Billed for a service not provided

simonali

Couple of months ago my central heating starting playing up/cutting out so I called a local plumber to come out with a view that I was going to get the boiler replaced as it 15 or 16 years old.

He turns up a week after I ring and tells me he can mend it and save me some money. Goes off and comes back a week later with a valve for the boiler, fits it and then leaves without testing properly. Heating still doesn't work so I have to ring again. He can't come back for, you guessed it, another week. This week eventually ends up being 10 or 11 days and more parts are fitted to the boiler. He leaves, it still doesn't work. Eventually get him back round again and am told I need a new boiler, which is why I rang him in the first place! He then goes off and a week later (see the pattern?!) I get an estimate for around 2 grand to supply and fit a new boiler but work will not be commencing for at least a month.

I then go out and buy the part that I originally thought was the cause of the problem and had asked the plumber about and which he had told me couldn't be the issue. Said part fitted, central heating and hot water restored!

Fast forward to today and I get home from work to find a hand delivered invoice dated 28th May for £550. This invoice bills me for:

Fault finding (not done, the fault was rectified by me, not him)

A gas valve (no fix problem)

An overtemp stat (no fix)

A thermostat (no fix)

A new central heating pump which I was told was also faulty (didn''t fix anything)

4 visits to my house (with 7-10 days between each. I may have mentioned that already?)

Labour amounting to £160+VAT

and a radiator valve.

The last item I asked for because I had one not working and is the only thing out of that list that actually fixed an issue!

The bill is only itemised into two things, materials and labour. I'm only really happy to pay for the rad valve and maybe two of the 4 visits and the pump, which I'll have to take his word for was faulty, but I know full well that all the other bits didn't work, so how should I go about resolving this? I definitely ain't paying 550 quid and then have to fix the boiler myself, which, by the way, cost me £207 for a new control board...

[Deleted User]

Seems like he misdiagnosed the issue, his solution didn’t resolve the issue, then he wants to replace the entire boiler.

I’d dispute paying for the first section of his service.

marlot

Assuming you never want to use this plumber again, I'd make an offer of maybe £150 in full and final settlement. If he wants more he can take you small claims.