Any advice welcome debt recovery

9abby

Aylesbury_Duck said:

9abby said:

Aylesbury_Duck said:

You booked a job and a quote, did the job yourself, didn't cancel the job so they sent someone out.  Sounds like you owe them.

Thanks Aylebury_duck like I said, I wouldn't mind paying if I had received the quote but I haven't received anything since they came. They had an appointment to do some work and do a quote. They haven't lost any time so I'm struggling to see why in the absence of a quote, I should pay them. 

I think the two things are separate, albeit would have been carried out by the same person at the same visit.  You booked a job, and asked them to quote whilst there.  They attended the job to find out you no longer wanted them to do the job, so I suspect they're charging you a call out fee.  The quote is a separate matter because ordinarily it would be a free service.  You can't withhold payment for a call out on the basis that they haven't sent you a quote that would have been free in the first place.

I concede they haven't covered themselves in glory here, but you also bear some responsibility for not advising them that the work you booked them to do was no longer needed.  They turned up in expectation of revenue and instead find they're there to do a free quote instead.  They might have scheduled a quote on a different day or by a different person, enabling them to earn revenue elsewhere.

Just my take on it, seeing it from the side of a (small?) business.

Thanks for this. All good points and it's really helped me see things from their point if view actually. Still a little miffed they didn't send my quote but I suppose they were expecting to a job and get some money. I'll give them a call tomorrow.

9abby

visidigi said:

The charge isn't for the quote though, so the fact you didn't get that isn't relevant. The charge is for visiting to fit a part you decided to fit yourself without informing them in advance. So realistically they were going to make money from the fitment, if you had called them in advance to adjust the visit type you would have some argument. As it stands they turned up and attended and that has a cost.

Understood but, I own a small business and if I was I the same position as them, I would have sent the quote at the same time as the bill. Its pretty poor to just send the bill knowing the customer has requested a quote. I wouldn't do it, I'd be too embarrassed. If anything I would add the call out charge to the quote. My issue isn't the cost, I suppose I just think its rude to send the bill and make no mention of the quote.

pinkshoes

9abby said:

Understood but, I own a small business and if I was I the same position as them, I would have sent the quote at the same time as the bill. Its pretty poor to just send the bill knowing the customer has requested a quote. I wouldn't do it, I'd be too embarrassed. If anything I would add the call out charge to the quote. My issue isn't the cost, I suppose I just think its rude to send the bill and make no mention of the quote.

It's also pretty poor to book someone to fit a part AND quote, then not cancel the part fitting bit.

The company would have allocated time in their appointment to both fit the part AND quote. As you didn't cancel the fitting bit then there would still be nominal charge to pay.

They do sound rather disorganised though so I would pay the £40 and see it as fate saving you from a potentially incompetent plumber!

DB1904

9abby said:

visidigi said:

The charge isn't for the quote though, so the fact you didn't get that isn't relevant. The charge is for visiting to fit a part you decided to fit yourself without informing them in advance. So realistically they were going to make money from the fitment, if you had called them in advance to adjust the visit type you would have some argument. As it stands they turned up and attended and that has a cost.

Understood but, I own a small business and if I was I the same position as them, I would have sent the quote at the same time as the bill. Its pretty poor to just send the bill knowing the customer has requested a quote. I wouldn't do it, I'd be too embarrassed. If anything I would add the call out charge to the quote. My issue isn't the cost, I suppose I just think its rude to send the bill and make no mention of the quote.

That's a bad business model if you don't get the work. 

Wanderingpomm

What’s the invoice for? 

The details of what they are charging you for is key. The late payment fee is also not legal unless it was detailed in the original terms and conditions which I assume you havn’t agreed to