Invoice but no quote...?

worrierben

Hi guys,

Just wanted to get some different opinions on this... to cut a long story short we had a bathroom done around Dec last year. Something went wrong with shower so we asked the guy to come back and sort which he did (April). He is a joiner by trade and we asked him to give an opinion on some floorboards which were warped. He basically said that it wasn't a big deal and he would sort out for us.

We've had a good relationship with this builder, he's gone a good amount of work for my parents, then our bathroom and through our recommendation a £20k project for my brother-in-law around the same time.

Anyway, he spoke about this as a small job and we took it as a FOC Job. No figures were discussed. Given the current situation we should have confirmed this. Lesson learnt.

5 months later we get an invoice for not a small amount of money which seems a bit excessive, which had we known it would cost this we wouldn't have let him do the work.

I guess I've been a bit naive here but just wondered if this has happened to anyone else and what the outcome was.

Ta

Furts

There are few trades people who can operate as a charity, so FOC work is not common. It is reasonable to expect to pay, but you have not said what work was involved nor what time was spent on the work. Hence nobody on the forum will be able to give you an estimate of costs.

The legal principle when no sum has been agreed in advance is the work cost should be fair and reasonable, and this is all you would be expected to pay.

Hope this helps.

worrierben

Thanks for coming back to me. It's appreciated.

Would you not class FOC as investment rather than charity though as it is in many other industries where a good relationship can add value for both parties?

Wasn't looking for an estimate of costs or a comparative quote to be honest - i'm getting these already. More what could happen if the costs isn't agreed upfront and you think its steep. Although I guess steep is relative to an extent and we should have agreed this prior to the work starting.

Thanks

Dan-Dan

worrierben wrote: »

Thanks for coming back to me. It's appreciated.

Would you not class FOC as investment rather than charity though as it is in many other industries where a good relationship can add value for both parties?

Wasn't looking for an estimate of costs or a comparative quote to be honest - i'm getting these already. More what could happen if the costs isn't agreed upfront and you think its steep. Although I guess steep is relative to an extent and we should have agreed this prior to the work starting.

Thanks

Then you would see the guy in court and Furts reply where he states the fair and reasonable , would apply

This would obviously involve quotes from elsewhere etc , but from experience , small claims judges are not to be relied upon

phill99

worrierben wrote: »

Thanks for coming back to me. It's appreciated.

Would you not class FOC as investment rather than charity though as it is in many other industries where a good relationship can add value for both parties?

Wasn't looking for an estimate of costs or a comparative quote to be honest - i'm getting these already. More what could happen if the costs isn't agreed upfront and you think its steep. Although I guess steep is relative to an extent and we should have agreed this prior to the work starting.

Thanks

You have answered your own question with your last statement.


I have done small job for people either at minimal cost or occasionally FOC believing that I was sowing seeds for the future. And do you know what I got out of it? A big fat ZERO.


People treat your generosity for weakness and take the urine out of you. So you want me in your house? You pay!!

Doozergirl

worrierben wrote: »

Thanks for coming back to me. It's appreciated.

Would you not class FOC as investment rather than charity though as it is in many other industries where a good relationship can add value for both parties?

No. I see a relationship where one side places no value on the other. It's also an excellent way of getting referrals to other people who want work FOC.

Even if you give something away, you have to put a value on it - otherwise the other party places no value on it at all.

londonTiger

you took the slence to mean its was foc, he took the silence to mean "they've always accepted the quote without negotiation, so its just a forality, i'll cost it up after the work is done and send them the bill".

both parties were in the wrong but you are mostly in the wrong because you made an assumption that was extra ordinary to the working relationship

pendragon_arther

Hindsight is a great illuminator.

searchlight123

were the warped floor boards as a result of the faulty shower that he came back to repair?
if not, then normal course of action even if you presumed it was a foc job, and out of politeness would be to ask 'what do i owe you'? as he finished the work.
i would never expect a tradesman to do work foc. i'm not a tradesman but i wouldn't work for free either unless i was putting right something i had done wrong previously.

macman

You failed to ask the price before agreeing to the work, you received 5 months interest free credit, and now you want to know if the job should be FOC?
Builder clearly has issues with processing his paperwork in a reasonable timeframe, but on balance I think you probably deserve each other.

Furts

phill99 wrote: »

You have answered your own question with your last statement.


I have done small job for people either at minimal cost or occasionally FOC believing that I was sowing seeds for the future. And do you know what I got out of it? A big fat ZERO.


People treat your generosity for weakness and take the urine out of you. So you want me in your house? You pay!!

OP has posted and will get the gist of the responses offered.

My views are similar to yours and I would offer the following analogy. Imagine OP has a loyalty to the BMW brand having bought a couple of cars over recent years from the local BMW garage. This loyalty extends to having the cars serviced there. Then a minor calamity occurs - the bodywork gets scratched down the side. Would OP go to the local BMW dealer and say "I am a loyal customer, I spent £20000 on buying this car from you, I expect you to reward my loyalty with a FOC repair".

Of course not, so why should a different set of values apply when dealing with tradesmen, tradeswomen and builders?