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Should I pay for plumber who didn’t fix problem?

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  • UnsureAboutthis
    UnsureAboutthis Posts: 372 Forumite
    100 Posts First Anniversary Name Dropper
    jcb208 said:
    Total rip off that is 1hours Labour and a £20 part so should be around the £100 mark,I honestly don't know how these crooks can keep a straight face  when invoicing these ludicrous amounts
    It's easy to get caught out and some with a smirk on their face would say, (to lighten the blow) "that will be x pounds and then hesitate for a second or two  they will add, "plus vat."

    Best to try and get a quote and a keep a few numbers of local tradespeople in your phone diary.

    Prices quoted by the hour - I would never trust them. They could drag it out and then go out for a part that they should have had on hand in many cases, e.g., a relatively common part for a plumber, such as a flexible hose, etc.

    When booking an appointment, always ask re min callout charge and if it incs vat and what is included in the min charge. and how they charge after the min charge period and any warranties etc. Also quickly check their reviews before you call anyone. Read the negative reviews and if there is a pattern, move on to the next one.


  • Section62
    Section62 Posts: 9,723 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Fourth Anniversary Name Dropper
    jcb208 said:
    Total rip off that is 1hours Labour and a £20 part so should be around the £100 mark,I honestly don't know how these crooks can keep a straight face  when invoicing these ludicrous amounts
    It's easy to get caught out and some with a smirk on their face would say, (to lighten the blow) "that will be x pounds and then hesitate for a second or two  they will add, "plus vat."

    Best to try and get a quote and a keep a few numbers of local tradespeople in your phone diary.

    Prices quoted by the hour - I would never trust them. They could drag it out and then go out for a part that they should have had on hand in many cases, e.g., a relatively common part for a plumber, such as a flexible hose, etc.

    When booking an appointment, always ask re min callout charge and if it incs vat and what is included in the min charge. and how they charge after the min charge period and any warranties etc. Also quickly check their reviews before you call anyone. Read the negative reviews and if there is a pattern, move on to the next one.

    Difficult to do all that if you've got a burst pipe potentially causing tens of thousands of pounds worth of damage to the neighbouring flat(s).

    There needs to be an understanding here that what you might do and pay in a planned situation is different to how you deal with an emergency.  Even good traders are likely to have some negative reviews, so moving on to the next one while water continues to pour from that pipe might not be the best idea.

    For someone who doesn't have the confidence and/or the skills to deal with home emergencies it might be best to sign up with a home emergency cover provider (although not necessarily cheap).  For those who do have the confidence and/or skills, being able to take immediate action to mitigate the issue is key.  E.g. If you can isolate the leaking toilet and live by flushing the toilet with a bucket for a day or two then by all means take your time to find the perfect trader with very reasonable charges.

    It is a norm for people providing emergency services to charge by the hour (or half-hour) - so excluding all of them from the search is likely to narrow the options somewhat.  In an emergency, charging by the hour isn't unreasonable either - because the hours spent travelling to/from and doing one job will be hours not spent on another job.  To expect an emergency response, but charging in accordance with planned work quotes just isn't realistic.

    As comes up often in these rogue trader-type threads, the key is communication and understanding.  I.e. being clear about what you are getting for the money being charged.  And whether you really need all the work done as an 'emergency', or whether once the risk has been removed it would be Ok (and cheaper) to get someone else in to do a permanent repair.
  • UnsureAboutthis
    UnsureAboutthis Posts: 372 Forumite
    100 Posts First Anniversary Name Dropper
    Section62 said:
    jcb208 said:
    Total rip off that is 1hours Labour and a £20 part so should be around the £100 mark,I honestly don't know how these crooks can keep a straight face  when invoicing these ludicrous amounts
    It's easy to get caught out and some with a smirk on their face would say, (to lighten the blow) "that will be x pounds and then hesitate for a second or two  they will add, "plus vat."

    Best to try and get a quote and a keep a few numbers of local tradespeople in your phone diary.

    Prices quoted by the hour - I would never trust them. They could drag it out and then go out for a part that they should have had on hand in many cases, e.g., a relatively common part for a plumber, such as a flexible hose, etc.

    When booking an appointment, always ask re min callout charge and if it incs vat and what is included in the min charge. and how they charge after the min charge period and any warranties etc. Also quickly check their reviews before you call anyone. Read the negative reviews and if there is a pattern, move on to the next one.

    Difficult to do all that if you've got a burst pipe potentially causing tens of thousands of pounds worth of damage to the neighbouring flat(s).

    There needs to be an understanding here that what you might do and pay in a planned situation is different to how you deal with an emergency.  Even good traders are likely to have some negative reviews, so moving on to the next one while water continues to pour from that pipe might not be the best idea.

    For someone who doesn't have the confidence and/or the skills to deal with home emergencies it might be best to sign up with a home emergency cover provider (although not necessarily cheap).  For those who do have the confidence and/or skills, being able to take immediate action to mitigate the issue is key.  E.g. If you can isolate the leaking toilet and live by flushing the toilet with a bucket for a day or two then by all means take your time to find the perfect trader with very reasonable charges.

    It is a norm for people providing emergency services to charge by the hour (or half-hour) - so excluding all of them from the search is likely to narrow the options somewhat.  In an emergency, charging by the hour isn't unreasonable either - because the hours spent travelling to/from and doing one job will be hours not spent on another job.  To expect an emergency response, but charging in accordance with planned work quotes just isn't realistic.

    As comes up often in these rogue trader-type threads, the key is communication and understanding.  I.e. being clear about what you are getting for the money being charged.  And whether you really need all the work done as an 'emergency', or whether once the risk has been removed it would be Ok (and cheaper) to get someone else in to do a permanent repair.
    Just to add. The bit of your post I highlighted, as I said in my post you quoted, good idea to have 2/3 local plumbers in your diary where you have already done your research.

    Up until about 2 years ago, we did  have an 'emergency cover for plumbing."  We only had to use them once years ago but it took the owrry out of being cheated by a cowboy outfit on top of the plight we were in. So, shop around for this type of cover is you have busy lives etc and able to afford it for a piece of mind.

    So, try to have a few plumbers in your diary - ask around neighbours etc, anyone they trust etc or go for emergency breakdown cover for plumbing/boiler etc.




  • WIAWSNB
    WIAWSNB Posts: 787 Forumite
    500 Posts Name Dropper
    In the OP's case, tho', it wasn't an emergency, and the OP had isolated the supply and was catching the drips.
    Which is a shame, 'cos the OP does have 'emergency cover' included in her policy :smile:
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