re. plumbing job?

[Mintyy]

Just trying to gauge general opinion on this one.

We recently had some works done in our bathroom. One of the jobs involved replacing our old heated towel rail with a new one. The old towel rail worked fine, we just wanted a bigger one that could also be heated independent of the gas ch system.

The plumber, who was recommended to me by someone I really trust, took the old towel rail away at the end of the job, without asking me if that was ok. I would have sold it for scrap (we have scrap metal merchants very nearby) or left it on my front path for someone local to take.

Aibu to think that the heated towel rail had a value and he should not have taken it without checking with me? I am sure he could re-use it or scrap it for some monetary value.

YANBU. You old towel rail is undoubtedly now fitted in someone else's bathroom.

Dh is a plumber, he'd not take old stuff from the property without checking what the customer wanted to do with it

How recently was the work done? If you've missed your chance but are otherwise pleased with the work, I'd just let it go. In truth, I don't think the old towel rail would've been worth much. Still, he was cheeky not to have asked you.

It could have been worth £5.00? If so, he should not have taken it without asking, imo.

Yabu. In 95% of jobs customers expect us to take all of the 'rubbish' - if we don't we are criticised. I always make the presumption that we leave everything tidy, remove all rubbish, etc.

A towel tail would have brought max £3 where im from and that's a standard not a small.

I can almost guarantee that they haven't acted selfishly or greedily by taking your radiator. They've just done what most customer expect. We sell our services based on leaving no dirt or debris, leaving each bathroom cleaner than you arrived with nothing left behind. Any customer who asks for the rads/ pls boiler etcetera to be left are accommodated. No plumber is counting scrap in with profits- espevially rads etc- pure copper is worth it. Rads- not so much.

Wicked- I can only speak for myself and my company but I would never- ever- re fit an old rad. Not worth the potential repercussions for any company for the sake of £100- max- surely?!?

When I started I always asked and it led to ' will it cost more if you take it?!' ( me- no of course not!) ' then why ask me?!? ( me- in case you wanted to scrap it) ' if I let you take it how much off the quote can I get?!? ( me- nothing, I quoted without any scrap and prices change regularly so can't be relied upon) ' so you get extra from my stuff?!? ( me- no, of course it's yours you can keep/ scrap it) ' I haven't the time for that! You have me over a barrel here!' the whole conversation has once resulted in a customer bad mouthing me for "stealing" when they wanted me to take it away ( see conversation) but wanted 10% discount for the pleasure- which I can't give.

Clearly I am biased and jaded from this experience though

Seriously?! If you knew you wanted to keep it and get money for it you should have said something at the beginning. I would always assume that a tradesman would take away the old as part of the job (unless specified)

YABU most people would expect the old stuff to be taken away by the tradesman. I certainly wouldn't be happy to be left with an old radiator for me to dispose of. If you had wanted otherwise, you should have said. I doubt very much it's been refitted somewhere else. It's more fiddly to fit crappy old stuff than new, so why would they? My understanding is that scrap metal isn't going for much at the moment.