EPC boss Christopher Whatcott says he will sue after alleging that Domestic Energy Assessors have tried to ruin his business.
After increasing accusations from DEAs, Whatcott claims that his servers were hacked into and the website, with most of its data, destroyed.
DEAs say they are still out of pocket after being unpaid by Whatcott.
EAT has received a number of emails from angry and frustrated DEAs detailing the amounts they say they are owed. They say that despite repeated attempts to get their invoices settled, they have been unsuccessful. There are also claims that the public have not received what they paid for.
DEAs are also angry that Whatcott, who ran HIP-save – a company whose registration was cancelled by the Property Codes Compliance Board – before launching Express-EPC this summer, has now started a new business, EPC Now, operating from the same address.
But Whatcott has hit back, equally angrily.
He said his new business will not sell EPCs but will be used to recruit and train his own panel of DEAs, so that he will not have to use external resources.
Meanwhile, he says he has stopped taking EPC orders “which will remain the case until these issues have been resolved. We will then make a decision as to the future of our business”.
He says he has started legal proceedings against Paul Walker and trade body IDEA (Institute of Domestic Energy Assessors).
He said that Walker “has mounted a campaign to bring our business into disrepute whilst involving others in the process” and said that because of legal proceedings, he will not comment further.
Whatcott sent EAT a copy of an email, apparently from Walker last June. The email uses ripe language in turning down an offer to bid for carrying out an EPC. The firm uses a reverse auction model, by which DEAs bid the lowest amounts to get jobs.
Meanwhile the solicitor’s letter, which EAT has also seen, specifically accuses both Walker and Neil Kurz, an estate agent who is also a DEA, of disrupting Whatcott’s business.
The solicitor’s letter, dated October 27, also requires Walker to take down each forum and every post that he has been responsible for, whether he has created them himself or encouraged others to do so.
Whatcott, who has been reported to Trading Standards, said he has had a meeting with his local office “to discuss the increasing number of complaints from customers that had been messed around by a number of DEAs.
“We showed them evidence of the malicious behaviour and the trouble caused by a number of individuals.”
He said: “We agreed on an action plan to resolve the customer disputes and we are making positive progress in this area. At the time of our meeting with trading standards, we had almost 500 customer emails in our inbox, but this has now reduced significantly to around 50 emails.”
Less certain is where Whatcott’s payment plan to DEAs stands.
EAT carried a story last month in which Whatcott said he was catching up with unpaid invoices and was up to date with them at mid-July.
One DEA who contacted EAT since our original story appeared said he is owed ££788 in unpaid invoices, representing 19 jobs undertaken between April and July of this year. Sixteen of those invoices date from before mid-July. He had taken on work from Express-EPC and, before that, HIP-save.
He also claims that at least one former customer who paid for a HIP in May, shortly before suspension, had been unable to get his money back.
The DEA claims: “I have emailed Express-EPC and Chris Whatcott regularly – currently at least once a week – but have never received any explanation of why they have not paid me or when they will do so. Since your article last month, they have ceased replying to my emails.
“Many of us have received emails from Chris Whatcott and his Accounts Department stating they have settled invoices, but in reality the money is never received.
“I myself received such emails on August 8, claiming that 12 invoices were settled totalling £550. I never received this money.”
EAT has received other emails from angry DEAs, also apparently showing that they still have unpaid invoices dating from before mid-July.
Meanwhile, the situation seems to have taken another ugly turn. Whatcott alleged that his servers were hacked into and the website together with most of its data was destroyed.
“We do of course maintain backups but it has taken until now to restore everything,” he said.
EPC boss Whatcott says he will sue as DEA anger mounts
15 November 2010
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Comments
What Hitler thinks about DEAs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wd6qbMOqgig
errrr.... I think IDEA's statement was dripping with sarcasm! Dont take everything so literally people!!
