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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not let this plumber in?

97 replies

BillyButtfuck · 02/05/2017 11:55

We reported a broken tap to our letting agent over a week ago and they said their plumber, who we have met before, would be in contact.
Have just had a knock on the door and it's the plumber saying he's here to do the tap.
DH is off sick, and has been up all night throwing up in that bathroom and is currently in the bath in there. I was in my pjs and in the middle of making lunch for dtwins who were having a bit of a scream down (13mo).

I said nows really not a good time could he please phone and arrange a time with us and not turn up out of the blue, he said he tried to call me at 8 and I didn't answer, I have no missed call and he got really shirty and said we would be put to the back of the list when he has an opening but could be weeks.

DH just asked who was at the door and when I told him he said 'why didn't you just let him in, I could have got out the bath, he's doing us a favour?' And looked a bit Hmm

At the time I just felt like I was in the middle of chaos and I didn't need another thing going on, but DH has made me feel a bit stupid and I think I over reacted.

I was unreasonable wasn't I Blush

OP posts:
DeadGood · 02/05/2017 15:35

Can't believe the replies you're getting on here OP - I'm not sure why people think it's so difficult for tradespeople to call and arrange a time.

SapphireStrange · 02/05/2017 15:40

Okay at an inconvenient time, But. Neither the Plummer nor your Housing Association knew that.

The plumber would have known what time was convenient if he'd made a proper appointment.

The OP's letting agents now DO know what happened, were apologetic and are presumably either telling this plumber to fucking well phone to make an appointment properly, or looking for a better plumber.

DeadGood · 02/05/2017 15:40

"I would have been grateful he'd come so soon."

Sorry, but what the actual fuck is going on in this country? The above, combined with the OP's "he was doing us a favour" - um, no. The plumber was doing part of his job. And if he likes it or not, another part of the job is calling to arrange suitable timings, because you don't just get to show up at people's residences and expect to be let in with no notice.

MyCalmX · 02/05/2017 15:47

I can't believe the replies either. Sick dh, messing around dts and in her jimmies? Without prior notice I'd turn him away too.

If the dh wasn't sick and I was dressed no problem.

Ihatethedailymail1 · 02/05/2017 17:33

Blimey, if you actually get a plumber to turn up, welcome him in! You don't know how lucky you are, they are like gold dust. He was presumably told you needed one and then turned up. He's probably got a waiting list as long as your arm and you'll now be at the end of it.

HelenaDove · 02/05/2017 17:41

YY DeadGood i agree.

If any favours have been done here its the one the OP did for the plumber.
By not letting him in he wont catch whatever bug it is her DH has.

Original poster
BillyButtfuck · 02/05/2017 19:53

Is it really that hard for some of you to get a plumber out? I don't think you'd have to wait more than a few days here normally.

OP posts:
GnatsChuff · 02/05/2017 19:57

A reliable and trustworthy one, yes. We had one who just made our plumbing problems worse. Now we finally have one we trust, we do wait weeks for them to be able to come out rather than get another shoddy one in.

Staypuff · 02/05/2017 20:09

Actually if your dh has a bug and was throwing up in their all night then you did him a favor not letting him in. My dh picked up a bug like that from a customer.

He should have been honest, you could have been more flexible.

requestingsunshine · 02/05/2017 20:19

He should have made an actual appointment, so YANBU there. Also I'd be asking if he'd have let himself in had you not been there like my LA seem to think is reasonable. It isn't. I bet he had a key to your house.

It wasn't convenient, he should have made an actual appointment with you.

liz70 · 02/05/2017 20:20

You should have said, sorry, my DH is sick with a bug, I wouldn't want you to catch it too, so please leave your number and I'll call to reschedule. That would have been unlikely to annoy him, surely.

loverlybunchofcoconuts · 02/05/2017 20:28

You should have said, sorry, my DH is sick with a bug, I wouldn't want you to catch it too, so please leave your number and I'll call to reschedule

This is exactly right -except its not rescheduling as he didn't 'schedule' in the he first place! But I suspect he would probably not want to spend time where you DH has just thrown up anyway, as he needs to work on to earn money.

Ohyesiam · 02/05/2017 20:41

When there is a lot going on, it's hard to weigh up the pros and cons in the moment. A pre arranged time would have worked better for everyone.

Dragongirl10 · 02/05/2017 20:44

As a LL l despair of tenants who do things like this!

Yes l understand he should have made more effort to contact you first, but in the SE getting a plumber to come out for a small job like a tap, is like climbing a mountain with your feet tied together!

