Customers’ complaints about building supply firm passed to police
Isobel Dide Siemmond at her property in east Suffolk. PICTURE: Jamie Honeywood - Credit: Archant
Customers claiming a company left them thousands of pounds out of pocket for shoddy building work say they are relieved police have now taken up the case.
The unfinished property in east Suffolk. PICTURE: Jamie Honeywood - Credit: Archant
Several people complained to this newspaper about building supply firm Superior SIPs Ltd - with many saying authorities had been too slow to act.
Customers included Isobel Dide Siemmond who paid the company tens of thousands of pounds to arrange construction of a home in east Suffolk, and Anna Steinbauer who sought its services for a conservatory near Braintree.
MORE: Anger at developer who took cash for new home that was unfinishedBoth said Superior SIPs and its director Rhodri Foote had become hard to contact after receiving their deposit payments.
They said when work was carried out it was late and to a poor standard.
The unfinished property in east Suffolk. PICTURE: Jamie Honeywood - Credit: Archant
Miss Siemmond was left with an unfinished home, which experts said looked like a "badly made garden shed" and would cost £50,000 to complete. Ms Steinbauer said she paid £2,000 to another company to finish her job.
After lodging complaints with organisations including police, Action Fraud and Trading Standards, customers began to question why authorities had not stepped in.
But now Action Fraud has confirmed the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) had reviewed complainants' claims and passed the case to Dyfed Powys Police in south Wales - where Mr Foote has connections.
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A spokesman for Dyfed-Powys Police confirmed it had received and was assessing five complaints.
Miss Siemmond said: "It is promising that the authorities are finally looking into Superior SIPs and director Rhodri Foote."
She said she hoped Trading Standards would also get involved.
Ms Steinbauer added: "I'm relieved to finally hear that the authorities are taking this matter seriously."
Superior SIPs Ltd has defended itself against the complaints. It said most clients were happy with both its products and the work carried out by the independent subcontractors used to install them. "We rely heavily on wholesale trade suppliers for our core products and independent subcontractors for any building projects undertaken," it said.
"We as a company fully expect that all products, service and processes are to be of the highest standard at all times and will be conducting a full review into any issues related to these operations."
