OVERPRICED ELECTRICIAN

[Everyflippingusernameistaken]

OPINIONS PLEASE! SORRY IT'S LONG-WINDED!

I had an electrician round this morning (won't mention his name).
Was supposed to be here at 9 and at 9.30 I texted to see if he was still coming, and he replied that he'd be here about an hour later.
Nice of him to let me know.
Not a good start.
I've have had him to do work before and he was good.

I needed a fluorescent tube replacing under a wall unit in the kitchen. As the other two fluorescent tubes have been in situ for a few years, I said I would have them all replaced so they all lasted a long time. For some reason he brought another guy with him, which was unnecessary, and he always did the work alone before. They went to get the required items. Didn't take long for the work to be done. I also had an oven light replaced and a screw put into the bathroom light fitting, which had come loose. So nothing major. The tube that wasn't working flickered if it was turned on, which apparently means the control gear inside the fitting was faulty.

Anyway I should have asked how much beforehand, but as nothing major, just replacement of oven light and 3 fluorescent tubes, and fitting a screw in the bathroom light fixture, I didn't really think of it. Anyway, I nearly passed out when he said I had to pay £170!

I had some money kept for any work I needed doing, but it wasn't enough and I had to raid my purse to make up the amount.I said it was much more than I expected. He said everything has gone up. (That old chestnut! Blame inflation, Covid, whatever) But I do realise things have got more expensive.

After he had gone I was stressing about it and I texted him and said I’ve just had a look at the lights. I only wanted new fluorescent tubes, not a whole new system! I didn’t need this extra expense, especially on top of Christmas.
You should have asked me. I was shocked at the cost.

HIM :
I’m sorry, you did say to change them all, it’s hard to get hold of them tubes now days and they will prob cost around the same about the same

ME:
I don’t know why you didn’t ask me. you could have rung me from the shop and explained how much they would have cost and I would have said just replace the tube that’s blown. (There seem to be loads of fluorescent tubes £5-£10! from what I saw on the internet.)

HIM:
Ok, it’s was just the tube as it was flickering, it would have been the control gear inside the fitting, that’s why we ask if you want to change them all so they match. (I said I wanted to change all 3 TUBES so they all lasted a long time).

No mention was made about replacing the entire fitting for THREE lights.

HIM:
Ok, well between us we have miss communicated, what you like to do about this?

HIM:
I’ll come back and give you £70 back. So you are just paying for the materials.

He came back a couple of hours later and gave me the money back, but I've still paid £100 for what I considered a small job. I wish I had just left things as they are.

He said after this don't contact me about any more electrical work. I said well I wouldn't would I? I'm still fuming.

Don't know how you do a poll of am I being unreasonable!

OP, you fool. That was very short sighted of you.

If he’d just replaced the tubes, the flickering one would have kept on flickering. Flickering isn’t caused by a bad tube, it’s caused by a bad ballast in the fitting. You made the mistake, not him.

And as others have said, you’re paying him for his time and expertise. It’s not his fault you’re giving him jobs like screw a loose screw in. You’re being a CF to impose stupid stuff on him and then act like he should have done it for free.

Oh, and depending on the fluorescent light fitting you can’t always get just a ballast, you have to get a new fitting to get a new ballast.

You are massively unreasonable. Tradesmen are self employed, taxes and national insurance contributions have to be considered, as well as all his costs - public liability insurance, transport etc.
it's obviously a miscommunication that he changed the three units but equally I can imagine the post from you further down the line when the old units failed and you had to call someone out again to replace the other two units if he'd only done the one.
He didn't act with malice, gave you a big refund and you're still bitching about him on next door App and mumsnet... time to admit you haven't covered yourself in glory op and apologise to the electrician

Why didn't you ask how much it would cost after you told him what you wanted doing? I just don't get that

This is so true, someone on ours “warned” people the Lib Dems were distributing leaflets and in all seriousness said he would set his dogs on them if they came near his property. A woman was told to pipe down after a local hunt got out of control and destroyed her garden, she was told to go back to the city. I only use it to find out why X or Y road is shut etc. It’s the Wild West on there!

As an aside please could I ask everyone to not fiddle with electrics? My elderly neighbour has had a fire because he thought that he knew what to do, result extensive damage to property and very nearly loss of life too. It's why trades take time to be properly trained and why we employ them, it's the knowledge and experience.

