Danny P
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Registered: 20th Nov 02
Location: Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire
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Bit of a stange one this, just wondering if anyone has had a similar experience or know anything about these with regards to the law.
Basically i've had a kitchen fitted at my house. The bloke that is doing it is classed as self employed, but does things mostly cash in hand (im guessing so he doesn't have to pay tax) and doesn't really keep any books so to speak.
When he came out to price up the job, he quoted that to buy the kitchen itself it would be around £1.5, and he would charge £600/£700 for fitting it. We also asked him to fit the lights, and so some plastering in with the job. All this was included within the £600 price limit. Now, during the job we asked him to do a couple of extra things (couple of extra electrical socketss, and a bit more plastering in another room) which he said he was happy to do, and he never mentioned anything about being paid more money for it. He had to buy a few extra bits and bobs which I was happy to pay for (obviously)
He's finished today so it came to paying him. We expected a little bit more due to the couple of extras detailed above, I though that due to the original quote of £600/£700 that around £900ish would cover it, but now he is saying that he was £1.5k for the job. Also bearing in mind that for 2 weeks he never turned up and was uncontactable, and we had idea if he was even going to ever turn up to finish the job at all.
I think the £1.5k is way above the original quote, so i'm not too happy about paying that much. I've not got anything in writting from him with regards to the orginal quote (I know I should have but as he has done work for my mum at her hotel previously and never done anything like this I didn't really think it would be needed) and him putting the price up so much.
He says that it has taken him longer with regards to days, but when we first agreed it he never said anything about paying per day, he just priced up the job. My step-da usually drives past the house on a regualr basis during the day due to work, and he always looks to see if his van is there, and its not. According the neighbours he usually arrive around 10am. I personally dont call that a full days work if he starts at that time.
Anyone know where I stand, or what I can do with regards to how much he wants paying? Like I say, i'm willing to pay a little bit more than the £600/£700 quoted, I just cant see how he can justify the price he is asking.
Sorry for the essay - Short version: Got a quote, quote has now gone up after the work has been done but not previosuly agreed by myself. What I can I do?
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Nath
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Registered: 3rd Apr 02
Location: MK
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Give him a cheque for an amount just over what the quote was, as you were expecting it to be slightly more. Then tell him to jog on.
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liamC
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Registered: 28th Feb 04
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You don't stand anywhere. Neither does he.
It will be a he said-she said argument and I may be wrong, but it if you dont agree a price between with each other, and he doesn't have a quote with your signature on and vice versa, I think it is likely to end up in a small claims court.
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Cosmo
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Registered: 29th Mar 01
Location: Im the real one!
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Its a tough one, as you dont have his original quote in writing so he can basically invoice you for the work he is claiming he has done and the hours he has said he has worked - and if you cannot prove 100% he wasnt there when he said he was then you'll be liable to pay.
Personally Id be calling his bluff and asking for a written fully detailed invoice and his bank details so you can make a paper trail of the payment. At least this way he cant screw over the tax man for cash - it may also make him bring the total down to persuade you to pay cash.
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andys sxi
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Registered: 19th Jan 06
Location: Chester Drives:Scirocco tdi bluemotion
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really you should have got him to you a quote doesnt matter if he wasnt putting it through his books you can still get something in writing to say the price, but you have asked him to do more work which need more materials so really you should have asked if it was going to cost more and if so what it would be
what you could do is tell him your not happy with the price and go from there
take this as a lesson and make sure you get things on paper you dont get things for free these days 
April 08 feature car
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Danny P
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Registered: 20th Nov 02
Location: Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire
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Thats what I was thining Liam, and I really cannot be arsed with all that as it would probably end up costing a lot more in the long run.
If anyone has been following my thread in House Day you'll know this has been on with now for some time so I kinda just want it out of the way, so hoping to come to a compramise and just get it over with. Was just wondering what would happen if he doesn't want this.