Where l am that would have cost me 50 pounds ...for the call out!

YABU

Garlicansapphire · 02/05/2017 20:45

Yes I do find it difficult to get trades to call at a time that suits me as I work full time and can take leave or work at home but not just like that and I find that recommended people round my way are very busy.

I dont think its right - you'd think people were dying for the work but thats my experience. But hey, I guess I'm just dumb for working!

NameyMcNamechangechange · 02/05/2017 22:12

And, elbowing Brexit into this discussion, aren't we all going to be chasing a shrinking pool of plumbers and most trades to be honest in the future?

PickAChew · 02/05/2017 22:21

I can't say we've ever had a trade we're paying for ourselves turn up completely unannounced.

Though the cap blew off a disused pipe, this morning and DH came home from work an fixed that himself before even an overpriced emergency plumber would have showed his face.

WhatToDoAboutThis2017 · 02/05/2017 22:23

YANBU. He can't just turn up when it suits him, he needs to arrange a time.

You did right not letting him in.

DixieFlatline · 02/05/2017 22:41

Where l am that would have cost me 50 pounds ...for the call out!

You're not a very savvy landlord then if you cough up when chancers take risks on your behalf and then pass along the cost to you when they don't pay off.

Squeezing extra jobs into bits of spare time that crop up by turning up with no warning and hoping it's convenient for the other party is something people can do to boost their income - but it's a risk they take upon themselves. If you'd pay them in this circumstance, while in possession of the facts, you are such a mug.

Jux · 03/05/2017 00:34

He probably had a last minute cancellation, was near you and thought he'd pop round and see if can do your job. He would almost certainly just worked his way down the list of jobs which are waiting.

You will be last on his list now anyway. You'll have a problem tap for a while now.

DIYandEatCake · 03/05/2017 01:21

I'd have done exactly the same as you. Can't believe all the people here who, half dressed and knackered with screaming toddlers, an ill husband in the bath and a house probably a right mess and smelling of sick, would calmly say 'so good of you to come, come in, I'll make you a cup of tea while I put some clothes on and turf my ill husband out of the bath'. I wouldn't really want to let a friend in, never mind a random plumber I hardly know! Having to deal with flaky workmen turning up unannounced -or the landlord phoning me at work saying 'I'm just letting them in as we're passing by' is one thing I really hated about renting. You have a right to privacy, and to be able to arrange a convenient time like anyone else.

kmc1111 · 03/05/2017 01:27

It's idiotic when tradesman do this. One guy kept showing up announced at my house and somehow couldn't get it through his head that no one would be home in the daytime if he didn't give me a date and time so one of us could take off work.

Anyway, no YWNBU for not letting an unannounced plumber into your house while you were half dressed and your sick DH was in the bath. If the plumber had any sense he wouldn't want to come into the house and work in a bathroom someone's been vomiting all day in.

There's no excuse not to call or text these days. We all have mobiles, it takes 30 seconds, and would save everyone time.

WhatToDoAboutThis2017 · 03/05/2017 01:47

You will be last on his list now anyway. You'll have a problem tap for a while now.

What, so it's exactly when he wants or have to wait as long as possible in petty revenge for not doing it when it's convenient for him? Fuck that.

CerealShopper · 03/05/2017 02:02

I don't think you were U at all.

Please do call the letting agent and let them know the circumstances, I'm sure they won't be best pleased at the plumbers conduct - it's common courtesy to phone ahead and agree a day and time. And today was clearly not convenient!

I would also keep chasing the repair via the agent, as most have KPI's that need to be met in order to get paid, so it's not usually in the plumbers interest to delay your job.

Hope your dh is feeling better soon.

Jux · 03/05/2017 02:09

Petty revenge? When did I mention revenge?

If that's the plumber the LL uses, then that tap would have gone on the end of the job list when he was given it to do. However, being a helpful chap he decided to see if could do it a bit earlier, perhaps because the LL is a valued customer whom he tries to please, or because he was in the area, or what you will.

As he was refused entry, the job is back on the list where it was before he called.

If he's a good plumber, he'll be incredibly busy as they're so hard to find. If he finds himself in the area again with time to do this job, he now knows that he won't be able to get In, and so he'll divert his spare time to another job on his waiting list.

It won't be petty revenge, it's just sensible use of time. Therefore, the tap will continue to be a problem for a longer period. Meanwhile, op has a problem which she'll have to put up with, knowing that it could have been done and dusted already but she wouldn't allow it.

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