Would be suprised if the electrician thought replace meant the whole unit as it's hard to believe that someone needed an electrician to charge bulbs.

You're ridiculous and unreasonable.

Price wise though it seems fine as you got the lights replaced (just like you requested).

*wouldn't be suprised thar should be.

Unfortunately women on their own get unfairly treated, and taken advantage of.(

Oh have a day off. This has nothing to do with you being a woman. It has everything to do with
A. You not communicating what you actually wanted
B. You not asking for a price.
C. You asking a qualified tradesman to do an incredibly small job that a child could do.

Absolutely, but changing a few light bulbs (which is what the OP wanted) isn't fiddling with the electrics.

Take the bulb out. Look at the model number on the side. Do a little bit of internet research, or pop into your local Screwfix or lighting store and ask for help. Or ask randomers on Nextdoor, or a DIY forum. Buy bulb. Slot/screw back in. Job done.

I am rendered speechless and dumbfounded by your entitlement stupidity and audacity - to treat a professional in such a manner is unacceptable- people who behave in this way will render any notion of having trained professionals as being worthless and this poor country will soon be even more like those unregulated countries migrants are fleeing from

I wasn't suggesting that changing light bulbs was difficult BTW, more a plea to understand that no one should try to do electrical work if they are not confident /competent.

I think you posted twice. But that might be my mind playing tricks.

Well that escalated.
Batshit.

@Everyflippingusernameistaken

How fucking dare you use mental health issues as a stick to beat people with just because YOU are being an unreasonable twat. YOU are the 'nasty vicious troll' here. I've reported you and your post.

JobSeekingMissile. Fuck you! I am moving so whatever needs doing in the future won’t matter to me. however, I did not want to leave the kitchen with one a light not working and with the oven light not working which is why I had them done. I don’t care what anyone says, it was bloody expensive and not my fucking fault.

You’re all a load of nasty vicious trolls on here. You must get your kicks writing loads of nasty responses on mumsnet. I suppose it adds to your boring lives. You obviously have mental health issues.

I knew this thread would be one to watch and I have been rewarded for my efforts.

@Everyflippingusernameistaken what a nutter!

You were in the wrong, we are not nasty trolls for pointing that out.

Mistake 1. You could have easily done the job yourself with a 5 minute look on YouTube, but chose to have the equivalent of a surgeon doing a hospital porters job.

Mistake 2. You didn’t ask for a full breakdown quote

Mistake 3. You don’t understand the hourly rate and costs of hiring an electrician. Whether it’s a silly job or a complex one the same hourly rates apply, as they have to make a certain income to pay for insurance, can, tools, tax etc….

Mistake 4. Instead of owning your mistake, you asked the poor sod for his wage back, which he gave (I wouldn’t have) and then proceeded to complain about him on Mumsnet and Nextdoor.

Conclusion, you are an entitled idiot. Do a bit of research before you want a job done and see if you can do it yourself, if you can’t, ensure you hire the right person, don’t hire a skilled electrician for a job a general handyman (or any idiot with YouTube) could have done. Get a break down quote, and get a couple of quotes, so that you understand the price you are paying is the market rate and that you are not in fact being ripped off.

Before you waste another self employed persons time, check yourself. Feel sorry for anyone that comes into contact with you tbh. Zero self awareness at all.

Charming!

I can't believe anyone would be so useless as to contract someone to replace some bulbs and a screw. The oven, yes, maybe, if it's an integral fitting and needs some sort of disassembly. But honestly - just bloody google it next time, changing a flouro tube takes less than a minute. And then to carp about the cost. Sheesh.

So if you don't get your way, either with the spark or with us, you turn nasty and spew vitriol.

I'd hazard a guess you are single, since you are never wrong and must be a nightmare to live with.

You are sometimes wrong and you will keep facing these situations until you learn that.

OP, if you employ a professional you pay professional rates. It's really that simple.If you don't want to pay those rates , don't employ a professional. And ask first how much it would cost.

I really do take issue re your reference to posters’ ‘mental health issues’ - because they chose to post to point out how unreasonable you have been ( which I have - mild anxiety depression) - I do hope you’re not moving to my neck of the woods ☘️👍🏿