Problem with letting agent

Geofffisher

Hi all, I'm not sure if this is in the right section, but it's about an issue I have with a letting agent, so hopefully someone can help.

I am an electrician and some time ago I was called to a flat by a lady with a non-working hot water cylinder.

I diagnosed the problem and told her what part it needed. She then told me she rented the flat and that I'd need to get confirmation from the agent. She gave me their number.

I called them to explain and they gave me the go ahead over the phone. I returned a day later, fitted the part and sorted the problem.

I submitted my invoice at the time and followed up via email by I heard nothing.

About a month ago I wrote to them with a copy of the invoice and the manager called me to say that this was the first they knew of the problem and why had I sent them an invoice.

I explained and the upshot is they are denying they gave us the go ahead.

I can easily prove that the work was carried out as I have the part number on the invoice.

I want to pursue this as it's not an insignificant amount of money (circa £250) and most of that was the cost of the part.

Any ideas what I can do?

Out,_Vile_Jelly

Send a Letter Before Action giving them x days to pay before you submit a Small Claims Court application. Might be worth asking the tenant to confirm (in writing) that they contacted you, and that your phone records show you called the agency office.

Insist on confirmation in writing from all agents in future- they are notorious for lying over the phone.

princeofpounds

Normally they are using the trades to rip off the tenants/landlords... I feel sorry for you that you got stung too.

Geofffisher

Unfortunately the tenant has since left the flat and moved abroad, so I can't speak to her.

The agent (the actual person I spoke to at the time) is saying he never gave the go ahead and only asked me for a quote and never heard back from me.

G_M

Geofffisher wrote: »

Unfortunately the tenant has since left the flat and moved abroad, so I can't speak to her.

The agent (the actual person I spoke to at the time) is saying he never gave the go ahead and only asked me for a quote and never heard back from me.

I suspect you are stuck with the option of

* walking away and learning a lesson for future contracts involving rented properties

* going to court and arguing "He said..... " "No, I never said......".

It will come down to who the judge believes, but you'll need to convince him 'on the balance of probabilities'.

You could make the logical argument that you would obviously never have done the job without the go-ahead.

The agent might suggest that the tenant gave you the go-ahead, but that the tenant had no authority to do so, and you should chase the (now vanished) tenant.

Geofffisher

That's what the agent suggested to me on the phone, that the tenant probably gave me the go ahead but I know that's not true.

The trouble is I have nothing in writing to prove it.

G_M

I hate to say it but..... write off the invoice and move on.

fairy_lights

Seeing as they didn't authorise the work, you could ask for them to arrange a time when you can enter the property and remove the part you replaced, if they're not going to pay for it they should return it.

slopemaster

Surely it's worth at least trying a letter before action...?