ARCHIVED - Cowboy plumbers in London: PLUMB FORCE DIRECT

[Dannypipe]

Re: Cowboy plumbers in London: PLUMB FORCE DIRECT

I don't drive around with a van overloaded with stock. It's up to you if you want to, but it doesn't make anyone a cowboy by not having half the plumbers merchants in his truck.

I carry a plethora of copper fittings, but only in 15mm & 22mm, I also carry a large selection of waste fittings in inch and quarter/half. I also have a large selection of washers, and some simple valves, ballafix,drain off,WM.

I also carry one donut, and of course various pipe, oh and flexi hoses, and a few gas parts, plus some immersion heaters/stats, earth straps, fuses blah blah blah.

Long story short, I will come out, look at what I need and go buy it...in the clients time, not mine. I dont take the pee I just go there, buy what i need and return.

You can't expect people to carry more than I do (though I know some do)

A dodgy WC syphon, it's hardly high drama....and these guys haven't exactly charged you an astronomical amount of money. Fair enough you're annoyed but is it worth all this drama? I'm sure trading standards have better things to do.

There was a locksmith on rogue traders last week. He charged an old boy in his 70's a thousand pounds for an hours work. That's worth talking about.

 

[Henno82]

Re: Cowboy plumbers in London: PLUMB FORCE DIRECT

i watched that one to Danny the guy had a ferrari and top of the range land rover no wonder the bugger could afford them!

 

[buff]

Re: Cowboy plumbers in London: PLUMB FORCE DIRECT

i think the truth here is you really didnt want to pay alot because in your "professional" opinion the job would take 30 mins?

theres the problem!
bob

 

[wards]

Re: Cowboy plumbers in London: PLUMB FORCE DIRECT

i know plumbers who charge a lot more(not me)and people are more than happy to pay their fees,you cannot please all of the people all of the time,if people do not like my quote i do not do the job simples,all too often nowadays people want all for nothing,it costs a lot of money to just be in the plumbing/heating trade before you even start to make a crust,people think every plumber/heating engineer is a cowboy waiting to rip them off,gets me irrate sometimes when i read posts like this,ah well whinge over.

 

[Dannypipe]

Re: Cowboy plumbers in London: PLUMB FORCE DIRECT

Buff and Wards summed it up. You want a guy to drive across London and fix your bog for under £40.00, I mean really who's going to do that? I wouldn't. As these guys have pointed out, just being a plumber is a huge expense. Just covering our overheads every year costs us a fortune. Cheapskates like this get my goat, and then they come on a plumbers forum and bad mouth a plumbing firm...do we really care?

 

[easyt]

Re: Cowboy plumbers in London: PLUMB FORCE DIRECT

Buff and Wards summed it up. You want a guy to drive across London and fix your bog for under £40.00, I mean really who's going to do that? I wouldn't. As these guys have pointed out, just being a plumber is a huge expense. Just covering our overheads every year costs us a fortune. Cheapskates like this get my goat, and then they come on a plumbers forum and bad mouth a plumbing firm...do we really care?

Don't expect a guy to travel across London and fix a bog for £37.50. But if, as the OP stated, I was told the rate was £37.50 for half an hour and the guy was there for 15mins I would have paid £37.50. If I was told the minimum charge was anhour then fair enough, £75.

 

[Dannypipe]

Re: Cowboy plumbers in London: PLUMB FORCE DIRECT

We all charge minimum of an hour. That's standard. Either you charge a call out fee, or you charge for the first hour, whether you're there an hour or ten minutes. It takes you time to drive there and back, so it's only fair to do so.

Fair enough they should have been warned of this, I make it clear or people. However it was a little naive to expect any tradesman to turn up and work for half hour for £37. (In London) Obviously this doesn't apply in other areas. I charge £45 for the first hour, however I'm a sole trader so i discuss prices before I turn up.

 

[josh]

Re: Cowboy plumbers in London: PLUMB FORCE DIRECT

Just tone down your poo's aswell as your attitude and then you should be fine

 

[helpsy]

Re: Cowboy plumbers in London: PLUMB FORCE DIRECT

i am toying with the idea of purchasing one of these as everybody on here raves about them but are they really that good?

yes they're well worth the money,really useful, you'll probably wonder how you ever did without it!!.I got mine from wickes and I also bought a combined wet/dry filter for about £11 if I remember, saves you having to change filters for different tasks. I think I paid about £45 if I remember. Best £45 I've spent. No need to spend £200 on one.

 

[helpsy]

Re: Cowboy plumbers in London: PLUMB FORCE DIRECT

You only tip them into the bath until you drop one !

The customer dropped one the other day-whilst I had the cistern in my hands......what a stink!!!!!!LOL