New doors, crap fitting

[opps]

Quick update, he's turned up!
Unfortunately my missus home on her own, although she's feisty, he's claiming nobody's ever gone round inspecting his work in that detail and he's never had a complaint so not sure really what our problem is .
He's said he's going to fill where he can which we're really not happy about but she's going to let him do one and then check it.
He's turned up with an attitide and she feels uncomfortable now so I've told her to ask him to leave if she's not happy

"in that detail"?

Is that short hand for "I normally only work for partially slighted people"?

BTW, apropos him filling, it might be a bit petty, but I would insist that any filling would allow the tubular locks to be removeable without damaging the filler. They do fail from time to time.

 

[johnny2007]

I would never accept new doors filled to cover the chopping of a beaver to fit locks.
A new door must be perfect and stay perfect for at least 10 years.
I fitted doors 20/25 years ago and despite the many layers of paint on them, they still look good.
That's why customers call back the same traders every time and start crying when they retire.

 

[10monty]

I'll see what it looks like when I get home. He was there for around 2 hours. Missus seems happy with the end result but I'm not sure filling new doors one week after fitting is acceptable tbh.

 

[Old Salt]

I'll see what it looks like when I get home. He was there for around 2 hours.

About as long as it took him to fit them then

 

[10monty]

This is how the latches are now. I can't say I'm happy with then still tbh or am I being over fussy?
I'm tempted to offer him half his money and walk away from it. There's no way I'm paying him full price for that finish

 

[Deleted member 174758]

I can't say I'm happy with then still tbh or am I being over fussy?

For the price he is charging, no.

At least he tried, but filler generally isn't the way you sort out problems - it's how you (try to) cover up mistakes - and even there I don't think he has succeeded (e.g. photos 2, 6 and 7 - out of alignment keep body drilling still visible, photo 3 - gap at top, photo 4 - dog rough edge to faceplate recess, etc). To me the fact that he came back indicates that he knew he hadn't done a good enough job. TBH this is the level of work I expect to see on lower cost new builds with painted doors (where standards are lower and this sort of thing often passes muster), but for the amount of money he is charging (effectively more than £300/day), he really needs to up his game and stop thinking that he can get away with this level of workmanship

 

[10monty]

He also quoted 2 men for one day and he's spent approx 8 hours here on his own which is half the labour he quoted

 

[10monty]

Thanks for all the replies, much appreciated.
I slept on it and have decided to pay him half his original quote, mainly because the doors open and close and the handles work!
I emailed him this morning stating my dissatisfaction and how I feel about his workmanship
Told him I would pay half his original quote today and we'll call it a day.
Cheeky **** messaged back asking for vat on top!
Told him 300 or nothing, which he accepted.
I begrudge paying him a penny if I'm honest but don't want this dragging out much longer

 

[opps]

I don't know many VAT registered chippies.

I have however know some cowboys who charge VAT even though they are not VAT registered...

Check a UK VAT number

Check a UK VAT registration number is valid. Prove when you checked a number.

www.gov.uk

 

[10monty]

I don't know many VAT registered chippies.

I have however know some cowboys who charge VAT even though they are not VAT registered...

Check a UK VAT number

Check a UK VAT registration number is valid. Prove when you checked a number.

www.gov.uk

Tbf he has a vat registration number on his invoice. There was no way he was getting it though

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Tbf he has a vat registration number on his invoice. There was no way he was getting it though

Did he specifically quote the price as being exclusive of VAT when he gave you his figure? I always thought that if a business quoted a price to a member of the public that it was implied that the price was inclusive of VAT (if applicable), unless specifically stated otherwise. Certainly in the past when I was involved in a VAT-registered business, when quoting another business all quotes specifically stated "price exclusive of VAT, which will be levied at the current applicable rate(s)" whereas quotes to private customers always stated "price inclusive of VAT at currently applicable rate(s)" (as recommended by HMCE VAT Office at the time). So, my feeling is that if he didn't state it at the beginning, he can't now add it on - that's his problem.

In any case, in my experience it is relatively uncommon for a sole trader doing private work to be VAT registered. If nothing else the extra 20% VAT on top of their bill makes them a lot less attractive to potential (retail) customers, whereas when they were dealing with larger firms there is pressure to be VAT registered and charge VAT, so that the customer can offset input VAT against their output VAT. A few guys I have known who did get close to the VAT threshold have done something like set-up a second business in the wife's name, the son's name, as a partnership (e.g. Bloggs and Daughter), hell even in the budgie's name to avoid exceeding the quarterly VAT threshold

 

[10monty]

He just quoted £600 to fit all doors. No mention of vat.
Anyway he's really wound me up so he should be thankful I gave him what I did

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Agreed!

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Thanks for all the replies, much appreciated.
I slept on it and have decided to pay him half his original quote, mainly because the doors open and close and the handles work!
I emailed him this morning stating my dissatisfaction and how I feel about his workmanship
Told him I would pay half his original quote today and we'll call it a day.
Cheeky **** messaged back asking for vat on top!
Told him 300 or nothing, which he accepted.
I begrudge paying him a penny if I'm honest but don't want this dragging out much longer

He maybe had in mind to charge the VAT, but not declare it. Pay him by a cheque, written to the name on the document where a VAT number is given.

 

[opps]

Did he specifically quote the price as being exclusive of VAT when he gave you his figure? I always thought that if a business quoted a price to a member of the public that it was implied that the price was inclusive of VAT (if applicable), unless specifically stated otherwise.

You are correct. Prices quoted to the public must include VAT. The seller is allowed to additionally show the VAT ex price but both must be equally sized in print.

In this case, the carpenter will have to pay the VAT on the £300 himself, He now owes HMRC £50 in VAT and earned £250.