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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Aibu to quibble this bill

82 replies

Sillyscrabblegames · 28/12/2019 15:15

Plumber quoted for two days work, lots of different tasks including connecting up several fittings and running new pipework.

He worked one day, didn't finish the whole job, and got something wrong so dh had to redo some work and then finish off the job.

He has now invoiced for the full amount.

Dh doesn't want to pay full amount as it just wasn't good enough and he spent half the time quoted for here anyway. So he offered him one day rate. (the rate is all laid out on the invoice for each day)

Plumber chap not happy with the situation and so has come back to say it was a long day with no breaks so he wants that reflected. And also it will take a few hours for him to sort the building control paperwork for the job as it included wiring in an extractor fan. He will do this from home and that is why there are two days on the invoice.

Dh offered him full day rate plus a pro rata amount extra to reflect extra long day (he was here from 10 to 6).

He then comes back to say also we need to add 20%onto the whole bill as he has to pay the person who gave us his number a fee for matching him up with us. I have never heard of this arrangement before and I don't think it has anything to do with us.

I think he is a cf.

Are we being unreasonable or are we right to be quibbling this?

OP posts:

Original poster

Sillyscrabblegames · 28/12/2019 15:59

@cultmaskid I don't know, he says he has to certify it.
He does electrics too.

OP posts:

cultmaskid · 28/12/2019 16:00

Plumbing and electrics interesting to do both
I know they go hand in hand

I didn't ever hear of that with building control and I worked with full blown housing estates and the actual building control dept

Is it commercial or something

cultmaskid · 28/12/2019 16:01

It's normal to do associated electrics example wiring up a boiler or hot water tank or a hive
But the two trades require a lot of expertise

ICouldHaveTinsillitis · 28/12/2019 16:03

Decades ago, when we were first married (and no internet), I had to get advice for a very similar situation. The advice was: "pay a reasonable sum for the work done, and if he thinks you owe him more, he has to take you to court and justify every extra penny he wants from you".

We paid by cheque (this was the 1980s!), and explained in our accompanying letter why we hadn't paid the full amount.

Never heard back from them. Obviously never used the company again!

Agree how hard it is to find good tradespeople though.

MoaningMinniee · 28/12/2019 16:03

I'm not surprised with your update that he's new to the trade... Getting the way you cost jobs wrong is one of the massive mistakes most self employed people make early on. He needs to set his prices to reflect marketing costs - like 20% introduction fee. (That's one of the reasons I don't use any of the 'middleman' websites!)

Original poster

Sillyscrabblegames · 28/12/2019 16:04

Nope it's my bog standard bathroom extractor fan from screw fix. He says it will take him over half a day (I. E the remaining hours) to do the necessary certification for this electrics. The irony is that this is what he got wrong and dh has had to redo.

OP posts:

Howyiz · 28/12/2019 16:06

So he would like you to pay him for the work your husband did? I would pay him for the day he did and no more, that is more than generous.

Original poster

Sillyscrabblegames · 28/12/2019 16:07

We didn't use a middleman website, we called up our previous electrician and he gave us this guys number. Now in retrospect he is announcing this 20%fee. Its bizarre

OP posts:

Scbchl · 28/12/2019 16:07

My dh is a tradesman..10-6 is NOT a long day. He is absolutely ripping the piss especially when some of the work needed rectified and also the 20% recommendation charge is bullshit. He has occasionally given someone some cash if he was recommended for a big job, but it isnt the customer who pays it like that. I'd not be paying him two days at all. I'd give him one day and maybe his hourly rate x 2 to cover the work hes doing from home and never use him again after that or recommend him.

Wonkybanana · 28/12/2019 16:13

Pay him (by cheque) what you think is fair. Put in writing to him what you're paying him for, and what you're not, and why. Add that if he feels he should be paid more, you're happy to let him take it to the small claims court and let the court decide.

You won't hear another peep.

cultmaskid · 28/12/2019 16:20

No that's not usual to do that paper work and how can he certify someone else's work??
Does he say he is NICEIC certified? Bizzarre
My husband works like 6 am to 9 pm on a long day 😂

Jux · 28/12/2019 16:31

Have you talked to your original plumber about this extra 20%? Hemay also be interested in the plumber he recommended making mistakes, not finishing the job and then invoicing incorrectly.

VenusTiger · 28/12/2019 16:35

Have you spoken to the person who gave you his number? Do they have previous experience with him, what do they think? And mention the finder's fee - I bet they won't receive it!

PlanDeRaccordement · 28/12/2019 16:39

I do not say it often, but your man is right. Only pay the plumber for what he did do.

Cheeserton · 28/12/2019 16:40

He can piss right off with his 20% bullshit for a start. Also, one day seems fair given the apparently poor, incomplete job. Tell him it's one day and stick to your guns about why, emphasising again and again that it wasn't completed properly.

Original poster

Sillyscrabblegames · 28/12/2019 16:41

Dh hasn't gone back to the chap who passed his details on. Not sure we really want to get that involved in the whole thing. The bottom line is he didn't finish all the work and he wasn't here for two days so the invoice is incorrect. We did not agree to pay anyone a finders fee.

OP posts:

PigletJohn · 28/12/2019 16:43

I don't understand what the Quote said.

Did it say "Do jobs A, B and C, total price, £500"

Or did it say "Two days work at £250, total £500"

Or did it say "Jobs A, B and C, estimated as around two days work, to be charged at £350 per day?"

The first option is a true quote, and if he did jobs A,B and C, you have to pay him the price agreed. If he didn't complete all the work you pay him a lesser amount.

The second option is very poor, because you will pay him by time even if he was drinking tea and fumbling around through lack of skill.

The third option is pretty well meaningless.

TrifenyMarlowe · 28/12/2019 16:55

Wait, plumbing and electrical trades are entirely different trades. Is he actually time served with a proper body in either?!

My DH is a tradesman (time served, 4 years to qualify) and he always jokes about the poor work from "do it all" one stop shops.

He often goes in to fix work that other non-qualified "tradesmen" have bodged because it's required something other than a template solution.

Rubychard · 28/12/2019 16:55

Hmm. I’m wondering op, how her can certify a job for the purposes of building control that your dh has to finish ??

flouncyfanny · 28/12/2019 17:11

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster

Sillyscrabblegames · 28/12/2019 17:13

Quote said do jobs a b and c. Two days at x day rate. Total 2x= y.

Materials extra. We have receipts for materials and there is no dispute over those.

However the output was job 1/2a b and 1/2c, and on one day.

To say he is going to certify it when he didn't even finish it is nonsense too and I don't even see how that action takes half a day. Dh says the certification isn't even required as it's just wiring in a replacement appliance.

OP posts:

Original poster

Sillyscrabblegames · 28/12/2019 17:23

I don't really know what niceic is!
Yes he is also an electrician. And now he is also a plumber.

OP posts:

TrifenyMarlowe · 28/12/2019 17:32

I've just asked DH. He says he's never, ever met a properly time served qualified 2-trade man. Ever. On any building site or domestic job in 12 years. He's met plenty of 1 that know enough about the other to do small jobs.

It's kind of like your GP saying they're also a fully qualified dentist there's maybe a couple in the UK but would you want them to do your teeth?

flouncyfanny · 28/12/2019 17:32

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

TrifenyMarlowe · 28/12/2019 17:34

NICEIC is the electrical cert body.i.e if members = can sign off tests to say something is safe for insurance

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