Lifestyle Conservatories in Worthing - Do not use!

[Birdiebird]

Guess what, Lifestyle Conservatories went into receivership yesterday. No doubt the greedy Director (we all know who he is) is sunning himself on our hard earned cash.

[and-us]

Just heard the same news....... Relieved in one way, happy that Peter finally got his comeuppance, now the fun starts all over again with insurance claims!!!!! May have a toast to lifestyle tonight!!! Good riddance to such a shoddy company!!! Hope Peter has a happy christmas in the dole queue!!!!

[I_can't_believe_it]

Now that explains a lot. How did you find out? and what next?

[hakedof]

Well, I knew the company was in trouble! This would explain why I left 7 messages in just over a week and not got one reply! A company that treats it's customers like this deserves it!!!!!!!!

The only thing that I still have not got is the 10 year Guarentee. Anyone any ideas about how we get this now the company has gone?

I feel that I am lucky to have got mine completed, just not got the Guarantee. I feel sorry for all the people that have not got their conservatory finished and paid the money!

[autumnleaf]

About the guarantee, hakeof...did you have a 'customer return form' from IPWFI? This has a return slip to be filled in on completion of the contract. I assume then that the quarantee will come straight from them.

Ditto...how did you find out, birdiebird about them going into receivership?

I think maybe I have had a bit of a lucky escape-the conservatory arrived on Thursday and the installers came yesterday and today to erect it. Only problem is that one of the front panels is 5cm too narrow. Sounds like I need to sort this out myself with the manufacturers.

It's one of those tales you hear of and think it will never happen to you. I really feel for all those other customers out there who are still waiting and don't know what is going on.

[ripcord]

My conservatory was to arrive this morning but all l got was an insolvency

letter.I have been given promise after promise since May.My building work was completed 5 weeks ago and had 4 cancelled delivery dates.We had given up a holiday for two years and 9 thousand pounds of our life savings for this.This "Peter" has a lot to answer for I am sure I have been told criminally deceptive lies especially over the last month.Does anyone have any information about him; he has not returned our calls for two weeks.

And I notice the insolvency letter was dated 4th November.So any information please!

[and-us]

An insolvency letter..... that's about the most efficient piece of admin i've heard about them in ages! Maybe they weren't that bad!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think the IPWFI insurance will kick in, but no doubt there's smaller than small print to lessen the blow to them. As for the guarantee, it's provided by them, not lifestyle, so you shouldn't have a problem. I have the phone number of a lifestyle installer if anyone needs it? (sub contractor- very helpful).

[and-us]

Does anyone know the name of the builders company???

[MARTIN3030]

Does anyone know the name of the builders company???

 

 

I can understand the feelings and fully sympathise but the naming of individuals or others has to be left out of postings, without clear proof within the public domain that

They are responsible or a party to any wrongdoing,bad practice,or unlawful action.

At this stage this is a matter for those who will be tasked with investigating.

Those affected will have been given paperwork.

[hakedof]

Autumnleaf, I have had no 'customer return form' from IPWFI. I have had no paperwork from lifestyle at all other than a letter saying that the payment was complete. I did call the company direct and they had no details about us. From what I understood from the so called installation manager, once completed, lifestyle faxed the details to them and then we would receive the guarentee but this never hapened. I do not even know what this form looks like.

[intransit]

i just had a conservatory built from a great company.

i gave them a deposit on a credit card. a builder did the footings and walls with no money up front then i paid him for a great job. then the company came back and erected the conservatory and i was happy with the job, they agreed at the start i could hold back £ 500.00 for one month in case i found faults. i have now payed them the £ 500.00. thats how to deal with company's if they want your trade.

[and-us]

in-transit.... thanks for your comments, but incase you hadn't noticed, the theme seemed to be about people who have had a bad experience with 'Lifestyle conservatories' worthing. Maybe you missed the thread entitled 'really great conservatories and i have one' Thanks for rubbing our noses in it! enjoy your conservatory!!!!

[freakyleaky]

and-us, I don't believe Intransit was rubbing anyones noses in anything. He was just giving people a few pointers on how to deal with companies who bid for your work. And good advice it is too.

