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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Would this put your off? Builder quote

86 replies

Sparklfairy · 28/04/2023 14:26

I'm neither the builder nor the customer in this scenario. I know the builder.

He told me he never drives one of his branded vans when he goes to give a quote. Instead, he takes his car. A luxury model with a personalised plate. I don't know shit about cars but a quick google tells me in the region of a £75k car.

He said the reason he doesn't take the van is that competitors could see he was at a property and go in after he leaves to undercut him and poach his business Confused Obviously he uses the vans if he actually gets the job.

He'd never listen to me and he'll never know about this thread. But would a builder turning up in a swanky car put you off? I just think my first impression would be he's a bit of a flash twat, and probably charges too much Grin

AIBU?

OP posts:
Zwicky · 28/04/2023 16:56

I’ve had LOADS of work done in the last 10 years - both domestic and commercial - tiny jobs to huge ones. Unfortunately my experience of men who turn up in expensive cars hasn’t been good. Often much more amateurish, yet much more patronising. I’d be straight onto companies house to see if they had previously dissolved companies and to see if their accounts suggest they can actually afford a van and if they actually run a business at all. If they told me they’d come in a car in case they had jobs stolen my men following their work van about then I’d be reluctant to let them in tbh.

Equalitea · 28/04/2023 22:00

My DH is a tradesman. Sometimes he takes the car, sometimes he will take a van. I don’t thwant no it’s impacted his ability to secure a job.

Equalitea · 28/04/2023 22:02

*think

(note to self don’t come on Mumsnet a bottle of wine in on a Friday night 🤦‍♀️)

LemonSwan · 28/04/2023 22:08

We have a related business. We do turn up in cars for quote and design and then van only for actual work. We specifically chose a car which is nice but not too nice. A recognisable brand, but not a common model so some people do look and say that’s a nice car. But more in a it’s a genuinely nice looking car - not a that’s an expensive car kind of way.

febrezeme · 28/04/2023 22:15

I wouldn't trust a tradesman who turned up in a ridiculously flash car

I actively look at what kind of business / trade van they drive - is it sign written, looks in good condition, no 0800 contact numbers on it etc - if it's an old banger with no company information on it with several 0800 contact numbers I steer well clear

AfraidToRun · 28/04/2023 22:19

It'd put me off.

blueshoes · 28/04/2023 22:24

If I noticed the car, I'd think he'd not be interested and overquote because my job is too small.

blueshoes · 28/04/2023 22:30

ReadersD1gest · 28/04/2023 15:43

Would anyone really have any truck with some door knocker who asked what sort of building work they'd been quoted for so he could furnish a more competitive one? 😂
This doesn't happen.

Yes, this so doesn't happen. I doubt I'd even open the door to those stalkers.

ASimpleLampoon · 29/04/2023 00:23

I wouldn't notice

Piony · 29/04/2023 00:41

Well it's clearly working for him so I would leave him to it. He probably just likes driving the car and had found himself a plausible reason to drive it a bit more often.

But yes, I have seen this before and it's definitely not a selling point to me. Makes me thing they don't want/need our business and are unlikely to give a competitive quote.

Scroobydoo · 29/04/2023 07:30

I don't care what car they turn up in.

But as a customer I would say, it's hard enough to get tradesmen round for quotes after you've asked them personally. As if other tradesmen are following him around to undercut him for business they've not even been approached about by the customer. He sounds a bit paranoid tbh.

ThreeblackCats · 29/04/2023 07:36

I think I’d presume he was a successful builder. Nobody gets successful by being rubbish (excluding Dylan Mulvaney!)

I’d have more faith in a successful contractor than some dude turning up in a 1997 rusty Renault with a mismatched bonnet or door.

that’s assuming I’d even noticed his car or his number plate. You’re way overthinking this op.

coffeecupsandwaxmelts · 29/04/2023 07:41

Those of you who think a builder with a fancy car must be a crook or a drug dealer - do you think the same thing about doctors or lawyers with fancy cars?

