Renting and received invoice

welshman01

Advice needed please?

The heating in our rented house broke a few weeks ago and an engineer was sent round to fix it by the letting agents. The engineer called us to arrange a time and that time was agreed on. 30mins before this agreed time he called and said he would be at the house in 10min. We were out at the time but as we could get back in 10min we agreed.
He came into the house to fix the boiler 15mins before the originally agreed time, but he’s invoiced the letting agents £44 for his time whilst waiting outside our house. Now if that’s not enough of a shocker the agents are forwarding on this invoice to us.

I’ve told them that I will not be paying this but they say it’s between him and me to sort out.

Now if you forget about the shocking fee and the ‘his word against mine’ situation (I guess he could be telling them he was waiting an hour or two?), surely this is the agents issue and not mine.

So my question:
Can they pass this on to me to pay / resolve the issue?

The way I see it is, I didn’t employ him nor enter a contract with him so this must fall to the letting agents and then the landlord.

I’ve already told the agents that I’m not paying it and clearly stated that even if I was liable the engineer came into the house early not late, so his invoice is clearly fraud!

I’m waiting for the response from the agents, but would like to know what you all think so that I can respond to this tennis match with a smash!!

Thanks in advance

geri1965_2

I would rip it up and throw it in the bin. What a p iss taker!

G_M

Wite a polite note to the agents thanking them very much for arranging the repair, but pointing out that

1) the engineer's bill is nothing to do with you and
2) you were not given 24 hours written notice of his appointment

DVardysShadow

welshman01 wrote: »

... So my question:
Can they pass this on to me to pay / resolve the issue?

The way I see it is, I didn’t employ him nor enter a contract with him so this must fall to the letting agents and then the landlord.

I’ve already told the agents that I’m not paying it and clearly stated that even if I was liable the engineer came into the house early not late, so his invoice is clearly fraud!

I’m waiting for the response from the agents, but would like to know what you all think so that I can respond to this tennis match with a smash!!

Thanks in advance

The most they can do is to seek your assistance in disputing with their fitter. But after this perhaps you will not be quite so willing to assist.

welshman01

Cheers guys, it nice to know it wasn't me going crazy! Although the last email I received from the letting agents (today) stated AGAIN that this is between the engineer and myself and nothing to do with them. I've told them that I don't want any further involvement in this fiasco. Can't really deal with a tennis match with idiots. You'll never be able to get your point across.

clockworkboy

If you took a call on your mobile, do you have a log of when exactly the engineer called? Might help.

theartfullodger

G_M wrote: »

Wite a polite note to the agents thanking them very much for arranging the repair, but pointing out that

1) the engineer's bill is nothing to do with you and
2) you were not given 24 hours written notice of his appointment

And copy it to the landlord (you do have LL's address??)

BitterAndTwisted

Tell the agents to request that this workman shoves his waiting-time where the sun don't shine. He didn't arrive at the agreed time and you're not responsible for his turning up early. Then tell them that you are unwilling to engage in any more discussion about THEIR appointed workman.

DVardysShadow

clockworkboy wrote: »

If you took a call on your mobile, do you have a log of when exactly the engineer called? Might help.

Does not help much. If you are trying to get the OP out of the bill by proving that the fitter was telling porkies, you are implicitly accepting that if he was telling the truth, the OP is liable. The OP should reject this on the basis that it is the Landlord's problem.

Now, what you are suggesting would help the Landlord ad the Agent dispute the charge, but OP should not waste his time on this because it is plain that the Agent is just going to take the fitter's side against the OP and make out that the OP is responsible. Which is why I would be reluctant to assist the Agent or Landlord in this.