME ‘IMPROVEMENTS’ PART SIX

SIX

NICK FLANAGAN, keyboard warrior.

As I was being denied the VAT relief for the build which was clearly stated by MARK CONNOLY the guy who sold us the damn thing in the first place, as it turns out by clear misrepresentation of the facts, I decided to message him and ask if he could help. I obviously had to do it in a diplomatic way so as to not simply be ignored, this is what was written…

“Hi Mark. It’s George Pas. Simon has passed me your number so I may get in touch. I don’t know how much he has told you but essentially my conservatory has not yet been finished and I have had to get a solicitor involved. One of the things I have been having problems with is that they are not allowing VAT relief on th build. I was wiondering if you wold be able to put something in writing for me to help with my problem. We obviously went for the bigger conservatory rather than the covered walkway that we had spoken about as you rightly said that it made more sense to have a room instead of a walkway. This was decided after the information that we would not pay VAT on the build so we would not have that as a cost. My email is pas*******@*********.com if you would not mind emailing me then we can talk further or if you prefer to simply send me a letter. With appreciation of your help. Regards. George Pas”

Immediate response from MARK CONNOLY read as follows… “Of course I’ll put something together tomorrow Thanks Mark” This will be a big help.

June 5th and 6th 2018 and I receive replies from Trading standards. I had got in touch with them again with some not so softly softly words as they had sent the whole lot of the information back to me. This did not go down well with me so they got it right back. As consumers we place a great deal of trust in Trading Standards and so I wanted them to look carefully at the way I had been treated by the circus that is Everest Home Improvements and I sent them a stack of A4 paper printed directly from the Everest Home Improvements review page showing just how many other people were having the same problems. (Click on the various highlighted names and see for yourself!) Here is what the letters said, and believe me, I didn’t let them off lightly either.

So it remained to be seen just how protected we as consumers are against a big company such as EVEREST HOME IMPROVEMENTS who clearly do not have a care in the world for those victims who part with many thousands of pounds. So it has become clear to me that I will now be not only having to write to the idiots at Clown central, SIMON GOBLE and NICK FLANAGAN but I will now be having to push Trading Standards to do their job also. Just what I need. More stress.

June 7th 2018, letter to SIMON GOBLE

“Dear Mr Goble. We write to you on this, the anniversary of our conservatory build. On this day in 2017, your builder Wayne started on the 14 week build of the structure that would allow me to go from my house in to my garage in the dry so I could get in to my car without having to endure inclement weather as I am paralysed and rely on a wheelchair for mobility. The whole process was of course started way back in February of 2017, the measurement and designing including the paperwork was all completed so that when we completed on our house purchase, “The Best”, Everest, could begin manufacture of the frames and glass necessary to build our conservatory. Forward planning indeed I am sure you will agree. However forward planning seems to be something that Everest are not particularly good at, in fact any sort of planning seems to be woefully short where your company is concerned. Now I don’t need to go in to specifics AGAIN as you have already been introduced to the MANY failings but I do now feel the need to contact you again as you have once again fallen incredibly short of any company who professes to be ”The Best”. We wrote to you earlier this year following advice giving you a two week deadline to complete the works as it had already taken some two and a half times longer than the amount of time that was signed for in the “contract”. Everest though insisted that the “contract” gave Everest a six week timescale to COMPLETE the works. we again were patient enough to agree to the six week timescale dictated by yourselves but you have unfortunately, (yet predictably), failed to complete the required works within the six week period, (ending 22nd March 2018), and are now in excess of two months past the deadline, and as such we are now writing to say that you are in breach of your “contract” beyond any form of reasonable doubt and we now insist, that you submit to us an offer of financial compensation. The figure should include;

  1. The VAT that should not have been charged as per the information given to me during the design phase.
  2. The sum of £360 (three hundred and sixty pounds) for the two loads of logs we burnt to keep the chill off during the winter due to Everest failing to supply a door between the garage and the house.
  3. An amount to compensate for the coal and heating oil burnt to keep heat in the house due to Everest failing to supply a door between the garage and the house during the winter.
  4. An amount to compensate for us supplying an electrician to second fix the conservatory due to Everest not having one available.
  5. An amount to compensate for heating to be installed as Everest failed to do so as we had not been advised it was an option.
  6. A reasonable amount of compensation for the inconvenience and stress this has, and continues to cause.
  7. To be FULLY reimbursed for my legal costs which were and continue to be necessary.

