Customer looking for fair solution to problem with a plumber

[borax]

I hope this is OK to post here, i have a problem with a plumber and want some advice from other plumbers on how to deal with it fairly, long story......

I had my bathroom gutted, re-tiled new shower, bath, new window etc (i supplied all apart from window). We wanted an existing window removed and blocked up and another existing window changed from a crittel one to a timber one. In November last year got a guy in he said job would take 2-3 weeks and would be £4600, he could start straight away.

So he started, Nov last year. About 2 weeks in he said it was going to take a bit longer (more expensive) than quoted time but not sure how much longer and would let me know. He ended up working for 2 more weeks and worked until xmas eve. He left and said he would be back in the new year to complete the job. At this point i paid £4000.

He came back in the New Year to do a couple of little jobs and then disappeared. At this point virtually all of the inside had been done (i had to re-grout the floor as just after he had grouted it and it was still wet he cut the bottom off the wooded bathroom door and all the bits/dust went every where and stuck in the wet grout)

At this point virtually all the inside was done, however on the outside where the old window had been removed it had been bricked up with 1 layer of breeze blocks, internally. But it needed the exterior layer done, this was left exposed. Also, around the new timber window was a 1/4 gap that had not been sealed/filleted and this was letting water in onto the fresh plaster inside.
I contacted him several times to get him to finish he promised he would, but never turned up.

Anyway, 3 weeks ago he turned up at my house to say he had a spare day and had come to finish, 7 months after he started. In the meantime i have paid another chap to finish external bricking, rendering, painting and sealing timber window.

This plumber has now sent me an invoice for £2100, £600 for the remainder of the original quote and £1500 for extra time it took.

What are your thoughts on how i should deal with this?

 

[SafeGasInstall]

Hi ,

really sorry for whT you have had expirienced with your bathroom renovation .....
there is always two side of the story , so all I can say is :
- agreed price is to be paid only even if it takes longer (agreement is agreement) if the is a additional work to be done this should have been agreed by both sides before work take place

 

[Ray Stafford]

Hi Borax and welcome to the forum.

As safegasinstall says, there are always 2 sides to a story, and I would want to hear the other side before passing too much comment.

However, at the heart of this lies the contract between you and the tradesman, what it includes, and what has been done / not done. Is there anything in writing between you? Even emails or at a push a text message may form a contract. Did you ever tell him that he was sacked, and that you were getting someone else to finish the job?

In a case like this, the "he-said-I-said" isn't going to count for much. Words on paper will count for much more.

 

[borax]

Hi Guys, thanks for the tips, and i know its tricky to say as this is just my version but im trying to be as factual as possible. There was never any written paperwork. I never told him he was sacked from the job, i did contact him in Jan, Feb, MArch and April asking him to come and finish the job. By the end of April i was so fed up with him i got the other guy in to finish the job, this was done in May. After working on the bathroom for 2 weeks the original guy did say it was going to take longer than anticipated, but at no point were figures discussed.

Thanks for your input, i want to resolve this in a fair way but i do feel i've had a bit of a rough ride with this one.

 

[SafeGasInstall]

If not figures been agreed for what ever reason , or mentioned then I don't think extra payment is due !
I would not ask for more money if I have underestimated job or is taking me longer , but I mean by 1/2 days max and this is on a full pluming and heating job that lasts 4/6weeks.
I don't do bathrooms so I can not say if two weeks is not enough time to do a bathroom ....

 

[SimonG]

Its a shame you seem to have found a bad egg.

Anyway, the only issue I can see is that you didnt give him notice thst the job has to be completed in x number of days or somebody else will finish and costs countercharged.

Horse and stable door etc, but always get somethin in writing. I even do that for customers that have used me for years. It just lets everybody know where they stand and gets any ambiguity out of the way.

Write him a letter, explain your position, (was the original price an estimate or a quotation), explain that waiting 7 months is not acceptable, despite repeated requests he did not return so you have used the left over money to have the works completed.
Keep the letter honest and factual with no emotion. See what happens.

 

[SafeGasInstall]

I can understand 1/2 days but weeks .....

 

[newcastle phill]

Hard to say. As has been said two sides to every story.

On occasion jobs do become more expensive as we all know through unforseen.
Sometimes best endeavours to be fair and honest lead to inevitable extra costs when unforseen is stumbled upon.

Best writing to the company involved detailing your concerns and wait for a written response

 

[R.Oak]

I would not give him another penny. Overrunning slightly can be forgiven, bit if you have genuinely been trying to get him back for 7 months then he has taken you for a ride and you should not pay him anything else. 7 months on he has paid for the materials out of the money you have already paid (and also pocketed quite a bit too) so anything he is owed is labour only and he should sacrifice it for being so unreliable.

Im sorry you have found a cowboy, guys like that give us honest folk a bad name. Live and learn, always get things in writing.

 

[SafeGasInstall]

And ask for recommendation from friends or ask the professional here

 

[goz666]

I think you have grounds to counter claim and send him the bill you've paid the new guy.

 

[plumben]

I can understand underestimating and over running not everything goes to plan you never really know what your walking into but not returning to finish work for over 7 months is unacceptable unless Illness or other good reason but this isn't the case, I personally wouldn't expect any more money off you, you should arrange a meeting In public place explain your grevences and pay half what he's asking to save any court case stress and he might be out of pocket for any materials

 

[Best]

You could also ask him for a detailed breakdown of his invoice in your letter to him.
As above comments say, your correspondence with the plumber could be used in court, so keep it relating to the work details & invoice & no nasty comments - keep it professional & as if you are speaking to a friend who has made a mistake. Your letters would end up being how a judge views your relationship with the plumber. Keep all copies of letters obviously.

 

[stevetheplumber]

after\ a seven month gap i would say he doesnt have a leg to stand on especially as he didnt finish as said previously if there was extra work agreed and finished he is entitled to be paid but i would deduct what its cost you to have the work finished

 

[zeebeedee]

As Steve said 7 months is taking the biscuit, it's his problem if he's under estimated the job time/cost he needs to learn to quote correctly and turning up months and months layer to finish is a joke. Tell him to run and jump

 

[Ermintrude]

Counter charge him for your stress loss of enjoyment and cost to remidy his work

 

[Anna]

Hi Borax,

I had a problem with a plumber not coming back to site to finish the job. It after waiting far too long and a line of excuses from the tradesman I called Cowboy Builder. Although they didn't use my story in the show I was able to get lots of over the phone advice about what to do.

I would advise emailing your story in. There email is consumeraffairs(at)ricochet.co.uk