Rip off Plumbers

[Johnmelad502]

Have had a few jobs over the past couple of days repairing burst pipes that have come to light following the recent thaw. Good money for little work. Lucky me.

Got home tonight at about 7pm and was about to sit down for my tea when the phone rang. Customer had a burst pipe. Cut a long story short, he could not turn his water off from the stopcock under his sink fully.

He needed the water turned off at the supply from the street. Everyone he had phoned had said that they were to busy to attend before next week. He eventually found a company that could attend on Friday but wanted £200.00.

I scoffed my dinner, drove to the job, turned the street tap off, repaired the pipe which took me 20 minutes, and asked for £40.00. He, was so grateful that he gave me the £40.00 and then tipped me £20.00.

Why do people (plumbers) rip others off when they are desperate for help?

 

[Mw Roofline]

Why do people (plumbers) rip others off when they are desperate for help?

Nice of you to look after him

Once you've been doing the job ten years or so, you'll want more than that at 7pm during dinner time.

 

[LastMagicBean]

Once you've been doing the job ten years or so, you'll want more than that at 7pm during dinner time.

Exactly his point.....
Robbers.....

 

[Homesafe]

Once you've been doing the job ten years or so, you'll want more than that at 7pm during dinner time.

I think that's called becoming a greedy barsterd, and ripping people off.

Or am i wrong and as plumber's age they start to charge more cos of the "experience"

 

[conny]

I repaired a light for an old dear down the road on Boxing night.
She switched the light on and it went bang tripping the mcb. Quick look and the pendant cable was the culprit. Spark had taken a chandelier type fitting down the previous week and fitted this standard pendant, charged her £60! She's since been staying at her sons and hadn't used the light so this was the first time. He'd only gone and cut across both inner cable insulations! As the lead was only about 4" long I fitted a new length and 'bobs your uncle' one working light and a happy 85 year old ex-nurse.

Wouldn't take anything off her so next morning I find a Christmas card through my door with £40 in it. Sent her one back with £40 in hers. This went on for 3 exchanges till she got the message, in the end we compromised on 2oz of Golden Virginia and a packet of papers!

 

[libby lou lou]

£ 20 job, pensioners sink waste, he was over the moon, gave me a fiver on top, sometimes it's nice to be nice, even though i still sign on the dole, and do you know, no one will grass me up.


(Go on, push your luck)

 

[ColJack]

there's a world of difference between doing a favour for an elderly neighbour and a job for a paying customer though..

without knowing the traveling distance or the cost of materials used, I'd still say that £120/hr is a good rate.. ( 20min on site for £40.. )

 

[LastMagicBean]

(Go on, push your luck)

With that comment I HAD to......
How did your job offer go......???????????? or was that bo*locks......??????
Ive worked and struggled all my life.........Still am.
Struggling more now than when I was younger....

 

[Homesafe]

Wouldn't take anything off her so next morning I find a Christmas card through my door with £40 in it. Sent her one back with £40 in hers. This went on for 3 exchanges till she got the message, in the end we compromised on 2oz of Golden Virginia and a packet of papers!

you could have warned her about the danger's of smoking at that age

 

[Nige F]

Why do people (plumbers) rip others off when they are desperate for help?

same reason as house prices rise and bankers walk away scot free. and people get to live in Marbella

 

[satansbrother]

Why do people (plumbers) rip others off when they are desperate for help?

same reason as house prices rise and bankers walk away scot free. and people get to live in Marbella

You could always go and live in communist Russia. They have capitalism for the elite, and communism for the masses.

Is it a fairer society?

 

[Nige F]

I thought about it ...Then the Wall came down and the Motherland is getting as bad as here .

 

[ScottCheg]

Have had a few jobs over the past couple of days repairing burst pipes that have come to light following the recent thaw. Good money for little work. Lucky me.

Got home tonight at about 7pm and was about to sit down for my tea when the phone rang. Customer had a burst pipe. Cut a long story short, he could not turn his water off from the stopcock under his sink fully.

He needed the water turned off at the supply from the street. Everyone he had phoned had said that they were to busy to attend before next week. He eventually found a company that could attend on Friday but wanted £200.00.

I scoffed my dinner, drove to the job, turned the street tap off, repaired the pipe which took me 20 minutes, and asked for £40.00. He, was so grateful that he gave me the £40.00 and then tipped me £20.00.

Why do people (plumbers) rip others off when they are desperate for help?

John,

I received a call at 9pm Saturday last to attend to a boiler breakdown. I explained I would attend before 11am Sunday morning. (I was on the vino and playing super Mario on the Wii. )
I duly called the next morning, but as they could not wait they phoned 'xpress plumbing'. They were there in an hour (apperently) and duly fixed the boiler - they cleared the condense pipe of ice.

All for the paltry sum of......










£411.

How could they be so cheap? Here they are: www.xpressplumb.co.uk

On a serious note, that is shocking pricing. They were there 25 minutes.

Luckily Im an RGI, and not a plumber. I dont rip people off.

Scott.

 

[advancemaintenance1]

wow its amazing other people with morals and ethics iv always prided myself on customer first however when i said on a different forum that id done a boiler change for 1300 i got the most slavvar available cheers to you all who believe in looking after the customer before the greedy wallet

 

[Johnmelad502]

there's a world of difference between doing a favour for an elderly neighbour and a job for a paying customer though..

without knowing the traveling distance or the cost of materials used, I'd still say that £120/hr is a good rate.. ( 20min on site for £40.. )

£120.00 for a six mile drive and 20 minutes work is in my humble opinion, nothing short of theft.