IDEA do NOT endorse EXPRESS EPC. IDEA has advised our members against working with EXPRESS EPC and any company involved in the “Reverse Auction” style bidding system.
The previous IDEA statement was published to point out that if Mr Whatcott has sorted his company’s problems, then Mr Whatcott should now be able to address the invoicing issues and so start paying DEAs. As Mr Whatcott has stated previously.
Please "Read between the lines"?
The only way to let all DEA's know of this problem is via the accreditation schemes. As I understand it nobody knows for certain how many people are owed money or how much. The accreditation schemes could find this out by contacting their members.I think they have a moral duty to find out this information and ascertain the size of the problem. Quidos have already withdrawn insurance cover from this type of activity. If it really is such a big problem they could stop this overnight or at least let everybody know the risks involved. I'll be sending Elmhurst an email this morning.
Have IDEA suddenly recruited the same PR agency as Express EPC?
I appreciate that diplomacy and consiliation is sometimes required and I fully appreciate the old adages of "keeping one's enemies close to you" and "better to be inside the tent p*ssing out than outside the tent p*ssing in" but this statement beggers belief.
Express EPC and other Whatcott "enterprises" owe many people a lot of money and until he has settled those debts, no-one should be "endorsing" his business ventures as below:
"IDEA are aware that Express EPC are taking on new orders as of today. So it would seem that Mr Whatcott has sorted out the issues that he and his companies have been plagued with. IDEA are very pleased for Mr Whatcott in his unstinting work in resolving issues. We would now hope he has now the time and energy to resolve the issue of payment to the many DEAs that have supplied EPCs for; HIPSERVE/HIPSAVE/EXPRESS EPC"
Unless IDEAs login has been hacked and is being controlled by someone else. Perhaps Wikileaks should be told?!
For goodness sake IDEA what are you doing? There is sufficient evidence from a wide range of sources to convince any newbee DEA to saty well clear of Express EPC and here you go virtually endorsing the organisation.
Furthermore why should DEAs work for panels and get paid £28 for an EPC and Floor Plan that the panel sells to the estate Agents for £60.
IDEA are aware that Express EPC are taking on new orders as of today. So it would seem that Mr Whatcott has sorted out the issues that he and his companies have been plagued with. IDEA are very pleased for Mr Whatcott in his unstinting work in resolving issues. We would now hope he has now the time and energy to resolve the issue of payment to the many DEAs that have supplied EPCs for; HIPSERVE/HIPSAVE/EXPRESS EPC.
IDEA contacted all our "owed" members on Friday 26 November 2010. They have still not been payed.
The institute will contine to monitor this situation and any activity of Mr Whatcott until our members recieve full payment for their services to Mr Whatcott and HIPSERVE/HIPSAVE/EXPRESS EPC.
Are they trading as Express-EPC or EPCNOW or as i suspect either using another company or trading as a company that we dont know of?
If Express EPC's aren't accepting any new instructions, why is there a request in my junk mail box? Dated today! Don't give up do they!
He is keeping everyone in limbo because the longer this goes on the more likely he is going to keep all the money. Trading Standards are a joke, they should have taken measures to have him struck off from trading. Mr Whatcott bleats away as if he has done nothing wrong. I have worked for 2 other panels before, both paid in less than 6 weeks. The work i completed for Express-EPC is now past 6 months . This isnt a witch hunt, its just a lot of people who have had a crime commited against them and it doesnt matter what we worked for, whether it was £50 or 50p, we are all victims.
Saying the system got hacked, lol, is this another lie to hide the amount of income Chris Whatcott has made. Yet another ploy to deter the inland Revenue?????
