charged for free glazing quote

Alfie_E

Maybe I’m not in the know – most of the work that’s needing doing here recently has been done by friends of the family, although that brings its own problems. I guess I meant minimum charge then. Rounding a couple of minutes up to an hour doesn’t seem right, for the cost-plus-profit interpretation of quantum meruit – it would make an awful lot of profit, and one where you get more profit for doing less work. However, if that’s what most do, it would seem a fair reflection of market value. Maybe you’d be happier in the legal profession. There everything is explicitly charged: preparation, attendance, advocacy, travel and waiting, normally in six minute blocks.

MrT_5

Will you guys pack it in. I thought we had sorted this out. The OP didn't ask for a call out, she asked for a QUOTE.

No one expects any worker to do something for nothing but quotes are done in the hope of getting the work. How much you hard sell is up to you but to expect someone to pay for a QUOTE is totally out of order.

I will personally ask my very good friend who is a trading standards officer who advises the BBC consumer department what the score is. If I am wrong I will come on here and apologise. I'll still say it's a fiddle if I am wrong though.

bestyman

Yes , round in circles we go .
The OP asked for two things
1. a free quote
2. temporary repair

The op got two things
1. a free quote
2. A bill for a temporary repair

Mr T ,you cannot ask him to pack it in just becaue he agrees with me.

I do wish that people understood what no call out means. Call out is the charge given for getting the tradesman to the home. It does not mean free labour and materials once he is there.Example below of an invoice ( a fair one at that)


BM GLAZING

INVOICE

Free quote for window £ FREE

Call out £ FREE

Labour charge , temporary repair £60.00

Cheapo plastic £5.00


TOTAL £65

santana-mx3

I personally think that the company should have made it clear that they would charge for the repair, at which point the OP would either have asked how much and made an informed deicision or just said no straight away. The fact that they didn't ask is a bit suspect.

However, I think the moral of the story is ALWAYS ask whether something would be charged for (and if so, how much) before allowing anyone to go ahead. Sometimes people don't ask because they assume something will be free. Sometimes people don't we don't want to ask because they hope it will be free and think that by mentioning money, the contractor will now charge for something he wasn't going to. I think it's still better to raise the issue straight away so you have no unpleasant surprises later.

MrT_5

Sorry but you are so wrong. Read it again. I can't get an answer from TS until Thursday. I will let you know.


The OP asked for two things
1. a free quote
2. temporary repair



I'm in dispute with a glazing company at present who came out to give me a free quote when my window was broken. Whilst at the house the workman said he would make it safe and put a piece of film over the door.

Sarahjovi

I just wanted to add my 2 pennies worth!

I have looked at an invoice I received from a glazier, whom I called out to make safe a window. The charge was £75 plus VAT. This was for work done at 9pm and described as 'Emergency call out and board up window'. So the OP's original charge of £111.21 was totally excessive for a non emergency free quote call out and the reduced £65 is also excessive, especially if it was offered as a good will gesture. I think she/he is quite right to query if she is being ripped off!

Sarah:D

santana-mx3

MrT wrote:

Sorry but you are so wrong. Read it again. I can't get an answer from TS until Thursday. I will let you know.

The OP asked for two things
1. a free quote
2. temporary repair

I'm in dispute with a glazing company at present who came out to give me a free quote when my window was broken. Whilst at the house the workman said he would make it safe and put a piece of film over the door.

Not quite sure where I am "so wrong". Obviously you're free to disagree with me but the two points I made were 1) I don't agree with the Company's actions in not making it clear at the time that there would be a charge if they made the temporary repair, and 2) I think it's always safer to check whether you are going to be charged when someone offers to do work, to avoid this sort of situation.

I wasn't saying I agreed with the price (which doesn't sound reasonable at all) or with the fact that the OP was charged.

Re:

The OP asked for two things
1. a free quote
2. temporary repair

You have mentioned a "free" quote but not a free temporary repair. Obviously the OP thought it would be free and the contractor (or the contractor's employers) didn't which is why I say contractors ought to make things clear but customers should in any case be cautious and try to protect themselves by checking.

I think a fairer system when someone comes out to give a free quote would be if the customer had to sign a form before any chargeable work is carried out ie. the customer signs at the point when the free work ends and the chargeable work starts. Ideally the form should state the total cost involved.

I'd be very pleased if the OP didn't have to pay (whether with help from TS or some other way).

ben500

bestyman wrote:

Yes , round in circles we go .
The OP asked for two things
1. a free quote
2. temporary repair

The op got two things
1. a free quote
2. A bill for a temporary repair

Mr T ,you cannot ask him to pack it in just becaue he agrees with me.

I do wish that people understood what no call out means. Call out is the charge given for getting the tradesman to the home. It does not mean free labour and materials once he is there.Example below of an invoice ( a fair one at that)


BM GLAZING

INVOICE

Free quote for window £ FREE

Call out £ FREE

Labour charge , temporary repair £60.00

Cheapo plastic £5.00


TOTAL £65

Please help me out here and post a quote of the op HIGHLIGHTING where the op ASKED for a temporary repair as I cannot seem to locate it myself.

bestyman

Whether or not the OP asked the tradesman or the tradesman asked the OP and the OP agreed is irrelivant. The undisputed fact is that both parties agreed to the work.

I do not understand your logic. When in a restaurant the waiter asks you what you want to eat does this means it should be free?

southernscouser

I'd tell them to go whistle! And if possible give them back their bit of overpriced rip-off plastic! Cheeky barstewards! :mad: