Rip off plumber needs jailing

[Elsa TLC]

If his workmanship was shockingly bad I'd get your gripe.

At worse he ma have been a tad overpriced. But that hardly warrants a jail term.

 

[Murdochcat]

Where in the UK did this happen ?

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Poor old Eccles, run off with his tail between his legs!

I could just eat an Eccles cake right now.

 

[Notch7]

Entirely different story where the bolts that hold the cistern to the pan and the cistern to the wall have rusted solid, and no one bothered to fit an isolator to the water supply, and the seized main stopcock has been concealed behind a fitted kitchen for the last 20 years .

All par for the course with plumbing

 

[Elsa TLC]

Emergency callout tonight. 20 mins on job made safe £200.

I'll give a price tomorrow to fix problem and that could trip me up.

It's the nature of the beast.

 

[Justin Passing]

£150 is not a rip off.
It's called earning a living.

 

[matlob]

You're also paying for the fact he knows how to fix it, not just his time, petrol, insurance, parts etc.

 

[SUNRAY]

You're also paying for the fact he knows how to fix it, not just his time, petrol, insurance, parts etc.

19 years ago I worked as workshop manager for a control panel manufacturer. Sounds grand for a 10x8m farm building.
The company folded and I accidentaly became self employed, I had first dibs on renting the space and the rent didn't seem bad except with all the costs involvedit was £20 per day 7 days/week. At the time it would have been 1 days wage per week just to have the facility available and I didn't know how it would pan out.

 

[ktuludays]

The old "it's only a 20 minute job" brigade who expect tradesman to work for next to nothing.

 

[Mottie]

Old dear and pensioner

I thought most pensioners were millionaires these days? £150 should be nothing to them…..

 

[securespark]

I've had a few customers who have rung me up to ask, "Can you just do xyz for me?"

The first time this happened I was pushed for a guesstimate over the phone. I said that it was impossible to price a job without seeing it, but that it would be at least £nnn. The guy replied, "What? Are you kidding... it's only a socket!"

My reply came swiftly.

"If it's ONLY a socket, then do it yourself."

I learnt two valuable lessons that day.

Don't work for folk who use the words "only" or "just" to describe a job.

Don't attempt to price a job unseen.

 

[Mottie]

I've had a few customers who have rung me up to ask, "Can you just do xyz for me?"

The first time this happened I was pushed for a guesstimate over the phone. I said that it was impossible to price a job without seeing it, but that it would be at least £nnn. The guy replied, "What? Are you kidding... it's only a socket!"

My reply came swiftly.

"If it's ONLY a socket, then do it yourself."

I learnt two valuable lessons that day.

Don't work for folk who use the words "only" or "just" to describe a job.

Don't attempt to price a job unseen.

A mate of mine that did body repairs always got the 'ump when doing say, a wing repair, the customer said "While you’ve got the paint in the gun, can you just blow in a couple of scratches here and there"? He'd reply "While you’ve got your hand in your pocket, can you just pull out another hundred quid then".

 

[SUNRAY]

A mate of mine that did body repairs always got the 'ump when doing say, a wing repair, the customer said "While you’ve got the paint in the gun, can you just blow in a couple of scratches here and there"? He'd reply "While you’ve got your hand in your pocket, can you just pull out another hundred quid then".

A lot of years ago I had a wing replaced under insurance. During the estimate stage I asked about doing a repair elsewhere on the car which I fully expected to pay for, the deal was struck... Went to collect it and the extra work wasn't done I was told the insurance company refused to let it be done, I was shown the letter to prove it I was then given another price to do the work at more than twice the original price.

What I didn't understand was why the insurance company knew about it.

 

[blup]

A lot of years ago I had a wing replaced under insurance. During the estimate stage I asked about doing a repair elsewhere on the car which I fully expected to pay for, the deal was struck... Went to collect it and the extra work wasn't done I was told the insurance company refused to let it be done, I was shown the letter to prove it I was then given another price to do the work at more than twice the original price.

What I didn't understand was why the insurance company knew about it.

Its usually the insurance work that costs more, though I've noticed some insurers try to cut costs now by approving non OEM parts etc.

 

[Elsa TLC]

The old "it's only a 20 minute job" brigade who expect tradesman to work for next to nothing.

Indian restaurant had an emergency. I told him emergency rate is £150 first hour, and I'll be out in 20 mins.

He then said its not that much of an emergency. But it needed dealing with urgent.

I said Tuesday £90 per first hour then £90 after that.

He come back to me, and said the repair will take no more than an hour so so please come Monday @ £90 in total.


Firm no from me.


A week later he had a real emergency just before opening. I wasn't getting into another bartering exchange, so I said no can't do.