We reserve the right to involve legal representation to discuss any offer made if we feel it is inadequate or unsuitable. Despite what Everest seem to think, we should not be having to wait the period of time it has taken thus far considering it was supposed to be a FOURTEEN WEEK build. It is obviously worth stating that it takes most competent firms much less than 12 months to build a three bedroom house. You have SEVEN days from the date at the head of this letter to reply. Further to this, you have FOURTEEN DAYS to complete the works to a satisfactory standard. That is to say that the works must be completed no later than 20.00 on the 21.06.18, (twenty first of June two thousand and eighteen). This letter will also be sent via recorded delivery. Regards. Mr and Mrs Pas”

Obviously you will have already figured out for yourselves that this letter was ignored completely which is what EVEREST HOME IMPROVEMENTS so called heads of departments do when they lack the spine to actually admit that they are wrong and try to sort their shit out. This will become VERY apparent and VERY boring later on. One glimmer of hope though was on the 18th of June 2018 when a member of the “A Team” arrived to fit the replacement door glass to the door. You remember that the door glass was 4 inches too big, anyway, new piece of door glass, could this be that the conservatory would actually now be “complete”? (oh by the way, you get to see just how ‘good’ they were in a while, I think you know what is coming). “Oh dear” says I when the “A Team” tell me that the door glass is, yep you guessed it, FOUR F*****G INCHES TOO BIG AGAIN. If you were sitting in a cafe and you heard me telling this story you would have to get up, come over to me and simply say “I call BS on this mate!” This is exactly why I have decided to write it all down.

No prizes for guessing what happens next. I am about to lose my shit over this whole thing.

“Hi Dean.
As you will know, Mark returned to our house this morning to fit the glass for the door separating the garage from the conservatory after the glass that came with the door was too big. This morning he again tried to fit the glass to find that despite him measuring HIMSELF, the door glass that has been supplied is AGAIN TOO BIG. In fact from what Mark has said, it is the same size as the originally supplied glass.
I have repeatedly made it clear how sick and tired I am of this farce that has gone on for over a year now and have repeatedly allowed Everest to carry on. I have written to Simon Goble who is copied in on this e mail, telling him that he was had seven days to respond to my letter which has chosen not to do. I have had to deal with Nick Flanagan who is also copied on this e mail which resulted in me having to spend money I should not have needed to, on legal representation.
I am now writing to you, as you do seem to be the only person willing to help. Please tell Simon Goble and Nick Flanagan that I am not asking, I am telling them that they need to take a little road trip and get to my house THIS WEEK to speak to me about this entire fiasco. I have my Daughters school sports day on Thursday so will be unavailable on that day.
The house we are in was supposed to be my final home, the home I live out the rest of my days in. As dramatic as that may sound, my injuries sustained in my accident have reduced my life expectancy and has left me with a condition which can be life threatening. The conservatory, instead of being somewhere that we could sit and do puzzles etc is now a room that even thinking about causes me to get angry.
I know that Mark is now trying to get this glass issue sorted and I am confident that he will but this is now week 55 of a 14 week build and the time is well overdue for Mr Goble and Mr Flanagan to visit. If you could please let me know when they are coming I would appreciate it so I can make arrangements.
Kindest regards.”

Funnily enough, look who pipes up.

Not one ounce of shit is given by this bloke about how he screws people over.

Interestingly though despite his assurances that he is happy to meet with me at any time if I feel it will help, guess what he says…

“Dear Mr Pas, I write as a courtesy simply to acknowledge your email and demand in respect of a meeting at your home. I am and have always been perfectly willing to meet with you and discuss this matter, however the purpose of a meeting this week, quite apart from the fact that I am unavailable this week, is not entirely clear.  I am advised that the works are ongoing and I offer my apology that this is the case.  However, meeting me will not move matters along and more swiftly and I understand that Dean Want is addressing matters for you. Once the works are complete, if you still wish to meet, then please go via Caroline Ellis copied in to this email in order to appoint a meeting in the normal way. Yours sincerely”

Obviously I reply.

