Awkward: EA says my quotes will be bumped up because I am a woman

NicNicP

I had an electrician round to quote for the rewiring of upstairs in our new property. The husband then got a friend from work round to quote as he'd 'do it cheap' My quote was apparently 'about right' according to the cheap friend as he'd have charged the same. He would however have hacked out the walls for the wires whereas my electrician has done it today without making any new holes. Does your area have a trusted trader scheme?

kilby_007

Maybe I'm missing something here, but the only thing that matters is how much it's going to cost YOU. The vendor/EA can get as many quotes as they want, but it shouldn't affect the price YOU want to pay. If it were me, I'd be looking to deduct a little more than the cost of the works for the inconvenience of having to get the work done! Honestly I would ignore the EA/vendor and just make the offer based on your own evidence/thought processes. EAs think and say all sorts of nonsense, but their brains and mouths are rarely attached. They often say things that they don't think are true or make wild assumptions based on zero knowledge of a certain subject. I would take the sexist/patronising remarks with a pinch of salt for now, maybe report him after the sale completes.

bluedrop

Deleted ....

I realised the above post made my point.

StumpyPumpy

As everyone else has said, ignore the EA and get your own quotes - 3 or 4 at least.

What I wouldn't do is make any attempt to haggle down the price of the quotes - what is the point? you are negotiating a discount with the vendor not committing to the work being done on the basis of these quotes.

I'd be looking to get them all around the same ball park figure for the same work and then stick to your guns and insist you will only negotiate on the basis of your quotes. If he tries to pull the "girlie" line again, tell him your father/brother/uncle/imaginary friend/bloke that cleans the windows got them for you, but if he can prove sexual discrimination, is he willing to sign a statement naming the companies that do it so that you can use it in court.

Only if you get agreement and buy the place, would I then start looking around for the best value and the most competitive quote, not before.


SP

mrginge

The words this EA is using are - Because you are a woman then people will try advantage of you.

The actual meaning behind the words is - Because you are a woman WE are going to try take advantage of you.

The EA is a slimeball. Tell them to fk off.

upoiupou

kilby_007 wrote: »

Maybe I'm missing something here, but the only thing that matters is how much it's going to cost YOU. The vendor/EA can get as many quotes as they want, but it shouldn't affect the price YOU want to pay.

I think the EA, who is working on behalf of the seller and wants the seller to sell, is trying to minimise the reduction in the offer. If the EA can say the roof work could be done more cheaply, then the EA/seller can argue against a large reduction in the offer price.

Firstly I would ask the surveyor to recommend contractors to get quotes from. I would also ask the surveyor for a range that they would expect the quotes to be in.

If it's a large job, you might want to consider asking this or a different surveyor to project manage it. Some will do this for a fixed fee (some for a percentage of the cost, but that wouldn't work if you don't trust the surveyor to ensure the best prices - although I would trust them if they seemed solid).

The advantages of a surveyor project managing the work are that they can go through the quotes to ensure the most effective and cost effective approach is used. When I did this, the surveyor ensured the new roof timber had been treated in certain ways, required the quote be changed from using nails to using screws and other things that I think most laypeople (of either gender) wouldn't think of. They can also monitor how the work is carried out and check it before you make the final payment.

You could include the cost of the surveyor's project management in your renegotiation of the offer - and if you wanted to, you could tell the EA that you feel this is essential due to the EA's warning about women being taken advantage of. :A

Bossypants

mrginge wrote: »

The words this EA is using are - Because you are a woman then people will try advantage of you.

The actual meaning behind the words is - Because you are a woman WE are going to try take advantage of you.

The EA is a slimeball. Tell them to fk off.

Yeah, it's a bit creepy.

Thanks everyone for your thoughtful replies, really appreciate it! While I am very tempted to go with andypandyboy's brilliant suggestion, having thought it over I think I am best off just acting as if nothing happened (or rather, like the agent made a gaffe and I am magnanimously overlooking it for him), and negotiating based on the two quotes I will get myself. If he brings it up again, I will have to gently remind him of his conflict of interest, which I am sure he has forgotten about in his haste to assist me, etc. I suspect that will shut him up.

(And for those who mentioned it, yes I am fully aware that there are people who will try to take advantage of me, but there are almost always tells: Condescension, over-complicating technical explanations and more condescension when I ask questions (and still don't get a straight answer), an exaggerated sense of urgency, like the whole house will fall down RIGHT NOW if I don't book them in, a reluctance to itemise quotes, etc. Of course there is always a risk of being taken for a ride, but living is risky.)