Did we misread this or is he being a bit cheeky?

[Paraballa]

This could go either way but this is just for opinions as we are paying him anyway.

We had some cupboard doors that were sticking as the frame had moved. We know a guy through our church who is a carpenter but he mainly does artisan stuff, making furniture.

Anyway DH was chatting to him and mentioned the doors and he said he'd take a look. Which he did. And he refused payment. All very lovely.

Unfortunately it happened again and the doors stuck again. DH mentioned it in a "we need to get our doors fixed again" way and the guy offered to "come and have a look". This was last summer.

He never came but kept mentioning it to DH: "oh I need to come look at your doors".

Last week he finally did. He came and literally looked at them (although they are the same as last year) then said he'd come a particular day but turned up unexpectedly sooner without notice.

All fine. I didn't mind. He came in and trimmed the doors, I asked if he could look at another one and he did, then also did some other cupboard doors he said were sticking but I hadn't noticed and I use them every day. "I did those one too for you" was what he said.

As he left I said thank you and to let us know what we owed him. Because we didn't expect it totally free.

Last night he sent an invoice for £140 covering "2 visits". (The actual work and the coming to have a look.)

We are totally shocked. We would have never agreed to it if we'd known he'd charge that much (£40 an hour apparently). He never said he was treating us as a client and as we asked him in July and he only just came we don't feel we were treated as a Client.

We've decided just to pay and never mention anything carpentry related to him again but did we misread? Or is he being a bit cheeky?

I'm autistic so may well have misunderstood as I often do but DH thought it was a favour too.

It looks like a miscommunication to me.

You should never of expected him to work for free (I'm not saying you did) but he should have been up front regarding costs... after all, what's to stop him charging £300 or £3000?

I'm shocked that people think £140 is reasonable though for shaving a couple of doors.. £40 an hour is steep for anything IMO, but maybe I'm out of the loop?

I agree with OP, I would be surprised by this. They didn’t ask him for a favour the first time, they offered to pay and he refused- his choice. Although I would agree the fee / non fee in advance personally. The second time he knew exactly what the issue was so he didn’t need the ‘look see’ visit, he could have just come and done the job. Also, I have never paid a tradesman for the look see / quotation visit, that is bizarre. Knowing that he did the job for nothing the first time he should have mentioned his fee for the second time ‘I know I didn’t charge last time, but unfortunately I can’t do it free again, it will be £x. Let me know if you still want me to come’. That at least gives you the opportunity to get some other quotes for the job.

I’m not sure I’d have asked him to come back seeing as his first attempt to fix the doors wasn’t successful. It also sounds like a job that a handy person could do, so would have been a lot cheaper.

I think if he’d been planning on charging then he should have just warned OP’s DH that it would be 8 months before he’d find the time to come round and that they would be paying a person of his skill level £40 an hour.

He obviously didn’t have much work on as he decided to just drop in. Tradespeople never charge for a visit to look at the job. From looking at the job he should have been able to give a quote, at which point OP could have decided it wasn’t within their budget. After all when money is tight people don’t spend £140 on sticking cupboard doors, it’s not like a burst pipe. He also shouldn’t have done extra work without agreeing it first.

Regarding OP saying to let her know how much they owe. DH tends to do this and I think it often does encourage people to charge when they hadn’t intended to. With DH it’s people he has done free jobs for too. I wish he’d stop saying it, he could just say cheers I’ll get you a pint or cheers for returning the favour.

sorry but when you say cupboard doors are we talking the standard size cupboard doors?
I’d say the price he has charged you is way too much for cupboard doors. Even if he did do 5 and charge you for the two visits.
We got our actual bedroom doors hung and shaved off to fit for about £20 a door.

Maybe the “two visits” mentioned in the invoice actually relates to the original visit plus this one? He could have been so pissed off at being asked to redo a job he’d already done for free that he decided that charging op for the whole lot was a certain way of never being asked for freebies again.
I’m surprised she had the nerve to ask again, tbh.

I think the first one was a freebie but he thought that YOU were CF's to ask again so he charged you a mates rate. YABU

Two repairs (with 2 visits on 2nd repair if I read it right) isn't a favour tbh. And you said yourself let us know what we owe you.

Ok he should have mentioned the orice at the time but you are incredibly entitled to think he should do his job for you for free. Do you think he is worth less than you? Grow up.

So he told you the first visit was a freebie and didn’t charge. Then came out a second time (8 months later) and charged not only for that visit but also for the previous freebie? YANBU to be annoyed. It’s fair enough to charge for the second visit but not for the first!

There were 3 visits in total. The freebie and then two that have been charged for.

I don't see the issue tbh. You say you were happy to pay him. £140 seems really low so I'm sure he's not charging you his full rate. It might be one of those times that you have someone more expensive than you need and a joiner or handyman could have done a good enough job.

Hi there, I think you have had a misunderstanding and that he has not been cheeky. The price quoted sounds like “mates rates” to me, which is appropriate under the circumstances.

The only thing I would add to what others have said is that the way to avoid this happening if you are thinking of getting a friend to do work for you again, is to ask them to come over and give you a quote for instead of asking them to come do it. Then. It’s all up front and clear.

for you paraballa,you don't deserve 'a kicking'.
The carpenter should have said"the first visit was as a friend but I will have to charge you for further work and based on what you have asked me to do it will be ££££'.then you could decide if you could afford it.To go on and do work you had not asked for was taking advantage of you.
You are NBU.

Totally reasonable for him to charge for it and his prices are good. BUT he should have told you upfront how much it would cost so you could make a decision. It's tradespeople 101, quote for a job!

I think he's been cheeky and am not surprised you got a shock especially as it sounds like you would have lived with them sticking rather than pay that much! Lesson learned unfortunately.

I think that is cheap and so are you lol

I can't believe PP are slating the tradesman, this woman and her DH wanted more than one freebie and tradesman knew this as they still hadn't got the work sorted 8 months after mentioning it to him.

OP sorry but you just sound like you're backtracking now saying you wanted to pay, but in your previous replies, said that everyone in the church do favours for each other. Well, which is it? A favour, mates rates or wanted to pay full price? As you've mentioned all of them. You offered so what did you expect?

You also mentioned the fact you have autism. I grew up with 2 brothers with autism and know just how black and white things are made out and how clear things are said. He hadn't just picked up a vibe you wanted more than just one freebie, he probably knew that's what you wanted!

Can I just say as well? Anyone EXPECTING a freebie from a mate or family member in the trade is not a mate. This is this persons career and you are not helping their business by being selfish in wanting a discount or freebie. Don't get me wrong, it happens and when they insist to give you a cheaper price, it's a nice surprise... but ALWAYS expect to pay your way for someone running their own business! The CFery is real.