Plumber wants us to pay for work he hasn't done

square_eyes_2

Sorry if this is a long rant, I'm hoping for reassurance really because I'm panicking a bit.

Basically we've had minimal hot water since early December. We're lucky to get 1 minute of luke warm water before it turns icy cold. I'm 6 months pregnant and dealing with this is just the last thing I need right now.

We have a plumber who worked on our boiler in October and we paid him £700 to install a magnet and filter and some other things to get the boiler working again. I'm sure you can imagine we were a bit annoyed that the boiler then started failing again so soon after we'd paid all this money. I contacted the plumber to ask for advice, he was a bit slow at getting back to me and by the time he did contact us we were on our honeymoon. When we arrived back a week later, we contacted him again, he said he wouldn't be able to look at it until after New Year's. This was annoying but we felt that since he was the last one to work on it, he should be the one to fix it. We didn't want to start all over again with a new plumber! So we waited, and he finally came round on Jan 7th. He didn't fix it unfortunately, but he did say we needed a new heat sensor. I told him we don't have much money at the moment (just paid him £700 which was all my savings plus have baby on the way) He assured me it wouldn't cost much. A few days later he sent my husband a quote for £260. Of this, £180 was for parts. This really shocked me as he'd assured me heat sensors weren't expensive. We discussed whether to get a 2nd opinion, but we were desperate for hot water so we just agreed. He said he'd "let us know" when he could do the work. Over a week later and we've heard nothing. This is over a month since I first contacted him and he just doesn't seem to want the job. We decide to find another plumber. She comes out and gives the same diagnosis, however she shows me straight away how much the part costs - £6!!!! How did the other plumber manage to quote us £180?? We obviously thank our lucky stars we didn't pay him anything and go ahead with the new plumber. Finally, a week after we last heard from him, the old plumber gets in touch. We tell him we no longer require his services. He insists we owe him for parts and a call out, which comes to £260 (his quote for the job he didn't do) I am just gobsmacked anyone can do this. Firstly to leave us with no hot water for so long, knowing that I'm pregnant and it's really cold, then to quote so much for such a cheap part, and then to expect us to pay him even though he hasn't done the job! Is this something he can do? Can he take us to small claims on the basis we agreed to the job, even though he went AWOL for a week afterwards? I'm so upset about it, I really liked the guy and feel like he's taking advantage of us.

marliepanda

So you verbally agreed to the work and a week later told him no?

That's a verbal contract. I doubt he'd get the money fir the part but you owe him the call out

You being pregnant is irrelevant

worried_jim

My eyes hurt just trying to read this! Any chance of bullet points and or paragraphs?

square_eyes_2

marliepanda wrote: »

So you verbally agreed to the work and a week later told him no?

We agreed assuming he would treat it with urgency, or at least get back to us after a couple of days. When we didn't hear from him after a week we just assumed he wasn't bothered.

Bowling_4_Gold

Sounds like he's trying to pull a fast one in regards to the parts bill. What have you got in writing and what does he have? Have you signed anything to state you're happy with the quote?

To be fair to him, he's done further diagnostic work on the second visit- and it could well be the case that the first fault is completely unrelated to the second. I'd offer to pay his hourly rate for the second visit and be done with him, tbh

JJ_Egan

) Firstly to leave us with no hot water for so long, knowing that I'm pregnant and it's really cold, then to quote so much for such a cheap part )

Thats not relevant just tell him to take you to court for the money he is claiming .

Trinitrotoluene

As marliepanda pointed out, you entered into a verbal agreement with him which is legally binding.

It all depends on how you agreed the contract with him. If you would have said "Yes, that is fine on the basis that you do the work tomorrow" and he agrees to that, by not doing the work he is breaking the verbal contract. So the real question is did you agree a time period for this to be done? I'm confused how

We discussed whether to get a 2nd opinion, but we were desperate for hot water so we just agreed. He said he'd "let us know" when he could do the work. Over a week later and we've heard nothing

Did you try and contact him during this week? I struggle to believe you let it drag on for so long for such an immediate problem.

The reason you feel like he is taking advantage of you is because he likely was, given your own evidence!

Personally, I'd say that he abandoned his right to do the job if he went AWOL for a week and I think if it got as far as a judge, they'd see sense with your side however that has no legal grounding!

pinkshoes

Have you had a full breakdown of what he did for £700 that didn't work? I would be asking for this too if you haven't got it.

Ask him for the part number and invoice for the part.