I was scammed by a plumbing company. Can I get my money back?

Questioner

Blocked toilet in the evening, so I looked up an emergency service on the internet. XYZ came and fixed the blockage, but I had to pay 500 euros for half an hour's work. On top of that, I haven't received an invoice, the bowl was put back crooked so it's leaking now and I can't get hold of them anymore (they've probably blocked my number). I see that they are affiliated with Loodgieters.nl and both companies have bad reviews on Trustpilot. I called the police to report it, but they only do this after legal advice.

Lawyer

There are definitely options to take legal action in such cases to get your money back. An agreement (of purchase, service or otherwise) has mutual rights and obligations. If a party does not fulfill these obligations, there is a breach of contract. In this case, it seems as if the plumbing company has not fully complied with its obligations (not delivering a correctly performed service). In that case, you have options to put the other party in default. My advice is to first try to contact the plumbing company again. If they don't respond, send a certified letter officially putting them in default. In this letter you politely (but clearly) ask them to fulfill their obligations (e.g. do the job properly again, provide an invoice, etc.). If they still don’t respond after that letter, you have the option of starting legal proceedings. The first step for this is to engage a specialized legal expert – whether it’s a lawyer or a solicitor, it depends on exactly what you need. Finally, I would like to mention that depending on the situation, the costs of the lawsuit may be higher than the amount you may get back. It is therefore important to also take these possible costs into account when determining the best course of action. Please note that the above advice is general and not intended as specific legal advice for your situation. For more detailed advice, it is certainly wise to contact a legal specialist.' ---------------- Stichting Rechtswinkel.nl is a national organization with students and volunteers. The above advice is based on limited information and may be incomplete or even incorrect for your situation. Always consult a lawyer or attorney for your further steps. Read disclaimer: https://rechtswinkel.nl/disclaimer I would like to invite you to rate the above answer so that we can learn from your response.