Plumbers invoice greatly exceeds quote!

[Thegoatprophecy]

Could do with some advice. I had a written quote (headed quotation not estimate) from a local firm to put in my central heating. The quote was for £4360. I agreed and they carried out the work satisfactorily, but I was then invoiced for £7271. I complained and pointed out that is was a quote not an estimate but they have only knocked about £200 off. This still seems outrageous. A lot of the extra was because the pipe system needed replacing and a new oil line put in but I was not informed that this would be extra. I told the manager he should have factored this sort of thing in. Where should I go from here please? Thank you.

If they gave you a written quote then pay them that amount and no more. They should stick to what they quoted. Write a letter to their Head Office and complain. Also contact Trading Standards and/CAB for advice (CAB are worth their weight in gold).
If youve paid what they invoiced you then still go to CAB and see if you have grounds for recompense.
Also look at going to a solicitors for a halfhour free session for advice.

If you were given a quote, then you should pay no more. Pay them what the quote was, so if it should go to court, then you can say you paid what you were meant to. Even if it had been an estimate, you should have been kept informed of any unsuspected problems and possible extra costs.

If that company decided they needed to do extra work, they should have checked it with you first, to get your agreement.

Also, what hmsdad71 says. Good luck!!

www.adviceguide.org.uk/england.htm

Hope the link works. I am crap at technology stuff.

I work in the accounts department of a local family plumbing firm.

Extras often happen but you should have been informed & agreed to extras before they were carried out.

Unless you asked them to do things differently eg, can you come on Saturday morning instead, can the pipes run here instead of here or kept them waiting eg they lost half a days work because you weren't there to let them in then they have no grounds.

Thanks for the advice. I accept that one extra radiator was verbally discussed and not in the quote but I missed that; so, fine. Also I asked for an extra part on the immersion heater but was told it would not be much more so I can take the hit on that. However I was not told the other pipe stuff would be more and in fact I had a conversation halfway through where I double checked it was a quote. They also forgot to add a tank of some sort on the initial quote.I am disappointed as the lads were really good and I am happy with the work, so a shame about this.

I haven't paid yet by the way. Luckily.

Well dont. Yet. Call the company and explain your reluntance to pay in full as you werent asked or told about what you claim is extra. Say youre willing to pay for what was agreed in the quote but not the final bill. Get any names of people you speak to and note time and dates etc. Contact CAB for advice.

Will do, many thanks for your help, it is good to have some support and back up!

Ask for an itemised bill so that you can see where the additional money is being charged.

My husband owns a plumbing firm - any additional works or changes to the quote are discussed prior to those changes being implemented.

To be honest any tradesman or company worth their salt would stick to the quote they give. Any change they would notify you in advance to discuss and explain why.
Let us know how you get on.

Thegoatprophecy.......howd you get on?

To be honest any tradesman or company worth their salt would stick to the quote they give

I would have to say in answer to that, though, HMSDad - my o/h gives a quote based on what the customer asks for. Then, when he starts to do the work, the customer changes things, adds things, asks for all sorts of extras, often involving more manpower, more equipment. Then, even though o/h says "This will cost you extra" verbally the customer will agree, but when it comes to paying the bill, they will say "But that's not what you quoted".
That is then unfair to the tradesperson, and we get it a lot, sadly. My o/h is genuinely one of the good guys, often does little jobs for people for no charge at all, but we are also sometimes on the receiving end of rip-off customers

Evans, I can understand that that happens in come cases, but I did not ask to change anything in this case. hmsdad71, I got two friends to go through the invoice with me and we worked out a fair amount, by adding the actual materials they had forgotten to include in the quote, but subtracting the extra labour that I wasn't expecting. I pointed out that the work didn't overrun anyway so I couldn't understand the extra labour charge. I emailed this over late last week and haven't had a reply yet. Thanks for the assistance.

I realise that, GoatProphecy - just pointing out that it unfortunately does happen in some cases. I was replying to HMSDad71's comment about any tradesman worth their salt sticking to given quote. That's all.

(I'd already given similar advice further up)
Good luck !

Have you heard yet? Hope it's sorted now! :)