Help please with OH job - they're trying to take money off him!

ClaireLR

Thank you to everyone who has replied, this is what has happened today........

OH has spoken to a manager (quite high up) and told him that he wants copies of all of the paperwork relating to this, he has the (companys) surveyors report already, he has had a copy of the thing he signed (which BTW actually says that if he damages something that HE IS FITTING that he is liable, but doesn't state anything about customers property that's already there) and he has asked for copies of the receipt that the customer/insurance company has had for the money.

Then they faxed him something to sign to give authorisation to start taking money out of his salary at the end of this month :mad: :mad: needless to say OH has told them where to go. He will be bringing this home with him tonight and once all of the paperwork has been received, we are going to make an appointment to visit ACAS and see if they can help in any way.

We thought about solicitors but we just don't have that kind of money to lay out and then if the company did back down we'd be left with legal bills to pay so wouldn't be any better off anyway!

We don't have a mortgage so no legal cover unfortuantely

Londondulwich - the company surveyor has been out to take photgraphs which OH has a copy of - they're not the best but you can see splintering of the wood where he has drilled the holes unfortunately. I think this is obviously going to go against him isn't it, but still cannot justify that costing £950.

It's so hard to know what to do for the best!

Shouldn't companys have insurance for this sort of thing?? That's another thing I have been thinking about, should OH look into getting some sort of liability insurance now in case a similar thing should happen in the future? I'm not sure who would sell this type of insurance but we are going to look into it.

tawecdl

It would be interesting to read the written procedure for securing a property where the glass has been smashed and comparing the procedure to what your OH actually did. neglegence would mean your OH went against procedure IMO. I'm sure the result of this will be that you will not be out of pocket. It appears that your OH's company don't really care about the morale and motivation of their workers otherwise they would have stopped this even getting mentioned to your OH, and told the customer where to go!

looby75

Claire, do you have contents insurance? I don't have a mortgage either but I do have legal cover on my contents insurance. Might be worth a try.

LinasPilibaitisisbatman

At the end of the day if they have a report showing your husband was neglient he will need to employ a counter expert and see whose stands up in court.

As for repaying it, if your husband wasnt happy with this situation he shouldnt have signed the contract!!

The qoute does sound high and he should insist on 3 quotes from independent sources to prove its reasonable

As for the customer agreeing, your husband was the expert and if he told them something which was wrong then yes he was neglient, just because they said ok doesnt change that

I think unfortunately your husband will have an outlay here although the prices being quoted do sound unreasonable so he should challenge this

ClaireLR

Sorry another update:

OH has just come in with paperwork. He has signed a document which reads as follows:

The company has a right to deduct from your pay:

Sums equal to the costs incurred by the company in rectifying errors caused by your negligence or breach of company rules such as (the following is not an exhaustive list) - If you are a product fitter, your negligence in damaging a product during installation.

There is also the document for him to sign about deducting the money "I hereby agree to pay the sum of £950 in respect of monies owed by me for negligence in securing a board.

He hasn't signed it

I feel a bit worried about all this now, I'm scared that OH will get sacked (and I think he is to) if he kicks up a fuss.

lynzpower

Hang on a minute.

Is the replacement door to be fitted by your OHs company- or another one?

Would your OHs company have a "stock standard price" for the fitting of similar door?

If so what is it?

LinasPilibaitisisbatman

ts_aly2000 wrote: »

Hello,

I'm just reading through this thread and this is utterly ridiculous. It's no wonder nothing gets done in this country. They'd rather stand about moaning about nothing.

I totally support the OP and their OH.

How on earth else is someone going to secure a door? Screws are immaterial. It has NOTHING to do with the customer how the job is done (well a little bit perhaps) as long as it's done properly.

The OP's OH is not only being spoken to like a child, but additionally their skill and professionalism is being called into question by someone that knows FA about securing and repairing doors. The OH is the one with the experience, not the customer.

This is almost so utterly ridiculous that it doesn't deserve 17-posts on the subject. What a complete waste of time and stress. You know, I'm sure people just go into work everyday to make it as much like Coronation Street or Eastenders as much as possible. If they got on with their bloody jobs rather than trying to turn everything around them into a real life bloody soap opera.... WELLLLLLLLlllllllllllll.

I hope it sorts itself out OP. For what it's worth; You're in the right, and I'm a great believer in practical common sense. If it was me then I would be doing the complaining AFTER the finished job, ....IF there was a problem with the work.

This is like someone standing over you while you're trying to work, and questioning everything you do. It's not on.

The customer (and your OH's company) sound like a right load of problematic pillocks. They clearly attract this kind of thing to make their lives purposeful.

xx

Sorry but what a load of crap

If the OP's OH has managed to damage the door the client has every right to complain

Yes Tradesmen know best but they also !!!! up and take short cuts, if the OP's OH is so in the right they will have no problems fighting it and claiming back the costs

LinasPilibaitisisbatman

ts_aly2000 wrote: »

The client complained about the door while the job was being done, and the finish up work had not been completed.

Frankly, you sound like you'll fit in brilliantly around here. Answering threads without any support whatsoever, not answering people's questions but throwing criticism about, and hiding behind that keyboard.

Just wait until YOU need help or moral support. There'll be someone waiting just around the corner to criticise and tell you what a bad person you are.

Yet ANOTHER thread........ I really don't know why anyone of any intelligence or sanity bothers posting anymore.

You don't work for the company do you? Are you the customer by any chance seeing if you can get some compensation for your poor door and damaged feelings?

theres a difference between giving support and advice than simply saying what the OP wants to hear.

The fact is the OH signed an agreement, theres no point in complaining about it now.

The OH also made the repair, if he ballsed up he should accept it like a man if the costs are realistic, if not he should either get an expert to back his side that he did nothing wrong or insist on reasonable quotes be supplied before agreeing to the price

Theres no point on taking on the typical sensationalist attitude of far too many on here whilst not having a legal leg to stand on.

ClaireLR

Hang on a minute.

Is the replacement door to be fitted by your OHs company- or another one?

Would your OHs company have a "stock standard price" for the fitting of similar door?

If so what is it?

What has apparently happened is that the insurance company have decided to get another company to complete the work as the customer wasn't happy and I think (we're waiting for the paperwork) that they are trying to charge my partner for all of this - i.e. the door, fitting etc etc - basically the door probably costs about £400 (it is a funny shaped door) andOH is being billed (from what I can make out so far) for the WHOLE cost of completing the work by the other insurance company :mad:

What's so bloody frustrating about this whole thing is just how far it's gone. My OH takes a great deal of pride in his work and he would never have gone back and fitted the glass and left the door in a state - it's just not something he would do (he's actually a real perfectionist when it comes to his work). I know that if he had gone back to fit the glass, and put the door right and the customer still wasn't happy and had genuine reason to complain he would have been the first to put his hands up and say he'd ballsed up and he'd have gone out of his way to put it right - if that had meant him buy a door out of his own pocket and fitting it in his own time then that's what he'd have done. I don't who would have been unhappy with this?

I was just wondering, OH hasn't signed to say they can take the money (and won't be) BUT, would it be a good idea to write a letter saying that he does not authorise them to take any money until he has taken professional advice? I'm just worried that they may take it anyway.

Thanks

lynzpower

I was just wondering, OH hasn't signed to say they can take the money (and won't be) BUT, would it be a good idea to write a letter saying that he does not authorise them to take any money until he has taken professional advice? I'm just worried that they may take it anyway.

Emphatic YES. Additionally worth sending via email to everyone concerned with sent & read receipts.

If they continue to deduct after expressly advised not to, then.....