trampoline

Dug out by hand in the rain due to the local college not allowing us access, well it never stopped raining throughout this job. Rain at the start and rain at the finish ! we even floated the concrete up under a tarpaulin to finsh the ground works. had to go back to pump the water out even though we installed a drain as the water table was soooooooooooo high it never drained away.
Due to the clients being a care home we decided to stick at it so the trampoline could be used.

All parties happy!

whats happening!

Well we got the money for the kitchen but not the labour cost so off to Court we go, papers all in and lodged for a response.
Just finished loads of jobs where we had to draft up to 6 extra hands in to move the jobs along. Reviews came in and are great!
caught up with the work load and after spending the last two weeks working 12-16 hours a day able to kick back and spend next week surfing into the weekend with a smile and contentment with four days off.
camper runs better than it has for years but has to still be tweaked to rid it of the awful flat spot where the two carbs need balancing correctly.
The sun is out and making working inside a nightmare! fully booked into august and thats FULLY booked.
watch the coming week for pictures of the works we have completed as i will have time to update the blog

Non paying clients

Well its been a long time since having to take a client to court for non payment and it still goes against the grain but what else can you do? Hardly go back round and remove the kitchen as the law is against you and whats a new/already been fitted kitchen worth? A baseball bat ? No the only legal avenue is "Count court small claims".
You would not expect your next door neighbour to not pay you considering this fact and her partner is headmaster of a local school. Well its true!
We allowed them to use our "trade account" to purchase a kitchen at a knock down price plus a small drink for ourselves as a thank you. "Thank you" that's a laugh (not funny though) two weeks later, horrendous amounts of emails, calls and invoices with NO payments. Left fantastic feedback for the first jobs we did and loved the price with lines like "fantastic builder wont need to look elsewhere for another, will have them do all our work". I some how dont think so!
Alarm bells did start to ring when the red blotchy skin on the face, the glazed eyes, all ways having headaches and looking rough in the mornings, asking us to start later, making jokes about their "new drinking partners", you get the picture. Alcoholics?Excessive drinkers? How ever you want to label it consuming large quantities of vodka is not good for work or working. On one occasion where i turned down a glass of vodka i felt the room transform into an unfriendly hostile environment and knew we had to get paid up and get the hell out of dodge.
Well that was then and this is now.
What do you do? Their your next door neighbours, they owe you £3600 for the kitchen, money for fitting it and want you to do more work!
When we chased the money we were asked if we had a "cash flow" problem? Erh yes! from you!
Mr headmaster got all high and mighty sending emails from his school account whilst probably knocking back a vodka or two, the lady struggles to get to a local gift shop in a straight line. So much so she ran into another neighbour in his car a few weeks ago, no damage of sorts done but kicked off at him when it was her fault. Looks like these people are set to fall from a high height living at the bottom of a bottle and not in reality.
So as we wait for the paperwork to return they still refuse to pay, well i say refuse! Have sent emails saying a payment just for the kitchen has been made by "BACS" but thats over a day ago and still nothing. Not surprised.
The sad events which they dont seem to grasp are that if the papers get hold of the story, it goes on the net, twitter, facebook you get the picture when found guilty i can then put names and addresses in for other builders etc to see. I would question if this was worth it having a career as a headmaster with a drink problem and maybe pay what i owe before it gets too late.
But i can only make assumptions over the alcohol problems basing these on the events i have witnessed personally and those of a recovering alcoholic who pointed out all the signs to me.
Name and shame! People have the right to know Bad payers.

review on my builder

• Moving shed, breaking up concrete, digging hole

  Demolition & Clearing
  N

  
  

  Stefan and his team fitted a ground level trampoline, moved a shed and made the area good. They worked in appalling weather conditions and within the specified hours we had agreed ( as we are a special needs home). I was kept up to date with work progress.
  We are very satisfied with the work carried out. Thank you for your professional and friendly approach. Carol.