“Thanks for your reply.
You are not entirely correct when you say you have always been willing to visit as the last time in asked you said you would not visit until it was finished. 
I had accepted you would not visit even before your reply to me Mr Flanagan and you are correct, your visit will not speed things along, however I thought it may be a quicker way to communicate than e mails regarding to the compensation you should undoubtedly be offering me now.
In any case, it is comforting to know that Dean has at least been interested in trying to make this whole laughable fiasco from the company who advertises to be “The best”, as bearable as possible.
I suggest you present to me an offer of compensation Mr Flanagan based around the e mail previously ignored by Mr Goble and, I would expect that offer to be before the end of this Month.
Regards. 
Mr Pas”

The emails do go back and forth and it would be so much better for your full understanding of the shit I have been put through by NICK FLANAGAN the keyboard warrior but alas I cannot disclose everything as it will be needed in the court room. I will tell you though, that the keyboard warrior himself has already stated catagorically that EVEREST HOME IMPROVEMENTS will NOT be paying my legal fees, that my dear MR FLANAGAN will be for the court to decide. Legal costs to date £670

On the 21st of June having disappointingly not had any letter from MARK CONNOLY who sold us this bloody monstrosity in the first place by deliberately giving us false information regarding VAT relief, I wrote to him again via text message… “Hi Mark. Sorry to bother you again. I was wondering if you would be able to send me a letter with reference to my previous text message as things have now escalated with Everest and I am having to deal with Nick Flanagan their legal guy. I’ll resend the original text again for reference. Thank you in advance. George Pas” He replied on the 22nd… “No problem will do Thanks Mark” obviously it needs not be said that it never happened. Spineless.

I was dealing with a bloke called VINCE HYLAND from the Trading Standards. I will be honest, utter waste of time. I sent him EVERYTHING I had regarding the contract, photos of the problems and the problems even after the “A Team” had been in to “fix” the problems, (I will show you how good they were later) and even gave him a link to the Everest page where there were nothing but complaints. This was just one of the emails I sent to the bloke who is supposed to work for the department who prevent companies such as EVEREST HOME IMPROVEMENTS from leaving customers who put their faith in such companies to do the job they are supposed to know how to do, out of pocket and with defective or incomplete products…

“I have sent it all recorded delivery so you will have everything up until this morning. I sent it to the Topsham office as that was the address that I had a letter from. It is marked for your attention. I messaged by text, Dean Want this morning. I wasn’t polite as I usually am as it seems to get me no where. We now have more leaks in the conservatory. I haven’t heard about when the glass will be ready. As far as I am concerned, they were in breach of the contract on the 22nd of March. I have told Dean Want that if I haven’t heard anything positive by Wednesday I will be getting another firm in to price up to sort out the glass and leaks which as far as I am concerned will be to completely remove the roof, clean it all up, rebuild and reseal it all. I have told him that despite what the legal guy Flanagan says, Everest will be paying for it. I have had enough. My Wife and I are talking very seriously about getting the house valued and on the market as we can’t even look at the bloody conservatory without getting pissed off and angry. I read more and more people getting screwed over by the firm and yet nothing is done to stop it.  WEEK 57…FIFTY BLOODY SEVEN WEEKS, am I the only one who thinks this is unacceptable?

You may have read that and wondered why we would look to sell if we had just bought it, well, because of how angry and wound up I was getting with the workmanship that can only be compared to that of a blindfolded eight year old and having to deal with the oxygen thief FLANAGAN who was simply there to prevent me from progressing or talking to anyone that may actually give a shit (assuming anyone at the circus does). This after the stress of a six year legal battle after my accident and having to live with the pain it has left me with ON TOP OF dealing with the daily struggles of paraplegia, we were arguing…A LOT, and the kids were suffering because of it. With hind sight, I should have just paid for someone to tear the fucking thing down and put it back how it was before those at circus central got involved. Unfortunately I didn’t, you can decide for yourselves what you think I should have done as this shitshow develops.

Next time…“CONGRATULATIONS!”

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EVEREST HOME `IMPROVEMENTS` PART FIVE

FIVE

DEAN WANT gets things moving again.

We left the last chapter of this fiasco with my having to have a solicitor write to NICK FLANAGAN as he insisted that the advice given to me from the Citizens Advice Bureau was incorrect. This was also his view and opinion on the advice given to me by the solicitor I had been to see. Therefore I had to instruct the solicitor to act on my behalf even to just try to get the build finished. As you can imagine, this pissed me off and got me wound up. This was supposed to be the end of all of the stress and a fresh start for my family and I but due to the pathetic attitudes of SIMON GOBLE and NICK FLANAGAN it was beginning to look like this was not going to be the case.