If it does go to court then I might consider shopping him for tax evasion 
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jamied
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Registered: 27th Oct 03
Location: Marbella,Spain Drives: C63
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No legal leg to stand on really, especially if hes "cash in hand" type. i would give him the 600/700 and tell him to piss off .
My mum and dad used to have a hotel and had water pipes fitted across 20 bedrooms by a similar type guy and then when the professional builders came the pipes were the wrong type so they had to take all floors up and replaster everywhere. The old guy came in demanding payment for what he had done (fucked up and set us back couple weeks) after a long argument and lot of swearing he left saying would take us to court etc. We never heard from the fucking moron again, although did get looks in the village pub from him
Have learnt from all this type of crap to always get a written estimate then atleast have a rough ballpark figure and not over double. Good luck mate.
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Danny P
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Registered: 20th Nov 02
Location: Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire
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quote:
Originally posted by andys sxi
really you should have got him to you a quote doesnt matter if he wasnt putting it through his books you can still get something in writing to say the price, but you have asked him to do more work which need more materials so really you should have asked if it was going to cost more and if so what it would be
I know mate. Hindsight and all that.
All the time we asked him to do the extras (of which a couple were his ideas anyways) we did ask if it would slow the process of fitting the kitchen, to which he always said no as the place would be in a mess anyways so it wouldn't interfer with anything. Like I say I did expect a little bit more, but not near enough double of the original quote.
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Colin
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Registered: 4th Apr 02
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I'd tell him to try agai.
1500 is over double the quote he gave you & you were paying him for the work done not how long it took him to complete.
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Limecat
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Registered: 25th Jun 05
Location: The Internet
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So he supplied and fitted a kitchen as well as did electrical works and plastering in 2 rooms and all in it is £3k? It doesn't sound like you got a bad deal, even if it is more than you expected.
Was that just fitting units or was that fitting appliances/tiling as well?
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jamied
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Registered: 27th Oct 03
Location: Marbella,Spain Drives: C63
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quote:
Originally posted by LETGSI16V
So he supplied and fitted a kitchen as well as did electrical works and plastering in 2 rooms and all in it is £3k? It doesn't sound like you got a bad deal, even if it is more than you expected.
Was that just fitting units or was that fitting appliances/tiling as well?
Might be a good deal but it is not the price he got quoted.
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corsa_paz
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Registered: 5th Mar 04
Location: Midlands
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id tell him to take it and do one...
ive had a similar experience with fitting my bathroom from top to bottom, he did a few extra bits and took him over 5days than he planned etc, but that was his problem. He also took cash in hand.
He didnt do a proper 'shift' just did how much the lazy cunt wanted to do and he also fucked up my bathroom tiles. Overall we agreed £700, but i gave him £500 and to piss off.
He doesnt really have a leg to stand on, and being Mr Cash-In-Hand, i doubt he would go down the road of legal claims etc.
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John
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Registered: 30th Jun 03
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Tell him you'll pay him £1500 including VAT and you'd like a proper invoice, he'll then accept the £900.
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Danny P
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Registered: 20th Nov 02
Location: Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire
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Cheers guys.
Off on to see him now so will report back, if you dont hear from me again i've probably throttled the cunt
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Colin
Member
Registered: 4th Apr 02
User status: Offline
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Aye tell him your accountant needs his companies VAT number in order to process the payment & that your like the queen & dont carry any cash!
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AndyKent
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Registered: 3rd Sep 05
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I'd offer him £900 cash and tell him thats fair considering all the buggering about he's caused you. He'll never chase you up for the rest of it.
Has he actually done a decent job of what you've asked him to do? Are you happy with it?
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Limecat
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Registered: 25th Jun 05
Location: The Internet
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quote:
Originally posted by jamied
quote:
Originally posted by LETGSI16V
So he supplied and fitted a kitchen as well as did electrical works and plastering in 2 rooms and all in it is £3k? It doesn't sound like you got a bad deal, even if it is more than you expected.
Was that just fitting units or was that fitting appliances/tiling as well?
