Outrageous Over Charging by Plumbing company

AnyJustice

My ex-wife recently engaged a plumber to install a washing machine in her flat and agreed to their terms without paying much attention.  It was a pre-booked appointment so no hint of an emergency.  The work was carried out and took 3hrs.  When she received the invoice from the company it was for £1117.80 which included hourly rates of £235/hr for work done and £810/hr for administration (15mins = £121.50).  She was then expected to pay this before the plumber left.

I have checked average rates for plumbers in London and it says £70- £80.  

I consider this to be exploitation of a 73 yr old vulnerable woman living alone and totally disgraceful.

Incidentally they are called WE FIX 24 LTD not to be confused with We Fix London LTD which have good reviews on Trust Pilot.

Cheslea2010

It's absolutely extortionate but if they presented it to you in black and white before starting the work then you don't have a leg to stand on. It would be a different story if it was charged after the event with no prior knowledge.

Undervalued

Cheslea2010 said:

It's absolutely extortionate but if they presented it to you in black and white before starting the work then you don't have a leg to stand on. It would be a different story if it was charged after the event with no prior knowledge.

^^^^^^^ Sadly I have to agree. 

eskbanker

AnyJustice said:

My ex-wife recently engaged a plumber to install a washing machine in her flat and agreed to their terms without paying much attention.  It was a pre-booked appointment so no hint of an emergency.  The work was carried out and took 3hrs.  When she received the invoice from the company it was for £1117.80 which included hourly rates of £235/hr for work done and £810/hr for administration (15mins = £121.50).

Did the terms include the hourly rates, or was a quote sought, and provided, for a non-emergency job?

user1977

What did the job entail? Did it actually require 3 hours?

Aylesbury_Duck

I know London is pretty much its own economy, but that's an outrageous amount if all that was involved was attaching a cold feed and a waste pipe and plugging it in.

Was any other work needed, e.g. to create new cold feed pipework, dismantle the whole kitchen to create a space for the machine, etc.?  I'm clutching at straws, because the admin fee tells you all you need to know about the company...

Assuming she understood and agreed to the rates beforehand, and that she's now paid, it's going to be a challenge to do anything about it.

Another angle:  Why is she vulnerable?

AnyJustice

user1977 said:

What did the job entail? Did it actually require 3 hours?

Yes it is quite possible that it took that long.  The guy who did the work seems to have done a competent job and may not be in on the extortion.

AnyJustice

Aylesbury_Duck said:

I know London is pretty much its own economy, but that's an outrageous amount if all that was involved was attaching a cold feed and a waste pipe and plugging it in.

Was any other work needed, e.g. to create new cold feed pipework, dismantle the whole kitchen to create a space for the machine, etc.?  I'm clutching at straws, because the admin fee tells you all you need to know about the company...

Assuming she understood and agreed to the rates beforehand, and that she's now paid, it's going to be a challenge to do anything about it.

Another angle:  Why is she vulnerable?

She is a recluse and painfully shy.  She finds any interaction painful and tends to want to get it over with as soon as possible.  However afterwards she can reflect with self-criticism.

Aylesbury_Duck

Understood.  I was "hoping" (not a good word, but you get the drift) that there might have been a more tricky vulnerability involved, one that may have had a bearing on the ability to understand what was being committed to.

sheramber

and agreed to their terms without paying much attention

What were the terms?

Was the cost mentioned or did she agree to the work without a quote?