Why so big a difference in price?

[robd]

People might put a higher price in if they think someone is likely to be a pain in the backside.

 

[Octopus]

People do put a higher price in if they think someone is likely to be a pain in the backside.

Edited that for you ..............

 

[sparksburnout]

It's up to you. Why do you think there was such a difference in price? why do you think that you can go to a nice, "ethical" restaurant for a meal, where they might be paying for well trained, professional staff, for a reasonable amount of money, or trot off down the £4.99 for two crap house? People in this country seem to be wanting everything for nothing these days, it is all going to end in tears.

 

[robd]

Edited that for you ..............

Was trying to be tactful

 

[steve_jones]

It's up to you. Why do you think there was such a difference in price? why do you think that you can go to a nice, "ethical" restaurant for a meal, where they might be paying for well trained, professional staff, for a reasonable amount of money, or trot off down the £4.99 for two crap house? People in this country seem to be wanting everything for nothing these days, it is all going to end in tears.

Just because someone is cheaper doesn’t mean they’ll do a bad job, same as someone expensive doing a good job. Yes in general you do get what you pay for but that price seemed reasonable to me. Don’t you think it says something about the other electrician who dropped £100 once I questioned his pricing? To me that shows a chancer. I bet he pulled up, saw my house on a private estate and put on £200.

 

[robd]

Just because someone is cheaper doesn’t mean they’ll do a bad job, same as someone expensive doing a good job. Yes in general you do get what you pay for but that price seemed reasonable to me. Don’t you think it says something about the other electrician who dropped £100 once I questioned his pricing? To me that shows a chancer. I bet he pulled up, saw my house on a private estate and put on £200.

I had somebody knock me down in my early days, would never do it again. Put it down to experience and him being a bit over bearing and pushy. Well done for having your house on a private estate by the way.

 

[steve_jones]

I had somebody knock me down in my early days, would never do it again. Put it down to experience and him being a bit over bearing and pushy. Well done for having your house on a private estate by the way.

I didn’t try and knock him down, after not replying to his quote for a few days he asked if it was too expensive and I said yes then we took £100 off.

 

[PEG]

I had somebody knock me down in my early days, would never do it again. Put it down to experience and him being a bit over bearing and pushy. Well done for having your house on a private estate by the way.

That made me laugh...the thread was going all Joe Pesci versus Spider,in Goodfellas...but you cured it

 

[sparksburnout]

Just because someone is cheaper doesn’t mean they’ll do a bad job, same as someone expensive doing a good job. Yes in general you do get what you pay for but that price seemed reasonable to me. Don’t you think it says something about the other electrician who dropped £100 once I questioned his pricing? To me that shows a chancer. I bet he pulled up, saw my house on a private estate and put on £200.

Oh, well, if it's on a private estate that's another thing entirely. You didn't say you were the Duke of Devonshire did you??

 

[pirate]

You get what you pay for...yes...but sometimes you get good value too, even at the mid-range of the market. I can't afford to have my car serviced by the main dealer, it is too old to warrant that "premium service". My mechanic comes to the house (20 miles), drops off his courtesy car and takes mine away, and brings it back when he is satisfied that all is good...and he charges £60/hour labour. I'm happy with that, it suits me, and he is a good mechanic.
Paying cash is always a game, and too few people see the catch...
I had a plumber fit a shower pump for me...not a difficult job, but a time-consuming one and it was needed in a hurry and I simply hadn't the time to do it myself. He charged me the shop price for the pump, and again £60/hour. He asked if I wanted VAT invoice etc and I said yes, because with an invoice I could set it against the rental income, and I had a comeback if it failed.
Maths: Price for the labour was £300 +VAT of £60 =£360. He said he could "lose" the VAT for cash. Thus, I save £60. He however makes £300 either way. £360 and he pays the vatman £60, so pockets £300, but minus income tax at 40%, so he nets £180. £300 cash and he makes, well...£300! No tax, no comeback. So, I save £60, he saves 3x that, I have no invoice and he has no liability. Therefore, offering to "lose the VAT" is a very poor offer for me...if he wanted cash, he would have to come down to £200...he gets £200 and I save £160...or somewhere in between.
And that is just one of many reasons why prices vary so much.
As an aside, I put in the power supply for the pump and as it's Scotland I didn't part P anyone. However, I did get a proper electrician to do my testing afterwards of that new circuit and the new supply to the smokes...and I was happy to pay him his charge for that.