Aggressive electrician demanding payment...what do we do?

[arbymeadows]

Hello!

We hired an electrician in August to complete some work for us in a little art studio. It included metal conduit, plugs changing to metal ones (plus more added), pendant lights fitted, strip lights updating (2), plus bits like electrical radiators (3) and a hand dryer installed.

The work was due to be completed for the 9th of September, in time for the space to be used the following week. We were asked to pay for materials up front as he didn't like the idea of buying them, so we transferred £1400 up front.

He then failed to show for two weeks, and gave us a few different excuses, then turned up in dribs and drabs (two hours here, then a full day on a random Sunday). We're now over a month behind schedule, paying rent on two places, and the work is still not completed. He never turns up. He never calls. We are constantly chasing him. Half of our unit is without lighting or power completely, including the toilet, which means the space as a whole is completely unusable. He has had to redo a few different bits where he has not followed our plan (pendants in the wrong places, power too close to the sink etc).

Anyway, he is now asking for payment before he completes. He's charging us for his mistakes and calling them our changes. He's threatening us with a bill for over £4000 +VAT when I've asked for his break down of work completed, plus a receipt for the materials we purchased. He's incredibly defensive, aggressive and unprofessional, but I have no idea where we go from here. The work is uncompleted, he is demanding payment, but we have no faith he will even return if we pay him for the work done. We have never undertaken work to this scale, and basically do not know where to go from here. Where do we stand? Do we have to pay him immediately, or is it ok to request that work is completed first? He is claiming over 80 hours work on site, but this is just absolutely not true.

Furthering this, in reality, we do not want him on site any more. He has been so aggressive in his correspondence that we would really rather just pay him for work already completed and move on from this mess. Is that viable? We have no idea what to do.

Any help would be massively appreciated!

 

[snowhead]

Is it just me who thinks the customer has no right to see my invoices, nor indeed any business seeing them?

I'd say in this case the customer does have a right to see the invoices for materials.
They say they were asked to pay £1400 up front, specifically for materials.

If they'd been asked to pay £1400 part payment towards the total job cost, that would be different, a breakdown of material cost which would inlcude his mark up would do.

If it goes to arbitration / court he'll need to provide them.
If they've been aquired, then they have a value which could be declared.

 

[simpson93]

Is it just me who thinks the customer has no right to see my invoices, nor indeed any business seeing them?

I do agree with you to a level, I add a small mark up on my invoices for time spent and any parts that may go faulty.

Recently I’ve had a client demand receipts for led downlights so that he would be able to use the warranty if needed, handed them as it seemed a fair enough reason.

 

[simpson93]

Is it just me who thinks the customer has no right to see my invoices, nor indeed any business seeing them?

I do agree with you to a level, I add a small mark up on my invoices for time spent and any parts that may go faulty.

Recently I’ve had a client demand receipts for led downlights so that he would be able to use the warranty if needed, handed them over as it seemed a fair enough reason.

 

[buzzlightyear]

demand receipts for led downlights so that he would be able to use the warranty if needed, handed them as it seemed a fair

if you bought them for a whole centre then the warrantee goes to you not the cliant.
I had put in cctv hard drive 12 months warrantee .customer rings up after 12 months it does not work
give me your whole centre address
so i can take it back and get a replacement . o yeah.

 

[simpson93]

Right but surely they will ask for proof of purchase?

Not had the problem previously where warranties had been registered over the internet.

 

[Midwest]

Right but surely they will ask for proof of purchase?

Not had the problem previously where warranties had been registered over the internet.

For down light etc extended warrantees, I provide them with the collection invoice from my wholesalers. If I forget to keep that invoice, I'll provide them with a wholesalers invoice on which I've redacted the prices.

 

[Mike Johnson]

It sounds to me that this sparks is moonlighting from his regular job, see if you can find out who the company is he works for, if you can let him know you have found out, if he is employed I doubt if he is VAT registered, as everyone has mentioned put everything in writing and confirm back to him what he says in writing, but don't pay him any more monies, seek advice from the Citizens AB, another thought has he ever said he is qualified?

 

[Pete999]

It sounds to me that this sparks is moonlighting from his regular job, see if you can find out who the company is he works for, if you can let him know you have found out, if he is employed I doubt if he is VAT registered, as everyone has mentioned put everything in writing and confirm back to him what he says in writing, but don't pay him any more monies, seek advice from the Citizens AB, another thought has he ever said he is qualified?

