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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Aibu to not want to pay the full amount?

229 replies

gingerginger2 · 19/06/2019 18:51

We had a quote for some work in our garden, which was £1300. we agreed to it, mainly through inexperience I think.

The Gardner’s came to do the work today and it took 3 of them 4 hours.

Given that materials could be bought for £300, aibu to not want to pay them £300 each for a half day?

I‘ve questioned the invoice and they said they estimated it would take a day, and they only quite by days.

We did agree to the quote. But it feels like a total rip off.

The work they did is ok. Sufficient. No above and beyond, just sufficient.

OP posts:

musicposy · 19/06/2019 19:52

The problem is that most self employed jobs take way longer than the client sees. Someone had to go and get or order the materials and that takes time which has to be paid for. Someone also had to come out to quote you. That's also time that has to be factored in. Then there's the travelling time, the cost of the van, the tools etc. It's not as simple as the materials cost x and they worked for y hours. There's much more to it than that.

MaryPoppinsUmberellaHandle · 19/06/2019 19:57

And don't even get me started on the ones who are constantly phoning up, including expecting DH to call round because "it'll only take 5 minutes" - that may be your time, but it's way more than 5 minutes to the Tradesperson.

Puzzledandpissedoff · 19/06/2019 19:59

So you can just estimate what you like and if it bears no relation to the time you spend then you get paid the same?

What did the quote actually say? If it outlined "3 men for a day" and they only spent half that time I'd negotiate, but if you just assumed it would take that much time I'm afraid you don't have a leg to stand on

SuperSara · 19/06/2019 19:59

@IamtheDevilsAvocado

Doesn't matter day rates /whole days/half days....
If they're massively over quoted... Don't let them get away with it..

I don't expect they're all highly qualified gardeners?? That equates to a day rate of 600..
So unless they're worth 75 k pa...

I wouek definitely NOT pay...

The time to negotiate isn't AFTER they've done the job, it's before.

It doesn't matter if it equates to £2/h or £200/h.

They quoted a price to do a job and did it FFS!

Original poster

gingerginger2 · 19/06/2019 19:59

It was just making some raised beds.

They did an ok job like I said.

They could have done more . For instance, they said that they run out of top soil (we supplied it), so they are only 2/3 filled. And the 4 paving stones they moved to do the work are just piled up . We did want them reset elsewhere, if i‘d Known I was paying them for a full day regardless I would have asked them to top up the beds and reset the slabs in the remainder of the time. Now I have to pay them £83 an hour I would have asked them to resize the slabs and fill the beds. As it is I feel ripped off and still need a Gardner.

Oh well. Lesson learned!

OP posts:

Passthecherrycoke · 19/06/2019 20:01

But Op you’re not paying by the day or hour. You’re paying for the job. Ask them to come back and do those bits if you like

huntinghighandlow · 19/06/2019 20:02

A year on, my cousin still moans about how much a locksmith charged for getting him into his house in under a minute! £60 for 30 seconds of work was extortionate apparently. I do tell him he'd still be sitting on the doorstep now!!

Ladymargarethall · 19/06/2019 20:02

Did you have other quotes?

SuperSara · 19/06/2019 20:03

@gingerginger2

You don't seem to understand how it works.

You haven't paid them 'for a full day regardless...' you've paid them to do the job they quoted for and they've done it.

Unless you're now saying they haven't done what they agreed to do?

Don't get hung up on the £/h or that you think you're paying for a day's labour. It doesn't usually work like that for trades.

category12 · 19/06/2019 20:03

You can ask them to fix any snags - (but if you providing the top soil was taken into account in the original quote, then it's your responsibility to provide enough). You can't just add on extra tasks if they did what they quoted for.

sweeneytoddsrazor · 19/06/2019 20:03

You can't just add on work. If they came out and did what you asked then that is that. If you had asked them to reset slabs elsewhere and go and get more soil then you would have had to pay more. If you were supplying the soil then its your fault if there wasn't enough.

bananasonfire · 19/06/2019 20:03

Surely you asked for other quotes and decided that the price was reasonable?

Ihatemyseleffordoingthis · 19/06/2019 20:04

You weren't "paying them for a full day"
You were paying for the job you specified.
Lots of gardeners probably would have finished off those bits and bobs. In fact, if you'd asked, I bet they would have.
You must have thought making some raised beds was worth the money or you wouldn't have gone ahead.

bananasonfire · 19/06/2019 20:04

Presumably you had agreed to supply the top soil - did you expect them to bring more with them?

Original poster

gingerginger2 · 19/06/2019 20:05

Yes had other quotes. They were all very different. Picked this one is they could do it soonest.

Thanks everyone, appreciate the opinions and will live and learn. (And not hire tradesmen again)

OP posts:

HeadsDownThumbsUpEveryone · 19/06/2019 20:06

You cant just add extra work you have not brought them ffs all you did was employ them to complete a job which they did. Why do you keep referring to the £83 an hour you paid them for the job not per hour.

VivienneHolt · 19/06/2019 20:06

I agree it’s bloody expensive OP! I think you have been ripped off. But as it’s what you agreed to in advance, you’re stuck really. As you say, a lesson learned!

NewAccount270219 · 19/06/2019 20:06

I think it sounds like an awful lot for some raised beds. But I would have said that before you agreed to pay it, too. You agreed, so you need to pay it.

Please don't try to pay less - look at the near total consensus you have on here. It won't work and you'll feel and look like an idiot.

blackteasplease · 19/06/2019 20:06

It comes down to whether they've done the job agreed or not. If they have you need to pay them. If they haven't they need to finish it before getting the full amount.

mouldyhousemouldylife · 19/06/2019 20:07

NewAccount270219 · 19/06/2019 20:07

Yes had other quotes. They were all very different. Picked this one is they could do it soonest.

Hang on, so you knew they weren't the cheapest but went with them because they were convenient for other reasons? Then how can you moan about price?!

Nofunkingworriesmate · 19/06/2019 20:08

You agreed a quote
They did the job
You pay !!!!
Surely if they did it quicker that’s a bonus !!!
Learn from this and get more quotes next time , but the above principle applies.
only pay less than the agreed quote if not not finished or done well

Original poster

gingerginger2 · 19/06/2019 20:08

They saw the pile of existing top soil when they quoted and they were asked to make beds to put it in.

Anyway, thanks everyone! Appreciate the schooling! X

OP posts:

imsuchagrump · 19/06/2019 20:09

You agreed , why didn't you get a couple more quotes ?

PeePooAndPaperOnly · 19/06/2019 20:10

Wow, not hiring tradesmen again? Good luck with that
You may have a point if they ordered the top soil etc but they didn't. You cocked up not them

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