On the 7th of March 2018 I received an email from DEAN WANT who was clearly looking to get things moving and finally sort the problems and complete the sorry excuse for a conservatory. I am going to simply allow you to see the conversation so you can appreciate why I am at this point getting frustrated with the whole shitshow.

“Good Morning Mr Pas, I hope this finds you well I have been asked to book your work in at the earliest convenience I have an install team that will be able to start the works weds 14/Thurs 15 of next week I am not quite sure which day at the moment but will be able to better update by Friday I estimate that the works will take 3/4 days Works as follows Replace rear door to enable access Replace internal cladding and trims that are defective Replace window boards where needed cut back so that they fit properly without the trim under Cure leak Regards Dean Want”

“Dear Mr Want.
I requested the presence of Mr Flanagin, Yourself, Mr Goble and the project manger to visit the site so we could go through what is required however the invite was refused. 
You are sadly mistaken if you think that this is all that needs doing but we look forward to finding out when your workforce will be coming.
Please be aware that your deadline for the works to be completed as set by Mr Flanagan, is the 22nd of March 2018.
Yours 
Mr Pas”

“Good afternoon Mr Pas Yes I understand, things have moved along since we met at yours I will do my upmost to complete all works in the allowed time frame Regards”

“Mr Want, 
Forgive me but how exactly do you think that the works will be completed when you seem to have no idea what the works are? 
I am assuming by the back door you meant doorS. 
There is supposed to be a glazed door leading in to the garage according to the contract. I am guessing that this is ready to be fitted. YOU VISITED the site last year so you are fully aware that the few things you have listed do not even come close to getting this finished.
By the way Mr Want, the 22nd of March as set by your Mr Flanagin is not a desired date, it is a CUTOFF.
Mr Pas”

“Good Afternoon Mr Pas, Please forgive me when I visited you had already had a door fitted in that opening by your builders you showed me what Everest had supplied and I agreed with you this was not fit for purpose, you expressed that you had had that done at your expense and would expect that money back Unfortunatley no this door has not been made”

“Mr Want, 
The double glazed door SHOULD have been manufactured with the rest of the conservatory but it wasn’t.
Yes I did have the door fitted and purchased and I did indeed say that I should be reimbursed for it but two things come to point here. 
1. The door is hardly as aesthetically pleasing as the door that we had on the design and we considered it to be fact that the door was to be fitted.
2. The project manager that you sent me had stated that we would be compensated for the logs, door, oil, coal, electrical and plumbing works before we even spoke about the compensation for inconvenience, however it would appear unlikely that this is the case after correspondence with Mr Flanagan who considers quite openly that Everest have done nothing wrong.
In any case, the doorway is unfinished and the wall of which the doorway is situated requires re-plastering at best, so you still have time to get the door manufactured and supply it to me as it has been paid for when we made the payment for the structure.
I look forward to confirmation that the instruction to put the door in to manufacture immediately, has been made by close of play today. Please don’t come back with any excuses, just send the instruction.
I trust that you have plasterers attending site with the fitters so as to make the best effort to complete the jobs by the 22nd March 2018.
I await your confirmation.
Mr Pas”

“Afternoon Mr Pas Believe me I am not being difficult I will arrange for a glazed upvc door to be fitted as per the purchase agreement but will need to have this measured for manufacture as it was surveyed as a timber fire door, I have the ability to have this measured  this afternoon if that is ok with you I will also send across an obscure glass list sent as I assume you do not want clear glass It would Dave or Dan can you please confirm if this is convenient”

So as you can see, A YEAR on from when the drawings and measurements were done, they still have not even ordered the door as per the contract we signed. So the guy came round and measured for the UPVC door as per the contract we signed and we chose the glass to go in it. Shouldn’t be long then, t is after all, just the manufacture of the door. Clearly though, Everest will look to use this as an excuse as to why the build is not finished however that would be an amature mistake to make. It is only the door that would be delayed and has no impact on the rest of the build. On the 8th of March I wrote to my solicitor that had been dealing with NICK FLANAGAN that I did not anticipate any further problems and as such she could send her new bill. Oh how bloody wrong I was, this is where you really get to see just how much of a p**** NICK FLANAGAN is.

This really does about sum this ***** up.

