Plumbers Call Out Charge

MYMETERISCOMPLEX

Wonder if anyone can offer any advice on the following please?

We had a new thermostat fitted to our hot water tank by a local plumber. We were charged parts and labour inc call out, which is what I would expect

Within 4 months the thermostat became faulty and the plumber came out and replaced it under warranty. While at our house we mentioned that our loo had a small problem. He had a quick look and said he had the part required in the van and duly fitted it in under 5 minutes. Happy so far

However when the invoice arrived we had been charged not only for the part but also a full half hour labour fee. While technically probably correct by the letter of the law, the toilet was a minuscule problem that we would certainly not have instigated a call out for as an individual request. We thought we would be charged for the part but that the labour element would be covered by him "being here anyway" to rectify the thermostat warranty issue

On querying this I have been informed by the plumber that they came to replace the thermostat and would not charge me for that labour but that I was being opportunistic to expect the further 5 minutes "on the house". My viewpoint is that I have been inconvenienced by the part recommended and fitted by the plumber going wrong and having to take time off work for them to remedy. I would have thought that as part of good customer service or goodwill they would not have instigated a new fee for something that I most certainly would not have asked for in itself, i.e. The toilet

To complicate matters further the thermostat has failed again 5 months later. I now do not know where I stand in terms of my rights In getting this rectified while disputing the invoice. Can anyone help please? Thanks

To complicate matters further still some previous work that he did (18 months ago) to go through my kitchen ceiling to repair a leak in the ensuite above, necessitating re plastering and repainting, has gone wrong and the kitchen ceiling is damp again. Where do I stand on that?

Sorry for posting so much but I am unclear re what I should fairly expect re all this

IAmWales

He did the work, you need to pay for his labour. If you go to work and the boss asks you to stay late, are you happy to do it for free because you're already there?

As the thermostat (and the other work) is over six months old you'll need to demonstrate that it is inherently faulty. Now the plumber may help without you having to go through the hassle of getting independent reports, but that would take goodwill which I expect is in short supply until you pay the money you owe.

hollydays

The amount?

bris

So you get the guy to fix your toilet but don't want to pay him?


If your ensuite is leaking again I would suggest getting to the route of the problem which is likely to be movement causing the waste to leak over time. This is a floor issue rather than a plumbing one.

MYMETERISCOMPLEX

I would go that little extra yes, because I would feel bad that the work I did was not up to scratch, albeit through the fault of the part which I recommended and which has failed twice. I personally would therefore show that I actually cared about the situation from the perspective of the customer and exercise a little discretion

However profit clearly outranks any kind of customer service so I expect you're right. Clearly having the audacity to legitimately challenge an invoice has indeed come back to bite me in the backside, because as you have also stated the plumber will not want to address the further issues which have now arisen

Result? Me several hundred pounds out of pocket and with the same issues as 18 months ago

unholyangel

The trader should have provided you with certain information in a durable medium before you are bound by the contract as per the consumer contract (information, cancellation & additional charges) regulations.

Part of that information should have been the total cost or - where the cost cannot be reasonably calculated in advance - the manner in which it will be calculated (ie £x per hour + parts).

However imo while it might have been good customer service for them to provide the labour at no additional charge, it was foolish to assume it would be free.

dj1471

unholyangel wrote: »

The trader should have provided you with certain information in a durable medium before you are bound by the contract as per the consumer contract (information, cancellation & additional charges) regulations.

I think this is key. The trader appears to have billed for 30 minutes labour even though the job only took 5 minutes. If the OP wasn't made aware of the minimum labour charge in a durable medium I think there's a good argument that the trader should only charge for the amount of labour provided.

Whether it's worth the hassle of disputing this is another question...

macman

It's invariably described as 'up to the 1st 30 mins', i.e. a minimum 30 mins charge, which is perfectly reasonable for this kind of service, which involves travelling time.

unholyangel

macman wrote: »

It's invariably described as 'up to the 1st 30 mins', i.e. a minimum 30 mins charge, which is perfectly reasonable for this kind of service, which involves travelling time.

OP said no charge was ever mentioned - let alone accompanied by a description of any kind.

Fosterdog

Although OP would have difficulty claiming not to know the charges and whether it is for a minimum time when they have previously contracted him to do work, called him back under that contract to repair a fault and asked for extra work to be carried out at the same time. Unless the terms had changed from when originally contracted pleading ingnorance will be impossible.

DoaM

This assumes the OP has ever been provided with such terms. The original contract (which generated the warranty call out) may have been fixed price.