Misleading offer of credit? Help

[kenwide]

Hello. Not sure if this is in the right place so apologies for any confusion.

 

Anwyay, here's my situation... All help and advice is very welcome indeed:

 

We asked a trader to quote for some wooden flooring. Within his quote it stated:

 

"We are able to offer a 'Buy now, pay in six months' facility which allows you to have a floor fitted now but delay payment for six months. This is interest free with no extra cost to the customer."

 

On a separate page titled "Terms" it states:

 

"50% deposit to confirm booking work (10% for 'Buy now, pay in six months')."

 

followed by further terms such as accepting no liability for damage during fitting. There is NO further reference to any credit offer or it's terms, and ends by asking to return a form with a cheque for your deposit to confirm the work.

 

Subsequently, we paid 10% deposit understanding that this was an application for credit. The trader contacted us once in two months to confirm a start date for the work.

 

(Here's where it gets interesting) Having then completed the work, the trader asked for payment on completion. I explained we had expected to be given the credit we had asked for, only to be told that credit was subject to "paperwork that must be completed and processed at his showroom". When i pressed him to explain what the paperwork was, it transpired to be a credit/loan agreement with Barclays bank. I explained we were uncomfortable borrowing money on those terms and that had this been made clear at the outset we would've made alternative payment arragements OR not agreed to undertake the work at all. As we are unable to pay (having not budgeted to pay for some time) i explained that, whilst the debt is not in dispute, under the circumsances he will now have to wait to be paid.

 

A couple of heated and protracted telephone calls later, the trader is adamant that only "an idiot" would not have requested the terms of credit offered at the outset, and is now sending rambling, and emotive letters insisting we sign his Barclays bank credit agreement or take legal action.

 

So. I'd be really intersted to know what CAG thinks of all this. My reckoning is he's well short of the Consumer Credit Advertising Regs. PLUS he's behaving like a complete arsehole - he attempted some bizarre guilt-tripping tactics claiming "I'm just a small business man. I've got VAT bills to pay!" We also caught him trying to take photographs of the back of our house to prove he'd "completed the work".

 

Could this be a matter for the OFT? I'm of a mind to stick the balance on a credit card and have rid the hassle, but I'm loathe to give in so easily.

 

Agree/disagree/discuss

[bedlington83]

As long as the loan is interest free for the first six months, what's the problem signing it?

[kenwide]

It's a loan that has to be approved from Barclays.

 

About to re-mortgage shortly so don't want footprints of credit checks etc. on record