  Ycarol333art - 7^th May, 2012Positive

heres the latest letter of praise for the team! (pictures to follow)

Morley House

68a Goodwins Road

Kings Lynn

Norfolk

PE30 5PD

1^st May 2012.

Dear Stefan

I am writing to thank you and your team for the excellent job you have done in fitting our ground level trampoline.

I was very impressed by your thorough explanation of the quote, and how the work would be carried out. You were sensitive to the needs of our service and proactive in keeping me up to date on progress.

The weather you endured was appalling but you were all professional and helpful throughout.

The young people have already started to use the trampoline and I know it will be an asset to our service.

I would not hesitate to recommend you to others and have forwarded your details to our head office and requested that you are placed on our preferred providers list.

Thank you from all at Morley House.

Yours sincerely

Carol Gyton.

Morley House Manager.

find us here and what people have to say about us

look at the great reviews about various works we have completed
click here!

new staff to help cope

well its been so busy we have had to take on more staff and stop looking at anymore work, unheard of ever before i am to say but its true! surely this is a good sign for the building trade?the economy? it certainly is for moral!
we actually just got sent a works pad and pen with calling cards from one of our avenues of work. very posh.
working on a massive house we spent a year working on 2 years ago, painting all the windows and doors, guttering, flat roof to repair/ceiling to repair, garden clearance, excess household goods to move, rendering and so much more. the project sees 7 of us working there at times.
kitchen to fit next week and some tiling- we tiled the kitchen floor and bathroom, plus did various small works. outside tap has to fit into the schedule somewhere.
minor garden works- moving a shed/installation of a base, cat flap, childs swing concreted down and more.
major works at a government establishment.
small bathroom refit
making a custom door, taking down an internal wall, rendering, full rip out and re fit of a bathroom.
lounge to paint.
roof to strip and then apply new felt and batons/lead etc oh and fancy guttering in galvanised steel.
pond and feature to a garden along with 20 fence panels.
we have just fitted a trampoline-details to come-installed a shed base-moved a shed and electrics-installed ridge tiles-bathroom and fascia works-painted window sills- -patio to caravan-plus more to upload when there is time.
patio to the side of a caravan in heacham
new stair case to fit
brick and slab stairs to a caravan and alterations to fencing
stairs and floor renovation to a cottage
phew and there is more!

coming up for us!

we have a trampoline to put into the ground, house to paint-garden makeover-floor to level-windows to seal-tiling-wallpapering- you get the gist, another house to make over, shed base, kitchen, wall, extension, new stairs to fit-velux windows-floorboards and more, moving a shed and plumbing in, bathroom to fit and more. plus lots of paperwork out there waiting for people to agree on.

yes its been ages, but we have been busy!

work work and looking for some play time! While the weather is upside down we are jumping from job to job trying to get anything finished. seems as quick as we start a job the weather stops us, shame it still rains the weekends too. but! here is the finished pointing to the end gable and the painting of the front! you can see that the left side predominately has the rough looking areas, this is as the previous builders used cement and sand, no lime. so without smashing the flint etc to get it out we had to leave these areas.

it will only take a minute! by big builders bum

next time i hear the saying "it will only take you a minute" i might just drop my trousers and show them what i really think!
agreed to a job to help someone out and low and behold it has stressed us both out and left me wanting to bang my head against the wall as i know there is NO such thing as "it will only take a minute". what that actually means is can you do a quick little job to make this look better but i dont want to spend alot and im in a hurry please can you help me.
being mister i like to help anyone i fall deeply into the sea of rubbish and allow the only a minute job to turn into a " i wish i had said NO". repairing fascia board where starlings are nesting, simple little job i thought. pulled the dodgy looking board off and look what we have here, woodworm, rot, enough nesting material for a small elephant let alone a starling family, previous workmanship which was conducted in the dark with no candles oooooooooooooooooooh stop it. so filler, nails and lots of bubblegum later, we coated the precarious looking fascia with a coat of cover up all sins paint (its not really called that or actually available).
it was a job done on a shoe string but the string ended up being cotton and the bath panel and toilet seat from a local DIY shop were just as bad. never have i cut a bath panel with a pair of scissors or had one tear like paper. rubbish! is too kind for them!
so today was not the easy little day as planned for this cold ridden builder.
lets hope the glass mosaic tiles are ok for the client what nigel was enjoying himself working with.
cold 1 builder 0

