Call out charge problem

O22ER

Hi,

About two weeks ago our heating went off, I ended calling the gas company who sent an engineer. Before they sent the engineer, they told me that if the fault was on the premises, there might be a small call out charge.

To cut a long story short, it turns out that the fault was on the premises and I ended up fixing it myself after the engineer had left.

Yesterday I received a bill for the call out, it was £95. Now I don't categorise this a being a small call out charge and was wondering if I could refuse to pay due to the fact that this charge isn't as described, or something along them lines.

What I'm trying to say is; should the gas company not have informed me how much a call out charge actually was before sending the engineer?

Had I known the call out price I could have made the decision weather he was needed or not.

when I called to complain, the person I spoke to said that if I'd of asked for the price the call operator would have told me.

Does anyone have any experience with a case like this?

I just feel like I've been had.

intermynan

I can't see how you've got a leg to stand on to be honest. They informed you there would be a call out charge. 'Small' can be defined differently by different people! You should have asked exactly what it would be. Can't see how you can not pay it now tbh mate.

SwanJon

O22ER wrote: »

About two weeks ago our heating went off, I ended calling the gas company who sent an engineer.

Which gas company?
My first thought was the National Gas Emergency Service, run by National Grid, (based on the premises condition).

O22ER

SwanJon wrote: »

Which gas company?
My first thought was the National Gas Emergency Service, run by National Grid, (based on the premises condition).

I live on the isle of man, it's manx gas

O22ER

intermynan wrote: »

I can't see how you've got a leg to stand on to be honest. They informed you there would be a call out charge. 'Small' can be defined differently by different people! You should have asked exactly what it would be. Can't see how you can not pay it now tbh mate.

I'll use an analogy:

your on holiday and you holla a taxi over,
you ask the driver "how far to so-and-so?"
he reply's "oh it's just around the block, get in I'll take you there, it won't cost much."
He drives two blocks down the road and your there. "£90 please"
you say "what? £90, you said it won't cost much!"
he replies "£90 is the going rate, if you'd of asked me I would have told you exactly how much it costs".
you've been had, the fact that he said "it won't cost much" before you got the chance to ask, led you to reconsider asking at all and he would have known that. He would have know that if he'd of told you it would be £90 to take you two blocks, you'd have refused.
This leads me to ponder exactly how much money energy companies actually make by such a small but significant choice of words at the right time, and how much they would lose by being forced to inform the customer of the exact cost of a callout charge before the customer gives the go ahead.

intermynan

Poor analogy - you would still have owed the taxi bloke £90. Onus is on you to make sure you're aware!

O22ER

intermynan wrote: »

Poor analogy - you would still have owed the taxi bloke £90. Onus is on you to make sure you're aware!

If that's so, how come so many people are winning court cases to claim back unfair bank charges.

there must be some law that says you can't charge what you like.

intermynan

O22ER wrote: »

If that's so, how come so many people are winning court cases to claim back unfair bank charges.

there must be some law that says you can't charge what you like.

Look - take some personal responsibility. They should have told you, but you should have made sure you knew! Part responsibility of the customer...it's not difficult to ask how much something is going to cost, is it?