Money Moral Dilemma: Should I keep the money my plumber would have made from selling my old taps?

happyinflorida

Why is no one saying anything about data protection?  The plumber has advertised this persons taps and given their address - I'd be fuming
What an absolute cheek this plumber has got, he'd be out the door faster than a whippet if it were me

Tahlullah.H

Your taps, your money.

spendlittlesavelots

If you hadn’t explicitly agreed that the plumber would take away the old taps they were yours to sell. The plumber had no right to assume he could sell them and keep the proceeds for himself. 

PS123

Unless you agreed for the plumber to sell them advertising your home address for collection then they are your taps and your money.  Besides most plumbers and I mean most plumbers will find a way to rip you off.  Where are the honest tradesmen?

Middlestitch

happyinflorida said:

Why is no one saying anything about data protection?  The plumber has advertised this persons taps and given their address - I'd be fuming
What an absolute cheek this plumber has got, he'd be out the door faster than a whippet if it were me

Where's the breach? Nothing to link the owner of the house with the address given by the plumber.

CapeTown

I would be checking to see what else he has decided to purloin. Is your television still there, the microwave.

This is wrong on so many levels.

popslion

Your property your money. Keep the money and get a new plumber.

beadjoux

Middlestitch said:

happyinflorida said:

Why is no one saying anything about data protection?  The plumber has advertised this persons taps and given their address - I'd be fuming
What an absolute cheek this plumber has got, he'd be out the door faster than a whippet if it were me

Where's the breach? Nothing to link the owner of the house with the address given by the plumber.

The breach is in placing someone's personal address on an electronic system without permission of the owner with a clear invitation to visit the property for a financial transaction to take place. Imagine if this was someone in witness protection or fleeing domestic violence? 

sgl

Plumbers and some tradesmen are sneaky. If there is a contract for ‘disposal’ of the old goods it is often assumed by that word that it is going to landfill/recycled. Legally if they have used that word then he has legally done nothing wrong with selling the taps on. From a moral standpoint they should have detailed that some items could be sold onwards or sold for scrap value. Often you see bathroom suites for sale for £1 or free to save them the time and cost of disposal. 

The other potential major issue is one of data protection. If you have not given permission for your address to be given out for sale of goods then that is a breach of your data/information. The question I would seek to ask is why if selling goods does he not do it from his own premises? Has the plumber got his address registered with companies house? If a ltd company the address should be written on all documentation. Or were they sold due to them chatting with your neighbours on the street?

This has clearly put you in a conundrum and an awkward position and personally I would seek closure with the plumber and say that you have been put in an awkward position having to approach them to discuss the situation. 

RedbullRJ

As previously stated bizarre circumstances:
  I would say as an retired gas installer, it is normal for the installer to remove and dispose of all rubbish, waste, scrap and old fittings.  The quote should state the installer is responsible to remove all of these things and legally and safely dispose of them.  If the customer wants to dispose of the rubbish and/or the scrap copper/brass or keep the old fittings, then the quote would be made on this basis and the price agreed accordingly.  If the installer takes the time to carefully remove the existing fittings so they can be sold, or separates copper and brass to be sold as scrap, taking these from them, is equivalent to them leaving you all the rubbish and waste at the end of the job, having agreed they will take it away.