garden make over

simple little job of digging out three lanes to be shingled, taking old fence posts out which had been installed two years previous but snapped in the high winds, new upvc back door, clean out guttering, repair guttering and install new fencing. See a little job, oh and install a new liner and shingle.
heres the pictures to show the finished job, was great for me as just across the playing field.

heres the after

the before

and the door

wow so busy

its been so busy at work and then doing paperwork there has been no spare time to update the blog. shame as i have loads of new jobs to post on here yet no time to do it. with the addition of "the perfect fit" the quality of the finishing touches has risen. two reliable tradesmen on the job allowing the client to obtain a higher quality end result. we have also been lucky enough to go with our gut instincts when looking at new works and if it does not feel right then not deliver an estimate for them.
we have also had to take on self employed labour at times to help out. all being due to the new marketing strategy i employed the beginning of the year which has now paid off. the seminar with doug out of the dragons den was well worth giving it a look if you can.
now the spring is upon us its time to blow the dust off the camper and put it on the road t minus 7 days then onto the rolling road woop woop.
well its saturday and its sunny so time to leave you and get on with life! updates in the wind.

Latest Bathroom refit

New feedback left on MY BUILDER

• Refit bathroom

  Bathroom Fitting
  
  

  
  

  I received an excellent service from S1 Builders and I am very happy with my new bathroom. It looks gorgeous. Stephan was very good at advising me as to the right fittings to buy and kept me informed with pictures and texts of how the job was progressing as I wasnt at home while the bathroom was being fitted. I was very impressed with how clean everything was kept in the house which is a difficult task when building work is being done. Everything was cleared away on completion of the job and true to his word he finished the bathroom within 5 days despite one or two problems he encountered along the way. I would certainly recommend S1 Builders.

  marian414 - 6^th Mar, 2012Positive.
  

  

  

  
  
  
  
  

  

  
  

  

  
  

Hard Landscaping at S1 builders ltd norfolk

Here is a link to a description of what "Hard Landscaping" actually means and lays it out in simple terms.
Not easy for some people to grasp when its on the side of a van or in an advert so after a recommendation from a client i have gone ahead and listed it for all to read.

so you still pay the whole amount and the cancelllation fee!

Refund Request

Hi voidcrystal,

This email has been sent to you upon your request for a refund and/or cancellation of subscription from Ziinga.com.

The details contained here outlines the charges incurred, their corresponding refunds and any cancellation fee or other fees that may apply. This information has been relayed to you by our Customer Support Agents and reflects the figures discussed.

Please examine the information below:

Transaction Date2012-02-20 22:04 Item NameRefund Amount Recurring Charge£ 59.99
Charge NameCharge Amount Cancellation Fee(£ 28.00)
Total Refundable Amount£ 31.99
According to our Terms and Conditions, a cancellation fee of £ 28.00 shall be charged as penalty for breaking the 3 month binding contract for subscriptions.

Continuing with this verification process will fulfill the transaction for you.

Please click on the link below to confirm the refund and/or cancellation request.

https://www.ziinga.com/refund_transaction.php?vs=b59dcb2ed7b151247585cc2e81c47d

If you have questions regarding this transaction or any other transaction, please contact us through:

EMAIL: info@ziinga.com
LIVE CHAT: http://www.ziinga.com
PHONE: +44-1138680224
WEB: http://www.ziinga.com/uk/contact

The Ziinga.com support team is at your service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Once again, thank you very much!

