FRUSTRATED customers have been questioning if they will get their money back from unfinished jobs after a Winchester business closed.

County Windows ceased trading on July 28, with some customers having paid deposits on work that was never completed.

The business, in Easton Lane, Winnall, specialised in conservatories, doors and windows.

One customer, Amir Kharkowa, paid £20,000 towards an £80,000 extension to his house in Reading in March. Now, he is trying to find out if the company was solvent when he paid the deposit.

Mr Kharkowa said: “I paid that money in good faith. I want to know if they were solvent when I paid them the money. I will be writing to one of the directors, Jill Monk, to find out what I can do.

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“It has caused immense stress particularly at a time when cost of living is rising - I was initially asking to pay a lower deposit but they insisted on £20,000 minimum.”

According to Companies House, the directors of the company are Peter Hall and Jill Monk.

Another customer, who did not want to be named, had paid nearly £500 for a replacement front door at a property in Bishop's Waltham.

The customer paid a deposit of £473 on July 9. They said: “A man came to the house and said that we weren't able to pay by credit card as the machine wasn't working, so we had to pay by debit card. He was keen to get the money quickly and start the work quickly. When a surveyor didn't come to the house, we called the company and an employee told us that they had gone bust. I feel so sorry for the other customers who have lost larger sums.”

A Winchester resident, had new windows installed at his house and had ordered a new front door. However, the company ceased trading before the door arrived.

He paid £14,000 for the job, with £4,000 still outstanding. He said: “I was very pleased with the work they had done up to that point, however the door was delayed. They had completed the measurements for it, so presumably, it's in a warehouse. How do I get it?”

A former sales contractor told the Chronicle that he was 'bitterly disappointed' in how the company was handled.

He said: “Some staff got money, but all the contractors, including me, were unpaid. The law in the UK is laughable, they are allowed to do this.”

He explained that he had been trying to help former customers in getting in touch with suppliers directly in order to finish jobs.

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The Chronicle has now spoken to five customers with unfinished work, and it's unclear how many more have been affected.

According to Companies House, the business is still active. On its website, it says that a company can be struck off the register if they believe it isn't in operation.

Before striking a company off the register, the registrar is required to write two formal letters and send notice to the company’s registered office to inquire whether it’s still carrying on business.

If they’re satisfied that it’s not, they will publish a notice in the London Gazette. If the registrar sees no reason to do otherwise, they will strike off the company not less than two months after the date of the notice.

County Glass which is based next door to County Windows has been a separate company for five years and is unaffected.