Page 3 | Should we pay plumber?

Dontjumptoconclusions · 2021-05-06T12:19:58+00:00

Plumber came to fix our shower which wasn't working. After sorting what he thought was the issue, turns out, it wasn't the issue and its actually something else. We are getting another plumber, as we don't trust the first plumber anymore. First Plumber wants to charge us for whatever work he did in attempt to solve the problem. His reason being we pay for his time, he could have booked in another job etc. Our issue is that he didn't solve the problem.... So what are we paying him for?! AIBU? Should we pay for his call out charge and time taken to fix what wasn't broken? (FYI, he was a highly rated plumber we found online so didn't expect this issue.)

sunflowersandbuttercups · 06/05/2021 16:58

However, when he said he was busy for the next week I'd have said something like 'I'm sure you are, but what time will you be here in the morning? And if he said he wouldn't be I'd have told him if he wanted to be paid, he would be - following day at the latest.

How do you expect him to magic up time and parts within 24h?

sunflowersandbuttercups · 06/05/2021 17:02

It's not at all like eating the meal and not liking it. I was provided with the incorrect meal just like I was provided with the incorrect fix to the issue. The shower is still broken (and at the restaurant, I'm still hungry!)

But you're comparing apples and oranges. Fixing a shower isn't the same as ordering a meal. It's often a process of elimination. He tried X and it didn't work, so he's going to try Y. But that doesn't mean you don't pay him for the time it took him to do X.

And its not about your work being "good enough", that's an opinion

It is, but you can't get someone in to do a job (or provide a service) then not pay them! If you're not happy with the service someone provides you, you can leave them a bad review, ask them for a discount or just not use them again in the future.

I'm glad you're going to pay him. But be careful you don't get a reputation as a non-payer or a difficult customer - people talk to their competition!

emilyfrost · 06/05/2021 17:24

YABVU. Of course you need to pay him, and you need to pay him the full amount.

Your comparisons are utterly ridiculous.

houseonthehill · 06/05/2021 17:24

Yeah, you pay him, since you're not giving him the opportunity to put it right.

Also "I expect better from my tradesmen" makes you sound a bit of a dick.

TheLastLotus · 06/05/2021 17:26

The lack of good tradesmen and the absolute backlog of work means that they can get away with lower standards of service. However as pp have mentioned they could ruin your reputation.
OP did your plumber attempt to do anything else to compensate? Reduce the fee ? Book you in as a priority over non urgent work even if it did take more thanna week? If he did that I'd pay out of goodwill and also to keep the peace.
If he simply threw his hands up and said 'sorry ill have to come back, wait like everyone else oh and pay full price) i think it's morally right to stand your ground.
Can't say there might not be reputational repercussions though as he could badmouth you to his compatriots

Pigriver · 06/05/2021 17:32

I feel your pain. We had this with our car. The mechanics tried 3 different parts, none of which worked and we were left in the same position as we started but down £300. He only charged us for parts as he felt so bad but I was livid (and mourning MIL, dealing with FIL chemo and pregnant so threw the money at him). Like you I don't feel like we should have paid for all of the part we didn't need.
In the end we paid a mobile mechanic that did diagnostics to come and tell us the issue was a small fuse or plus or some such. Cost £30 😩

TheGoodEnoughWife · 06/05/2021 17:32

Am very shocked at the number of people saying to pay him! He didn't actually do what was asked ie fix the shower.

Added to that he told the op what they thought was wrong with it wasn't and is now back tracking and saying it might be that after all.

Do you all really pay money out to someone not actually doing what they were supposed to?

sunflowersandbuttercups · 06/05/2021 17:44

@TheGoodEnoughWife

Am very shocked at the number of people saying to pay him! He didn't actually do what was asked ie fix the shower.

Added to that he told the op what they thought was wrong with it wasn't and is now back tracking and saying it might be that after all.

Do you all really pay money out to someone not actually doing what they were supposed to?

He can't do as asked because OP doesn't want him to come back and try and finish the job.

Yes, I pay people who have come to do work for me, even if they haven't been able to finish the job, because it's the decent thing to do.

He could take OP to small claims court to get his money. Why should he give up his time and skills for free?

TheGoodEnoughWife · 06/05/2021 17:49

He didn't just 'not finish' - it is no more fixed than it was before he came.

He could have tried what the OP suggested first. He choose not to.

sunflowersandbuttercups · 06/05/2021 17:53

@TheGoodEnoughWife

He didn't just 'not finish' - it is no more fixed than it was before he came.

He could have tried what the OP suggested first. He choose not to.

Again, he couldn't finish because OP has decided to use someone else and isn't allowing him to come back and sort the problem out.

You can't just get someone to come and work for you, take up their time tools and expertise and decide you can't be arsed to pay afterwards!

TheGoodEnoughWife · 06/05/2021 17:57

But surely you can engage with someone to do something for you for money and if they don't do that thing you don't pay them?

Toiletrollbuyer · 06/05/2021 17:59

I’m a ‘trades person’ and I would do the following...

If I diagnosed a fault and ordered a part and fitted it and it didn’t solve the problem, if you wanted to keep the new part I would expect you to pay for that, and also the fitting. If you didn’t want to pay - I would reinstate the old part so I could send the new part back for a refund. In this case you would not receive an invoice and I wouldn’t expect you to pay at all.

QueeniesCroft · 06/05/2021 18:00

I would pay, for several reasons. Firstly, plumbing problems aren't always due to just one thing. There can be a few things which all need to be repaired before the problem is fully fixed.

Also (having worked in a not dissimilar trade) I think there should be a special tax applied to all customers who have googled it and decide to tell the tradesperson what the problem is. This is a completely biased opinion, but it is very irritating!