Best Regards,
Ziinga.com

ziinga update 1

Very sneaky and clever site if you own it and are banking the money!
banks seem to be stuck at not being able to refund your money as you clicked the agree button. but read the terms and contracts and if you do your a fool!!!!!!!!!!!! hidden charges pop up on your account and crazy requests for proof of who you are turn up. There seems to be a flaw that you join the club for a lovely fee (read your small print, its supposed to be there somewhere) "NO postage" if your a member but you pay postage for what you win. Then they have your details wham bang thank you all the way to the bank.
call them on the phone and its a really bad line, you get put on hold, live chat is below and emails get logged and replied to but if you click the link to cancel its another £28 for the privilege. No guarantee your going to get your goods or a refund but good old Ziinga gets some more money!

Please wait for a site operator to respond.

You are now chatting with 'Christian'

Christian: Welcome to Ziinga! How can I help you?

voidcrystal: hello please can you send me details of how to obtain a refund

Christian: I'd be more than happy to assist you with your concern.

voidcrystal: i cannot receive my goods as your terms asking for copies of passports and credit cards are obscure

Christian: Let me go ahead and check that one for you.

Christian: May I have your username?

voidcrystal: voidcrystal

Christian: Thank you for that information.

Christian: Let me go ahead and check that one for you.

Christian: May I put you on hold for a minute or two (2) while I check the information?

voidcrystal: i would rather you did not put me on hold as i have just been on hold on the phon e

Christian: Sorry for that.

Christian: \just give me one moment while I'm checking your acct

Christian: Thank you for waiting.

Christian: Upon checking you have won Senseo coffee maker.

voidcrystal: yes and paid postage for it

Christian: Due to Ziinga's one gift per household policy, users need to confirm their identity by sending the following documents as proof

Christian: The status of the won auction is still asking for documents.

voidcrystal: but to obtain it you have asked for proff of who i am which is out landish and why is it not listed that you require proof of credit card photo of passport etc

Christian: Scanned copy of Credit Card (front and back)

Christian: Scanned copy of valid ID (passport or driver's license)

Christian: Scanned copy of signed credit card form. Download and fill up the form from this link: http://www.ziinga.com/uk/pages/creditcard_form

Christian: All required documents have to be submitted to info@ziinga.com.

voidcrystal: only a fool would send this amount of information over the internet

Christian: If you want you can cover the numbers of the card just leave the last 4 digits and you can also cover the cvv number just leave the signature.

Christian: As long as the signature is the same for the signature from your valid ID's.

voidcrystal: all i wish to do is get a refund for the membership 59.99 x 2 and the other costs you have taken as i have read reports on the internet from people who have done so and not received anything still

voidcrystal: you then have great details of a person to clone their records

voidcrystal: i shop online and have never been asked these requiremetns before and my bank states this this is unorthodox

Christian: We understand your concern.

voidcrystal: please just refund my money

Christian: All the details about the membership, its benefits and charges, are shown on the Payment page and in your receipt. More information are included in the Terms & Conditions, FAQs and How To page. How the website works and complete policies are made available and are clearly provided to our users. We encourage our customers to read all necessary information before completing any transaction. Furthermore, an e-mail receipt is sent to our customers upon purchase as a reminder about the membership charges and the 7-day free period. There is no intention to deceive as all necessary information is communicated to our customers.

Christian: I understand your concern. just give me a few minutes to process your request.

voidcrystal: i would still like a refund

voidcrystal: this would then prove that the people on the web are not telling the truth about your site and allow me to update my blogs and show this

Christian: I respect your decision.

voidcrystal: i appreciate your time and would like to be wrong and write good points about your company

Christian: Please be inform cancellation of the membership will void the purchase item.

voidcrystal: thats fine

Christian: And cancelling the membership has cancellation fee of £ 28.00.

voidcrystal: what about the refunds i have asked for?

Christian: As requested, I have sent a Refund Validation Email to your email address. Once you have agreed to the conditions, please click the link provided. This will process will ensure you will not be charged further.

