Cowboys

[oldtimer]

'' forcing out the cowboys''

Is this in the interests of safety, or in the interests of ensuring a good living for qualified electricians?
I suggest the latter is foremost in the minds of most on here.

Merv I have to agree with you here and I hope I did not come across as the latter as I have said previously if we go the same way as the Gas safe system then we could end up haveing to get vineers fitted to our teeth as we suck air through them just like a the tyre and gas boiler maintenance companies (no names but you know) I tend to take the stance of safety but like a fool that drives a high performance car I cannot be there to stop them from driving their car into a tree. What I will say is that we need to simplify the mess we are in not so that we can indulge ourselves but just to earn a living ie supply a good service and get paid a fair price not rip the customer off as that gets you no where.

Cowboys will not go away and I believe we have good standards in this country although recently we all remember the "Handyman who left a live cable from a cooker outlet a 2 year old who put it in his mouth or the Romanian man in Glasgow who lashed an electric heater above the bath only to see hi wife and baby daughter die my heart sinks when I read these stories but again should not swing to the other end of the spectrum as this will only push up costs and make ironically more cowboys

 

[Merv]

coming off the street so to speak and stealing the bread out of their mouths.

GLENNSPARK, of course I sympathise with you, but who’s decided that it’s your bread in the first place?
A qualification does not mean a monopoly.

Oldtimer you make a lot of sense.
And I’d like to add, regarding the lethal handymen that you mention, that those sort will always be with us.
They’re not cowboys undercutting the qualified tradesmen for cash, they’re just ordinary people tinkering with things they know little about, who can’t be stopped whatever legislation is brought in.
Nevertheless it suits the skilled tradesman's argument to lump the two types together as the same, to further his case against the cowboys.

 

[DNS1]

I really think we need to clear something up here.

There is a big difference between the "Cowboys" and the inexperienced Domestic Installer.

In my mind, the cowboys are the ones who will rip everyone off, deliberatly overcharge, invent work that doesn't need doing, do cash in hand jobs which aren't compliant etc.

Big difference between them and someone who has done a Domestic Installer course and wants to do the job properly, has learnt the regs and got the qualifications and registration, charges a fair price but makes the occasional cock-up due to inexperience.

The cowboys will always be around, regardless of the fast track courses etc.

Check out this thread:
http://www.electriciansforums.net/e...ical-forum/39014-cowboys-kicked-off-site.html

Totally different league to the fast track Domestic installer