Never pay for work that has not been completed.

[intransit]

thankyou freakyleaky

at lease you understood my post.

i could of said it a another way but i didn't want to be rude.

there are ways to protect yourself when dealing with company's never for get they want your business. terms and conditions should be in your favor not theirs. the way i have dealt with company's i have never had my fingers burnt. like i said if the company wants your business and they are above board and they are confident in their work and standards they will bow to your terms ie paying in stages ect ect. if not give them a miss they got something to hide.

[ripcord]

intransit -you were not rude but you were gloating and crowing .And-us was right .We have to deal with the problem of lifestyle and getting that sorted .You are not helping our problem with lifestyle and its greedy director who told me lies for four months.He allegedly was collecting cheques at the same time as he was liquidating the company. You should be able to pay a deposit up front and the law should protect you if the company is trading legally .And if it is not the law should deal with that too.

[intransit]

i was not gloating or crowing there is another post on here that had one fitted and was very happy and would use them again no one moaned at them. but if they do use them again they would probably find the name has slightly changed to lifestyle conservatories 2009 ltd. in the name of his Grannie so that they don't have to repay the £ 9000 you lost. some one telling you lies for 4 months i would of thought the alarm bells ringing were driving you mad did it not a cure to you to act sooner.

[MARTIN3030]

Intransit,I am sure that if ripcord had evidence or anticipation of what was to follow then they would certainly have acted as appropriate.

[MARTIN3030]

I recently dug this snippet out too.

You will see that its very serious for a director to continue to take money from its clients and customers where it can be seen that the company faces uncertanties in meeting their obligations.

 

 

DUTIES AND LIABILITIES OF DIRECTORS OF PRIVATE COMPANIES

 

The aim of this note is to provide a basic explanation of the main responsibilities and liabilities of directors of UK private limited companies. The information in this note is not exhaustive and not sufficiently detailed to apply to the circumstances of any particular situation. Although a company is a legal person in its own right and as such can own property and enter into contracts with others, it can only make decisions through those that own or control it. The day to day management of a company is usually entrusted to its directors. As a general rule if a person acts as a director, the law treats him or her as a director (a "shadow director") even if he or she is not called a director and has not been formally appointed as a director. A director is an officer of the company but not automatically an employee. Where a director is also a full-time employee he or she is often referred to as an "executive director". A "non-executive director" is usually part-time and is often appointed for his or her specialist knowledge and experience and/or to provide the board of directors with an impartial opinion.

A director of a company may in certain circumstances be made liable for the debts of the company of which he is a director. This might result in the director being personally required to pay some or all of the company's creditors. Directors can be found guilty of wrongful trading if he or she carries on business when the director knows that it will not be possible for the company to avoid an insolvent liquidation. It is a defence for a director if he can demonstrate that when he became aware of the likelihood of an insolvent liquidation he took all possible steps to minimise the loss to creditors. However, resigning as a director does not necessarily absolve the director from responsibility.

[I_can't_believe_it]

To start with, Hakedof, we looked into the 10 year guarantee and were told it had to be submitted by the company and as the company had folded they would not provide the gurantee. I suggest you give them a call too and check, but that was the feedback we received.

 

 

Intransit, thanks for the advice and in fututre I am sure all of us who have had such a bad experience will be incredibly cautious and demanding -however, in our defence (!!???!!)

• we entered into a contract with a Ltd company which 'appeared' very professional,
  
• we ourselves did research on them before signing and could not find any negative feedback, just positive (you will notice the torrent of bad experiences are recent).
  
• When dealing with a Ltd company you expect certain things to be covered that you would not dealing with an individual tradesman... etc
  
• Also, in regards to alarms bells and doing something about it... a number of us had already had work done, and were aware of the conservatory delivery delay (from the manufacturer and nothing to do with Lifestyle - as per the letter we received) which 'legitmately' extened the waiting period. I can not speak for others but on top of a trillion phone calls, we sought advice from the OFT and followed their advice though that process is longwinded and has amounted to nout as the company has folded.
  