This man is a crook, he is still taking money from the general public through his websites which he states he is not??????? He takes the money and then hides not completing the work. He says he is in the process of setting up a training company to train his own DEAs. Last time i checked, he isnt a registered approved training provider with ABBE. To qualify as a DEA doesnt happen over 3 days in house training, there is a portfolio which has to be put together to be assessed by City and Guilds or an external verifyer. This portfolio can take 4 to 12 weeks to complete. So even instructions he takes on now wont be assessed in house for another 2 to 3 months if he gets the approval from ABBE, which I doubt. And where does he get the mugs who will pay for the training up front to an unapproved training center??? Who is going to trust him at this stage. Also I see another website SAVI.co.uk where he has been spotted in their office in Hitchin. I see there the logos OFT and the property ombudsman are clearly visible. I wonder if this is legal????
Surely a man with so many CCJs and taking money without completing the work and not paying the people who do the work, surely this is illegal and the man has to be arrested and brought before a court. There has to be fraud in their somewhere??? Correct me if Im wrong here. Why doesnt Chris Whatcott grow a pair and answer the questions here. Or has he dug a hole so deep now, he just cant get out.
CHRISTOPHER WHATCOTT, JUST TELL US IF YOUR GOING TO PAY US OR NOT. SAVE ALL THIS TROUBLE CHASING UP ALL THE TIME. IF YOUR NOT GOING TO PAY THE DEA'S, SAY SO. THEN WE KNOW WHERE WE STAND AND THEN WE CAN START TAKING IT DOWN ANOTHER DIRECTION. JUST ANSWER.
The World of EPCs opened up a whole new opportunity for many, too many.
It gave everyone the opportunity to run their own business, a lifelong dream for most people.
However, that’s the problem in so many cases – Many DEAs are not experienced enough or business minded to do this.
De-valuing your own product to such an extreme can only offer a short term gain. How can a £28 epc benefit anyone long term? You are providing a site visiting service as a professional in your field. Sky will not screw a satellite dish in for less than £70 – so how are EPCs for less than £30 justified?
I feel for the majority, but the fact is the inexperienced, greedy and (to be blunt) stupid DEAs out there have made a valuable document become worthless. One key rule of business is that you cannot do business with EVERYONE. You have to turn a deal down if it is not right for you.
Whatcott appears to be a nasty piece of work and his lowest bid model is a disgrace to your industry. Your compliance with such a model has de-valued the EPC even further.
The DEAs I deal with are paid a fair price. Agents make a massive mark up on fees and it is only right that you pay someone fairly. Many agents complain about Rightmove taking more money than they would like from their Christmas party fund, yet at the same time are happy to take independent DEAs (in a struggling marker) to the cleaners. It’s not right.
The only people who have got rich from EPCs (or made a fair salary even) are the panels and accreditaion bodies, while the guys on the front line have been completely exploited and betrayed by fellow DEAs, the scheming panels, Many agents and of course, Labour.
If Mr Whatnot is effectively acting as agent for the independant Energy assessors, then he is effectively mishandling client's money. Stop all this CCJ bizzo and get him on proper criminal charges.
Do not pass Go, Do not collect £200!
Alleging hacking and lost data is a good try at hiding records. Regrettably the courts won't accept this and it will backfire as there is a duty to prove sides of the argument and if he is saying he hasn't the records to support his side? A duty of care and back-up is a lesson for everyone and accepted practice today.
When we first heard of auctioning for an EPC at the lowest bid was taking advantage of DEA's not being paid a fair wage for service provided and nothing more. Suicide.
Well. I think this says it all?
History Mr Whatcott.
Pay the DEAs that worked for YOUR companies, providing you with EPCs. EPCs that the home owner has payed money to you. Pay up!
Your buisness failer is down to you. And only you.
The Principle of Putterills took your franchise off you.
The PCCB binned you for non compliant HIPs.
And then there is the problem you had with the OFT and Property Ombudsman
You displayed their logos on your web sites.
But you soon took them off when they investigated you?
Mr Whatcott, you are a fraudster. Who do you think you can sue?
If you get a court date, I think you should let us DEAs know?
Perhaps the Judge will consider instructing your arrest for the unpiad CCJs?
