Charged to fix contractors work

[eddieed]

Just a quick one here hopefully.

We recently had a boiler fitted, as part of the job we asked him to fit our gas cooker which as he said was a quick job and he was onsite he would do. It was a bayonet fitting and pipe onto new cooker.

A day after fitting we kept noticing a gas smell (boiler and cooker near each other so we didn't know what it was) - we phoned him up and he duly came round. The Bayonet fitting on the pipework was leaking. He turned off the gas and got a replacement part and came and fitted it at the end of the day (lives about 5 minutes from our house)

We have just had the invoice and detailed on it is Fixing gas leak. Now I wouldn't have minded if this had been a cost to cover the part about £5 and some of his time but it is a considerable amount of money - and my wife said took him about 15 minutes.

Thoughts on this...

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

How much did he charge? £100, 1000, 10000?

My guess is he charged you £100million.

The tension is killing me.

 

[eddieed]

He charged me £100million pounds!

Now in all seriousness he charged me £100. My feeling is he is charging me the price for fitting the cooker - which I guess he did - but had said he would do for nothing.

I should add that he didn't check the existing pipework for leaks on fitting as I was in the kitchen when he fitted the cooker.

I know it means little but this isn't the first boiler he has fitted for us and there is significant more work to do on our place for which he was lined up to do but this has annoyed me a little. I'll probably end up paying it as I can't be bothered with the hassle but was just interested in peoples thoughts on his approach - especially since the invoice - 6 weeks after the work was done - was the first we knew of the charge.

 

[Bosswhite]

There is a saying = " there aint no such thing as a free lunch"

You could apply to his good nature and ask if the price could be dropped reminding him that you still have substantial works to be carried out !

 

[geraldthehamster]

The Bayonet fitting on the pipework was leaking. He turned off the gas and got a replacement part and came and fitted it at the end of the day (lives about 5 minutes from our house)

We have just had the invoice and detailed on it is Fixing gas leak. Now I wouldn't have minded if this had been a cost to cover the part about £5 and some of his time but it is a considerable amount of money - and my wife said took him about 15 minutes.

Thoughts on this...

If he got a replacement part, the implication is that the part was faulty - so he wasn't rectifying something he hadn't done properly.

Are you saying it took him 15 minutes to go and get the replacement part, and to come and fit it?

 

[eddieed]

If he got a replacement part, the implication is that the part was faulty - so he wasn't rectifying something he hadn't done properly.

Are you saying it took him 15 minutes to go and get the replacement part, and to come and fit it?

Not at all - We phoned him - he came straight from his house to ours 5 minutes away, he checked the boiler then the cooker then sprayed his liquid (which I feel he probably should have done on fitting) identified the leak, turned off the gas. (10 mins) He then said he had a job booked in for the day and was going to the merchants anyway. He would pick up the part when there and fit on his way home that evening. He came back that evening fitted the new bayonet and left to go straight home.

Even including his house to ours and fitting it wasn't more than 30mins.

As I said I'll probably pay it - but I think he is short sighted as he knows the job he has done is temporary. We are rebuilding the house and need an entire new heating system which he was lined up to do. (System boiler, mega flow, underfloor heating all the plumbing etc). This charge has put me off slightly even more so as something similar happened on our first boiler install where he included in the quote new controllers which he then didn't install - I had to ask him afterwards to knock them off - which he did without too much issue but still annoying.

 

[geraldthehamster]

I don't think you'd be able to call someone out to fix a gas leak for less...

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

I don't think you'd be able to call someone out to fix a gas leak for less...

True but £100 sounds harsh given the situation, all assuming we have the whole trusth and nothing but the truth (no offence eddieed)

 

[eddieed]

True but £100 sounds harsh given the situation, all assuming we have the whole trusth and nothing but the truth (no offence eddieed)

The whole truth and nothing but.

He did the boiler fitting for a very good price (not cheap but a good price), I suggest he is trying to get a bit back on it. Ultimately I will pay it but he wont get anymore work. So has missed out on thousands for the sake of £100.

I would have prefered if he had said he had under quoted on the boiler work etc... or if he said at the time of fixing the cooker fitting that he was going to have to charge - I could have then said how much and we could have come to some agreement.

 

[geraldthehamster]

or if he said at the time of fixing the cooker fitting that he was going to have to charge

You expected him to fix it for nothing?

Sorry, but the best advice you've had was from Bosswhite, above:

You could apply to his good nature and ask if the price could be dropped reminding him that you still have substantial works to be carried out !

 

[phatboy]

As it was weeks ago, it may be an oversight and he forgot what he had said. Reasonable people do make mistakes and are happy to rectify!

 

[Aquaheat]

Seriously, if it takes 5 minutes or 55 minutes then he charges an hour. He came out, ascertained it wasn't his fault. Went and fetched a part for you, returned and fitted said part and then charges you for parts and labour. What do you expect? Free work? Pay the invoice and stop being such a tight c00t and expecting something for nothing.

Jon

 

[PTS2]

I should add that he didn't check the existing pipework for leaks on fitting as I was in the kitchen when he fitted the cooker.

The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998:

Testing of appliances

33.—(1) Where a person installs a gas appliance at a time when gas is being supplied to the premises in which the appliance is installed, he shall immediately thereafter test its connection to the installation pipework to verify that it is gastight and examine the appliance and the gas fittings and other works for the supply of gas and any flue or means of ventilation to be used in connection with the appliance for the purpose of ascertaining whether......


GasSafe won't be too happy about that...

 

[eddieed]

Seriously, if it takes 5 minutes or 55 minutes then he charges an hour. He came out, ascertained it wasn't his fault. Went and fetched a part for you, returned and fitted said part and then charges you for parts and labour. What do you expect? Free work? Pay the invoice and stop being such a tight c00t and expecting something for nothing.

Jon

I never expect something for nothing...I have also said that I am going to pay it - at the end of the day he loses out on thousands of pounds of work - his problem but I can't be bothered with the arguments. He also at no point has gone out of his way you obvioulsy didn't read the whole thread there is no need to be rude, and he has certainly charged me more than an hours labour.

 

[geraldthehamster]

Sounds like it will be less hassle for the chap in the long run