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Plumber overcharged

24

Comments

  • pinkshoes
    pinkshoes Posts: 20,607 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    I would go down the letter before action route, giving him 14 days to provide the agreed report, VAT number etc... Otherwise you will take him to court for a refund.

    In future, supply your tenants with an emergency number!
    Should've = Should HAVE (not 'of')
    Would've = Would HAVE (not 'of')

    No, I am not perfect, but yes I do judge people on their use of basic English language. If you didn't know the above, then learn it! (If English is your second language, then you are forgiven!)
  • Yes lesson learnt I'm an 'accidental' landlord we've had to move st short notice so am renting where I now live and renting out my old house. Hopefully will shortly be buying somewhere and selling my house so won't have this stuff to deal with! I recognise now I should have advised them not to pay and told the plumber to provide an invoice before payment - hindsight eh?! I suspect this guy is not paying tax/vat and so doesn't want to provide an invoice but it's strange as he seemed like a decent plumber and I'm sure could just go legit! He looks to have had a lot of failed companies in his name/changed company names and addresses regularly.

    My husband is having a word today. If that fails I'll go down the letter route and see where that gets me
  • comeandgo
    comeandgo Posts: 5,930 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    If the tenants paid the plumber then the invoice would be given to them, made out in their name.
  • There is no invoice. The tennants just paid him immediately with their credit/debit card. He provided a receipt which just shows the amount paid and amount of vat paid
  • naedanger
    naedanger Posts: 3,105 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    Yes lesson learnt I'm an 'accidental' landlord we've had to move st short notice so am renting where I now live and renting out my old house. Hopefully will shortly be buying somewhere and selling my house so won't have this stuff to deal with! I recognise now I should have advised them not to pay and told the plumber to provide an invoice before payment - hindsight eh?! I suspect this guy is not paying tax/vat and so doesn't want to provide an invoice but it's strange as he seemed like a decent plumber and I'm sure could just go legit! He looks to have had a lot of failed companies in his name/changed company names and addresses regularly.

    My husband is having a word today. If that fails I'll go down the letter route and see where that gets me

    As you have not been given a proper VAT receipt (with his VAT number on it) ask him for one. I do not think he is obliged to give you one unless you are also registered for VAT. But if he refuses to supply one then it seems reasonable grounds for suspecting the full bill is probably not going through his accounts.

    If you feel the reason he is not supplying you a report is to avoid putting in writing the work he has done then you could confront him directly about this and explain you will pass on details of the bill to the HMRC with your suspicions. (Don't raise your suspicions in front of anyone else, or if you are mistaken you could be creating problems for yourself.)
  • I have spoken to citizens advice who have confirmed he is in breach of contract by not providing the report for the insurers even if this was verbal. Although I do also have a text (from his mobile claiming to be his boss) that the report will be provided. They have advised me to send a letter to this effect giving him 14 days to provide the report before I begin court proceedings. I will also request the vat number as my insurers will need it if I am claiming for the vat from them. Not sure if he is obliged to give it to me for that reason (or at least obliged to provide it to the insurers if they request it directly however not sure if they would do that).
  • naedanger
    naedanger Posts: 3,105 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    I have spoken to citizens advice who have confirmed he is in breach of contract by not providing the report for the insurers even if this was verbal. Although I do also have a text (from his mobile claiming to be his boss) that the report will be provided. They have advised me to send a letter to this effect giving him 14 days to provide the report before I begin court proceedings. I will also request the vat number as my insurers will need it if I am claiming for the vat from them. Not sure if he is obliged to give it to me for that reason (or at least obliged to provide it to the insurers if they request it directly however not sure if they would do that).

    That's good.

    On your last point, I would have thought the bit in brackets (at least) must be the case.
  • wealdroam
    wealdroam Posts: 19,180 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    Peeweeontour, you fuss about a VAT invoice/receipt is unfounded.

    As stated, your tenant paid the plumber, and as your tenant is not VAT registered, the plumber is not obliged to provide a VAT invoice/receipt - or indeed any receipt.

    If you want a receipt, then ask you tenant to write one. That of course will not be a VAT invoice/receipt if you tenant isn't VAT registered.
  • naedanger
    naedanger Posts: 3,105 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    wealdroam wrote: »
    Peeweeontour, you fuss about a VAT invoice/receipt is unfounded..

    If a plumber refused to give me a receipt I would regard that as suspicious. It should be no skin off their nose giving such a VAT receipt. (I get offered a VAT receipt every time I buy petrol.) Of course it would not prove anything.

    But if the plumber is avoiding putting the bill through his accounts that might explain the root cause of the op's problem and may help him get a solution.
  • wealdroam
    wealdroam Posts: 19,180 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    naedanger wrote: »
    If a plumber refused to give me a receipt I would regard that as suspicious.

    Even if you weren't the plumber's customer?

    Who engaged the plumber?
    Who paid the plumber?

    We were told earlier "He provided a receipt which just shows the amount paid and amount of vat paid", which is all he had to do.
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