Customer not paying small amount but it's the principle!!!

[Masood]

None of this makes sense.

'The person who issued permission to do the work shouldn't have done and she doesn't work here any more'.

As Joni says, this accepts that a person who once worked there, gave permission. Not your fault if they acted outside their authority, the employer is liable.

'We don't look after the house anymore and its even been sold.

Irrelevant. If they looked after it at the time work was approved and carried out, they are still liable

'We have no proof that you've done the work you said you did'.

Presumably they didn't answer your invoice with a letter / email to the effect of "What are you charging us for, the problem still exists?" You'd have some correspondence from them surely?

 

[hammers4spanner]

Have they actually disputed the invoice???

 

[joni os]

Sounds like someone got stuffed by "Square fellow handshakes", but normally its not so blatant.

 

[Dotty]

Sounds like someone got stuffed by "Square fellow handshakes", but normally its not so blatant.

Meaning?

 

[tomplumb83]

Cant answer your questions other than to say you are wrong.
I had the emails, I even traced the woman who lived at said property and had her send me an email to say Id done the work.
It was all agreed before I went into the property by email.
The estate agent even had a solicitor which looking back shows she had a good idea she'd win.
The whole experience was awful from the amount of time spent dealing with them to the days in court were I had to sit near the estate agent and two of her cronies and was made to feel like ****. All for the sake of a couple of hundred quid.

 

[tomplumb83]

Good Morning Tom



I do recall your visit very well and know that you were at the house for some hours repairing the fault. I can also confirm that you were the only Plumber working on the heating system on that day (although someone else had worked on it previously some time back). It was just a few days prior to our moving out of the house and I was in the midst of packing boxes etc. I know that you were at the house long enough for me to offer you one, if not two, hot drinks.



I did have a call from *****(??) the owners representative, who asked me what I recalled and I gave her all the above information. This was some time back, perhaps 6 - 8 weeks ago, if not longer.



I dont know if this will be of any assistance to you but I hope so.



Should you want to contact me my mobile number is



Regards

***** *******

 

[tomplumb83]

I could give you a list of emails!

Seriously, you can almost get off with anything providing you throw enough money at a solicitor. Just ask Oscar
Somehow she obviously thought she was in the right. They all do. And so did the court.
I jacked plumbing in for 3years pretty much from the aggro of this one job

My mistake. It was 5years ago after all.
I had there permission by email but they asked me to call them once I had an idea of what needed doing.
Here lies my mistake. Its easily done when the tenant doesn't have heating, you think your doing the right thing.
That said, the estate agents story changed numerous times and I thought that this alone would stand me well.

 

[hammers4spanner]

I could give you a list of emails!

Seriously, you can almost get off with anything providing you throw enough money at a solicitor. Just ask Oscar
Somehow she obviously thought she was in the right. They all do. And so did the court.
I jacked plumbing in for 3years pretty much from the aggro of this one job

I have heard other businesses say similar to be fair got a friend of mine who has been court few times and said never again waste of time .

I had big prob with builder couple year ago who owed me a fair wedge had a mare getting money out of them .Started a money claims procedure and initially they seemed to not care however couple weeks down the line they paid (most). Not sure if it was the threat of court or they just decided to pay . If people don't want to pay it is a mare situation to try and get your money and should be an easier process.

 

[Masood]

Cant answer your questions other than to say you are wrong.
I had the emails, I even traced the woman who lived at said property and had her send me an email to say Id done the work.
It was all agreed before I went into the property by email.
The estate agent even had a solicitor which looking back shows she had a good idea she'd win.
The whole experience was awful from the amount of time spent dealing with them to the days in court were I had to sit near the estate agent and two of her cronies and was made to feel like ****. All for the sake of a couple of hundred quid.

My sympathies, then. Sounds like despite having a lot of evidence in your favour either the solicitor exploited procedural errors or found a way to weasel out of it. The email from the tenant confirms you were there but doesn't detail what you did. Maybe that threw doubt on it. Some judges / magistrates make downright stupid and inexplicable decisions at times.

