I had a partially blocked loo.

1) My Dad and I spent a day trying to unblock, plus changed air addmittance valve. Concluded there was something random blocking the soil pipe.

2) Called 1st plumber company explained what I had done and said needed someone with a camera or something to find and remove blockage. Plumber comes round and spends 3.5 hrs redoing what I did before concluding it needed a camera and a pressure washer which they didn’t have. Apologised and suggested I call dyno-rod. Then walked of with my drain snake which I stupidly lent them because they didn’t have one.

3) I called 2nd plumber (local independant not dyna-rod) who came round with camera, found blockage in 10 mins (massive clog of washing softner), pressure washed drains – all done in 90 mins for £130.

Today, 7 weeks later I get an invoice from plumber 1 for £224.54! They even say one the invoice that failed and advised to call dyno-rod.

I’ve subcontracted about £1m of work in my job. I would never have a contract that said I pay you to try but fail. However here there is no contract in this case as it’s a domestic job.

I’m considering option 1: Bin the invoice. Option 2: email to say I’m not paying and why.
Where do I stand?

If you bin the invoice, you don’t have a leg to stand on. After the 30 days, (or whatever it is) without raising a dispute you HAVE to pay him (do you not?). The law would surely side with him, as you didnt raise an issue, which makes it worth his while to take you to court over it?

Raise a dispute now, and i doubt it will go any further.

Should you have allowed plumber 1 to go at it for 3.5 hrs if you were 100% sure it wasn’t going to work without a camera and pressure washer?

Did you discuss a no fix no fee arrangement?

When they arrived with no pressure washer or camera… what did you expect them to do for zero pounds? You gave them the opportunity to take the piss and they obliged.

Bill them for the drain snake you sold them…£224.54, wasn’t it?

Engage plumber 2’s help to provide you with a written statement if what the problem was, and that in his opinion a competent plumber should have been able to diagnose and fix the problem.

that should give you pretty great defence against any claim by plumber 1

What he said.

What’s he invoicing you for? Is he claiming on the invoice he fixed the problem or is it just for time.

If the latter you may be struggling, he did put in the hours and wants paying for them.

£65/hour, jog on kiddo.

Took 7 weeks to invoice you for a job they didn’t complete 😯
Sorry what invoice?

Sounds like they are trying their luck……

Did you sign any job sheet or have any paperwork that the first plumber left?

A while ago I had a similar episode, had an issue with a leaking water pump valve in the roof at two in the morning. A guy from an emergency company turns up, did not manage to fix after about 40 mins, first reaction was “I’m a plumber not a heating engineer” apologised said there was no payment required and left the valve still leaking badly. No signature on my part, no suggestion of payment.

His boss phones up later the next day and demands payment with threat of legal action and a ccj if I didn’t. When I pointed out that I had not been asked for payment, had not signed any job sheet and that a second plumber who came the next day had said the first should at least have had the sense to drain the system to below the valve before he left ( a five minute job) he backed down. A week later I had a letter agreeing that no payment was required.

There’s no job sheet or any paperwork that I signed. I didn’t realise they didn’t have anything more advanced than a plunger and drain rods until they were nearly finished. To make matters more annoying they have glued the new air admittance valve on so it couldn’t be replaced.

It would appear they are invoicing for time. Although the invoice doesn’t quote the number of hours. If a subcontractor at work told me they had tried to do the job but couldn’t and still wanted paying I will tell them to jog on (and have done on one occasion).

I think I’ll email them first thing and politely but firmly tell them no.

If the latter you may be struggling, he did put in the hours and wants paying for them.

That’s a fantastic work model, maybe I should consider a career change. I know nothing about plumbing but I reckon I could easily go into a house, fanny about for four hours, leave going “eh, dunno, get a real plumber” and invoice them for a couple of hundred quid. That’s a six figure salary right there.

Refer them to Arkell vs Pressdram.

To make matters more annoying they have glued the new air admittance valve on so it couldn’t be replaced.

Invoice them for whatever that costs to make good also.

Also, the fact it was diagnosed by someone competent in 10 minutes is in your favour; maybe as a gesture of goodwill you could offer to pay them for for the ten minutes it should’ve taken them to find the problem. That comes out at about ten quid.

That said I’d have baulked at an £85/hour labour bill for the ones that did fix it, I’m still in the wrong job. (-:

There’s no job sheet or any paperwork that I signed

Throw it in the bin and sleep well tonight.

Chancer. I deal with this all the bloody time. not surprising I’m so cynical.

that’s them taking the piss dude, If its me I will charge them for wasting my time the sum of £224.54 and additional charge for snake rod maybe £50+VAT

Report them to the police for theft. (-:

That said I’d have baulked at an £85/hour labour bill for the ones that did fix it, I’m still in the wrong job.

The labour’s only £30/hr. There’s an additional £85 “competence” charge for knowing what the problem is and how to rectify it.