Plumbing consumer rights

neocon

neocon

neocon

Soldato
Joined
24 Aug 2006
Posts
6,241
If I had a job set up to do some plumbing work and I cancelled before the work is done, can the plumber charge me a handling fee?

Long story, I need a cylinder replacing and the plumber says it's a special order. He sent me the quote but he wants £1000 before the work commences as a deposit. I can't do this and I want to pay the invoice at the end. So I told him to cancel, then he started saying there's a handling fee for the cylinder.
 
Last edited:
Ask him to show you proof that he's paid for the cylinder? Is he going to be sending it back to where he bought it from or keep it in stock for another job that may come up?
Did you shop around before dealing with him?
He probably want's the £1000 as he doesn't have the funds to cover the job on his own? Never deal with people like that.
 
neocon said:
If I had a job set up to do some plumbing work and I cancelled before the work is done, can the plumber charge me a handling fee?

Long story, I need a cylinder replacing and the plumber says it's a special order. He sent me the quote but he wants £1000 before the work commences as a deposit. I can't do this and I want to pay the invoice at the end. So I told him to cancel, then he started saying there's a handling fee for the cylinder.
Click to expand...

How could he possibly have handled a cylinder that he needed a deposit to pay for? I think you've been really lucky to have learned so much about this plumber early and be able to rule out using him.

Tell him to stop contacting you.
 
I think he's going to send it back, it's a dual coil cylinder, so it's specific to the job. So he might have a return fee. Not sure it's actually been delivered though. He only sent me the quote/invoice on Saturday where it stated he needed £1000 upfront.

I asked quite few plumbers but they weren't interested due to the solar nature of the plumbing.

I could understand a return fee. But he must have right to return himself, no?
 
Unless you accepted the quote, tell them to jog on.
I refuse to use any places that wasn't money up front, it's not how a trusted place does business.
 
robj20 said:
Unless you accepted the quote, tell them to jog on.
I refuse to use any places that wasn't money up front, it's not how a trusted place does business.
Click to expand...
What constitutes accepting it, I never replied to the email with the quote on it.

The whole issue arose when he said I have to pay upfront. I can't do that because it's kind of an insurance job, so someone else pays the invoice.
 
neocon said:
What constitutes accepting it, I never replied to the email with the quote on it.

The whole issue arose when he said I have to pay upfront. I can't do that because it's kind of an insurance job, so someone else pays the invoice.
Click to expand...

Did you at some point say to him, yes this quote looks fine I want to go ahead with the work.

I can ask 3 guys for quotes. I do not expect to give a single one of them a penny unless I say yes to one of them.
 
neocon said:
What constitutes accepting it, I never replied to the email with the quote on it.

The whole issue arose when he said I have to pay upfront. I can't do that because it's kind of an insurance job, so someone else pays the invoice.
Click to expand...
Simply telling them that is okay and you wish to carry out the work and set a date and time for them to do it.

I've had 3 quotes for a new roof I wouldn't expect any of them to start until I say so.
If he's ordered something without that's it's his fault.

The last thing I had done was new windows, even when they finished they said don't worry about paying quickly pay when you're happy with everything. I'd expect most to say pay within 30 days of the job being completed. Not a penny before or during.
 
neocon said:
What constitutes accepting it, I never replied to the email with the quote on it.

The whole issue arose when he said I have to pay upfront. I can't do that because it's kind of an insurance job, so someone else pays the invoice.
Click to expand...
It isn't the plumbers problem to wait for your 'kind of an insurance job' to pay him regardless so sounds like you both need a talking to about how to agree a job :p
 
dLockers said:
It isn't the plumbers problem to wait for your 'kind of an insurance job' to pay him regardless so sounds like you both need a talking to about how to agree a job :p
Click to expand...
But the people paying for the job will only pay the plumber directly, so he needs to raise his invoice with them.
 
He/you probably would have benefitted from a bit of better communication.
He jumped the gun ordering a special part, but why would he have done that without you giving the go ahead and accepting the job.
He obviously has zero working money/floating cash or credit.
Dunno phone trading standards get the definitive answer then pay or don't pay.

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/c...-done/cancelling-building-or-decorating-work/

does this not cover it ?

Non standard parts ordered = cancellation fee?

You not being able to pay isnt his problem... Something you should have stipulated at the time?

Good luck
 
Last edited:
If he quoted a job but you never accepted it then he is 100% responsible for any parts he has ordered
 
neocon said:
But the people paying for the job will only pay the plumber directly, so he needs to raise his invoice with them.
Click to expand...
Yeah... No. No plumber is going to wait around to get paid by Tom, Dick and Harry insurance co. unless it is spelled out upfront. Clearly it wasn't otherwise he wouldn't be asking you to pay him. Can't he just raise the deposit invoice for the presumably non refundable part to insurance co?
 
dLockers said:
Yeah... No. No plumber is going to wait around to get paid by Tom, Dick and Harry insurance co. unless it is spelled out upfront. Clearly it wasn't otherwise he wouldn't be asking you to pay him. Can't he just raise the deposit invoice for the presumably non refundable part to insurance co?
Click to expand...

He's agreed that if I state in writing that I will pay if said company fails to pay the invoice then he'll do it with no deposit. Seems fair to me.

It's actually the company that made the cylinder that's burst a leak that'll be paying since it should have lasted 25 years and has failed within 8 years.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom