To Pay or not to Pay?

Disco_Shoes

We have a problem with our Alpha boiler in that the water runs lukewarm rather than hot. I contacted a local plumber via Checkatrade who got on to the Alpha support team who suggested divertor valve/motor/heat exchanger problems. Given that the heat exchanger was only replaced 18 months ago, his diagnosis was motor which he duly fitted.

This cost us £400 including VAT and by his own admission, the problem isn't solved. He still wanted his £400. I can see on one hand that he ordered the part, fitted the part and acted in good faith but ultimately, I wanted a problem diagnosed and fixed and this hasn't happened. But on the other, I might as well have gone on holiday for a weekend with the £400 and returned to the same lukewarm water.

What is the right and fair thing to do here as I genuinely see things from both perspectives?

ljonski

Tell him, that you will pay once he has fixed the problem

nomoneytoday

I'd get a fixed price fix from one of the national companies

PenguinOfDeath

ljonski wrote: »

Tell him, that you will pay once he has fixed the problem

This, but of course the part and labour still needs paying for eventually.

southcoastrgi

Did your rads start to heat up when the hot water was on ?

unclebulgaria

Posts like this leave me annoyed and positively speechless at some peoples Brass neck!
If this guy had done his job properly he wouldn't have just guessed at the problem. Ask him if he'd pay a garage if they hadn't fixed his car/van??
OP needs to answer SCRGI so we could possibly give an informed answer.

Disco_Shoes

No problem with the central heating (and there never was). The shower/taps were running lukewarm. On closer inspection, he's also broken the blue valve underneath and the boiler is now slowly dripping water and he didnt put the cover back on properly - not screwed on. I rung him up (because I'd lost all water pressure therefore no hot water at all) and he is insistent that he did his job properly when he clearly hadn't. I have a different and well established firm coming out tomorrow to look at it. I am worried that he didn't know what he was doing and has just wrecked it in the process.

I know it's doomsday scenario but what should I do if this is the case?

He genuinely doesn't think he's done anything wrong and is aggressive when challenged.

andyhop

To be fair he turned up , inspected and most have carried out basic tests

He then called the manufactor , described the fault symptoms and then the manufacture advised

Given he took advice from the makers I'd say you need to pay him , due to the complexity of modern day devices the fault could be a number of things . It's just bad luck that the manufactor got it wrong.

unclebulgaria

andyhop wrote: »

To be fair he turned up , inspected and most have carried out basic tests

He then called the manufactor , described the fault symptoms and then the manufacture advised

Given he took advice from the makers I'd say you need to pay him , due to the complexity of modern day devices the fault could be a number of things . It's just bad luck that the manufactor got it wrong.

I think you'll find th manufacturer suggested what it might be, it's not up to them to diagnose the fault! He was out of his depth and guessing. Dont pay him!