On the 9th of March 2018 in order to assist DEAN WANT as he was genuinely trying to help me, I sent him a list of things that I could see needed addressing and fixing and accompanied it with pictures. I could not be fairer than I was being and I did warn him that I “NO LONGER TRUST EVEREST to do the works to a professional standard..

In March 2018, Mother Nature gave us some snow, where I am we got quite a lot and as it is a very small village in the lanes so obviously there is no gritter. Now I wanted the works completed that goes without saying but I whilst I am dealing with a company who care very little about people, I am not so much as a cock as that and I sent DEAN WANT an email telling him that I considered it dangerous for his workers to try to get to us. He responded by telling me that his guys had been in touch and told him they were snowed in. Remember what I said to NICK FLANAGAN about how they had struggled to work three consecutive days in the good weather! I also asked DEAN WANT what was to be done about the solid wood, standard threshold fire door that had been delivered and he said that they would take it away. I will tell you that despite MANY emails about them getting rid of it, I disposed of it two months ago, that’s right JULY 2019.

On the 26th of March 2018 DEAN WANT told me that the door should be ready in around 10 days so we are over the March 22nd deadline but I can allow that for the door as they had not even ordered the thing. The 27th though we received a letter telling us that our conservatory was ready to commence in to manufacture. WHAT THE HELL??? On top of this I have had to tell DEAN WANT that the water is running in through one of the tie bars that hold the roof up. The “A” Team had been in to sort the problems out but were unable to address the wall at the garage end until the door was installed which we obviously had to wait for. It had not arrived by the 12th of April when one of the “A” Team checked. He also said that he would sort the leak out at the same time.

I had to email DEAN WANT on the 25th of April 2018 to find out where the door was as he had said it would be available from the 17th. His reply was that it was at the depot in Rugby and on the next run to Bodmin they would make sure it was on the lorry. WHAT? So contrary to what I thought, Everest really do not give a rats ass about getting this finished. On the 1st of May 2018 they get in touch and ask if a fitter can come on the Saturday to fit the door. I tell them that if that is the only day they can do then we will have to re arrange our day to allow for it and so that is what we did. You are not going to believe what happened…

The fitter turns up and tells me that the door cannot be fitted until the door opening is properly boarded and skimmed and as such he has to leave. On the 10th of May I had NANCY on the phone asking if the fitter could come and fit the door the following day. Now you may think that this is good service, however, I asked NANCY just how the hell she thought the fitter could fit the door as NOTHING HAD BEEN DONE TO THE OPENING. I emailed DEAN WANT again…

“I’ve had Nancy on the phone asking if Dan can come tomorrow to fit the door.
I asked how he would be fitting the door when nothing else had been done which is why he couldn’t fit the door when he came on Saturday. 
I’m going to be totally honest with you Dean, I’ve been patient.
I’ve been messed about beyond anything I could possible comprehend from such a large company. 
I’ve been told that Citizens Advice do not know what they are talking about and forced in to paying for a solicitor to try to get things sorted, (which I will be claiming from Everest), only to be told that my solicitor doesn’t know what she is on about either. 
I have worked with you to get the works sorted and have been nothing but polite to you and your staff that have come to carry out the works. 
I have re arranged our weekend to allow for a door to be fitted to be told that it can’t be and still we have laughed it off.
NO MORE DEAN. 
Having a call today to ask if the door can fitted tomorrow when I know full well it can’t be is the final straw. 
The fact that Everest hadn’t even made the door with the rest of the building causing us to wait FURTHER was something we just rolled over on but I’m done now. Sense of humour is gone. Patience is gone. Nice guy is gone. 
We have appointments on Monday and Tuesday of next week so are only able to offer Wednesday, Thursday and Friday to get it finished, but get it finished you will.” 

So the fitter did return to fit the door after the doorway had been finished but there was a problem…the door glass was too big FOUR INCHES TOO BIG. Seriously, how bloody hard is it to measure and check? Consequently the fitter took it upon himself to remove the solid panel from the door we had been forced to purchase as a temporary measure, to plug the hole where the door glass should have been. UNBELIEVABLE! Don’t forget, this is fitting “The Best”. On the 17th of May 2018 I wrote asking if someone could please tell me which YEAR this bloody thing was going to be finished. Oh and the problems had not finished yet, and the bullshit from NICK FLANAGAN had barely begun…

Next time, “NICK FLANAGAN, keyboard warrior…”

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