Overcharging

CraigWells

I had to have some work completed to unblock a drain in my home. i called the Landlady who got someone to come and clear the drains. The landlady then presented me with a bill saying that it was my fault the drains blocked and i had to pay. I payed the money to my landlady. She then returned me an invoice. On the invoice there was a cost for jetting of drains. This did not happen. I contacted the company who carried out the drain cleaning and they said they did jet the drains. i was at the property the whole time and at no time was any hose pipe used let alone this huge pressure thing they said had been used. They refused to refund me the cost of the drain jetting.

I was thinking and maybe i am wrong but it was not them who charged me it was my landlady who presented me with the invoice which i had to pay to her so in fact she is the one who overcharged me not the company. They overcharged her.

Who is it i should fight to get my money back for the overcharged work? Should i be trying to get reimbursement from my landlady and she in turn try and get it from the company? Or should i be fighting the company to get back the money i was overcharged?

I know i have already paid the landlady so have i there made an error and will in fact get nothing how ever much i try and fight for the overcharge back?

I really hate dishonest people. Been her tenant over 5 years now and usually do all the repairs myself inside and outside the property and never charged a penny for labour or materials.

One time there is something i cant do and she has the cheek to cheat me.

Life sucks.

Doozergirl

How exactly did your drains get unblocked if they didn't jet them then? That's what these people do, they jet drains.

CraigWells

He only had with him a set of drain rods which he used to remove the blockage. He then said it was all done. Funny though today only 5 days later Anglian Water had to come and unblock the communal drain in my garden as the person on Thursday only pushed the blockage along far enough past my drain boundary and into the communal drain where 3 properties flow through. There was no hose pipe used on Thursday and no water. Just drain rods.

Doozergirl

Life dosn't suck. It's a bill as a result of blocking your drains with things you probably shouldn't have put down there. There's much,
much worse that could happen than a first world problem. If you think something this trivial in the grand scheme makes life suck then rest assured, it will suck because you make a reactive choice that you can't cope with trifles.

It's a positive life lesson. When stuff goes wrong I remind myself of exactly what I do have to be grateful for, and find the positive lesson. Here, I'd be grateful that it's only been once in five years and learn to be careful about what goes down there.

Doozergirl

So how much was the bill for?

Cakeguts

Do not put anything down the toilet apart from toilet paper. Do not put wet wipes or wipes marked flushable none of them are because they don't break up in the pipe. Only toilet paper does that. Do not put kitchen paper down the toilet. Do not drain fat down the kitchen sink that can also block pipes.

If you block the pipes you get to pay for clearing the blockage however it is cleared.

CraigWells

I do not disagree that i had to pay. My problem is that they charged me for work they did not carry out. This resulted in only causing a problem for someone else. The problem was not resolved it was moved.

So if you asked someone to paint your house and they only painted half of it you would be fine with it? I bet you wouldnt? or they charged you for painting the shed as well when you can see that rthey didnt do it. You would still pay them?

Come into the real world people. Who would honestly pay for a service they didn't get?

Doozergirl what world do you live in? seems like we could all come do work for you charge what we want and it is fine by you as it is only a trivial thing?

Doozergirl

No. You said that life sucks. You're blowing it out of proportion. The issue is absolutely trivial in contrast to many of the things people have to contend with - most of which are unavoidable, unlike yours.

You haven't answered the question of how much the bill was. The answer is usually horrendously expensive because, funnily enough, pushing your poop down a pipe isn't much fun. We just spent £264 on CCTV and actually jetting drains that weren't blocked, ready to sell a house. And that was booked in, not an emergency. So there's a comparison for you.

Ultimately, the bill would be nothing if you only put the obvious stuff and non-quilted toilet roll in your waste pipes. Or you appreciate that a blockage is likely to be your own fault and call someone out yourself and then argue the bill instead of calling the landlord. This is the first time it happens, make it the last. It was your fault, there were different ways of avoiding the situation which you failed at.

Thankfully your neighbours will have paid nothing to have their drains jetted of your problem.

The contract was with the company and your landlord, you will not be getting money back dorectly from them. It's also unreasonable to start expecting your landlord to now work for free sorting out another problem that had nothing to do with them. Next time, take responsibility and you can sort your own overcharging issues out. Your landlord isn't cheating you - that's a ridiculous accusation. She's taken on your problem, not charged you for her time and suddenly it's her fault too. Take control.

Cakeguts

CraigWells wrote: »

I do not disagree that i had to pay. My problem is that they charged me for work they did not carry out. This resulted in only causing a problem for someone else. The problem was not resolved it was moved.

So if you asked someone to paint your house and they only painted half of it you would be fine with it? I bet you wouldnt? or they charged you for painting the shed as well when you can see that rthey didnt do it. You would still pay them?

Come into the real world people. Who would honestly pay for a service they didn't get?

Doozergirl what world do you live in? seems like we could all come do work for you charge what we want and it is fine by you as it is only a trivial thing?

The people who came to your place to unblock your drains did that they unblocked the drains you paid them to unblock your drains. The people who unblock your drains aren't going to know where your drains go after they leave your property. If you are happy to pay for the rest of your blockage to be removed from further down the line get hold of who ever did that and ask for an invoice for that work.

You got off cheaply because you didn't pay for removing the blockage that you made from further down the line of piping.

Stop trying to transfer the blame for this onto the people who did the unblocking. If you hadn't blocked the drains in the first place you wouldn't have needed to pay to have them unblocked.

Doozergirl

You didn't go back to your other thread. Was it because the question was answered properly?
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/74046980#Comment_74046980

glasgowdan

I'm totally with the OP. A company charging for unblocking plus jetting, when they didn't jet anything, is totally wrong and unacceptable.

I doubt you'll get anything back though i would contact the company owner and also leave negative reviews wherever you can. Some companies th8nk they can get away with anything on properties with absent landlords.