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Original poster

Plumber is charging me for cancelling!

128 replies

Rajster · 08/01/2018 20:35

Our boiler broke on 2nd Jan and we had a guy come out to have a look at it. He recommended having a new one fitted but he couldn’t fit it for another week. A day later we asked him to go ahead. However, in the meantime another person was recommend to us and he could fit a boiler much sooner - within 2 days. We asked him to do it and it was fitted today and finally we have heating and hot water. We have 2 children under 4 so it was essential that a new boiler was installed as soon as possible. We cancelled the original guy today and now he’s trying to charge us £250 for cancelling even though this was never made clear up front and there is nothing in writing to say we agreed to such a charge. He is threatening legal action if we don’t pay.

Surely we don’t have to pay this? It was an emergency situation that needed resolving as soon as possible.

Please help!

OP posts:
TeachesOfPeaches · 08/01/2018 20:38

I would ignore him. Wouldn't be worth the cost for him to take you to court.

HumpHumpWhale · 08/01/2018 20:40

How much notice did you give him that you were cancelling?

retirednow · 08/01/2018 20:41

Had he bought a new boiler for you before you cancelled.

TyneTeas · 08/01/2018 20:42

Did you cancel as soon as you had made other arrangements last week or have you just cancelled the day before when he may have ordered parts and be less likely to get work to fill the cancellation at short notice?

TalkingSheds · 08/01/2018 20:42

Did you sign anything, if not, then you only agreed verbally, not worth the paper it's written on. Like PP has said, ignore him, it will coast him much more to take you to court.

Original poster
Rajster · 08/01/2018 20:43

We cancelled him today, he was supposed to fit it on Friday 6th. He said he’s ordered it and it has been delivered but we’ve seen no proof of this as yet

OP posts:
Original poster
Rajster · 08/01/2018 20:44

We made other arrangements on Saturday afternoon but didn’t cancel until today as we wanted to make sure the other guy turned up today!

OP posts:
Original poster
Rajster · 08/01/2018 20:45

Nothing was signed, my husband texted him on Saturday to go ahead and texted him today to cancel

OP posts:
blurredlines · 08/01/2018 20:47

My ex is a plumber and he did have the old cust cancel on him but never ever charged for this ! Parts and boilers and be easily returned to the merchants . It is annoying when a customer cancels but that's part and parcel for the job .

Dizzybacon · 08/01/2018 20:49

He provided you with a quote, you accepted it. Albeit verbally, it’s still a valid instruction to proceed. He is entitled to claim any costs he has incurred as a result of you cancelling but he has to substantiate these. Because nothing is actually in writing I.e notice periods to cancel, cancellation costs etc, a court would look at this as what is ‘fair and reasonable’.

retirednow · 08/01/2018 20:50

There is a citizens advice page on this if you Google it. Have you asked him for proof that it has been ordered, if it has he will lose money won't he. Is a text agreeing to the work a written contract.

NoSquirrels · 08/01/2018 20:51

We cancelled him today, he was supposed to fit it on Friday 6th.

Can you be really clear about the timeline? Friday wasn’t 6th, that was Saturday.

2nd Jan: boiler breaks
2nd Jan: Plumber 1 looks & quotes
6th Jan (Sat): Plumber 1 supposed to fit (but doesn’t)
6th Jan pm: plumber 2 supplies & fits?
8th Jan: cancel Plumber 1

Original poster
Rajster · 08/01/2018 20:52

Blurredlines - exactly my thoughts. Especially if he has an account with them I’m sure they’d be accommodating if he had to return the boiler. He said it was delivered to him today - from what I’ve heard im sure that this is not usual practice?

OP posts:
Ragusa · 08/01/2018 20:54

Friday 6th of....?

Do you mean Friday 12 January?

I think he is trying it on but on the other hand he may have turned down other work to take your job on.

Original poster
Rajster · 08/01/2018 20:56

2nd Jan - boiler breaks
4th Jan - plumber 1 charges call out fee and recommends new boiler
6th Jan - texted plumber 1 to go ahead but he can only fit on 12th Then family member recommended plumber 2 who said he could do it on Monday
8th Jan - plumber 2 installs and we cancel plumber 1

OP posts:
monkeywithacowface · 08/01/2018 20:58

Don't what his legal come back can be on this. Bit of a dick move on your part though so I can understand why he's pissed off.

Dizzybacon · 08/01/2018 20:59

He received your text on the 6th Saturday. I don’t believe for one minute he ordered the boiler on a Sunday to be delivered today. I would be inclined to ask him for proof

Dizzybacon · 08/01/2018 21:00

Sorry that was meant to say ordered saturday / sunday.

AFistfulOfDolores · 08/01/2018 21:01

Given that timeline, I think he has grounds to seek reparative charges, imo.

retirednow · 08/01/2018 21:02

I always thought a text msg was a written agreement. If he has lost money by buying your voiler or cancelled other work to do your job he will feel fed up. He may well have spent some unpaid time on you which seems a bit unfair.

PrincessMargaret · 08/01/2018 21:02

You let him order a boiler and plan the work and then got someone else to do in between times without telling him. Of course he should fucking charge you. He's a business not a charity.

PrincessMargaret · 08/01/2018 21:03

If you accepted his quote that is a contractual commitment.

StopCallingMeShirley · 08/01/2018 21:05

Not a legal expert, just idly musing because this came up in Active...

Does he have a webpage with general T&C at all? He may have blocked a whole day to do the job and is concerned he will now be unable to fill the day so will be losing income (not convinced this would justify the charge though). Although, if plumbers in your area are as hard to come by as they are here, I would expect him to be able to bring work forward to fill it.

Not sure where Friday 6th is, assume you mean 12th. I can't see how he would have taken delivery of a boiler today, given that most wholesalers aren't open over a weekend to have placed an order on Saturday and today is only Monday. Which suggests to me he is not being fully truthful. And he should be able to return it anyway.

retirednow · 08/01/2018 21:06

I don't see why it is difficult to believe he ordered a boiler over the weekend, you can get anything quickly these days.

AlexanderHamilton · 08/01/2018 21:07

An instruction to go ahead (& order the boiler) is binding whether verbal or written. Our suppliers would charge us at least a 20% re-stocking charge.