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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:

kirinm · 08/01/2018 21:50

You do realise YOU got something for his call out? He's a skilled tradesman. They don't work for free.

If it's £250 for parts, I'd ask him to try and return them but you should've told him earlier. Legally, I'd say you formed a contract. Offer, consideration, acceptance. I doubt he'd sue you for it but you have shown zero respect for him and what is his livelihood.

blurredlines · 08/01/2018 21:51

It is annoying I agree but I do not believe the plumber has the right to charge for this . It's just the nature of the job .

kirinm · 08/01/2018 21:54

I've just asked the electrician sat next to me and his response is that he'd take the parts back but that it is just a really cunty thing to do.

blurredlines · 08/01/2018 21:54

Nearly all plumbers will come out and quote for a new boiler for free . Most folk are advised to get as least 3 quotes . The other 2 who loose out won't charge if they do not get the job.

Thiswayorthatway · 08/01/2018 21:55

TalkingSheds, a verbal contract is just as valid as a written contract. But here it sounds as though the plumber is trying it on. Tradesman are unlikely to order and pay for valuable parts on your behalf, they usually want a deposit.

kirinm · 08/01/2018 21:56

Yes blurred but the OP confirmed that he could do the work. She didn't tell him she was obtaining other quotes. That's the difference. He incurred costs (and time) only when the OP agreed to go ahead.

Notreallyarsed · 08/01/2018 21:57

I've just asked the electrician sat next to me and his response is that he'd take the parts back but that it is just a really cunty thing to do

Just had the same response from DP (also a sparkie)

blurredlines it wasn’t a quote though, they requested he go ahead with the job, thus refusing other work for the scheduled day, order parts (which he has apparently done) and then cancelled 2 days later!

kirinm · 08/01/2018 21:57

Not true Thisway. DP often purchases the materials without a deposit. I suspect if the materials cost ££££ a deposit would be required but it's not a massive job.

Notreallyarsed · 08/01/2018 21:58

@Thiswayorthatway most tradesmen will have an account with a wholesaler, that’s why they can order parts quickly without needing to pay upfront.

Maryann1975 · 08/01/2018 21:59

Thiswayorthatway · 08/01/2018 22:01

Well he can return any parts then. Still a bit of a shit entitled thing to do.

Notreallyarsed · 08/01/2018 22:03

Nobody’s saying he can’t send the parts back, of course he can. I just think it’s incredibly arrogant to treat people as if they and their time/effort are worthless.

blurredlines · 08/01/2018 22:03

A boiler would of cost between £600 - £1500. I'm surprised he didn't take a deposit.

I'm not denying it's a shit thing to do but it's not like it was the day before . My ex would of been pissed of but after a phone call the parts would of been cancelled and would of moved on.
It's really not worth the hassle of bad mouthing from customers to take it further.

gingergenius · 08/01/2018 22:04

Still a contract. It's your word against his. Stupid of him not to arrange s written contract but a contract is still legally binding even if only verbal.

That said, he'd be hard pushed to get £250 from you unless he's got written evidence a) that you cancelled outside an agreed period and b) that he agreed t&cs with you.

It's likely he's posturing so leave him to it, but for future reference obtain everything in writing.

gingergenius · 08/01/2018 22:06

Ooh missed the part about your text saying go ahead. V dodgy but if he didn't give terms, you will be bound by standard trading terms so might be worth looking them up.

You accepted in writing and this can be proven.

kirinm · 08/01/2018 22:08

She's not a customer and in my experience, plumbers and electricians are notoriously busy so I doubt he gives a fuck what a pain in the arse customer says about him.

Jon66 · 08/01/2018 22:09

In legal terms, unless the plumber stated at the beginning, that if you cancelled an appointment you would be liable for the charge, he has no legal basis to make any claim from you. You are perfectly within your rights to cancel him. Personally I think he should have been able to buy and fit the new boiler within 2 or 3 days. My plumber would, and I don't have children at home. To expect you to wait that long in the winter is unreasonable and I am sure (having represented many people in court in money claims) that he doesn't have a leg to stand on. And, any purchased parts or items he can return to his supplier without charge, so I can't see how he could be out of pocket, other than half an hour on the phone ordering it, then cancelling the order.

blurredlines · 08/01/2018 22:14

Of course you care about your reputation. It doesn't matter how busy you are . If you business is google or social media based it can be damaging .

'Plumber came to price us a new boiler which we accepted . Unfortunately he wasn't able to accommodate us within a week. We found a plumber who could and Plumber charged us £250 for cancelling 5 days before the job '

That would have an impact.

Notreallyarsed · 08/01/2018 22:16

That would have an impact

Only if the customer was enough of an arsehole to cancel at short notice and then go out of their way to try and scupper someone’s business to make a point.

blurred you’re going on and on, without really making much sense and despite apparently knowing several people in the industry just keep going on about your ex.

blurredlines · 08/01/2018 22:19

I'm giving the op my experience of how the industry works . Most of my experience came from working with my ex hence me referring to him a lot. No need to get personal.

MsWanaBanana · 08/01/2018 22:19

Just asked my neighbours who does boilers and plumbing. He said it’s not a nice thing to do, if you felt it was too long to wait you should of said it from the beginning instead of confirming and booking him in. That said, he told me all plumbers will have an account wherever they get their supplies and it’s easy enough to return a boiler if unused. He said he himself wouldn’t charge anyone but he would be very annoyed. Also said he can’t force you to pay the £250

Notreallyarsed · 08/01/2018 22:21

@blurredlines personal? I didn’t get personal at all. I stated a fact. Your comments don’t always make a lot of sense in relation to what’s being discussed, and despite claiming to know people in the industry only talk about your ex.

AlexanderHamilton · 08/01/2018 22:22

Most plumbers have a monthly account. For a common boiler we would phone the supplier, check stock & once we'd been given the go ahead byvthe custujer wouod confirm the boiler with the supplier & collect or it would be delivered the same day.

The invoice would follow and we wouldn't pay til the end of the month but we would still be liable for a re-stocking charge if we were to return the boiler.

Most plumbers will quote for free e.g. A customer rings & says I need a new boiler, how much? In a simple domestic like for like swop quoted by an experienced operative this may not even require a visit.

However the op called the plumber out to a breakdown. This requires diagnostics & there is a minimum call out charge. It may be that repairs can be made or it may be that a new appliance is needed.

If the OP was not happy with the timescale given they should have said instead of giving an instruction to proceed.

MaisyPops · 08/01/2018 22:24

Wasting people’s time and expecting them to be fine with a job you’ve requested them to carry out, order parts for and clear time for being cancelled last minute is just a shit thing to do. Justify it however you want. It’s a shit thing to do, it’s disrespectful, arrogant and shit
This ^^
I have no idea what the score is legally but telling someone you ok to work being done and then cancelling on them is crap.
If waitinf til the 12th wasn't ok then you shouldn't have said ok.
The fact he had £60 call out fee is irrelevant.

Notreallyarsed · 08/01/2018 22:26

The £60 fee isn’t for a quote, it was an emergency call out charge. The quote came when he discovered OP needed a new boiler.

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