Or competent.

 

[hoitytoity]

Welcome to the Forum, sounds like a very unprofessional person, may we ask if there were any written contract or agreement be it even in email form or text to back up your position here.
Is there any written contract on your part that gives completion dates etc and what you expect out of the Electrician, also when he was asked to alter his work because he had failed to follow instructions can you confirm you had some detailed plans for him to follow.

If this was all done on the word of mouth then it makes it a lot more complicated on your part but if any of this was recorded, he had been supplied plans of the new layout and it clearly showed positions etc that he did not adhere to then you have a much stronger position.

I would from now on record all dialogue and is probably easiest to do via Email, if he has become aggressive then you probably have a legal angle to refuse him back on site but you also will be looking at legal options, I would first of all approach Citizens Advice or a on line legal advice forum to establish your position here.

 

[hoitytoity]

Hello!

We hired an electrician in August to complete some work for us in a little art studio. It included metal conduit, plugs changing to metal ones (plus more added), pendant lights fitted, strip lights updating (2), plus bits like electrical radiators (3) and a hand dryer installed.

The work was due to be completed for the 9th of September, in time for the space to be used the following week. We were asked to pay for materials up front as he didn't like the idea of buying them, so we transferred £1400 up front.

He then failed to show for two weeks, and gave us a few different excuses, then turned up in dribs and drabs (two hours here, then a full day on a random Sunday). We're now over a month behind schedule, paying rent on two places, and the work is still not completed. He never turns up. He never calls. We are constantly chasing him. Half of our unit is without lighting or power completely, including the toilet, which means the space as a whole is completely unusable. He has had to redo a few different bits where he has not followed our plan (pendants in the wrong places, power too close to the sink etc).

Anyway, he is now asking for payment before he completes. He's charging us for his mistakes and calling them our changes. He's threatening us with a bill for over £4000 +VAT when I've asked for his break down of work completed, plus a receipt for the materials we purchased. He's incredibly defensive, aggressive and unprofessional, but I have no idea where we go from here. The work is uncompleted, he is demanding payment, but we have no faith he will even return if we pay him for the work done. We have never undertaken work to this scale, and basically do not know where to go from here. Where do we stand? Do we have to pay him immediately, or is it ok to request that work is completed first? He is claiming over 80 hours work on site, but this is just absolutely not true.

Furthering this, in reality, we do not want him on site any more. He has been so aggressive in his correspondence that we would really rather just pay him for work already completed and move on from this mess. Is that viable? We have no idea what to do.

Any help would be massively appreciated!

how awful for you. First port of call is Consumer Direct they will guide you through the process of dealing with this cowboy. Secondly, report matter to trading standards as electrical installations will need certificates and person needs to be registered and work notifiable to Part B. Get an independent electrician to assess his work and make a report. Thirdly, it's great you had a deadline date and agreed schedule of work before hand, so after the advice given by CD, take him to a small claims court and recover the cost of your full losses as a consequence of not completing on time. Good luck - hope this bad egg is struck off

 

[hoitytoity]

how awful for you. First port of call is Consumer Direct they will guide you through the process of dealing with this cowboy. Secondly, report matter to trading standards as electrical installations will need certificates and person needs to be registered and work notifiable to Part B. Get an independent electrician to assess his work and make a report. Thirdly, it's great you had a deadline date and agreed schedule of work before hand, so after the advice given by CD, take him to a small claims court and recover the cost of your full losses as a consequence of not completing on time. Good luck - hope this bad egg is struck off

should say Part P

 

[123]

Given it's likely to be commercial premises, what has notification for Part P got to do with anything?

 

[wsoppitt]

Is it just me who thinks the customer has no right to see my invoices, nor indeed any business seeing them?

If you have nothing to hide, what is the issue with acknowledging the clients request for material costs. Surely client satisfaction is an important aspect of any job undertaken. Reputation is built on amongst other things, trust from your clients, without that, a good reputation won't be achieved.

 

[Frazer Gould]

Hello!

We hired an electrician in August to complete some work for us in a little art studio. It included metal conduit, plugs changing to metal ones (plus more added), pendant lights fitted, strip lights updating (2), plus bits like electrical radiators (3) and a hand dryer installed.

