Am I liable for someone I recommend? Please help!?

Question

I am a sole trader supplying kitchens. I have recommended a fitter to a customer, someone who had done good work for me previously. The customer paid the fitter for the work and is now threatening me with court because he says the work is not up to scratch, despite me telling him not to pay until he was happy with the work. Can I be held liable? And if he does take the matter to court, what can I do? The customer has no issue with anything I supplied, just with the fitter

Answer 1

No way- you only recommended them- the person who had the work done made a choice- their problem is with the fitter surely and not you?

You offered perfectly good advice when you told them not to pay til they were happy- but it would seem that it fell on deaf ears.

Tell them to f**k off!!!

Answer 2

no legaly youre fine, they can bad mouth you and try to take you to court but what it boils down to is that they hired a contracter to do a job, if its not up to there snuff they need to go after him. try and remined them of this by stateing that  they were contracted with said party not you. there for you have no responsibility to them. and that you were doing a favor by reccomending the said party.  

bottom line they dont even have a case.

l

Answer 3

I wouldn't think you have any liability.  As long as it was a simple recommendation, and completely separate from any contract you had with the customer, then the customer was under no obligation to follow your recommendation.

If part of your deal with the customer included using the person you recommended, then it's a different story.

Answer 4

You should have no worries. The contract to fit the kitchen was between that fitter and HIS customer. It is up to the customer to seek redress from the fitter as he has done the work. If you were paid for this recommendation or the fitter has given you a "fee" for getting him this work then you would be acting as a consultant and you would then be liable for part of the problem. That customer should have heeded your warning about not paying in full until completely satisfied.

Answer 5

Its the fitter they should sue - or is it that your client is more scared of the fitter than you? Tell your chickensh1t client to take a hike and go after the real problem!  A court will laugh in their face.

Answer 6

Was your contract with the customer supply only, or supply and fit? How was the quote worded?

If it was supply only, you could liken their claim to meeting the customer in a pub and recommending someone to do a job for them- they couldn't then hold you liable if they did a bad job.

If they were dissatisfied they should not have paid the fitter, or only paid in part.

I think they're trying it on. d**n this litigious society!