Might be a good deal but it is not the price he got quoted.
He can't prove the quote though and by his own admission he didn't query how much extra this would be. I ain't knocking him for that, it's common place as often people avoid asking 'how much extra' so as not to prompt a price increase so they can hope it's included in the original quoted price.
Nothing has been said about the quality of the work or items supplied do I assume that he is happy with it? Look at the positives.
You could be a proper bugger with him and give him a snag list, no matter how pedantic it may seem. Say you will pay the invoice (ask for one) once work is completed to your satisfaction. He may opt to knock some off instead of finish things off to Diva standards! 
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Danny P
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Registered: 20th Nov 02
Location: Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire
User status: Offline
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quote:
Originally posted by LETGSI16V
So he supplied and fitted a kitchen as well as did electrical works and plastering in 2 rooms and all in it is £3k? It doesn't sound like you got a bad deal, even if it is more than you expected.
Was that just fitting units or was that fitting appliances/tiling as well?
We bought the kitchen from IKEA, he just fitted it. He also fitted the washing machine & sink etc, but this was part of the original "deal." Plastering in other rooms was just patching up, so wasn't really a massive job, and he just fitted another socket.
I know getting all that for £3k is a decent deal. Kitchen companies were quoting around £5k for the kitchen, then the electrics/plastering would be on top, so even I do pay the money he is asking i've paid under the odds, its just I was quoted a price so i've been working to that with regards to my money etc. I did budget for a little extra, just not as much as he is wanting.
Anyways like I say i'm off on to see him now so i'll let you know how I get on. Hopefully we'll be able to agree something that suits both parties.
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Colin
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Registered: 4th Apr 02
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Shoukld have just done the work yourself tbh....its childs play doing shit like that!!
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MJFF88
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Registered: 30th Apr 08
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I havn't read this all, but sureley if he isn't paying the taxes he should be doing he'd want to avoid any kind of court action at any cost?
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Mad Moe
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Registered: 14th Jun 01
Location: Northumberland
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quote:
Originally posted by Danny P
quote:
Originally posted by LETGSI16V
So he supplied and fitted a kitchen as well as did electrical works and plastering in 2 rooms and all in it is £3k? It doesn't sound like you got a bad deal, even if it is more than you expected.
Was that just fitting units or was that fitting appliances/tiling as well?
We bought the kitchen from IKEA, he just fitted it. He also fitted the washing machine & sink etc, but this was part of the original "deal." Plastering in other rooms was just patching up, so wasn't really a massive job, and he just fitted another socket.
You could have had two average size rooms fully reskimmed and socket fitted for less than he's trying to charge you for the addtional works. Offer him an addtional £150 and tell him that's being generous
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Danny P
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Registered: 20th Nov 02
Location: Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire
User status: Offline
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Managed to come to an agreement of £900 plus what he paid for the extra stuff he needed, so just over £1k all in which im happy with.
Would have cost a lot more to get it from a company so i've still saved, and if he had said £1k labour from the start then i'd have probably accepted it, its just the way he went about it. Quality of the work is spot on, cant find fault with anything really so im more than happy with that. Its a learning curve if nothing else, will be getting everything in writting from now on!!
Its gone from this:
To this (still needs painting once the plastering dries so its still a work in progress...)
For just over £2.5k so I guess I cant complain too much.
Colin - Would have done it me sen, but I just didn't have the time with working and doing the rest of the house up at the same time. Plus I only thought it was going to be £700 max so it seemed like a bargain at the time!!!
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jamied
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Registered: 27th Oct 03
Location: Marbella,Spain Drives: C63
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 glad its sorted mate. looks million times better.
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Whittie
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Registered: 11th Aug 06
Location: North Wales Drives: BMW, Corsa & Fiat
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Small Claims court will sort it out mate. Not read all the thread, so this may of been mentioned.
This is the reason i've had proper contracts written up, so when a client now says "I dont want this and that, didnt quote me" etc, I can get them out. (I'm not saying you're in the wrong btw)
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