I am a DEA working in Blackpool and produced an EPC for express epc on 5th July 2010. Despite sending numerous e-mails asking for payment i have still not received it. Mr Whatcott, if you won't return my e-mails or take the 2 minutes it would take to pay me, perhaps you will communicate with me via this forum and explain what is going on. I believe my situation is typical of many others.
Elliott Bell
North West EPC
Tel 07887 802976
A few of the CCJs aginst this company.
Director: Mr C Whatcott.
HIP-SAVE LIMITED (07021228)
A new CCJ has been matched to this company. Court NORTHAMPTON CCBC. Case Number 0QT89532. Date 08/09/2010. Amount 145.00
HIP-SAVE LIMITED (07021228)
A new CCJ has been matched to this company. Court NORTHAMPTON CCBC. Case Number 9QZ66084. Date 07/01/2010. Amount 115.00
HIP-SAVE LIMITED (07021228)
Case NumberCCJ 9QZ10006. Court NORTHAMPTON CCBC. . Date 15/09/2009 Amount 190.00
HIP-SAVE LIMITED (07021228)
A new CCJ has been matched to this company. Court MANCHESTER. Case Number 0MA00048. Date 28/01/2010. Amount 116.00
HIP-SAVE LIMITED (07021228)
A new CCJ has been matched to this company. Court NORTHAMPTON CCBC. Case Number 9XJ36126. Date 10/02/2010. Amount 2.882.00
That is very kind of you to do this.
Bless you.
What size/style shoes do you want?
I will send them to Ros to on pass to you.
I have been persuing Chis Whatcott for several months now: and have visited several of the addresses he has been known at:this prompted a personal e-mail to disassociate himself from the addresses or companies operating there so I can only assume I am on the right track: shame he couldn't confirm payment of my outstanding invoices. I would happily have a day in court with him but unfortunately he's too elusive to serve papers to. Perhaps if he intends to sue: all the disgruntled, out of pocket DEAs and customers could attend court too.
i am a sole trader DEA who is still owed £28 for the one job I did for Express EPC mid july 2010. i have politely urged payment via regular weekly email to no avail so far. Problem is, the cost of recovering this debt would exceed what i am owed, but £28 would pay for a pair of shoes for my daughter. Is there any point in passing my details to trading standards and if so, in which Council?
Oh and as for you suing, make sure the date of the court case is published, maybe the judge can do a bulk sitting as you have how many CCJ's against you? 12 at the last count!
Mr Whatcott, if your team spent an afternoon together you could sort this mess out. This loss of credibility will be with you all your working life although, you have probably made enough over the last couple of years that you are probably reading this in the South of France. Nobody within the housing and DEA community believe a word that is printed on your behalf anymore. This may be a bit of a laugh for you, getting one over the little man. But some of us depend on our income as we have mortgages to pay and children who rely on our income. Do us all a favour, grow a spine and pay your debts.
Tim ( owed since June )
As an estate agent, with a friend that qualified as an HI, I feel very sorry for this whole HIP/EPC saga. The CLG, under the Labour Government, are completely to blame for this shambles. It is them that have allowed so many people to qualify for something that was never going to do the numbers they were talking about. It is the same old supply and demand issue that has caused the prices of the EPC's to be so degradingly low and allowed tricksters like Whalcott to operate and take advantage.
I am one of the angry, unpaid DEAs who is owed for one job from 8th July. Chris Whatcott's excuses are laughable - his company is paid upfront by customers, so why the delay in paying the DEAs? I note he doesn't deny that he fails to pay us;how can he with so many of us standing up to be counted!
As for his claim to have suspended business, every time I get an automated reply to my requests for payment, it is followed within minutes by another "Invitation to bid"! The last one I received was on 5th November for Order ID 6790.
Excuses for non-payment range from "manual resource issue" to "distraction" and now computer hackers. How hard is it to click on a mouse to pay us via BACS?
Hi Eamon, sounded like an EPC to me. Trading Standards Cumbria and CLG have yet to reply to me on this specific case.
