If the deal was never finalized, you shouldn't have to pay for anything. The work that was done was not what you even wanted.

I have just spoken at Consumer Affairs. They did say they may have breached section 60,61,101 and 40. I am not very good on the computer which is even harder.

refute the bill as you did not have a contract with them and they illegally went on your property and damaged it.

hi ty Hilda and ALL

if you never gave the go-ahead I would want my yard as I was, I was involved in a big job, tearing down a house and yard, one of our guys tore down a hedge that belonged to the neighbor, he sued and got 10,000, there is value in your yard

HI TY Hilda C

Don't pay them

Good luck with this ….. I don’t like your chances. Every Jim’s is a franchise, so complaining to them is next to useless I’m afraid. I’m lucky enough to be married to an honest gradient and my son is one too , through the trade we know of other tradies\ friends who are great too. I guess for your next job maybe see if you can get someone by word of mouth. You may even be able to see previous work they’ve done. Gotta agree, ur situation sucks

Do not pay any money to them & ask why they did not give you a written quote & explain you ONLY discussed it with the tradie they sent. You have lost your trees sadly .If they took it upon themselves to do the work stiff bikkies .If you have lodged a complaint good just DO NOT PAY them .They should pay you compensation for losing your trees.

Tell them you want all the trees and the shed back to where they were. : ))

They have clearly not done the right thing.

You are lucky that a tradie even turned up. I wanted my roses pruned so asked for a quote on Hipages. I had a few enquiries but only one quote and he failed to turn up. We want a small section of roof replaced with shingles but once again the 2 who said they would quote never turned up but a roofing place gave us a number and a man did come and quote but he rang some weeks later to say he had underquoted and our $1500 quote was now $3500. I hope you haven't paid and I would be lodging a complaint with Jim's head office. We get our lawns mowed by Jim's Mowing and have found this particular fellow very good. He even gave the roses a light trim because it was so late in the season and they are blooming very well now. I'm sure Jim's head office don't want any bad feedback.

If no firm agreement was made between you- and what you wanted wasn't even done - I would not be paying - I would probably seek some recompense!

I would get some advice from say Ombudsman in your state or legal advice from a solicitor as work was done without your permission so no contract entered into

I would contact them and let them know i should have been informed

I recently had a sparky do some work for me. I got his details from the Seniors book. I read the fine print and they don’t accept any details of work as they don’t recommend. He done good job but bit pricey. $175 to supply and fit new power point. 5 minutes work. He wanted to change the 2 fluorescent lights in garage as “ the ballast maybe gone.”. Left it and will check local people

It seems the tradie merely quoted and had not been given the go ahead. If there was no agreed price, I certainly wouldn't pay. from the facts you've given there was never a contract, verbal or otherwise.

I would get some advice first. Go to your local council,speak to either consumer affairs and I would suggest either legal aid or a solictor( you can also get legal advice on the phone) have to google it . Know your rights before proceeding. If you have called or emailed them you may need to send them a written letter. Keep copies of everything you send and recieve. Jim's is a franchise so you may need to find out who is operating the one you used. Keep a record of dates and times,who you have spoken to regarding the incident. If you don't recieve any reply you may have to be prepared to take legal action. Good luck,hope you get a good result.

Well personally - I am VERY SURPRISED at these tradies. They would know the law and for them to do the job without your authority would be AN OFFENCE. Not adding up in my book.

Suzy they should have given you a written quote and you would have then sent them an acceptance. Really they have nothing to stand on and should contact you regarding what they have done without your having finalized the written contract.

I would follow up on the complaint and if you can afford it get lawyer.

You have not paid them? They have entered your property without permission, therefore are trespassing, which is against the law. Then there are the damages they have caused, cutting trees. Need I go on. I wonder how much they will pay you to forget it?

have a great time Dolly

Why weren't you home he should have not gone onto your property without permission

You are lucky to find any traddie at all I remember spending an entire day ringing plumbers and only 1 answered and they said they did not do Solar Hot Water Installations. Tried another time to get a Fridge repairer to and spent another day wasting my time ringing places which had their phones disconnected or did not answer it took the wife asking around for someone from people she knew in the local shops to get a guy who said a $200.00 part was too expensive go and buy a new fridge which is over 3.5K. All seem way to willing to throw stuff into landfill rather than repair it so if you got someone to do what you asked them I wouldn't be complaining they are way too hard to find. Though with tree loping you have to make sure that they are insured because they can do lots of damage and clear off never to be seen again. I saw that with a neighbour when they drooped a tree onto their house. I've never seen anyone move so fast to get the hell out of the area and never be seen again.

Same, if you don't get a result or compensation from Jim's Mowing go to Small claims or the Ombudsman that covers trades, etc.

