Ripped off by plumber

lizzyshep

My cold water tank started leaking last Thursday and needed replacing. Originally I rang British Gas and they came out to look at it for free (since I have their boiler insurance). They quoted me a fixed price of £540 - the engineer said he thought this was expensive and I would be better off with a local plumber.

I searched in the Yellow Pages and rang round a few places, to be on the safe side I chose a company that was a member of the Guild of Master Craftsmen (I checked this).

They couldn't give me a price over the phone (like several other companies I rang), they said they'd need to come and have a look. This visit would cost me their half hourly rate (£45 plus VAT) but this would be refunded if I got the work done (again, most of the companies operated a similar policy).

When the engineer came out he said I needed a new tank plus some replacement pipework. He quoted me a fixed price of £475 plus VAT, which worked out roughly the same as British Gas. Because I had to pay the half hourly fee anyway, I felt obliged to accept that quote, as I couldn't afford to keep paying plumbers to come and look! He told me it would probably take about 4 hours, and I thought that was a bit overpriced but not extortionate.

Anyway, the work was carried out today and it only took 2 hours. I asked for a breakdown of the costs, including the price of materials - he was unable to provide this, so I rang the manager, who told me it wasn't their policy to give out prices. I have researched the cost of the tank, and it's less than £100. I don't know how much the pipes were but he only replaced a couple of small pipes, so probably not that much. Even if the cost of materials came to £150 (and I think it was much less than this), I was still charged over £200 per hour!

I have spoken to the Guild of Master Craftsmen who said they don't deal with financial complaints, but that I am within my rights to request a breakdown of the costs. They advised me to send a letter to the manager asking for this, and saying that if I don't get it within 14 days, I would make a formal complaint. I also spoke to the Citizens Advice Bureau and Consumer Direct, who unfortunately said that legally I don't have a leg to stand on, because I agreed the fixed price.

I don't hold out any hope of getting money back but I am so annoyed that I don't just want to sit back and do nothing. I am a single woman living alone and I believe this was a factor in me being ripped off (I had a similar problem with garages when I owned a car). I was wondering if there is anywhere I can give this company a bad review, or warn other people about their prices. I was considering contacting BBC's Watchdog but I don't know if this is a story they would be interested in.

Any advice is much appreciated.

phlogeston

lizzyshep wrote: »

He quoted me a fixed price of £475 plus VAT

lizzyshep, you have been quoted a price and so that is what you must pay.

You should perhaps ask for an estimate beforehand, which should give a breakdown of the work required.

I don't think it is unreasonable for you to ask for a breakdown of the charges, but in essence it will not materially affect the price you have to pay.

Bear in mind that any tradesman will add a premium to the cost of materials, as they have to guarantee them as well as their work. There is also time for inspecting the problem on the callout and purchasing the goods.
I am not defending the tradesman here, just pointing out that in all likelyhood, a good half day was spent on the job.

If the work had taken 6 hours, you could not have been charged extra, so it evens out in the end.

Tozer

phlogeston wrote: »

lizzyshep, you have been quoted a price and so that is what you must pay.

You should perhaps ask for an estimate beforehand, which should give a breakdown of the work required.

I don't think it is unreasonable for you to ask for a breakdown of the charges, but in essence it will not materially affect the price you have to pay.

Bear in mind that any tradesman will add a premium to the cost of materials, as they have to guarantee them as well as their work. There is also time for inspecting the problem on the callout and purchasing the goods.
I am not defending the tradesman here, just pointing out that in all likelyhood, a good half day was spent on the job.

If the work had taken 6 hours, you could not have been charged extra, so it evens out in the end.

I agree...again! :beer:

A fixed price was agreed and to that end (unless you made it clear at the outset) I cannot see that you have any right to a breakdown of costs.

If you had agreed to pay on a time and materials basis, that would be a different issue.

lizzyshep

Thanks for your advice. I do see your point, but I still feel I was taken advantage of. The plumber had a good look before he gave me the quote, so he should have known how long the job would take and priced it accordingly. I really don't think charging £200 per hour is reasonable, and even charging a premium for the materials, they won't have come to that much (I looked on the internet and one of those tanks cost about £60).

As I said, I know I won't get any money back, and I've learned a lesson the hard way. But I strongly feel the odds are stacked in the company's favour - they are probably well aware that most people won't refuse the job if they have already paid someone to come and give a quote for the work, so basically they can charge what they like. It just doesn't seem that things were done in the spirit of fairness, and I'm really annoyed that companies are allowed to behave like this.

phlogeston

lizzyshep wrote: »

Thanks for your advice. I do see your point, but I still feel I was taken advantage of.

I don't disagree with your sentiment, it is rotten to get ripped off. Unfortunately the law doesn't protect us if we make a bad bargain.

LinasPilibaitisisbatman

a plumber is a businessman looking to make a profit.

You have absolutly no reason to complain

Tozer

On the upside, you had 2 quotes and they were both about the same price.

lizzyshep

Tozer wrote: »

On the upside, you had 2 quotes and they were both about the same price.

I did - and the British Gas engineer told me their price was a rip off! Anyway, thanks all for the feedback, I can see I'm in the minority so I'll just have to accept it, and try to be more careful next time.