 

[joni os]

Res ipsa loquitor

 

[tomplumb83]

Another mistake was the fact it took 9-10months to get it to court.
By which time the house was long off there books and this in itself seemed to give them a good enough reason.
Thing is, if the landlord isn't going to pay, the estate agent isn't going to want to either are they. They had no intention of paying, just a shame I didn't have the nous to pick up on it

Ive had a large bathroom/kitchen companies refuse to pay me in the past month.
They had an email stating I was 99% sure it was going to cost them such and such.
After a month of waiting and another month of phone calls, most of which were ignored, it has now been agreed the manufacturer who Iwork for will settle the bill.
They weren't going to pay though, no matter what theyd said 2months previous

 

[tomplumb83]

Masood, other than that email, I had no proof of being at the property and no proof of doing any work.
I made mistakes but at the time I thought I had concrete evidence and theyd have to pay.
Mind you, Ill never forget how they treated me....

I wince at the money some of the plumbers on here lay out on a job! This was only 2-300. Id hate to be on the receiving end of a full heating system or more.

 

[joni os]

I normally take digital photos to confirm attendance and record completed work. Knowledge that I have this evidence deters clients from fanciful recollections.

 

[Dotty]

Agree on this,

We use a couple of pieces of software for documenting the job including before and after pics. The gas software we use also includes the ability to add attachments. We made it a policy to attach an FGA printout to the boiler, photograph it, and attach it to the document.

I wouldn't say it's a bulletproof policy but it's near as damn it.

 

[Best]

Cant answer your questions other than to say you are wrong.
I had the emails, I even traced the woman who lived at said property and had her send me an email to say Id done the work.
It was all agreed before I went into the property by email.
The estate agent even had a solicitor which looking back shows she had a good idea she'd win.
The whole experience was awful from the amount of time spent dealing with them to the days in court were I had to sit near the estate agent and two of her cronies and was made to feel like ****. All for the sake of a couple of hundred quid.

The law in the UK is often corrupt and I say that as someone that is British.
I have been in court recently (nothing to do with me) and watching all the different barristers & solicitors, mainly pretty women, going out & in from court room to clients in waiting areas, makes it all seem silly. Worst thing is a lot of this is legal aid and costing thousands literally for simple cases

 

[hammers4spanner]

legal aid has had plugged pulled

 

[drip-dry]

if you are plumbing in london and worried about £40 ....... maybe you are doing something wrong....you should be getting paid once works done if you do not know customer....maybe pur £2 extra on the next 20 jobs and move on.........if you manage to get through your self employed stint and only look back on a £20 bad dept.....you are a better man than most

ps...i am in the cement them gang ��

 

[spanner]

Was discussing the other day over outside tap cost... lolz.. I don't think it should be lesser than £100 supply fit clean up start- finish.
Yesterday in stamford Hill. For £50 YESSSSSSSS(50 minutes), it was a straight forward back to back kitchen and outside tap and all fittings in place dcv iso drain off and OK used up 500mm copper consumption...
You N ever guess
He's said it was FAR too much..
I was so hungry at the time and had no breakfast I'd left the job and had already cleaned up.
Was going for post this yesterday.
But this is what occurs when you can charge a little too less...
Never ever will I do another one. That's put me right off doing outside taps for good..

 

[Best]

Was discussing the other day over outside tap cost... lolz.. I don't think it should be lesser than £100 supply fit clean up start- finish.
Yesterday in stamford Hill. For £50 YESSSSSSSS(50 minutes), it was a straight forward back to back kitchen and outside tap and all fittings in place dcv iso drain off and OK used up 500mm copper consumption...
You N ever guess
He's said it was FAR too much..
I was so hungry at the time and had no breakfast I'd left the job and had already cleaned up.
Was going for post this yesterday.
But this is what occurs when you can charge a little too less...
Never ever will I do another one. That's put me right off doing outside taps for good..

What materials did you supply? Did you tell the customer that the £50 includes your vans total costs, tools costs and qualifications, insurances, etc, etc?

 

[spanner]

What materials did you supply? Did you tell the customer that the £50 includes your vans total costs, tools costs and qualifications, insurances, etc, etc?

The most Rotten thing was I looked first and said "£50 supply and fit" and at that price I was thinking simple and should have asked for money up front. ( and I never ask for anything up front)
Just I have plenty of dc valves and drain offs in the van back tubes etc
After completing I never believed anymore someone could say it was too much..
Anyway he has called me to get payment. I think I'll wind him up and say I me brother would have done it for £45 .
As I don't believe that anyone can have an outside tap fitted in London for less than that let alone £100.
Never even made me cuppa tea. Tight basket..