How to deal with unfair charges

[william910]

I am a bit annoy about this trader and I would need some suggestions.

So my boiler had broken down and I got a recommendation from one of my friends, the guy turned up half an hour late to the time he mention and he spent 10 minutes unscrew the cover of the boiler and tell me I need a new boiler.

On the conversation between me and him he never mentioned any call out charge or anything before.

So I decide to use another Engineer who actually fix my boiler.

So the original guy who asked me to put a new boiler in aware of this situation and now he told me that he need to charge me for diagnostic fee.

Am I being too harsh to argue with him because he literally done nothing and I wasn’t aware of the charge before he come out?

Many thanks

 

[noseall]

I am a bit annoy about this trader and I would need some suggestions.

So my boiler had broken down and I got a recommendation from one of my friends, the guy turned up half an hour late to the time he mention and he spent 10 minutes unscrew the cover of the boiler and tell me I need a new boiler.

On the conversation between me and him he never mentioned any call out charge or anything before.

So I decide to use another Engineer who actually fix my boiler.

So the original guy who asked me to put a new boiler in aware of this situation and now he told me that he need to charge me for diagnostic fee.

Am I being too harsh to argue with him because he literally done nothing and I wasn’t aware of the charge before he come out?

Many thanks

Tell him his diagnosis was not only incorrect but fraudulent and you are considering reporting him.

 

[william910]

I just found out there are way too many scammers out there and not enough people it actually get things working.

The second guy I just literally paid him as he get the boiler working and come back next day put the new parts in.

 

[Murdochcat]

That’s a tricky one.

If he mentioned the minimum charge before he arrived you probably don’t have a leg to stand on and should pay it.

But you did the sensible thing and sought a 2nd opinion.

At the end of the day you didn’t have to replace your boiler

 

[william910]

He didn’t mention anything before that is the problem.

If he mention it before and I agree then of cos I will have to paid

That’s a tricky one.

If he mentioned the minimum charge before he arrived you probably don’t have a leg to stand on and should pay it.

But you did the sensible thing and sought a 2nd opinion.

At the end of the day you didn’t have to replace your boiler

 

[diy_fun_uk]

Moral of the story, always ask tradespeople what/if they're going to charge when 'popping out to have a look'.

 

[SPLINE]

How much is the 'diagnostic fee'?

 

[motorbiking]

Whether he mentioned the minimum / call out fee or not, a contract for services has been entered into. You have an argument that he did not perform the services with reasonable skill and care, which may partially counter any claim.

 

[william910]

Moral of the story, always ask tradespeople what/if they're going to charge when 'popping out to have a look'.

I will be aware from this next time

 

[william910]

How much is the 'diagnostic fee'?

It’s not the amount, it’s just the lack of professionalism about what he did.
I mean of cos he will be blacklist from me now on.

 

[Mottie]

Don’t pay him anything. Tell him why in writing - text or email. If it got to a point that he took you to a small claims court for diagnostics, he wouldn’t have a leg to stand on but I think he'd just quietly fade away.

 

[william910]

Whether he mentioned the minimum / call out fee or not, a contract for services has been entered into. You have an argument that he did not perform the services with reasonable skill and care, which may partially counter any claim.

So is that mean he is right to charge me that?

This is the info I want to find out

Thanks

 

[Mottie]

I mean of cos he will be blacklist from me now on.

If I were you, I’d beat him to it and ask him to put you on his blacklist!

 

[Ihavenojob]

So the original guy who asked me to put a new boiler in aware of this situation and now he told me that he need to charge me for diagnostic fee.

What did he diagnose? If his diagnosis was you needed a new boiler, he was obviously wrong as your old boiler is now working. Some guys do nothing but repairs, sounds like your original guy was a boiler slinger.

 

[Justin Passing]

I would say, that if you call a professional to perform a service then you have entered a contract and should expect to pay.

A boiler can (nearly) always be fixed at a cost, but it's quite often better to replace due to the age of the boiler, cost of the parts and so on. Sometimes only "copy" parts will be available which technically aren't part of the approved appliance so can't legally be used. Brit gas are good at that one.

A friend once told me their boiler had been deemed unrepairable so out of curiosity I had a look. It was a really common Potterton for which I reckoned all the parts were available. Evidently, there had been a gas explosion inside this thing, so all the panels were convex. Fair enough, I thought, you wouldn't replace the case, and what else was stuffed?
Later, I heard it was working again.
"Working" doesn't mean it's right, it's not evidence of anything.

So if the guy asks for £50 or so, I think he could force you to pay it.