h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Ok, the heating is broken. And being March I'd quite like it to be fixed.

The trouble is that I can't get a chap to come out first thing in the morning, and then they say it's going to be an all day job, or they can't get the bits the same day and it'll cost me £45 to write down the bits they need, and it won't even come off the bill when it's done.

Is this right? How can they get away with not turning up until after midday and then charging for not having time to do any work?

Any plumbers out there in the Essex area who can help me out? I don't object to paying for jobs done, but to pay to be told they'll be back Monday is taking the

Yup, they are a right rip off. Even the good ones. After it cost me 75 quid to call one out to replace a broken diaphram on my heating boiler (about 30mins work!) I took out one of those emergency home cover policies. About 45 quid I think it was (although I get it free with contents / building insurance now) which proved its worth when my boiler broke down over night last feb. Called the phone number, they sent a blokey out almost straight away who turned up and fixed it there and then. Cost me nowt so I reckon it was worth it. They only do that for emergencies though and heating in winter counts as emergency.

I wonder if I can claim under my contents/buildings insurance? *goes to read documents* I don't rally mind paying for work done - it's going to cost me about £400. I just don't like paying someone to come in and say they can't do it today and expect me to pay for them doing nothing!

Mina,

Look like you bumped into one of those cowboys beloved of The World's Worst...... TV series. Sadly there are to many of them about.

Fortunately I have a very good friend that works in the building trade. If he cannot do the job, he always knows a man who can. I have never been disappointed yet.

Unfortunately I live in North Cheshire and I don't think even a very good friend would travel down to Essex.

Donald

I should have told them I work for the BBC...

On the other hand there are good guys out there.

The chap we got to fix our water heater wasn't sure of the problem - he spent 1 1/2 hours or so looking, testing etc - all at no charge - he didn't think it was fair to charge for "thinking time" only when he came back the next day after we'd phoned the manuafacturers up for advice did he charge - i.e. when he did something (OK that didn't work but not his fault).

More phone calls later and it was obviously the heat exchanger which I bought direct from manufacturers (so no added costs anywhere) and another 30 mins work and all done for £40 plus parts - time he spent at mine must have been three hours at least.

I'm happy and we have hot water again.

CHawke