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DONJAY

Hi guys, as above retired now, But having problems with the customer trying to baffle me with science! witholding money on the pretext of what her DIY enthusiast boyfriend says, The installation is 16th Edition, He is quoting 17th Ed. and Bonding, etc, This is not about a lot of money,it is about poor health now, ungratefull people upset me, i was a sparks for many years when core colours were Red Black. Worked for MOD, oil refineries Kilns in schools etc. but i fitted a new light in Kitchen and changed a single socket for a double! sins i know! i have wired thousands of domestic properties, but just trying to help, I have written a letter now 18 pages long, and this dispute has gone on for a long time! Basically what i would be gratefull for is someone to read what i would like to send! i would be gratefull, i think i have got all the regs that apply, i need a second view of my long letter! but it would have to be private if poss, if any one has some spare time, Please email [email protected] if this is allowed?
Regards, absolutely peed off, DONJAY
 
can you not post a precis, condensed to 1 page, so we have some idea?
 
Hi mate, as said just put a brief outline, I tried to email you as i have a spare 15 mins before I leave for the day however the email bounced back
 
Thanks for replies guys, i don't mean to be obstructive, the problem is that this has made me ill and lost all confidence, all because of a spitefull customer, and this has gone on for a very long time! i wake up with my head spinning and it's the last thing i think about before my drug induced sleep, iv,e even had counselling! crazy or what, this is from trying to help a customer,most of which was decorating! i have sat on it for far too long, which is not a good thing to do, i have mentioned it before, i write and re/write letters which i feel i must do to try and move on from all this crap! but i have done this so many times i think i have lost the plot, My very long letter to this customer, is how i believe things to be regarding regs, i was a sparks many years ago, but switched to Domestic repairs, after losing my head for heights after installing Lightening conductors down oil refinery chimneys, I would add that i have fitted a light in the kitchen, and replaced a double with a single 13a Socket, drilling out the tiles to do so, My mistake out of habit was to mention the bonding! this i did just out of habit! What i need is someone i can trust to read my long letter, and tell me where i have gone wrong, but i do appreciate this is not fair to this forum, its members or it's regulations. So the first thing i would like permission to ask, is this ok? My email is now working again, i will understand if this breeches rules of the forum, but add it has taken a long time to be able to try and resolve, Regards donjay
 
Your health is the most important thing and not worth the aggro, if I was you and able to write off the amount I would consider it, it is not worth being put into hospital because of it.

I would read your letter but I am not knowlegable enough to give an opinion that others may easily contradict. There are some unbelievable knowledgable electrical engineers on here, if you gave an outline of the dispute. e.g. I changed a single socket to a double and the bonding was not touched, and was 4mm on a TNCS was this acceptable.....you would very quickly get replies that would support (or not) your argument.

I am assuming that you are not a member of a part p scheme provider - if you are, get them involved and have it independantly checked by them. If your not and you are happy you have worked within all the current guidelines and regulations, I would consider having a third party check the work, maybe something like the local authority building control. If they are happy with the install, then it will be very hard for the clients to argue against that.

If you are owed a lot of money, I would consider talking to a solicitor. I know a friend who told the customer that if no payment was recieved in 7 days he would be taking him to the small claims court to recover his money, it was amazing he was paid the next day! The bonus to using a solicitor except the amount your paying them is that they take all the aggro and nastiness of dealing with the client.

I hope you get it sorted quickly. Good luck. David
 
Thanks for replies guys, i don't mean to be obstructive, the problem is that this has made me ill and lost all confidence, all because of a spitefull customer, and this has gone on for a very long time! i wake up with my head spinning and it's the last thing i think about before my drug induced sleep, iv,e even had counselling! crazy or what, this is from trying to help a customer,most of which was decorating! i have sat on it for far too long, which is not a good thing to do, i have mentioned it before, i write and re/write letters which i feel i must do to try and move on from all this crap! but i have done this so many times i think i have lost the plot, My very long letter to this customer, is how i believe things to be regarding regs, i was a sparks many years ago, but switched to Domestic repairs, after losing my head for heights after installing Lightening conductors down oil refinery chimneys, I would add that i have fitted a light in the kitchen, and replaced a double with a single 13a Socket, drilling out the tiles to do so, My mistake out of habit was to mention the bonding! this i did just out of habit! What i need is someone i can trust to read my long letter, and tell me where i have gone wrong, but i do appreciate this is not fair to this forum, its members or it's regulations. So the first thing i would like permission to ask, is this ok? My email is now working again, i will understand if this breeches rules of the forum, but add it has taken a long time to be able to try and resolve, Regards donjay

Please don't take this the wrong way, but if your letter to your client is laid out like your post, it will be difficult to read and understand. You can edit your posts here by hitting the "edit" button. Using shorter paragraphs would help.
 
What is needed here is someone close to the OP geographically who is registered and a Royal Marine or Para reservist to nipalong inspect , test, and sign this off with a MWC, then shove it up this customers arse and light it
PIct
 
Email is still bouncing back.

However reading what you have put this is a case of a socket change and a few minor jobs, of which the value of the works I am guessing is sub £500?! Correct me if I am wrong.

