Meraki Steelworks - poor service

Meraki steelworks installed 19m of vibracrete wall and a steel sliding gate in Sept 2020. In July 2021 we noticed the steel post that supported the sliding gate was so loose you could shake it by hand - it was a miracle the gate was still standing.

On 29 July 2021 Michael Strydom from Meraki came out to inspect and conceded that he should have planted the steel support post in concrete rather than just bolt it to the vibracrete column using two rollbolts - the support post is not planted in concrete but rather stands above ground - as with use and wind the bolts work themselves loose.

He re-tightened the two bolts (damaging the vibracrete column in the process) and promised to return early the following week to extend the steel support post, plant the support post's foot in concrete and do a patch up job on the damaged vibracrete column.

I contacted Michael early the following week (3 Aug 2021) asking when he would come through to follow through, no answer. Over the following two weeks I made numerous calls to him, all unanswered, and sent numerous whatsapps - either read and unanswered or not even read. By 16 Aug we thought either he was avoiding us (and therefore reneging on his promise to rectify the problem) or something had happened to him (covid being the likely option).

On 27 August 2021 our sliding gate toppled over after the steel support post broke loose from the vibracrete column. Absolutely disastrous! I called Michael using my son's phone and he answered. He says he has had covid for the past two weeks (ie from mid August, almost two weeks after I started chasing him) and cannot come to fix the problem for another two weeks, as he will still be recovering from covid for that period.

Obviously we cannot wait two weeks without a sliding gate - we are propping it up using wooden posts to prevent it falling again, and so the driveway entrance is completely unusable (never mind dangerous!). Michael was not prepared to send his workers to fix in his absence (he felt they lacked the experience) nor was he prepared to cover the costs of another contractor coming to fix the mess. He also stated he was not prepared to fix the problem for free, we would have to pay materials and petrol - he claimed he was doing us a favour!

He also felt that since the sliding gate has managed to stand upright for one year his workmanship was vindicated. Never mind that his invoice states there is a THREE YEAR guarantee on workmanship! How anyone could seriously justify shoddy work by stating that it has lasted one year is unbelievable!

When I told him I was going to post negative reviews online he then threatened me with legal action and hung up on me.