The work was due to be completed for the 9th of September, in time for the space to be used the following week. We were asked to pay for materials up front as he didn't like the idea of buying them, so we transferred £1400 up front.

He then failed to show for two weeks, and gave us a few different excuses, then turned up in dribs and drabs (two hours here, then a full day on a random Sunday). We're now over a month behind schedule, paying rent on two places, and the work is still not completed. He never turns up. He never calls. We are constantly chasing him. Half of our unit is without lighting or power completely, including the toilet, which means the space as a whole is completely unusable. He has had to redo a few different bits where he has not followed our plan (pendants in the wrong places, power too close to the sink etc).

Anyway, he is now asking for payment before he completes. He's charging us for his mistakes and calling them our changes. He's threatening us with a bill for over £4000 +VAT when I've asked for his break down of work completed, plus a receipt for the materials we purchased. He's incredibly defensive, aggressive and unprofessional, but I have no idea where we go from here. The work is uncompleted, he is demanding payment, but we have no faith he will even return if we pay him for the work done. We have never undertaken work to this scale, and basically do not know where to go from here. Where do we stand? Do we have to pay him immediately, or is it ok to request that work is completed first? He is claiming over 80 hours work on site, but this is just absolutely not true.

Furthering this, in reality, we do not want him on site any more. He has been so aggressive in his correspondence that we would really rather just pay him for work already completed and move on from this mess. Is that viable? We have no idea what to do.

Any help would be massively appreciated!

Hello!

We hired an electrician in August to complete some work for us in a little art studio. It included metal conduit, plugs changing to metal ones (plus more added), pendant lights fitted, strip lights updating (2), plus bits like electrical radiators (3) and a hand dryer installed.

The work was due to be completed for the 9th of September, in time for the space to be used the following week. We were asked to pay for materials up front as he didn't like the idea of buying them, so we transferred £1400 up front.

He then failed to show for two weeks, and gave us a few different excuses, then turned up in dribs and drabs (two hours here, then a full day on a random Sunday). We're now over a month behind schedule, paying rent on two places, and the work is still not completed. He never turns up. He never calls. We are constantly chasing him. Half of our unit is without lighting or power completely, including the toilet, which means the space as a whole is completely unusable. He has had to redo a few different bits where he has not followed our plan (pendants in the wrong places, power too close to the sink etc).

Anyway, he is now asking for payment before he completes. He's charging us for his mistakes and calling them our changes. He's threatening us with a bill for over £4000 +VAT when I've asked for his break down of work completed, plus a receipt for the materials we purchased. He's incredibly defensive, aggressive and unprofessional, but I have no idea where we go from here. The work is uncompleted, he is demanding payment, but we have no faith he will even return if we pay him for the work done. We have never undertaken work to this scale, and basically do not know where to go from here. Where do we stand? Do we have to pay him immediately, or is it ok to request that work is completed first? He is claiming over 80 hours work on site, but this is just absolutely not true.

Furthering this, in reality, we do not want him on site any more. He has been so aggressive in his correspondence that we would really rather just pay him for work already completed and move on from this mess. Is that viable? We have no idea what to do.

Any help would be massively appreciated!

First question - Is he registered? Check with his reg body if he says he is. My daughter hired an electrician to reqwire her house who claimed to be NAPIT registered. She didn't check and after his work was condemed as dangerous (and £5k later as she paid him) she found he was not registered. If he is really registered his reg body will have a process of mediation or assessment. If he isn't registered report him to anyone and everyone you can think of!

 

[KarPettit]

I would always be sceptical about a tradesman who needs payments upfront
Agree staged payments for phases of work that are paid when that work has been completed
Payments for large amounts of material should be made when said materials are delivered to site only

Seek legal advice and obtain report as to extent and safety of works already done from another company

Easiest option is to agree a figure for completion of works with your current electrician to be paid in stages as specific items are finished with a final payment once certification for the whole installation is received
Get this agreement on paper with reference to site plans and signed by both parties

Second option would be to engage another contractor to complete the works but you will probably have to write off the monies already paid
Keep all correspondence professional and in writing
This option will possibly end up in the small claims court
You will need times and dates recording and pictures of works currently completed