Boiler call out rip off

dgs31

Hi
i called out a plumber to check out why my boiler was working but getting no hot water. Fault code was flashing. In the mean i'd asked a plumber friend (not very experienced) to come out with his technican (experienced) to also take a look.

The first plumber came out, tested nothing on the boiler (he didn't even touch it) and just ran the hot tap for about 5 seconds and said i needed a new compansion vessel and would change it in 2 days time.

My friend then came with his technican and said he was having my eyes out, they pumped up the vessel and said it didnt need replacing, but my air pressure switch did need replacing which was in line with the fault code and they would do it the next day. I told the first plumber straight away that i didnt need him to call back.
My pressure switch was replaced and now all is good.

The first plumber is now charging me £72 call out !! I find it shocking that he is charging me for a 2 min call out where he didnt even touch my boiler.

Do i have a good enough reason not to pay it? Ive already left a message on his answer phone asking to justify the fee and that he didn't actually do anything.

thanks for your advice.
David

universalady_2

Surely you asked if there was a call out fee?

dgs31

I knew there would be but not for that amount, oh i forgot to say he was supposed to come AM and turned up at 18:15pm on his way home.

universalady_2

I doubt anything much will happen if you don't pay it, however you did ask him to come out, which he did, why not offer him half as he didn't come when he said he would, and didn't actually do anything more than turn the taps on, and a second opinion resulted in it being a different problem

dgs31

I'd settle to pay a tenner at most as thats what i'll tell him. At the end of the day he tried to have my eyes out.

dogshome

Depends how cross you are.
I presume that you found Mr Plumber via an Ad. in a Local paper/Thompson/Yellow pages, if so have look at that Ad. and see just what Experience/Qualifications he claims to have

Write to him setting out the history, pointing out that from his Ad. you expected a visit from an experienced tradesman who would examine the boiler, identify the fault and repair it.
But what you actually got was someone who mis-diagnosed the problem without even looking at the boiler, and then recommended the complete change of a major part when the problem was actually with a replaceable, and considerably cheaper both in cost and labour, small componant.

Make sure you HEAD the letter "Copy to Trading Standards" and I fully expect his demands will disappear

dgs31

Good idea dogs, thanks for that.

bengasman

Until you have proven he failed to do what he said he would do, you are liable for the call out fee. It is quite possible that recharging the vessel is only a temporary solution. I don't know if he will sue you for the money, but if he does, you are 90% sure to lose the case as you didn't give him a chance to finish the job.

gas4you

A call out fee is just that so you are liable to pay it.

I call mine an 'attendance charge' and the customer gets up to 1 hour. If it only takes 5 mins then it is still the same charge.

jimjames

gas4you wrote: »

A call out fee is just that so you are liable to pay it.

I call mine an 'attendance charge' and the customer gets up to 1 hour. If it only takes 5 mins then it is still the same charge.

It's a good point. If you require the service of a tradesman which includes them travelling to you plus all their other costs then it needs to be paid for. Bear in mind that the tradesman has to book you a slot which is time they aren't charging other customers. Worth making sure you check the call out cost first though - although with our recent call out I was more interesting in getting someone in to fix the problem than how much (within reason) The repair was £80 for around an hours work which included a small piece of copper pipe.

£72 does sound rather steep though, how much is your attendance charge?

grahamc2003

dgs31 wrote: »

Do i have a good enough reason not to pay it? Ive already left a message on his answer phone asking to justify the fee and that he didn't actually do anything.

thanks for your advice.
David

But he did do something. He came to see you after you asked him to. I expect he's thinking that you are messing him around as much as you think he is you.

It's not up to you to decide his services were worth £10. It's up to you to agree a price before he comes out. If you don't do that, then I expect he can charge a reasonable amount for the services he provided, subject to a minimum charge.

We don't know whether he's an honest tradesman who went out his way to help you out, or whether he's the biggest con man going. If the former, I think you're being very unreasonable.

I expect that legally, whether a conman or a decent tradesman, you have to pay up the £70 odd quid (which around here at least, is a reasonable callout/first hour, or part of, charge).