We have not been notified officially that the company is insolvent (our conservatory is still incomplete). I contacted the insolvency service today and was told on their records the company is still active. It should take at the most 14 days from administrators coming in for it to show on their records. Does anyone else know anything?

 

Thanks all for the posts. It has been helpful finding out information as the company themselves have been 'very poor' at communication. We probably still would not know they had gone into receivership if we hadn't read it here.

Edited November 28, 2008 by I_can't_believe_it

[spiderex]

hello i to have had lots of problems with his company.We first saw p in early feb the conservatorywas then started in march after a few false starts ,then the frame came when we were away they left it on the grass.Then the installers arrived to fit they said it was not all the right size and incomplete .They made do then the electrician came he messed it up plasterer refused to do before electrican came back.He finally came three weeks later then four weeks later the plaster came to do inside only by which time we just wanted to be in it complete or not.We insructed someone to do floor and just used anyway.Rendering only done a month ago window boards not complete and unfinished around doors and electric still not fitted to walls i do count myself lucky but its still in no way finished and i have never had the guarantee remember this was started back in begining of march

[chickies]

i have heard that lifestyle have gone into liquidation. they have changed their address from worthing to oldebourne house 4th floor 46-47 chancery lane wc2a 1je. got that from companies house. i have had a nightmare with them since april. conservatory leaking like a sieve. electrics condemmed no certificates. conservatory not useable in any way. has ruined flooring etc .will give you administators number if u need it.

[spiderex]

yes thanks that would be great,we should get them on watchdog or rouge traders from talking to the installations manager a few weeks ago i think that they also owe him lots of money too

[autumnleaf]

I received a letter yesterday from the plasterer who was expecting to do my walls; he included the number of the electrician. Although I feel sorry for them if they are now out of work, I do not know if they are the people mentioned in some of the above messages. Obviously some of the workmen they used were OK, but it seems like a lot were not. Having had my conservatory put up 2 weeks ago and finding out the same day that Lifestyle had gone under, I didn't think I'd hear anymore so started sorting out a plasterer and electrician myself. I'm still waiting to see if the window that was the wrong size will get replaced!

[chickies]

the original fitter that put the conservatory up also done the electrics. they were wired wrong. Another fitter took the conservatory back down as it had been fitted so badly and reconstructed it. He was very helpful but had to make a good thing out of a bad construction. he came back many times. They sent another electrician called (edit) who was very helpful and he too tried to put things right but he was unable to put right what was wrong in the first place because it was such a big job and i dont think there was any money left in this job to correct things. The conservatory should really have been taken down and reordered as nothing fitted properly. It was actually more work for them to do what they did. I know the original fitter left some time ago and i was told that all the jobs he done were having to be done over again. (edit) is the man who constantly fobbed me off with his promises to do things. #Each time i waited two weeks for him to call me back and he didnt. It was me who had to call him back each time. He said he didnt call me back because he didnt have any news. THis happened every couple of weeks. Had he got his finger out and not fobbed me off the conservatory would have been finished months ago. I have no certificates for the work done.

Technically the conservatory was finished but lifestyle did not pass on the insurance to IWFPI who give the 10 year guarantee which covers you once the conservatory has been built. their number is 0844 800 4125. contact is jane. I have delivery notes with the numbers of people who make the glass and those that supply ancilliary parts. I phoned them and they are trying to help me. Dont know if you have delivery notes etc but it may be worth you checking with them to see if they can help you. The original fitter was (edit). The second fitter was a different andy. Second one was very helpful. If you need (edit) or (edit) 2 number email me on (edit) i will give you his number. Report them to watchdog as others have done. You can contact them via bbc website.

Edited December 5, 2008 by freakyleaky
personal details removed. Please read the site rules on posting.

[radomskya]

Please note that this Company is now in Liquidation. See: http://www.gazettes-online.co.uk/ViewPDFContent.aspx?pdf=58907&geotype=London&gpn=19243&type=Issue

 

If you are owed money and have not recevied notice of the liquidation, you need to conact the Liquidator straight away and inform them of this - this will help with their investigations into the conduct of the Director and the Company. The Liquidator is Martin Armstrong of Turpin Barker Amstrong and can be reached on 020 8661 7878 or [email protected].