Paying for poor work

[ubya308]

Hi,

I have an issue and am hoping to get some advice. We recently called in a plumber to repair our boiler. He did some work (not exactly sure what), then a few days later (Xmas day in fact) the boiler sprung a leak, having never done so in 15 years.

We have withheld payment, but now he is threatening to take us to court - the bill is about £200.

What recourse do we have? It looks like hiring a solicitor would cost us that much.

Thanks

[des8]

Re: Paying for poor work

Hi and welcome.

Do you know the reason for the boiler springing a leak?
Are you sure, and can you show that it wasn't just coincidental?
Did you call in another plumber to rectify the leak, and if so did he do that funny in drawing through his teeth, shake his head and go "duw duw"
Did you call the same plumber back to look at it again?

Afraid we need a lot more info:tinysmile_cry_t:

[meellis]

Re: Paying for poor work

Without knowing what the plumber did and where the leak was from it would be hard to say who if anybody could be blamed. Being a self employed heating engineer myself I know that if a boiler hasn't had to many problems in fifteen years they are about due because boilers don't last a lifetime. Sometimes working on one part can disrupt another and if that other part has been weakened by fifteen years of use it can be a problem. I couldn't defend this plumber because there isn't enough info to either blame them or defend them but I know I have had sleepless nights from trying to help customers for them to hold me to ransom over things that could have been sorted if proper dialogue and a revisit could have been achieved to properly assess the problem. If you have already been through that process then I will apologise now, your post isn't clear on that, but if you have just withheld the fee because you believe they were at fault and then not offered the chance for them to present their case or rectify the problem. I believe it is common courtesy to ask them for there assessment before withholding payment and I think that they would have a good case against you if nothing has been discussed or offered.