Christian: And a refund will take within 30days.

voidcrystal: the email address is stefannicholls@yahoo.co.uk

Christian: yes.

voidcrystal: thank you

voidcrystal: i will post this onto the blogs, twitter and facebook so people can follow and see how it goes

Christian: Just to inform you, All Platinum memberships come with a 3-month binding contract. Customers who breach the 3-month binding contract will be charged a cancellation fee of £ 28.00. Note that cancellation of the contract will void any free promotional gift offer.

voidcrystal: i have read this and it also states with the membership postage is free but i paid postage for the coffee maker? also i never wished to be a member as this has put my finances into turmoil

Christian: No worries, I already process that request, Kindly check your email and confirm the link so that will stop the membership and it will refund the money within 30 days.

voidcrystal: i will no now thank you

Christian: No problem.

Christian: Is there anything else that I can assist you with?

voidcrystal: where is the refund form please as i cancelled the membership and it just went to the homepage and said that the process had started for cancellation

voidcrystal: 2113

Christian: Yes, with regards of refund form we can only send you the link or validation email.

voidcrystal: but i clicked it and it cancelled my membership but nothing else happens?

voidcrystal: 2117

Christian: It means you already confirm give me one moment if can see that stay on the line.

voidcrystal: 2119

Christian: Thank you for waiting. I already check that and you confirm tha validation link with regards of cancelling your membership.

Christian: Please accept the cancellation fee so it will stop the whole membership and it will process your refund.

voidcrystal: so what happens about the refunds now? as i have done as you asked and clicked the links but nothing is mentioned about refunds?2126

Christian: Because it in the process and forwarded to our billing department.

Christian: An again it will refund the amount within in 30days.

voidcrystal: ok thanks you can follow the blogs etc at http://s1buildersltd.blogspot.com/2012/02/ziinga-are-these-for-real.html

ziinga are these for real?

Messing about on the internet the other week and ended up a site and won a coffee maker, woop woop, like i really needed one as dont drink coffee (well that often). So all happy and convinced i was a "WINNER" bought some credit and whiled away half an hour not wining again, thats a surprise you all say.
This lovely site ziinga then sends me an email stating i have won a portable dvd player so i fill in the forms and pay the £2 for it and low and behold actually look at what i am doing after committing the cardinal sin of parting with my details?????
Seems as it all seems too good to be true i contacted them asking where my free gifts were, this is the response.

Thank you for contacting Ziinga.
If you wish to receive your won item, you need to send required documents and you need to make sure to keep your membership active. We require a copy of supporting documents in order for us to verify that you are the owner of the Won product and the card holder. And since we have a one gift per household policy, you must confirm your identity by sending the following documents as proof:
- Scanned copy of Credit Card (front and back)
- Scanned copy of valid ID (passport or driver’s license)
- Scanned copy of signed credit card form. Download and fill up the form from this link:
http://www.ziinga.com/uk/pages/creditcard_form
We also suggest that upon sending a copy of your Credit Card, you may want to cover the credit card number and leave the last 4
digits so we can identify the information. You can also cover the CVV code on the copy of your bank card.
Please send all the required documents to info@ziinga.com. Rest assured that we maintain highest level of confidentiality to copies of documents we receive. As soon as your documents are approved, your package should arrive at your shipping address within 2 to 4 weeks.

Should you have further inquiries, please do not hesitate to reply.

Regards,
Richelle
Ziinga Customer Support

Lets get this right people, i have never parted with so much info let alone for a coffee maker and a portable dvd player. I could open a bank account with this much info. So who can prove me wrong and prove thats its not a con and as soon as i give over my personal details i wont end up wiped out?
 

one in the eye for the energy companies?

With "Which" being behind a massive venture to obtain household energy at cheaper prices what could be better? Well here is the link to jump aboard and make a difference!
Its easy to sit back and complain, now turn that complaint into an action!
whichbigswitch
The topic was on radio two today and was interesting whilst making sense.