Overcharged for leak detection

daviddododo

Hi I am asking for a friend...

She booked a trace and detect service from a plumbing service but has been billed and overcharged.

!. The company publish there rates online. She was charged at the weekend rate of £144 per hour instead of the correct week day rate of £105 per hour.

2. She was charged for 3 hours when the workman was only on site 2 hours. She contacted the company and asked what she was charged for they gave an arrival time 30 minutes before engineer arrived... Phone records can prove his arrival time as he had to call to be let into the property. They also charged 30 minutes for telephone calls but even taking this into account thats 2 1/2 hours not the 3 claimed.

She has emailed them explaining these concerns and requesting a part refund however they gave a short dismissive reply.

On a side note they have also said that if she leaves an online review they will "have no hesitation to contact there barrister and proceed with slander charges against me and blackmail charges.

Any advice / thoughts is appreciated!

lincroft1710

It would be libel not slander and only libellous if untrue.

Google Letter Before Action and MoneyClaimOnLine for your friend's way forward

spadoosh

Sned a letter before action requestion the refund of the over payment. If theyre not forthcoming go to small claims court.


As a side, id say it was unusual to come out with, out of the blue, something about suing someone for slander and blackmail, it sounds like your friend made a few daft comments which has got their backs up, never a good way to approach getting a refund. Kill them with kindness is usually the best way of going to get a refund. Be firm, but reasonable.

Inner_Zone

daviddododo wrote: »

Hi I am asking for a friend...

She booked a trace and detect service from a plumbing service but has been billed and overcharged.

!. The company publish there rates online. She was charged at the weekend rate of £144 per hour instead of the correct week day rate of £105 per hour.

2. She was charged for 3 hours when the workman was only on site 2 hours. She contacted the company and asked what she was charged for they gave an arrival time 30 minutes before engineer arrived... Phone records can prove his arrival time as he had to call to be let into the property. They also charged 30 minutes for telephone calls but even taking this into account thats 2 1/2 hours not the 3 claimed.

She has emailed them explaining these concerns and requesting a part refund however they gave a short dismissive reply.

On a side note they have also said that if she leaves an online review they will "have no hesitation to contact there barrister and proceed with slander charges against me and blackmail charges.

Any advice / thoughts is appreciated!

Does not make sense how can they proceed with charges again you?

spadoosh

Inner_Zone wrote: »

Does not make sense how can they proceed with charges again you?

Looks like they start a quote so assumed it was from the point of view of the friend.

daviddododo

Well things have just got worse. She left an online review outlining what happened. The company tried to call her a number of times but she did not answer. They tehn sent her a screenshot partially filled court claim for £5000 damages. Her tenant has also received a drunken call threatening phone to destroy her flat and rip up the pipes. What to do next? looks like its time to get the police involved threats of criminal damage / violence...

On the review they have written the following reply:

"Due to this review that is untrue and unfair I will be taking court proceedings so a judge can make a decision who was correct in this matter and I will publish the results on this website so you can make your own mind up. The lady in question on several occasions has said she will take the proceedings to the small claims court and has not done so, therefore I am taking matters into my own hands to prove my innocence."

born_again

Hourly charges are often or part thereof. So if it was 2.5 hours it will be charged as 3.

daviddododo

Possibly but then why did they claim to arrive 30 minutes earlier...

Anyway a person has called threatened to smash up the flat and remove the pipes if she did not remove the review (to the tenant of the flat... not the owner (my friend)) - the tenant,.... He was really scared and pleaded with my friend to remove the review as he was scared the thug would come over and smash all the windows... Intimidation / threatening tactics... he was genuinely scared.

The company was recommended by a reputable boiler company who recently fitted thein the boiler.. the tenant also called them really scared for his safety as he had there number and they were very apologetic as it is actually that company that recommended the company...

It seems like this businesses try to act like a law to there own bullying and threatening anyone who gets in there way...

spadoosh

Yes its time to get the police involved.

Refund is a separate issue still and should be pursued through small claims court.

Tammydreaper

Looks like you used a right bunch of rip off merchants,tell them you will be passing their details to Watchdog.

Paul_DNAP

Maybe part of the work in conducted before ringing the doorbell? Some sort of preparation or site survey?

Anyway, now it's got to this stage, just say "see you in court then" and either they'll back down on their bluff, of you get to ask them face to face just what exactly the contractor was doing for that 30minutes before announcing their arrival, and the judge can decide if they believe it or not.


But yes, you should report the threats to the police and keep a note of the reference number, the judge will be interested to hear about that.