Plumber visit - bill 5months later

hairbrain05

Apologies if this is the wrong place…

We had a water leak in our bathroom last Oct – called insurance company who advised us they would cover the damage repairs but that we were responsible for the source of the leak – and advised us to get a plumber out to look asap. We called a plumber – they sent someone round – we explained the insurance scenario – he was with us less than 15mins and gave us his diagnosis. The insurance company then instructed a different company to carry out the work & it transpired that the initial diagnosis given was wrong.

5months later we receive a bill from the original plumbers company for work carried out £190 – we call & query it & advise that no work was carried out – they then explain that the guy who visited has left the company had left & they weren’t sure?! They then send another bill for £55 +vat for a call out charge… now exactly 14 days later we received a revised bill with a £40 added admin fee for taking 14+ days to pay!

Can they send a bill 5months after the event – particularly when they don’t seem to know what was done?
Can they charge a call out fee without telling us?

Fire_Fox

Don't telephone, write a recorded delivery letter disputing the invoice.

mlz1413

Put a response in WRITING to the company saying that although you agree a plumber did attend a call out on xx/xx/xx that he was advised before carrying out any work that the work was for an insurance company and you would therefore advise that the company should direct their bill to XXXX insurance company. Put all the bills received into the envelope and send it recorded deliver.

Keep copies of what you have returned and a make yourself a note of dates that you phoned them for your own reference.

I would not enter into any other verbal commuication with this company, they are just hoping you will pay and it closes an old job on their books.

clutton_2

""Can they send a bill 5months after the event"


""but that we were responsible for the source of the leak – and advised us to get a plumber out to look asap.

they did the work why dont you want to pay them ?

hairbrain05

clutton wrote: »

""Can they send a bill 5months after the event"


""but that we were responsible for the source of the leak – and advised us to get a plumber out to look asap.

they did the work why dont you want to pay them ?

sorry perhaps you didn't read my post? they didn't do any work..

the guy visited for 10minutes & gave a diagnosis of what was causing the leak - which later turned out to be incorrect..

then 5 months later they sent a bill for the completion of all work carried out (not the call out), including incorrect statement of what work carried out as well..

Fire_Fox

So write a recorded delivery letter disputing the invoice.

clutton_2

""the guy visited for 10minutes & gave a diagnosis of what was causing the leak ""

the guy still needs paying ...... he has reduced the bill as recognition that he only did a diagnostic visit

i expect the add on amount of £40 was as per his terms and conditions of trading.. most building type self employed buisnesess only offer credit for 14 days....

hairbrain05

clutton wrote: »

""the guy visited for 10minutes & gave a diagnosis of what was causing the leak ""

the guy still needs paying ...... he has reduced the bill as recognition that he only did a diagnostic visit

i expect the add on amount of £40 was as per his terms and conditions of trading.. most building type self employed buisnesess only offer credit for 14 days....

I dont dispute they came out - but should they not advise up front that there is a call out charge ??

the previous bill was entirely made up at their own admittance - i find it unfair that they can bill us a whole 5months later when we didn't even know we'd incurred any fees - then 14days to the day - they whack on £40 fee?

Colincbayley

clutton wrote: »

""the guy visited for 10minutes & gave a diagnosis of what was causing the leak ""

the guy still needs paying ...... he has reduced the bill as recognition that he only did a diagnostic visit

i expect the add on amount of £40 was as per his terms and conditions of trading.. most building type self employed buisnesess only offer credit for 14 days....

Sorry, have to disagree. He turned up, yes, but he did not diagnose the correct fault and then left.
I wouldn't pay as he has not done the correct job. The 5 month delay for the bill has nothing to do with it.

caeler

Do as firefox says!!! You say you were not told about a call out charge, did they make it was clear it was free diagnosis? I'm not sure how it stands legally but usually diagnosis costs money, so they might be allowed to imply a fee. (Unfair yes but possibly correct).

goldbyron

I had a very similar situation (without any insurance involved). I disputed the bill, offered to pay a small token for petrol costs and they eventually agree to charge me nothing at all. My arguments were similar to yours - the plumber had come out, stayed briefly however the essential point is the diagnosis was incorrect. Therefore if you had paid for this company to undertake the work it wouldn't have fixed the problem and would have made you incur further costs. Therefore I refused to pay for a diagnosis as it was incorrect.