Perhaps you should tell Jim's Mowing that you intend to contact the channel 9 program 'A Current Affair' if they don't remedy the situation to your liking very soon. (Sorry I just realised that I have assumed that you are in Australia)Edited 12-Nov-23 13:33pm

Was he/she actually from Jim's or were they pretending to be? There are a lot of shonly people around today some of whom have no qualifications and then, paricularly if you are Older and Female they con you. We had a spate of shonky self-styled Tradies a few years ago. They would cvome to the door offering to do some Gardening. If you were younger and refused they moved on BUT if you were Old - Female or Male - tand you refused they ignored that, screwed your garden and then demanded payment. The Best References are those from Family and close Friends who will recommend Tradies who have worked for them. There is also a gfroup called "Hire a Hubby" we have one of them nearby, he is Fantastic, Keeps his word and Works like a navvy and does a great job. Did you get a number of Quotes? Remeber the Cheapest is not always the best. Jim's generally have an Excellent Record so I do wonder if you have been caught up in some scam and that is why they have not returned your call. May I suggest you access Jim's website and get in touch using the phone number listed there or if there is a Physical Office go there in person.

Well that is trespass and vandalism of your property...notify the police and make sure it is recorded...then offer to take legal action if you are not compensated....I would be REALLY angry

I believe when you "Hire a Tradie" doesn't matter what trade they should listen more carefully to what You as the person who is paying for their work. Moving a shed is a massive move therefore he should of come to speak to you in a more in-depth manner and waited for your definite "Yes" before doing any of this work. Not Good Mate.

Seeing as how you had nothing in writing and no paperwork on costs, I would be going to Fair Trade Ombudsman and making a complaint there, but you would have to advise Jim's Mowing of this course of action as that is a requirement of the Fair-Trade Office. Do hope you get it all sorted to your satisfaction.

Did this really happen because of the cost of living crisis? Was Jim's Mowing just so desperate for money? Lawyers are not desperate for money though don't use them. Make jims mowing come back and move the shed to where you really wanted it, and make them pay for new trees.

I hate when you expect some thing , and when you get it , it was not what you were thinking at all.

Firstly, do not use 'Jims Mowing'. Anyone can buy into a franchise, qualified or not and the majority of the cowboys with them are not. Generally, you need council permission to remove any tree above 3 meters high. Any non-native or invasive species of tree can be removed. Just contact your local council and they will assess the trees you want taken and will organize removal for you at no cost. The Council may also give you the contact details of an outside contractor that they themself use for certain tree removal jobs, usually when its on your property. To move any shed, best to contact a reputable handyman. If they advertise online you can check the reviews to help you make a decision who to use. As the Franchiser, you won't get far with Jims Mowing. At best they might cancel their contract with the Franchisee, but that will not change your situation. So dont hold your breath. Having a talk with 'Fair Trading' may get a better result. Don't pay them whatever you do until the job has been finished properly, and the damage rectified or replaced. In my view, you are better off going elsewhere to remedy the situation, and get Jims Mowing to pay for it, being handled through 'Fair Trading'. FYI: I'm a semi-retired trade licensed handyman, I worked for 26 builders here in NSW, Australia, did complete home renovations and landscaping. I do everything, such as painting, roof tiling, concreting, rendering, wall & floor tiling, just to mention a few, with the exception of new electrical work and have over 30 years experience in the industry. Hopefully you get the desired outcome.

I'd communicate via text messages (for proof), state your point (that you hadn't confirmed the booking and as far as you're concerned they've trespassed) therefore will not be paying for something you had not authorized. And that you are looking at the legalities of their actions. I don't think complaining to 'Jim's Mowing' will get you far as they are franchises and as long as 'Jim's' get their cut, they're happy.

It's hard to get good help these days. I would have said you had to be there when they did the job to be an overseer. It's is such a shame franchises have taken over that sort of work. Once upon a time the kid down the road mowed your lawn to get some pocket money. Now it's all tradesman's work under a franchise. Yes complain as they have not done the job properly and to your satisfaction.

I'm amazed you got a tradie.

This is a tradesman?

hi Dolly

Get the job finished to your satisfaction but you might have to suck it on the trees. Sting them for a few saplings as compo and always make sure you have a written quote

Wow. Totally unprofessional as far as I am concerned, Just be as nice as possible with them if you can. Wait as long as you are comfortable with and then hire a lawyer if they do not respond. I am sorry for this situation for you. Good luck...

Depending where you live, did you get Council approval to cut down the trees? (legally an assessment is required and on your own property) Were they tradesmen or handymen? Nothing signed, entering your property without your permission is trespassing, were you home? Don't let them get away with this unprofessional sloppy work or they will do it to many other people. Sounds like you need legal advice - very dodgy indeed. I hope you haven't paid them yet!Edited 12-Nov-23 09:52am

I would get advice from a lawyer. they came onto your property, without permission (trespass), removed trees (willful damage), moved your shed (not sure). Most of the time they require payment as soon as the work is done. I wouldn't be paying them.

I would do as you did and vomplain to the operator and would ask for some new trees to replace the ones cut

I would not be hiring them again if they cant do what you asked and tell you when they where coming so you could be there I would sew them for not doing what you asked them to do

hi again "Hello Dolly" have a great day...

Time to go ugly on Big Jim. You have to understand tradies are a law unto themselves. There's not many out there that act as though you are a client and therefore treat you with respect you deserve. Say a tradie goes into myer looking for a pretty dress for himself and can't find the right size, I'm sure the attendant would provide all the necessary help in a timely manner and try to provide him with a reasonablly priced option and spend all the time necessary to ensure the frock he buys makes him look a million dollars for his date. The tradie on the other hand will pop over unannounced unbolt everything tell you you he needs to go and the replacement and diesnt come back till 2 weeks later. Get my drift

TOO LATE. Where you are depends on if you have any recourse, Probably not. Even if you have got it written and signed in black and white, OR if you haven't. You are screwed either way. SORRY

Hopefully you have not paid them. Did you get a quote in writing? How did they get access to your property? because that is trespassing without permission. Jim's whatever is always a risk!! Make a complaint to Consumer Affairs, contact the Council (their hopeless most of the time). I would be so furious. Were you home at the time. So many questions to be asked here.

An agreement should have been drawn up and signed by both parties.

I would explain to them that yes we had discussions only about hiring you to complete the job however no final decision was made as to when this job was to be completed. In all fairness I don’t believe any payment should be to the company as they took it upon themselves and did the job.

They have obviously done the wrong thing as you had not signed off on anything, from what I can make out from what you've said. You have done the right thing by putting in the complaint now you probably need to follow up with a phone call as well. Sure there must has to be an ombuds man of some sought to can go to and seek advice.

Surprised you went with Jim's at all as they are the most expensive and do have "cowboys" working for them. Since Jim's gets a cut of every job, the tradies jump on every job and this is also why they charge more.

Isn't the answer these days to put your complaint on fb?

You should have a written quote to start with and I would not have paid them until it was done to your satisfaction.

There are good tradies out there I think about half of them are cowboys tradies. Be aware unless you are onsite as they do the job you want them to do, and question some of their work, you will get a blunt end. and you get a doggy result

go to some professional to consult, then maybe get some legal advice.

There was no contract only discussion so it'll be he shed - she shed (couldn't help myself) if you go to the Disputes Tribunal (since Jim's Mowing is a Kiwi franchise) and seldom do they follow through with judgment. Get 'Jim' to move the shed back, get him to cut the trees up smaller and you sell as firewood. It's about $100 per cubic metre (pine) so you might make a bit of money off it depending on the type of wood and how much you have. Silver lining......

where were you when they did this

HI TY Hello Dolly

Seems that this is just situation that was misunderstood. Without knowing what exactly was said by each party it is difficult to answer your question. What you said and what he heard and vice versa.

Get a lawyer.

Call the better business bureau. Then get legal advice. No document was agreed upon.

GET A GOOD LAWYER IS THE 1ST THING..!!!

Consult a lawyer or citizen's advice.

In the scenario you described I would have a 'talk' with an attorney!

I would like to know where tradie's hide If I can find one, I always get a quote first and make arrangements to accept the quote and a starting date. They work on tradie time which is slightly different to normal time. Time travel is something that many tradies are into with a two-day job taking a couple of weeks

I agree with Robert F 1161. Lesson learned

Get a proper tradie would you use a butcher to remove your arm?

Nothing can be done about the trees, so show Jim where you want the shed, and pay him after he's moved it

IF YOU WANT TO DO IT RIGHT AND SAFE HIRE SOMEONE TO GET IT DONE RIGHT

Do you all have to sign contracts for work to be done? sounds shady

Wow! How dare he!? I suggest a complaint to the head of the company unless the guy who did the work is the boss himself. Complain to your Better Business Bureau or whatever it's called in your area. You may even ask a lawyer about any recourse that you can/should legally take against this guy personally. He may plead ignorance and that if the shed was the only issue the last time you spoke, he may figure he had a solution so went ahead with the work. No excuse really for just going ahead with the work without a final work order in place and agreeable fees for the service, etc.Edited 12-Nov-23 01:45am

BBB will only take a report of your comments i think. The appropriate please is the Office of Consimer Goods & Svcs Ombuds. The CGSO is set up wiht the Consumer Protection Act

File a complaint against them with the Better Business Bureau! Flame them online.

NOT PAY THEM

I am fortunate my husband is very handy at doing majority of what we need done. I would speak directly to the owner of the business.

Ask the council were they suppose to get a permit. Go to the ombudsman if you have to. I am not a feminist but I get sick of tradies trying to put it over women. Be brave stand your ground.

Send the complaint directly to Jim. Apparently he is very hands on. He won’t like a franchisee stuffing up to this extent.

Why is a mowing company cutting trees? Was payment involved? Its a case she said he/they did. Good luck with that one.

Go to the Department of Fair Trading and complain but let the company know first. When they hear the word “complaint” they will probably respond to avoid an investigation. You could also complain to the Environmental Protection Agency that the trees were removed illegally

Rather arrogant for them to Just Do It without final discussions with you. Perhaps you were not clear in your instructions and it sounds like you may have been procrastinating. Still, they should have received a distinct OK from you. You can put in a complaint but the end result is the trees are gone etc.