Now in all honesty unless what you have done is a danger to the customer and needs to be rectified then I would just let it go. For the value of the payment your chasing does it really justify causing health problems? I am also assuming that now you are in retirement then you a. Don't need this money although it may be nice and b. don't really need to hassle. It comes across to me that this is more a matter of principal which in all honesty doesn't seem worth it for the distress it's causing you.

Like I said I am more than willing to read your letter but I think my advise would be the same as above.

Good luck and stop losing sleep over it. I would value your Heath more than any value of dispute
 
Sorry to hear that I was in building maintenance for 25 years but it got to much and I said one day well there is no use in moaning about it and making you ill so I chucked it and set up a small electrical repair business and I have no regrets . Although with regards to your situation I had a problem when a woman called me out for her shower switch I gave her a fixed price quote over the phone she said that great so when I turned up at time that suited her ie Friday 6pm there was the boyfriend standing looking macho and giving her the nod as if to say watch this.

So he said sorry you are too expensive I think you can reduce your cost because we aint paying you that I said well I did declare the cost before I came down plus I am not VAT registered well you will have to reduce your cost big time the cost was £75 to replace the pullcord so I said well thanks anyway and when I was getting my gear together he was still giving her the I have got him look when he said well your here now so we can agree on a cost I said thanks but no thanks and when the door closed behind me I heard well clever cloggs how am i going to get a shower now then it will b next week before...............................well you know the rest anyway enjoy your retirement.
 
Sorry to hear that I was in building maintenance for 25 years but it got to much and I said one day well there is no use in moaning about it and making you ill so I chucked it and set up a small electrical repair business and I have no regrets . Although with regards to your situation I had a problem when a woman called me out for her shower switch I gave her a fixed price quote over the phone she said that great so when I turned up at time that suited her ie Friday 6pm there was the boyfriend standing looking macho and giving her the nod as if to say watch this.

So he said sorry you are too expensive I think you can reduce your cost because we aint paying you that I said well I did declare the cost before I came down plus I am not VAT registered well you will have to reduce your cost big time the cost was £75 to replace the pullcord so I said well thanks anyway and when I was getting my gear together he was still giving her the I have got him look when he said well your here now so we can agree on a cost I said thanks but no thanks and when the door closed behind me I heard well clever cloggs how am i going to get a shower now then it will b next week before...............................well you know the rest anyway enjoy your retirement.
and i hope you sent an invoice for £40 ish for the call out.
 
and i hope you sent an invoice for £40 ish for the call out.

No but it was worth the look on her face and to see his macho ego being pricked for being a ----- mind I am alway amazed as I can spot these clowns a mile away I can even suss them out on the phone when they say how much is it and well we will discuss that when you arrive and I say well no actaully this is my business model and I get well hold on then I will phone you back but I guess even if they cannot get anyone cheaper the macho pride kicks in and they will be damned to phone me back and this suits me
 
Reminds me of the "I will pencil you in for the job but ring you back to confirm". I don't even add these to the appointment book as it basically translates to "I can't afford it and will get someone cheaper in"
 
a lot of filling stations are now demanding payment before fuel after a certain time. might be a plan for out-of-hours call-outs.
 
Yep they do this in the USA so if you say to the attendant over the intercom $40 please they set the pump for that ammount but to be honest I over the past 2 years I have had not a lot of bother with payments
 
Donjay,sorry to hear that this issue has impacted on your personal circumstances and is causing you great anxiety ,I would be pleased to offer assistance to you if I am able

Other than through private e-mails,perhaps a question and answer resolution for you on the open forum may be more suitable,it would more likely conclude with the correct information which would enable you to either resolve, or come to terms with the problem
 
Yep they do this in the USA so if you say to the attendant over the intercom $40 please they set the pump for that ammount but to be honest I over the past 2 years I have had not a lot of bother with payments
i've only had 1 awkward sod recently. most of my customers pay on the nail.
 
Thanks for replies guys, That in itself helps enormously, i will try and break up the problem into parts, if i can make sense of it! I realise i may be over reacting, and getting too upset, and depressed, but this comes on top of Attacking many banks who have stolen my money, by mis selling PPI for many years, now i know where all my profits went! In case you are not aware of this, what it was, is that you go to a bank for a means tested loan to pay the Tax man! The bank then tell you you can't have it, unless you take out a Non means tested Loan in the guise of Payment Protection Insurance, Which they won't pay out on because you are self employed, but you already had your own insurance because you were Self Employed! I will start writing some notes which may help explain but i am having problems with PC now!Thanks for checking Tony.So i will try and sort that out first,
One to start with,
Out of habit over the years as an electrician, after a 7 year apprenticeship, i always checked that the bonding was in place, Mains and Supplementary. This seemed to really irritate the customer! However The husband under the guise of being a visiting certified guy, suggested that i read 17 edition regs! quoting the following-in terms of earth bonding in bathrooms, no longer is supplementary equipotential bonding - between metallic service and waste pipes and the earth connections of equipment required. However, this is only so if the main bonding of services within the property is in place and the metallic pipe work can be proved by testing to be continuous. This means that the need for green and yellow cables in bathrooms, and shower rooms, is unlikely to be necessary. (unquote)
The customer (his wife) bounced the cheque!
Cheers DONJAY
 
Has he given this information to the woman,then she has bounced the cheque, because he says the information you supplied was incorrect and you generated unnecessary works ?

An opinion of his own misconceptions may be given after the reply
 

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