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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:

BlondeB83 · 08/01/2018 23:14

You should have told him as soon as you arranged the second one on Friday.

PinaColadaSong · 08/01/2018 23:15

If your a builder working on an extension this would obviously need to be planned in . If your a breakdown kitchen appliance engineer you generally work on a fast turnaround.

I don't know a single self employed plumber who works solely on breakdowns - the only ones I know who do this work for bigger firms......

blurredlines · 08/01/2018 23:17

It's just another name . Some people do call gas engineers - plumbers .

KiaOraAura · 08/01/2018 23:20

A plumber and a gas engineer aren't the same things though...

I think the OP was out of order in this case fwiw.

kirinm · 08/01/2018 23:22

It's not the same thing though. This guy may have been a plumber and therefore your assumption that he has a fast turnover isn't necessarily right.

Anyway, the OP was out of order and a guy has lost money because of it. The only reason she thinks he's being unreasonable is because he's a tradesman and she doesn't respect him.

GreenTulips · 08/01/2018 23:23

If you entered into the contract over the phone, online or on your doorstep, you have 14 calendar days to cancel the contract under the Consumer Contracts Regulations. The cooling-off period starts the day after you agree to go ahead with the service

Quick google - you were well within your rights to cancel after a cooling off period

blurredlines · 08/01/2018 23:23

A plumber - fits bathrooms , sinks , pipes waters pipes but cannot work with gas unless they are gas safe registered .

A gas engineer- works with gas appliances and is gas safe registered.

The op used the term plumber but obviously the work would need to be carried out by a gas safe registered person .

Emily7708 · 08/01/2018 23:24

It was a bit shit to cancel him for the sake of a few days but I doubt he’s incurred any real losses or costs between getting your go ahead text on Saturday and your cancellation on Monday.

I don’t believe he had the boiler delivered already - we’ve had many boilers replaced and the plumbers either buy them off the shelf or get them delivered straight to the customer. Otherwise the receipt would have the plumber’s address on it.

KiaOraAura · 08/01/2018 23:25

Yes, as I said, different things...

Christmascardqueen · 08/01/2018 23:25

you should pay the cancellation fees. pretty standard where i live to have call out and cancellation fees if you reneg on the plan with such short notice. not cool to cancel days after you agreed with the other provider.

kirinm · 08/01/2018 23:25

Which can include a plumber!

Blurred, your experience is limited.

blurredlines · 08/01/2018 23:27

I know but the op called the tradesman a plumber . Some people do.

blurredlines · 08/01/2018 23:30

Ok . Answering boiler breakdown calls for 2 companies the past 15 years is limited .
Some people call and say my boiler has broke down I need a plumber . Some ask for a gas engineer . I knew what they meant .

WhatIWant · 08/01/2018 23:32

I would also be very wary of any plumber who can be called on Saturday and fit the correct new boiler on Monday

I disagree.

-he might have had a customer cancel on him too
-he might be working a 'steady' job e.g. For a builders company during the week and happy to do ad-hoc work at the weekend if nothing better comes up
-he might be working for builders and been held up by other trades

I have an amazing plumber who does a lot of work for a couple big new build builders. He fits me in often last minute.

Plumbing merchants don't stock every type of boiler - some need to be ordered in.

OP, I think you were in the wrong not to tell the first plumber immediately you decided to try and find someone else. You messed him around and I'm not suprised he is pissed off with you. If I were you I'd offer him £100 and see what he says. You could also ask for proof of his 'loss' but I'm not sure if it's worth the bother.

WhatIWant · 08/01/2018 23:34

BTW My plumber is also a 'gas engineer' but he calls himself a plumber so that's what I'll call him too.

AlexanderHamilton · 09/01/2018 00:03

It all hinges on whether a replacement boiler for a broken down one classed as an emergency household repair.

Jon66 · 09/01/2018 00:48

We have a number of properties for which our plumber has completed jobs. He wishes to retain our business because he gets repeat business for each property every year due to needing boiler services and gss, plus any other work like new boiler systems, new bathrooms and stuff. Oh, and we have manners which includes never swearing at complete strangers. And we always pay on the first invoice.

CurlsandCurves · 09/01/2018 08:00

@blurredlines my husband is a gas safe registered heating engineer. It’s just easier when asked what do you do for a living to say I’m a plumber!

CurlsandCurves · 09/01/2018 08:06

Sorry @blurred, did read the thread properly, that should have been a general comment, not one just directed at you!

Everyone, plumbers are plumbers. Some are gas safe registered, and therefore qualified to work with gas appliances, some are not. But most of them, in general conversation, call themselves plumbers!

DonutDiv · 09/01/2018 08:11

My plumber can service a boiler. Maybe he is a gas engineer.

MrsSthe3rd · 09/01/2018 08:14

@Jon66 In that case, your situation, is like the above irrelevant comparison as the British Gas one. The OP hasn't described that situation.

Fwiw, Plumbers who are Gas Safe registered are still called Plumbers.

MrsSthe3rd · 09/01/2018 08:17

@DonutDiv Don't worry, he's a Plumber to some people and a Gas Engineer to others. As long as he's Gas Safe registered, that's all you need to know

InfiniteSheldon · 09/01/2018 08:17

You have behaved badly you accepted his quite he booked you in ordered parts and you cancelled last minute because you found someone else yabu

OutToGetYou · 09/01/2018 12:11

@MrsSthe3rd

I haven't seen where it states that plumber1 couldn't get hold of the boiler. hmm

I didn't say he "couldn't get hold of it", I was responding in light of all the people saying he had no loss because there was no way he could have placed the order when she told him to go ahead with the job and have therefore been potentially out of pocket.

If plumber 2, who she asked on the same day to do the work, who then turned up and fitted a new boiler yesterday, can get a boiler, so could plumber 1. In fact, plumber 1 had a better chance as he'd had more notice in some ways, as he had already visited, so he may well have already done the research and been ready to order.
Yet lots of people were saying plumber 1 could not have ordered a boiler at the weekend, and not have got one that quickly. I wasn't referring when P1 said he could fit it.

InfiniteSheldon · 09/01/2018 14:40

It doesn't matter really wether or not he's ordered the boiler he has been round done a quote had the quote accepted booked the work in, probably moved other clients to fit you in ASAP All of which take time you should pay for. Now he has to redo his schedule. Again time You should pay for his alternative is to lose a day or two work all because you have no manners and no intention of sticking to your contract with him. If he had cancelled you you would be well wi thin your rights to refuse to pay him. The right thing to do now is pay him for his wasted time. Personally I would offer perhaps £100 as an apology in full and final settlement but then again I wouldn't fuck someone over like you have.

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