If the web site is "off" why did i get a request to qoute on friday at 17.00 with a 24hour auction time?
Just pay what you owe, Mr Whatcott
I suspect determing the future of the business will mean we will not get paid!
lol, 5 mins to do an EPC, he was in and out in no time, lol. Was it an Energy Inspection he was doing?? Certainly isnt correct.
What can I say, sent off the invoice there a couple of hours ago and got the standard reply "Hi,
Your email has been received and a member of our accounts team will
reply to your email shortly.
We appreciate your patience whilst we resolve our invoicing issues.
Regards
Customer Services"
Patience is wearing very very thin, but will give Mr Whatcott the chance to prove us wrong??
Blimey – a strongly worded solicitors letter, not exactly a thoroughly planned and fully funded legal challenge to the alleged porkies about him, more a legal equivalent of a ‘Paddington Hard Stare’ and I believe available form your local solicitor for about £150.00
Regardless all sounds a bit dubious; perhaps a court case would bring out the truth?
Sorry about the typos in my last posting!!!!!
Its not just Express-EPC who are alledgedly doing a bad job its also some the DEAs who are being paid peanuts and thus act like monkeys. Go to the Express EPC website and click on Mrs Jackson from Maryport in the "Listen to what our Customers Say" section. If this is a real recording then its evdience of malpractice. I have reported this to Trading Standards Cumbria and CLG but have received no response. Does EAT want to pick of the challenge and invetsigate?
Whatcott has a nerve to threaten legal action against Assessors who have been defrauded by his firm. I challenge Whatcott to make an unequivocal undertaking to pay all of the DEAs who are owed money before the end of the month.
Firstly, I dont agree with hacking into a system to disrupt any business. This can only delay the process of putting things in order. However, what are we to believe when we are told so many lies in the first place.
1. Payment in 30 days of the instruction. LIE allegedly
2. Problem with the payment system which will be resolved in a few days and payment will go into your account. LIE Allegedly
3. After sending an email, you get an automated reply, we will contact you shortly. LIE allegedly
4. You have been paid for a number of instructions and the money will show in your account in the next few days. LIE allegedly
5. Payments have been made up to mid June. LIE allegedly
6. We are not taking on any more EPC work. LIE. Allegedly Other DEAs i know were still receiving instructions when he first made this statement. This may be true now????
What Id like to know now as My Whatcott is down to 50 emails and his system is now up and running, when will I now get paid. Maybe a polite reply personally from Mr Whatcott would reaasure us that things are now on track and DEAs will be paid for the work they did in the next couple of weeks. I will be sending my invoice to the accounts department as well as Mr Whatcotts email address once again today and will see if this gets paid or will I be fobbed off again.
Many thanks to Rosalind and her team at EAT for doing the follow up.
I'm with Neil on this.I don't condone any abusive action or hacking although I can understand the anger felt by DEAs whose businesses have relied on work from Express EPC. The monies owed to me by Express EPC relate to just one EPC. I wasn't daft enough to undertake anymore for them (in reality I was just testing their reverse auction system). I have subsequently received lots of emails from them "fobbing me off", apologising, saying they are getting round to sorting things out etc etc. Your article now suggests they may have created another excuse - blaming hackers etc for their IT issues! I simply don't believe a word that comes out of Express EPC and neither does any DEA I speak to.
I certainly have received a letter containing lies, defamatory statements and threats. I'll forgive him though cos Chris Whatcott is my hero, never has done someone done so little in the EPC industry, paid so few invoices, upset so many DEAs yet has the gall to start his own DEA training business. I can only wish the fine fellow 'Good luck'- he's going to need it! :) Since he's not taking orders right now, perhaps he'd like to address this/another unhappy consumer who feels ripped off (a copy into your browser and add www at the start to read it) guardian.co.uk/money/2010/nov/14/energy-certificate-expressepc-failed-assessor