Or is just tradesmen who must be doing something dodgy to earn good money? Hmm

awakeeveeynight · 29/04/2023 07:59

I had a landscape gardener turn up to give me a quote in his gaudy white land rover with private number plates and it put me off completely. Plus the fact he was a complete arse and I didn't trust him at all.

MrBit · 29/04/2023 08:07

coffeecupsandwaxmelts · 29/04/2023 07:41

Those of you who think a builder with a fancy car must be a crook or a drug dealer - do you think the same thing about doctors or lawyers with fancy cars?

Or is just tradesmen who must be doing something dodgy to earn good money? Hmm

Spot on

Megifer · 29/04/2023 08:10

coffeecupsandwaxmelts · 29/04/2023 07:41

Those of you who think a builder with a fancy car must be a crook or a drug dealer - do you think the same thing about doctors or lawyers with fancy cars?

Or is just tradesmen who must be doing something dodgy to earn good money? Hmm

No probably not just tradesmen, depends. With tradesmen, the good ones, they are always busy and usually going from one job to another so I'd expect to see a good one with all the tools of the trade around them, especially as depending on what it is they might have to faff about a bit to do the quote. With our latest work he actually had to knock a bit of wall down to see the issue.

Personally its not for snobby reasons like you appear to be alluding to 🙄 its because turning up in a fancy car doesn't give me the impression they are particularly busy or good, or maybe they only like the big money easy extension on new build jobs instead of actually knowing how to solve problems that might crop up on older properties.

coffeecupsandwaxmelts · 29/04/2023 08:28

With tradesmen, the good ones, they are always busy and usually going from one job to another so I'd expect to see a good one with all the tools of the trade around them, especially as depending on what it is they might have to faff about a bit to do the quote. With our latest work he actually had to knock a bit of wall down to see the issue.

That's fair enough - but absolutely nobody else on this thread has said they expect a tradesman to arrive in a van for purely practical reasons.

I don't need to imply that some people are being snobby either - some posters have openly admitted that they think that a builder with a fancy car must be a crook or doing dodgy dealings Wink

coffeecupsandwaxmelts · 29/04/2023 08:28

A lot of decent vans kitted out with tools will cost a lot more than fancy cars too.

Megifer · 29/04/2023 08:41

coffeecupsandwaxmelts · 29/04/2023 08:28

With tradesmen, the good ones, they are always busy and usually going from one job to another so I'd expect to see a good one with all the tools of the trade around them, especially as depending on what it is they might have to faff about a bit to do the quote. With our latest work he actually had to knock a bit of wall down to see the issue.

That's fair enough - but absolutely nobody else on this thread has said they expect a tradesman to arrive in a van for purely practical reasons.

I don't need to imply that some people are being snobby either - some posters have openly admitted that they think that a builder with a fancy car must be a crook or doing dodgy dealings Wink

Tbf earlier on i did say dealer might be one of my conclusions id jump to, but only because i only tend to use localish tradesmen and where I live that would be a reasonable assumption 🤣 a £75k car round here looks very out of place 😬

FatOaf · 29/04/2023 08:47

Most people get 3/4 quotes anyway

How? I find it almost impossible to get even one.

YukoandHiro · 29/04/2023 08:49

I don't know anyone who chooses a builder on quote alone so I think he's being ridiculous - he should concentrate on getting good word of mouth

SerendipityJane · 29/04/2023 09:13

I’d just prefer a tradesman to actually turn up, both to quote and do the job

I read a fairy story about that once.

FarmGirl78 · 29/04/2023 09:20

Yep OP, I'm with you. I'd think was charging too much and it would put me off. I'd much prefer someone turning up in a "well loved" van that's obviously seen some hard work in its time.

mumda · 29/04/2023 09:21

I suspect that his competitors trawl planning permissions and offer to quote for jobs rather than follow him round.

His paranoia would concern me.

Drivingmisspotty · 29/04/2023 09:23

The builder I use does this! Always just makes me think I chose the wrong career 😊