Horrendous plumbing bill arrives 9 months late

[Leonora7]

Will try to précis this without getting too irate (although I am livid!).

Plumber installs new boiler august - December 2008. Bill presented just before Christmas and paid. Plumber called out March 2009 to sort problem. Problem sorted but no bill presented. I phone and request bill after a month or so and am told it will be arriving shortly. It does not. Plumber called out again November 2009 for further problem and boiler service. Problem sorted but no service. No bill presented. Plumber returns and services boiler March 2010. By now I am out of work which is mentioned. No bill presented. Not going to chase it again as money becoming tight.

Present day. Last week plumber phones, says he's been doing paperwork and there is an outstanding bill. Asks when he can bring it round. Tell him that we had wondered what had happened to him and will need it itemised as cannot now recall exactly what he did after all this time. Ask him what it might be (expecting maybe £400). Flabbergasted to be told "about £1,100" and that he had left it for a while as he knew I had been made redundant. Informed him that it would have been much better if we'd had the bill before our savings had been depleted.

Plumber presents bill to DH following day when I am away caring for elderly parents. It is actually almost £1,400. Labour charges come in at £95 per hour (gulp). Hourly rates have never been clarified before but we have been back to boiler installation bill (not itemised with an hourly rate) and calculated his hourly rate from DH's quite meticulous records as £50; bearing in mind that this was 2 years ago he has still increased his rates by a hugely unreasonable percentage - we reckon he is simply trying to recoup on the enormous amount of time spent originally working out how to get the new boiler to heat the downstairs rooms.

Now a good few of the hours spent here involve us listening to plumber's lengthy technical explanations on problems and his solutions; not interested really but have always listened politely whilst pondering privately on how to shut him up and get rid of him so can get back to own life...

Please could someone advise on how to deal with this. We've been told we can pay bill in instalments and, to be honest, we could just pay it off (fortunately not yet completely impoverished) and be done with it. But I am very - and I cannot emphasise that word enough - reluctant to pay the hugely exorbitant hourly rate charged and furious that this ridiculous bill - which I had previously chased possibly more than once (can't remember unfortunately) has arrived just before Christmas. Where do I stand legally?

isn't the boiler under guarantee anyway? Check online - we've just had a boiler fitted with a year's free call out. I think he is taking the piss.

Problem was not with boiler but thermostat unfortunately Cornsilky.

I don't know what the legal position is but I wouldn't be happy. Why did he service the boiler in march 2010 having serviced it in november 2009? I'd say it's normal for the boiler itself to have a one year guarantee and I'd expect a decent tradesman to guarantee his work for a year. The £95 per hour labour charge. Is that just for one plumber? To be fair, he may have one rate for normal prebooked jobs and another for call outs but £95 is a lot more than our (very good) plumber charges. Hope someone comes along soon with some legal knowledge. I certainly wouldn't pay it without questioning it.

The boiler would definiately not need a service so soon after fitting. I had a boiler fitted and the chap popped in free of charge 2 weeks later to check that all was going well.

I cannot understand why he is charging for services like this. What a bloody nightmare situation.

To be fair (though I don't know why I should) the boiler was only serviced after we'd had it for over a year. The problems were not caused by the boiler but by peripherals like thermostat and pump. However, I suppose it could be said that these things should not have failed so soon after the whole system had been updated.

I would have thought that the boiler and parts would have had at least a years warranty if not slightly more.

I would reccomend contacting consumer direct for help. I have found them really useful in the past.

Have you tried trading standards?

'he had left it for a while as he knew I had been made redundant.' has got to be total crap, hasn't it? I mean, if someone was being considerate because you had financial problems they would give you the bill and tell you it was ok not to pay it immediately, not withhold the actual information about the amount owed

It sounds extortionate. My plumber is wonderful and not cheap but only charges around £70 for boiler service and central heating check/top up etc.

I would ask for an itemised bill and obtain some other quotes for the work.

Tell your plumber that you're going to do this so that you can reach a reasonable settlement for the work that he's done.

I think you need to bill within 12 months of performing a service or the customer is not obliged to pay it.

We had an unexpected bill recently for 'overpayment' of OH's salary. We've both been devastated for weeks. So I understand where you are coming from.

If that's true, then you would only be obliged to pay for the service in March.

He sounds totally disorganised. Why on earth didn't he bill you sooner for the other stuff?

Thelittlestkiwi - wow! I like your post! Where did you get this inforrmation? This would knock a few hundred off the bill as the March 2009 element included parts; even these have been itemised at what I'm sure are not trade prices.

Incidentally there is a thread on AIBU where the OP was charged £107 per hr! But we are in Hampshire, not London and the plumber lives 5 minutes walk away and there is free parking on our drive (some MNers suggested that travel and parking inflate London prices).

You can sue for unpaid bills up to 6 years after they are rendered.

As no fee was agreed in advance you will have to pay what is reasonable. If you can argue that something went wrong that he was responsible for then he might have to remedy that for free as part of the original job, but it looks as if this is not the case.

FWIW, I think £95 an hour is exhorbitant. I'd have thought £200 a day would be more like it. Stick to your guns and don't pay it. He'll have to sue you in the small claims court, and he can only claim back his court fee. Ask around some local plumbers to find out what they'd charge for the jobs done.Is it possible he spent a large amount of time because he was padding out the job, or didn't know what he was doing? I agree with Megletitsnow - contact trading standards. They may have a file on this guy.

Thanks Resolution. I've phoned Trading Standards who have told me to do as advised above and get quotes for the work from other plumbers, average the total and say that's all I'm prepared to pay. But first I should write to him acknowledging receipt of bill and quoting Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982 and informing him what I am doing as I am unhappy with the delay in presenting the bill and at the scale of his fees. I suppose I was hoping it would all be a lot easier - already up to my ears in stress with Christmas, relatives etc! But thanks to everyone for all the advice and support.

Sorry Leonora, I may have it wrong.

In the 90's I worked for a large company who supply a large number of people with an 'ongoing service'. They had changed their accounts system and not billed people for two weeks of the service at some point. A few years later they decided to try and claw this money back and started sending people bills. If anyone challenged the bill they wrote it off and I was told this was because it was not legal to demand the money if you haven't billed for it within a year. Which would be different to being able to pursue someone for up to 6 years if you billed within 12 months.

But I am not expert and hopefully someone else on MN is?

These days I wish I had reported the company as we had some very hard up people who paid these bills. But I was very young and needed the job.

Thanks Littlestkiwi. I would love to tell him he's not getting the bulk of his money because he's not legally entitled to it but I suppose that's the difference between the individual and big corporates. I know he has done the work and paid for the parts and he should get something - I.e. I have a conscience! However, if this is the law, it does mean I can legitimately reduce the outrageous hourly rate and say we're paying as a goodwill gesture. My friend was at school with someone from "rogue traders" and rang him on my behalf yesterday; he reiterated your advice but also suggested going down the 'other plumber' quote route. I will phone insurance legal line today.

That's such a refreshing take on things Leonora! I hope you get the bill reduced to a reasonable level.

What thelittlestkiwi is referring to is that a delay of more than 12 months in producing an invoice may mean that it is subject to the Consumer Credit Act and may mean that it is unenforceable. Note my use of the word "may" - it isn't as clear cut as saying you can't demand money if you don't bill for it within a year.

Ah prh47bridge... Must look into the Consumer Credit Act now I guess! But I know I'm going to have to pay really (gulp).

I would pay what you think is reasonable and let him take you to the small claims court for the outstanding amount. He probably won't.

His rates seem ridiculous. Even in France where they have about 40% NI to pay, rates are about £40/hr.