In my area, not paying a plumber would mean that no plumber would attend for future problems, no matter who you called. I've never not paid myself, but I know people who have and in one case no other trades would even give them an estimate either. Of course in less rural areas there are more plumbers and they probably don't all know each other, but here that's what would happen, without a doubt.

Beebopawhop · 06/05/2021 18:02

We have had numerous problems with our house and we have paid electricians and plumbers for no solving the problem it is their time you pay for unfortunately otherwise how would they make any money??? They are not to know what the problem is when they get to a house and they try their best ime. Pay the man.

sunflowersandbuttercups · 06/05/2021 18:10

@TheGoodEnoughWife

But surely you can engage with someone to do something for you for money and if they don't do that thing you don't pay them?

He hasn't had the chance to do it because OP wants to use someone else.

But he still deserves to be paid for the time he HAS given up for her.

sunflowersandbuttercups · 06/05/2021 18:11

In my area, not paying a plumber would mean that no plumber would attend for future problems, no matter who you called. I've never not paid myself, but I know people who have and in one case no other trades would even give them an estimate either. Of course in less rural areas there are more plumbers and they probably don't all know each other, but here that's what would happen, without a doubt.

Yep, that happens here too. If you get yourself a reputation as a difficult customer, you'll soon find that nobody ever wants to do work for you again.

It's the same in my industry - I think it's fairly standard, tbh.

Original poster

Dontjumptoconclusions · 06/05/2021 18:19

It seems like the disagreement is regarding what we are actually paying for... The time taken or the job at hand.

I'd expect him to move some non urgent jobs to complete this earlier than a weeks time, since we had booked him in last week and our query isn't yet solved, but he isn't doing this. And he also didn't say the next call out would be free to rectify it. So I don't want him back.

I'll pay him for his "time and effort". I'll also write an honest review.

My issue is that at the moment we are taking his word for it. How do I know he did anything at all? How do I know he said yes to the job knowing full well he didn't have a clue. How do I know he didn't just siton the toilet for 2 hours and charge us for his "time"?!

Seems like a lot of you are very happy to pay people to practise and trial and error in your house. Glad you all have a bottomless pit of money for infinite call out charges. But I certainly don't.

I will pay him, but hypothetically if he took me to small claims, can he even prove he did any work? The invoice clearly stating the work "fix shower" is void.

I appreciate he didn't come over out of the goodness of his heart. But I didn't invite him around for a cuppa either!

OP posts:

suggestionsplease1 · 06/05/2021 18:31

Maybe I've been lucky but I've never had a tradesperson ask to be paid when they haven't been able to fix the issue they're out to address.

Pheasantplucker2 · 06/05/2021 18:47

OP I feel your pain. Got our builder/plumber round to replace a soil stack. We’ve always paid him on a day rate and he’s been pretty good up until now.

Day 1 - went to get the parts, was out for 4 hours (terrible traffic) and came back without the parts. Had to order them in. Probably did about an hour’s worth of work in the house.

Part was due in in 4 days. He actually came back to fix it (having removed old soil stack and leaving us 2 toilets down) 2 weeks later. Only fitted one of the two toilets back. Wanted to send his mate (not a plumber) to come and finish off in the morning. In the meantime a friend who used to be a plumber saw it and said it was a massive bodge job. It then started leaking. I have asked and asked him to come back, he has had one excuse after another. Friend has done a short term fix on it so we can use one of the loos. He’s now not returning my calls.

So I have paid him £500 and his mater £240 and still don’t have what I thought I was paying for.

Very disillusioned.

BottleFlipper · 06/05/2021 19:12

@Dontjumptoconclusions

It seems like the disagreement is regarding what we are actually paying for... The time taken or the job at hand.

I'd expect him to move some non urgent jobs to complete this earlier than a weeks time, since we had booked him in last week and our query isn't yet solved, but he isn't doing this. And he also didn't say the next call out would be free to rectify it. So I don't want him back.

I'll pay him for his "time and effort". I'll also write an honest review.

My issue is that at the moment we are taking his word for it. How do I know he did anything at all? How do I know he said yes to the job knowing full well he didn't have a clue. How do I know he didn't just siton the toilet for 2 hours and charge us for his "time"?!

Seems like a lot of you are very happy to pay people to practise and trial and error in your house. Glad you all have a bottomless pit of money for infinite call out charges. But I certainly don't.

I will pay him, but hypothetically if he took me to small claims, can he even prove he did any work? The invoice clearly stating the work "fix shower" is void.

I appreciate he didn't come over out of the goodness of his heart. But I didn't invite him around for a cuppa either!

Well I doubt he could come as highly recommended as he did by continuously hiding in peoples bathrooms and not doing anything so your "trial and error" comment is pathetic.

YABVU and of course you pay him.

UrAWizHarry · 06/05/2021 19:17

YABVU. Things like this aren't always an exact science.

He came out, he spent time working and spent money for parts. He offered to come back when the problem wasn't resolved. That is entirely reasonable.

Don't be an arsehole and pay up.

Hont1986 · 06/05/2021 19:31

Why did you post here if you're just going to argue with the YABU voters?

NailsNeedDoing · 06/05/2021 19:36

I agree it’s fair to pay the call out fee, but not for anything else.

Quailfortune · 06/05/2021 20:08

I think you are BU. Most pipes and plumbing issues are hidden behind tiles, floorboards and walls. It is u possible to diagnose properly until investigations have happened.
He is a plumber with a good reputation.

What are the details of his diagnosis?

Osirus · 06/05/2021 20:15

Of course you pay - it’s like when you go to the vets they don’t always get it right first time. You still pay them.

My cat was diagnosed with stomach cancer and I paid for treatment for two years before they realised she didn’t actually have it after all, and in fact had something far less dramatic. I still paid them!