Plumber ? ..... Cowboy ? ...... Con-man

[Dannypipe]

I know a lot of people will have a problem with his rate, I don't have a problem with a rate of £69.00 but if you're going to charge top money then you should give a top service. This guy has clearly not done that.

It could have been done in the first hour, and the part even with a good markup should be no more than a tenner. So you'd then be looking at £79.00 +VAT. Bit of a difference.

 

[mfgs]

£69 an hour is quite a lot, but people and companies charge that and more. The fact he has charged 3 hours for what appears to be very little work is shocking. Also the materials cost if all that was replaced was a 15mm isolator.

 

[hammers4spanner]

i personally think the labour rate is excessive but have no issues with material mark up

 

[Howsie]

This is the hand written invoice that Jessie gave to my Dad



View attachment 11782





Materials = £31.50 +VAT for only part of a 15mm Gate Valve


The scribble written inside the RED line says ....... " inc OAP Discount "



Talk about rubbing your face in it :censored:

What's his VAT number?

 

[Dannypipe]

i personally think the labour rate is excessive but have no issues with material mark up

How funny. You have no issues with a £4 part being charged at £37.80 Inc VAT?

 

[PlumbersMate]

Is that around 800% mark up?

 

[Dannypipe]

Something like that.

Profit isn't a swear word, but that's greedy. Specially as he charged for collection.

 

[PlumbersMate]

So he charged £70 to pick up a £31 part that cost him £4. Gis a job guvna lol

 

[hammers4spanner]

How funny. You have no issues with a £4 part being charged at £37.80 Inc VAT?

next time you goto a garage breakdown your materials nobody says nowt about that its just accepted

its the labour in this case imho

 

[Dannypipe]

I personally think it's better to be transparent with material costs and fair. A markup is fair. More of a markup if it's stock from on board, as you won't have to leave site to collect it on an hourly rate. But 800% is a rip off.

I charge £50 an hour, and I'm cheap compared to other local firms. One of my competitors who has pretty much the same qualifications (most domestic gas and oil) charges £85.00 an hour and charges by the quarter hour increment. Both prices are ex VAT.

So for me, that hourly rate is not that high.

The mechanics who repaired my van recently charge more than that, and I didn't bat an eye. Sure they marked up the materials too, but not by 800%!