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Discuss time allowed to reply to complaint ?? in the Plumbing Jobs | The Job-board area at PlumbersForums.net

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still learning

hi guys, ok, here is the deal, and please keep in mind I am a nice person and a very skilled quality tradesman. Not a cowboy..... I installed only a boiler, and bathroom suite along with tilling..... the very wealthy oldish couple who own this and many other properties turned into the customers from hell. i.e., refused to pay until I did a full days work for free as basin was 2 inches too far to left even though they insisted I made all planning decisions ..so...that's them... 3 weeks after completion I get a letter saying the mirror they supplied with their mirror sticky pads fell off and broke it and basin.......I do not for one second believe this, I know she wanted a bigger mirror but that's just my thoughts. I mailed them back saying I don't believe it just fell of, neither would my insurers and not to contact me again . I have heard nothing for over a month until today when I get a recorded letter asking for £150 that I cost to put right. questions...1, is it worth the hassle rowing? 2, do I have to pay? 3, if I do decide to pay what are my time limits I can drag it out for, just to p--s them off?? these are the slime of society who really have nothing to do in life but complain.....................ahhhh, feel better for that. thanks guys
 
They supplied mirror? You used fixings supplied? You followed manufacturers instructions? Tell them to do one.
 
Sorry to hear but also glad you are not the only one who gets them !
I sometimes wish I was good at writing as am sure a book of crazy things customers do or say could make a fortune ?
 
Tell them sorry to hear your going to have 7 years bad luck lol or that his wife should not have looked too close into mirror.
 
How do you suppose they became so wealthy?.....tapping up guys like yourself no doubt....learn from this to have some form of contract to include what you will supply and cover and how it will vary when they supply..best of luck regards Turnpin:8:
 
They will probably take you to small claims if they are as bad as they sound so keep a record of all correspondence .
Keep your reply as above very short and to the point stating that you fitted as per instructions .
The trouble with courts is that they are normally bised towards the home owner !
A solicitor once said to me if you are rich go to court if not take what you can get today as you will end up spending a lot to get little in return .
 
they supplied all fixtures and fitting and I even sugar soaped tiles to remove all dust and grout. so...pay up??? legal rights on dragging it out???
 
Don't pay and don't drag it out, get a response (registered mail) straight back to them. Polite and to the point.

But I would say, even though I believe you are in the right, don't stick mirrors onto walls with sticky pads. Next time when somebody gives you one to stick on the wall just tell them not a problem but I'll need to get some mirror fixings.
 
Sorry to hear your plight, if it helps I get an average of 1 a month of people refusing to pay and 9/10 its from people with nice houses n cars in nice areas, Joe average is more likely to slip me a fiver as we shake hands.
 
I would say that even if you didn't use supplied fixings (sometimes they are not suitable i.e. rawl plugs for dot and dabbed plasterboard but used suitable ones then you would be fine.

If they supplied then basically it's their problem, especially if you fitted it as a favour rather than for money.
 
rpm said:
Sorry to hear your plight, if it helps I get an average of 1 a month of people refusing to pay and 9/10 its from people with nice houses n cars in nice areas, Joe average is more likely to slip me a fiver as we shake hands.
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30 years ago when I was starting out in the building trade on my own my old mate who had been in the game 40 years then said to me that the old boy in the council house will be worrying how to pay you and have the money ready , the wealthy will be worrying how not to pay you and take forever to pay , then you get mr and mrs 2.4 kids with a company car and a house they can barely afford but have to have an extension when the neighbours do ! They do not worry if they pay you or not and will find fault near the end so they can in their mind justifiably kick you off !
Never belived him at the time !
 
Had a few of these of the years, loads of money, loads of time, need their self importance to be re-energised to the level they used to be at when they worked for a living!

If they take you to a small claims you can still not pay even if they find you wrong which will entail even more hassle for them to escalate it to a higher court, depends if you want to take the chance.

I would generally pass all correspondance to the insurers stating you followed manufacturer's instructions (if you did?), did the pads come with the mirror?

If they supplied them and they weren't correct it could be argued that you are the competant person (as you agreed to fit it) and made a mistake, (if they gave you sticky pads to fit a boiler they'd also supplied you with wouldn't fit it but you did fit the mirror); and i'm not having a dig, just stating what they'll probably argue......

What i've learned to do is use a simple quotesheet that has all the terms and conditions on the rear so i'm covered with their signature of agreement even before I start work. If the job changes I use the variation sheet so I'm still covered, and they still have to sign for the variation (I also tell them this is standard practice and I need to do it to get my insurance company discounts, not that I do!!!).

If there's something not in the terms and conditions that is specific to this job then I add it to cover me. My son who's a chippy has also altered the sheet (as it's a gas one) and it's got him out of the preverbial a few times as the customer can't argue what they've signed for!

I got them from here:

Gas Forms: Quotation Acceptance Form

Gas Forms: Quotation Variation Form
 
could end up in small claims court unfortunately. but yes, send a registered reply back that is short and to the point. The mirror was installed as per the manufacturers instructions by a skilled workperson. they need to take it up with the manufacturers. My missus bought some robe hooks that had sticky pads on the back and could stick to anything and hold up to two robes each. one went on a tiled wall, the other on the back of a door. both fell off with one dressing gown. new ones screwed in and I can hang off them bad boys
 
Had the same situation but with a nice customer the glass back splash componey after a phone call of complaint sent out new one free of charge with some adisive I wouldn't pay them anything
 
i just work on the presumption that you have insurance so you can say you've got insurance on business cards, web etc. i never for one minute presume they'd actually help you out if something happens. or pay out any money. better idea is to put £20 a week by for a personal insurance fund. then when once or twice a year something happens, use it. i personally wouldn't dream of claiming on insurance for anything unless i couldn't pay for it myself because just assume it will be 500 phone calls and letters followed by no help or money whatsoever.
 
Depends on your insurance company i suppose.
Normally it is just a phone call then a few emails forwarding any correspondence or answering queries.
 
Can you recommend an insurance company /policy type that you've found has worked well for you Tamz?
 
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