Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Opinions please, AIBU?

31 replies

falalalatte · 04/01/2024 21:49

Looking for opinions please.

A new customer called around 6 months ago to ask for help with a piece of equipment, I explained yes I can help the price for me to come out look at it is X amount, explained this is just to establish the fault and includes no remedial work and that if any parts are required or that's it's not repairable I would go away and provide a quote if they wanted one.

The initial fee is a one off fee and further works are chargeable, this is made clear on the phone and in writing via email.

I go, find the fault and its not repairable, I tell the customer this and advise that they would require a new item, they pay their call out bill, all fine so far.

I ask whether they would like a quote and they say yes, I send a quote and don't hear back, again perfectly fine.

6 months later they contact to say they have purchased replacement item themselves and want me to come back and install it within the original call out fee.

I explain that the initial fee was for the call out only and no further works were included, remind them that this was in writing via email and explained during the initial phone call.

They come back and tell me they've spoken to a few people and believe they were over charged and that they would like 65% of the call out charge back.

AIBU for not giving the requested sum of money back?

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Thementalloadisreal · 05/01/2024 18:08

falalalatte · 05/01/2024 17:14

@RiaLia they have spoken to a few people who have advised that they would have done it for less apparently and believe I overcharged for my services.

So? Small claims doesn’t care that Dave down the road can do something cheaper than you. You were upfront about your cost and he agreed to it. It’s far too late to try to negotiate that. What a CF!

emmetgirl · 05/01/2024 17:51

CF. No chance. The brass neck of them!

Coconutter24 · 05/01/2024 17:49

falalalatte · 05/01/2024 17:14

@RiaLia they have spoken to a few people who have advised that they would have done it for less apparently and believe I overcharged for my services.

That’s irrelevant he has in writing what your fee was and he agreed to it, he has no claim.

WiddlinDiddlin · 05/01/2024 17:48

Yeah, I had someone do similar - used my services, the costs of which were all set out and she had choices - then decided she didn't like my advice, didn't want to put it into practice and on that basis, I owed her a refund (this is after she tried to cancel the cheque)...

I declined to refund, she'd had the work out of me and it was up to her to do her part.

She then threatened me with a/small claims court and b/reporting me to HMRC for non declaration of earnings, and c/bad mouthing me to everyone she knew...

I told her it was entirely up to her what she did with her time and reminded her about defamation laws.... and she went away. She did attempt the badmouthing but as it turned out I know more people than she does (which is how i found out she was outraged I'd banked the cheque too quickly for her to cancel it, she'd paid by cheque precisely so she could do that!), she was told to pipe down very quickly!

Stand your ground!

Comefromaway · 05/01/2024 17:35

That really is not relevant at all!

Sometimes we quote a higher call out fee to someone if we don’t want the work for some reason. Sometimes we quote a low charge if we want the work. As long as you did what you said you’d do (go out to diagnose the fault) then there is no comeback.

Original poster
falalalatte · 05/01/2024 17:32

@Atethehalloweenchocs
Haha that's insane, some people are on a different planet!

OP posts:
Atethehalloweenchocs · 05/01/2024 17:24

Reminds me of the person who wanted a refund on her wedding pictures because she was now divorced. Absolutely no way would I give a refund, just refer to original email and stop communicating.

Original poster
falalalatte · 05/01/2024 17:21

@Comefromaway

This is good advice, thank you.

I've spoken to one of the governing bodies that I am part of who've said that there's no complaint to be had, that they knew what your charges were at the time of booking and was up to them to do due diligence and get other prices if they thought yours were high.

OP posts:
Original poster
falalalatte · 05/01/2024 17:14

@RiaLia they have spoken to a few people who have advised that they would have done it for less apparently and believe I overcharged for my services.

OP posts:
Comefromaway · 05/01/2024 17:13

What you need to also do is to de-personalise things. It’s hard when you are self employed/sole trader. When my dad was a sole trader he paid a friend who was a part time bookkeeper to deal with such matters.

NotObligedToArgueWithStrangers · 05/01/2024 17:09

I'd tell them that if they think they have a case for small claims, by all means go ahead. You'll never hear from them again.

Comefromaway · 05/01/2024 17:09

Please don’t give this headspace. Small claims don’t deal with people who think your prices are high. She won’t get anywhere.

NewYear24 · 05/01/2024 17:03

Ignore them.

OnTheRoll · 05/01/2024 16:55

falalalatte · 05/01/2024 16:49

The saga continues...they are now threatening to go to small claims and to the industry ombudsman

Customers are advised to deal with 'difficult' tradespeople by threatening small claims court. That's what he is attempting to do here.

RiaLia · 05/01/2024 16:51

For what? For paying for what they agreed to pay for? Do you think your charges are really high?

Original poster
falalalatte · 05/01/2024 16:49

The saga continues...they are now threatening to go to small claims and to the industry ombudsman

OP posts:
Haydenn · 05/01/2024 11:51

Yes they are chancers. But I also wouldn’t do any work for them going forwards because I would suspect they’d start to dick around on future bills.

Comefromaway · 05/01/2024 11:47

I work for a plumbing firm. We get this all the time. Give it no further thought.

Hatty65 · 05/01/2024 11:45

I would send a one off message saying, 'The price of a call out fee and what it covers is very clear. This was explained to you, provided in writing, and you agreed the terms. I'm afraid it is irrelevant if you now believe this was too much and there will be no refund. Neither will I be undertaking extra work for free. Good day'.

Sauvblanctime · 05/01/2024 11:41

6m later??? Absolute cf regardless

ManateeFair · 05/01/2024 11:33

I think my response would be: "😂😂😂😂😂No."

CharmedCult · 05/01/2024 11:18

Haha what a CF.

Block them.

RiaLia · 05/01/2024 11:16

Well if they've been overcharged then that's their own fault for agreeing to it.

Nagado · 04/01/2024 23:30

Send them the link to this thread, with a message saying that you’ve also spoken to a few people, who think he’s being a cheeky fucker, so on that basis you decline to return any of your original fee.

Tittiesthattouchmytors · 04/01/2024 22:23

Funny!