New here, looking for advice on an invoice, am I being ripped off??

[choccywoccy]

I apologise if this is posted in the wrong place, I hope someone can help me please to decide whats fair..

I asked for a quote from a local electrician on a rental property I have. He gave my husband a verbal quote "off the top of his head" but did not give a written quote. He was looking at an electrical safety certificate which we paid £85 for plus 20% VAT and he disconnected a dangerous wire the previous tenant had put in (outside lights wired to the mains) it took seconds to do and he said at the time it was no charge as it was lethal it couldn't wait. I paid his invoice totalling £102.01 which detailed the disconnected wiring as £0.01cost and the certificate. He then arranged to come back to do a few other "bits" as I shall explain - but I am being charged a further £510.00! I have asked for it to be itemised and the following is what I was charged for. Is this fair?
1. £25 broken socket on landing
2.£35 cables installed in garden I have disconnected today for safety (surely I paid £0.01 for this already??!!)
3. £20 some (3) light fittings missing shields
4. £30 Its a TT Installation and the electrode needs replacing ?
5. £25 Earth to the water not connected
6. £35 earthing to gas not within 600mm
7 £20 2 gang switch in bedroom only needs to be 1 gang (this was NOT DONE!)
8 - blank
9. £135 mains smoke detection (THIS WAS NOT DONE!)
10.£65 bathroom light not IP rated - (new one was fitted)
11.£30 Pale (??) Available (cannot read writing well here)
12.£45 No supplementary earth bonding
13. £25 TV socket in lounge broken
14.£20 socket plug top missing for gas ignition

Now I have disputed the two things not done, he has admitted that he was wrong to include the smoke detectors so agreed to deduct the £135 - although I have a backdated text message from him that actually quoted £125!!) however disputes the rest and says that that the two gang light switch was replaced - said he did it himself! But it remains a two gang flipin socket to this day!

He says he was there on site on 26th july and it was himself with two workmen..says my husband let them in and they were there 4 hours! well I know I was there myself I have a text message from him the day before arranging to meet me at 8.30am the next day, (my husband was in N Yorks that day) and I asked the two lads to drop keys off with my neighbour which they did 2 hrs later! so as he is clearly lying about things I want to know what else he is trying to rip me off for here.. but as I don't understand my quote..I don't know what some of the things on it mean as he didn't explain them and need advice. is what he is asking for the rest a fair price? any one can help me decide a fair payment for this work???? I have no objection to paying a fair price, I simply don't trust this guy now.. anyone Please?

 

[VoltzElectrical]

OT, thanks for your input. I'm interested as to why you felt obligated to honour your quote for the discounted fan installation when you had already stipulated that your discounted price was dependent on your getting the distribution board change as part of the package, especially as there was nothing holding you to this as you have already stated you did not supply a written quotation?

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As the second paragraph says both parties should do it right and put it in writing

The comment "he verbally" does not stand up in court plus I was putting the other side of the coin where as well as bad tradesman there is bad customers as well . yep the business model is questionable but if thats the case it should never have went any further so lesson learned.

Don't get me wrong I was not having a pop at the OP and you can bet your boots the next time they get work they will get it documented and yes I get irritated by the "Well I could have done it cheaper" comments because to me thats a nonsense because if you get 3 quotes and you pick the cheapest there will always be someone who will say they could have done it cheaper

I hope that I haven't irritated you with an "I could have done it cheaper" comment. In this specific case, YES I damn well could have done it cheaper, and rightly so, because the price she has been given for the job is outrageous. I, and others on here would also definitely have done it cheaper, and WITHOUT cutting each others' throats either, or driving down prices.

As I have clearly quoted, 4 hours work @ £30 an hour is a fair and representative rate for a one man band providing all insurance, scheme membership etc.

can anyone really defend £20 to change a plug top for instance?

Thanks for the discussion

regards.

 

[oldtimer]

OT, thanks for your input. I'm interested as to why you felt obligated to honour your quote for the discounted fan installation when you had already stipulated that your discounted price was dependent on your getting the distribution board change as part of the package, especially as there was nothing holding you to this as you have already stated you did not supply a written quotation?

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I hope that I haven't irritated you with an "I could have done it cheaper" comment. In this specific case, YES I damn well could have done it cheaper, and rightly so, because the price she has been given for the job is outrageous. I, and others on here would also definitely have done it cheaper, and WITHOUT cutting each others' throats either, or driving down prices.

As I have clearly quoted, 4 hours work @ £30 an hour is a fair and representative rate for a one man band providing all insurance, scheme membership etc.

can anyone really defend £20 to change a plug top for instance?

Thanks for the discussion

regards.

Yep apologies for that the reason why I honored the quote was I verbally said I would knock something off the fan but omitted to put this on the written quote so 2 months later was I dont want the CU but I accept your quote for the fan So now I give 2 separate quotes with the proviso that if the 2 go ahead then the discount applies if not then the individual costs stands. I do the same with the letting agent I do work for plus if I am called out to say fix a cooker switch and the tenants reports the light switch is broken I call them and they agree the extra nominal cost for the switch as it saves a call out later so just trying to be fair with people but understand that there are a minority who want to try it on or get more than they paid for.

 

[Guitarist]

If the op asked her electrician to "do whatever needs doing, regardless of cost" then she has nothing to complain about. Personally, I talk to my clients before doing anything additional to any work already discussed. It's really hard for us to comment constructively, as we haven't seen what the electrician had to do with respect to each of the jobs, but op, you obviously don't feel that you got value for money.
My advice is to pay for the work carried out, but choose a different electrician next time, and not some firm who "sends his boys round" to do it.

 

[GLENNSPARK]

If the op asked her electrician to "do whatever needs doing, regardless of cost" then she has nothing to complain about. Personally, I talk to my clients before doing anything additional to any work already discussed. It's really hard for us to comment constructively, as we haven't seen what the electrician had to do with respect to each of the jobs, but op, you obviously don't feel that you got value for money.
My advice is to pay for the work carried out, but choose a different electrician next time, and not some firm who "sends his boys round" to do it.

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[Geordie Spark]

C'mon Geordie lad, ye'll need to be quicker than that:tongue3:

I was ........ honestly, I did post first but I got the "OOPS!!"message - again!! - so had to reload & re-post & while all that was going on you got in before me !!

 

[Luke1989]

If in doubt get a 2nd quote, he's a skilled tradesman that is doing a job and is charging accordingly

 

[telectrix]

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what's the relevance of a leeds council meeting got to do with this thread?