Plumber ? ..... Cowboy ? ...... Con-man

[PlumbersMate]

Is that around 800% mark up?

 

[Dannypipe]

Something like that.

Profit isn't a swear word, but that's greedy. Specially as he charged for collection.

 

[PlumbersMate]

So he charged £70 to pick up a £31 part that cost him £4. Gis a job guvna lol

 

[hammers4spanner]

How funny. You have no issues with a £4 part being charged at £37.80 Inc VAT?

next time you goto a garage breakdown your materials nobody says nowt about that its just accepted

its the labour in this case imho

 

[Dannypipe]

I personally think it's better to be transparent with material costs and fair. A markup is fair. More of a markup if it's stock from on board, as you won't have to leave site to collect it on an hourly rate. But 800% is a rip off.

I charge £50 an hour, and I'm cheap compared to other local firms. One of my competitors who has pretty much the same qualifications (most domestic gas and oil) charges £85.00 an hour and charges by the quarter hour increment. Both prices are ex VAT.

So for me, that hourly rate is not that high.

The mechanics who repaired my van recently charge more than that, and I didn't bat an eye. Sure they marked up the materials too, but not by 800%!

 

[hammers4spanner]

blimey my hour rate is to cheap then i'm £25 , but in this instance i dont put hour rate on going to pick up material i would put my time on the material

 

[Dannypipe]

Well in my area, I'm not cheap but about right.

I never set out to be the cheapest plumber in the south east. Why should I?

There are loads of crap plumbers out there who can work for peanuts. If you're good a what you do, then charge appropriatley.

(not suggesting for a moment that you're not good at what you do).

If you're OFTEC and/or Gas Safe registered, unvented qualified, fully insured, and have been in the trade for years, then you deserve to earn a proper living. Thats a world away from ripping people off though!

Not suggesting those that aren't gas/oil registered shouldn't earn well too, but their overheads aren't as high.

 

[lame plumber]

there are areas like the sw where £85 an hour wouldnt be tolerated, some moan at me for £55plumbing call out or £65 gas/oil call out but I still working and looking to increase as time goes on.

 

[aligorgon]

I put 10% on materials if i have to order them all up front and end up on credit card - but for a 15mm gate valve wouldnt bother

 

[TBServices]

I wouldn't charge for a gate valve tbh, it would be hidden in the labour charge which in the case of this job should've been £50-80 IMO

 

[Dannypipe]

Well, all areas are different. This area, £50 an hour. People don't bat an eye lid. But that's for an honest hour of proper work, not stringing little jobs out and then sticking the boot in and charging nearly forty quid for a 15mm gate valve.

The guy who we are all talking about on this thread has royally ripped them off.

 

[Solderman]

This is an amature job done by a cowboy workman who then embezzled an old couple

what an obscene story …… and a disgrace to the plumbing industry


mate, I’d expose this guy on Youtube, Twitter, Facebook and all over the internet
:50:


what a complete shyster

 

[peteheat]

My rate is regarded as high by some consumers the majority appear to agree they get value for money as most of my business is referrals also the consumer is advised of the cost before they commit to placing an order be it written or as accepted by over 90% verbal agreement.

I have a few issues with this:

The valve used should be deemed as standard stock in most plumbers vans, if it's not in stock then don't be charging your full hourly rate for going to the nearest retailer and buying it, unusual items that need a van to collect for example a boiler or oil tank means the customer is getting full value for the use of your van and your time.

By all means have a mark up on your van stock, it costs money to put it there and extra fuel to transport it regardless of whether it's needed for a specific job or not.

I would have given the customer a guide cost (estimate) it works for both parties as the customer knows how much they are spending, if they can afford it, if they believe they are getting value for money, maybe look for another estimate or just say no, the contractor knows he can buy the custom part or take it from his van stock knowing he will be paid for the job.

In the case described we are dealing with an elderly person, personally I am lucky enough to be able to do the job described and promise an invoice that is very often never sent or depending on the customer charge a nominal amount leaving the customer happy that they had a job done and it's paid for, each customer / job is handled in a different way because the customers like ourselves are individuals.

If we round up numbers could we go to £5.00 for the valve?

Maybe an hour allowing for traveling to and from the job?

Even in the days when money was in extremely short supply (yes I've seen those) I couldn't justify charging any more even if I had to leave to buy the valve.

Regardless of our beliefs we all know (or should know) right from wrong, a couple of very rough quotes to mind:

Do unto others as you would have done unto you.

Whatever you do unto the least of my brethren you do unto me.

We can call it Karma, natural justice, payback, whatever comes to mind but I have no doubt that man will pay for taking advantage of the elderly.

Maybe he is already paying because it appears he forgot that he left a detailed description of the works but had to lie when asked what work he had carried out for the amount charged?

Perhaps he didn't break the law of the land (I'm almost sure he didn't), what he did was enough to make a lot of us (well me anyway) feel sick that he would dare to call himself a tradesman.

 

[Billy Bunter]

Mum has asked me to put their invoice on screen

She doesn't want other old and vulnerable people to be ripped off

 

[Howsie]

What's their vat number?

 

[Solderman]

Scam :50:

Scam :50:

What a load of shysters

Magically their workman turns up at 5 to the hour ....... £69 in the bag straight away

Then he sods off to the pub for a pint and a pie ......... returns 2 hours later

Spends 10 minutes fitting only part of a £4 gate valve


What a rip off

 

[Keefy]

What's their vat number?

< Bottom of the invoice Billy, what does it say?

Also, here's a bit of basic information on the company (freely available in the public domain) plus if you search hard enough round the web you'll find their adverts where "happy" customers like yourself can leave a review.

 

[hammers4spanner]

Well i dont think craigs business is registered under vat checker as it says its available to reg for VAT

 

[Plumb08]

I honestly don't know how some people sleep at night

 

[Billy Bunter]

View attachment 11844 < Bottom of the invoice Billy, what does it say?

Also, here's a bit of basic information on the company (freely available in the public domain) plus if you search hard enough round the web you'll find their adverts where "happy" customers like yourself can leave a review.

Their VAT No. 995 0366 84

 

[hammers4spanner]

comes up as legit

 

[Gray0689]

It only shows business gassafe number is legit no installer number on invoice

 

[Whl4852]

Other than naming and shaming his business, there's not a lot else anybody can do. What a scumbag robbing the elderly!

 

[hammers4spanner]

wonder if he reads this or has submitted hi gsr number to the mods on here

 

[Baxi Bermuda]

oooooo'er comb yer hair and no farting , we're on telly

COWBOY PLUMBERS .......... AND BUILDING CONTRACTORS - YouTube