Useless Tradesmen
Discussion
Hello,
I'm not sure if the lounge is the right section or if it should be in DIY or even SPL.(It is a rant combined with poor workmanship and legal advise needed!)
My retired mother has recently had EDF come round and quote for roof and wall insulation. The price was good with the gubberment grant (£400 total) and so the work was agreed.
Sometime later contractors turned up to do the walls. The first thing that they said was that we need vents in the rooms which have fireplaces at a cost of £200 each (3 needed)!
My mother told them to get lost, contractors said that they would put them in and charge EDF as they should have put it in the quote.
The
ractors then go about drilling holes for these vents and hit an electrical cable. Mum has to call out and pay for an electrician (£190) who disconnected the socked adjacent to the hole and terminated the cable (so she has a socket still not working). In doing so the electrician forgot that sockets are usually connected in rings and made a big bang flash and charged us for a new RCD!
Everyone has gone now and she is left with:-
-paying £190 more than expected
-a bunch of plaster missing from the electrician's repair
-and a socket that doesn't work
I am seriously livid because they have caused my mum upset and I feel like she has been done!
Obviously I am going to get involved in this matter and try to peruse the contractors for the cost of re plastering and reinstating the plug socket. Do you think that it is reasonable for me to also try to get the cost of repainting that wall or the whole room so that it still matches.
To add to the fun I am about to go away for a month, will this effect my ability to demand these repairs or the cost of them?
If you made it to the end, thanks for listening to my rant, any advise would be appreciated.
Cheers
The Furious Bunny Squasher
I'm not sure if the lounge is the right section or if it should be in DIY or even SPL.(It is a rant combined with poor workmanship and legal advise needed!)
My retired mother has recently had EDF come round and quote for roof and wall insulation. The price was good with the gubberment grant (£400 total) and so the work was agreed.
Sometime later contractors turned up to do the walls. The first thing that they said was that we need vents in the rooms which have fireplaces at a cost of £200 each (3 needed)!
My mother told them to get lost, contractors said that they would put them in and charge EDF as they should have put it in the quote.
The
ractors then go about drilling holes for these vents and hit an electrical cable. Mum has to call out and pay for an electrician (£190) who disconnected the socked adjacent to the hole and terminated the cable (so she has a socket still not working). In doing so the electrician forgot that sockets are usually connected in rings and made a big bang flash and charged us for a new RCD!Everyone has gone now and she is left with:-
-paying £190 more than expected
-a bunch of plaster missing from the electrician's repair
-and a socket that doesn't work
I am seriously livid because they have caused my mum upset and I feel like she has been done!
Obviously I am going to get involved in this matter and try to peruse the contractors for the cost of re plastering and reinstating the plug socket. Do you think that it is reasonable for me to also try to get the cost of repainting that wall or the whole room so that it still matches.
To add to the fun I am about to go away for a month, will this effect my ability to demand these repairs or the cost of them?
If you made it to the end, thanks for listening to my rant, any advise would be appreciated.
Cheers
The Furious Bunny Squasher
Stay calm.
First port of call is EDF regarding their contractors.
Detail the complaints to them and ask what their procedures are.
Follow the framework they have and only if that is exhausted and things have not been put right go further. Where that will be will be dependant on the results you obtain direct.
You could then go to small claims court to recover any losses.
As far as the electrician goes, is he a one man band? Have you actually paid him yet? Sounds pretty poor not to isolate the ring.
First port of call is EDF regarding their contractors.
Detail the complaints to them and ask what their procedures are.
Follow the framework they have and only if that is exhausted and things have not been put right go further. Where that will be will be dependant on the results you obtain direct.
You could then go to small claims court to recover any losses.
As far as the electrician goes, is he a one man band? Have you actually paid him yet? Sounds pretty poor not to isolate the ring.
If you've not paid EDF yet, then refuse to pay until all is rectified, by giving them a fixed date (eg 14 days) to get it fixed. When all OK then pay reserving your rights against any reclamation you may further have.
If you have paid, get the damage witnessed, send them an invoice, if they don't pay, small claims court..........
If you have paid, get the damage witnessed, send them an invoice, if they don't pay, small claims court..........
Thanks,
I am working on the calm, it comes and goes
The contractors couldn't finish the job with no power nor could my mum make my dad's tea. The electrician was called and paid by mum whilst the contractors were still there. I believe he came from the yellow pages.
Do I have a time limit for this sort of complaint (do I have to start things rolling before I go away)
I am working on the calm, it comes and goes
The contractors couldn't finish the job with no power nor could my mum make my dad's tea. The electrician was called and paid by mum whilst the contractors were still there. I believe he came from the yellow pages.
Do I have a time limit for this sort of complaint (do I have to start things rolling before I go away)
Not really a time limit set out.
All works on 'reasonable'.
Large companies like EDF might have some form of rules for their complaints process. That is easy to work with, just phone them and log things.
The electrician will be more of a problem. Find out who he is and if he is a member of a trade guild - they are pretty toothless but if he has signed up he should operate under their complaints process.
If he is, find out what their complaints system is and use it.
Are you planning to do the complaining? You will have to get things recorded before you go away.
How were things left?
All works on 'reasonable'.
Large companies like EDF might have some form of rules for their complaints process. That is easy to work with, just phone them and log things.
The electrician will be more of a problem. Find out who he is and if he is a member of a trade guild - they are pretty toothless but if he has signed up he should operate under their complaints process.
If he is, find out what their complaints system is and use it.
Are you planning to do the complaining? You will have to get things recorded before you go away.
How were things left?
I believe EDF were paid in advance, but will need to check that for sure. Regardless, I can see the cost of making good the wall exceeding the £400 charge for insulation.
It is going to be me complaining so I guess I'd better get things rolling then.
The walls were finished on the day, but mum is waiting to be contacted about them coming back to insulate (ruin) the roof.
As far as the electrician is concerned I was hoping to just pass his bill on to EDF. He left the socket disconnected at my mums request as it would have cost more to reconnect it. In my opinion EDF should be paying for another electrician to come and restore our electrics to as they were before they came. The electrician could easily claim that the RCD needed replacing because of the initial short caused by the contractors.
Thanks again for the advise
It is going to be me complaining so I guess I'd better get things rolling then.
The walls were finished on the day, but mum is waiting to be contacted about them coming back to insulate (ruin) the roof.
As far as the electrician is concerned I was hoping to just pass his bill on to EDF. He left the socket disconnected at my mums request as it would have cost more to reconnect it. In my opinion EDF should be paying for another electrician to come and restore our electrics to as they were before they came. The electrician could easily claim that the RCD needed replacing because of the initial short caused by the contractors.
Thanks again for the advise
I just spoke to my mother, she didn't pay them in advance, I was mistaken.
All she has paid so far is the electrician.
I have just emailed EDF's complaints department detailing what I believe to be their responsibility.
-cost of electrician
-make good the electrical socket
-make good the plaster
-make good the paint
I will keep this thread updated with their reply.
Feeling a bit better about this situation now, I just hope it doesn't turn out to be a long drawn out mess (I'm sure it will).
Cheers
The Bunny Squasher
All she has paid so far is the electrician.
I have just emailed EDF's complaints department detailing what I believe to be their responsibility.
-cost of electrician
-make good the electrical socket
-make good the plaster
-make good the paint
I will keep this thread updated with their reply.
Feeling a bit better about this situation now, I just hope it doesn't turn out to be a long drawn out mess (I'm sure it will).
Cheers
The Bunny Squasher
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