EICR - electrician wants payment before report issue

CharlieT130

Hoping for some insights into a minor contract issue. I had an EICR competed last week (verbally assured that there are no issues). The electrician has requested full payment before he will issue the report. My view is that payment should be made after goods and services are received and that the work has no value without the report (I haven't said this last part as it might appear harsh) 

Apparently this is "company policy", but there were no T&Cs discussed up front and only a verbal agreement of the price (kicking myself for this, but the invoice is what we agreed so no actual issue there).

I have offered to pay 70% up front and the rest on receipt of the report, but that wasn't accepted.

So my question is, is it standard practice to withhold EICR until payment is made? Am I off base? 

Annoyingly I'm on a deadline to get this report so I may have to pay up anyway. 

Thanks in advance

Risteard

CharlieT130 said:

Hoping for some insights into a minor contract issue. I had an EICR competed last week (verbally assured that there are no issues). The electrician has requested full payment before he will issue the report. My view is that payment should be made after goods and services are received and that the work has no value without the report (I haven't said this last part as it might appear harsh) 

Apparently this is "company policy", but there were no T&Cs discussed up front and only a verbal agreement of the price (kicking myself for this, but the invoice is what we agreed so no actual issue there).

I have offered to pay 70% up front and the rest on receipt of the report, but that wasn't accepted.

So my question is, is it standard practice to withhold EICR until payment is made? Am I off base? 

Annoyingly I'm on a deadline to get this report so I may have to pay up anyway. 

Thanks in advance

In my opinion it should have been made clear in advance that he only intended to issue the Report upon receipt of full payment. That said, it's not entirely unheard of for Electricians to only issue upon payment. But as I say, this should have been made clear beforehand.

Jonboy_1984

We had to pay in the same way for ours. 

Given how stingy everyone I know who is involved in BTL is, and that being the main reason for most of them being done, I cannot blame any electrician for not incurring credit control time (or costs)on them for work that shouldn’t have any faults emerge…

Bigphil1474

The last one we got was emailed as we paid, and a hard copy sent later. It was a cash payment to a mate of a mate though. I expect some people are harder to get money out of once they have got their paperwork.

CharlieT130

Thanks all, seems like it is fairly normal. My biggest issue is the lack of communication up front, but also because he said that the report isn't finished yet. Think I'll tell him he'll be paid as soon as he confirms the report is ready 

Eldi_Dos

If you are getting a takeaway delivered its normal to pay for it before it is dispatched, nobody bats a eyelid at that, the electrician is only doing the same thing.

cerebus

Why do you need the eicr anyway? Are you a landlord?

Risteard

cerebus said:

Why do you need the eicr anyway? Are you a landlord?

ALL electrical installations should be periodically inspected and tested.

cerebus

Risteard said:

cerebus said:

Why do you need the eicr anyway? Are you a landlord?

ALL electrical installations should be periodically inspected and tested.

Thats not the answer to the question I asked and if you had bothered reading the thread the OP states he's under a time limit , don't think that would be the case if he was just periodically testing his electrics would it

CharlieT130

cerebus said:

Risteard said:

cerebus said:

Why do you need the eicr anyway? Are you a landlord?

ALL electrical installations should be periodically inspected and tested.

Thats not the answer to the question I asked and if you had bothered reading the thread the OP states he's under a time limit , don't think that would be the case if he was just periodically testing his electrics would it

@cerebus What's the relevance of your question? Also, please don't assume I'm a man (I'm not). 

But yes, I am about to rent my house for the first time. 

km1500

just pay her and wait for her to issue the report unless you think she is trying to scam you out of something