Customers of a Darlington builder have spoken of their fury at being out of pocket by thousands of pounds after deposits were taken for work never completed.

Gary McIvor and his company, We Mow For You Landscaping promised customers across Darlington that he would complete landscaping and joinery work, so long as he was paid a deposit, via Facebook.

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But when he did not build fences, renovate gardens and construct staircases, some of his clients started to believe they had paid for work that would never be completed.

In one case, a customer was out of pocket as much as £3,350.

At least four people have taken Mr McIvor to court. One of them is Andy Lee. He secured a county court judgement (CCJ) ordering him to repay £3,350 - however, Mr Lee and his family claim they are yet to see the majority of this money. 

However, Mr McIvor has responded and said that repayment plans have been agreed on for all clients wanting a refund, and these repayments are due to begin this month.

About his experience, Mr Lee said: "We have just written off the money that we paid him - and it is a lot of money to lose, especially at a time like this."

The Northern Echo has since been approached by other customers alleging that they had had similar encounters with the builder.

The Northern Echo: A receipt for phase one of work showed work was due to start on April 11. A receipt for phase one of work showed work was due to start on April 11. (Image: Andy Lee)

Chrissie Hopson, had taken to Facebook to warn about Mr McIvor after she claimed she paid him £1,500 to construct a staircase, which never materialised. 

About her allegations, she said: "He never came through on his promises."

Ms Hopson also outlined the impact that Mr McIvor's actions have impacted her beyond the financial loss: "I've been so stressed and felt like such an idiot - but I felt obliged to post it in local Facebook groups as I don’t feel able to stand by and do nothing. "

Meanwhile, Christopher Noble, from Darlington, claimed he had a similar experience after paying Mr McIvor to install a decking ahead of summer. 

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After putting a post on social media, Mr Noble alleged he received advice on the work and a reasonable quote from Mr McIvor, but once commissioned for the work, he says Mr McIvor got back in touch to say that due to supply chain issues, the £600 deposit was no longer enough to cover initial material costs, and he needed an additional £220. 

When work still did not commence, Mr Noble said that he contacted Mr McIvor, and received "excuses upon excuses", eventually having to get another company in to complete the landscaping work. 

Mr Noble does have plans to take Mr McIvor to court, but has "given up on getting the money back", instead hoping that "he will see justice". 

Another customer Tina Lunnon, also of Darlington, set out with the best of intentions, hoping to hire someone locally for a garden renovation, so she could support a small business with money that she had saved up for home improvements. 

She claimed: "I really trusted him - he came with another lad to give a quote, and when I checked online there was a webpage with reviews, and a trader site. I even referred him to my sister and he completed the work with no issues. 

"I really wanted to support him as he said he had only been in the business 18 months. 

"But when it came to it, he never turned up - he made all kinds of excuses, like jobs running over, and his designated driver being arrested."

She went on to allege: "When McIvor finally did turn up, stayed for less than an hour, and left a huge mess in the garden. The cherry on top - the fence that he put up fell down."

"I just want him to know that I am still around, and I want my money back."

However, there are a number of Mr McIvor's customers who have been satisfied with his work, such as Ms Lunnon's sister, for whom he completed work with "no issues".

But those who spoke to The Northern Echo claimed that a range of five-star customer testimonials on his website convinced them to use his services. 

When approached by The Northern Echo about these allegations, Mr McIvor said that repayment plans had been arranged with all customers, or that he has been unable to get in touch with customers to arrange repayment.

However, at least one of the customers has claimed that despite a plan being agreed, they are yet to receive any money. 

Mr McIvor declined to give any further comments.

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