Ripped off by cowboy

[Str82ais]

Hello all,

I just bought a flat and had an electrician install a new fuseboard, 2019 compliant, do some surface trunking to install new sockets, and prep the kitchen for renovation. Well, he turned out a “bad guy.” I could tell halfway in because he started saying that’ll cost extra to everything. His apprentice drilled six holes through the other side of the walls he was drilling through. Just to afix the surface trunking. I had chosen to do surface trunking to avoid chasing and to avoid redecorating costs. Needless to say, I am now redecorating!

By the end, it was evident he was rushing the job. Kept saying I wasn’t paying him enough and that’s what you get.

He said I would get a certificate. In the end, he rushed off in a huff and did not hand me anything. I paid him £1120. He said he was owed £250 more.

I got a new electrician today and he said he would charge £750 to “correct” the other guy’s mistakes and issue both flat and kitchen certs of compliance with regs.

What is going on? How should I have handled this better!

I am planning to live in the property, do I need to get certs at all?

Am I being ripped off? (YES!)

 

[Dustydazzler]

Unfortunately you got burned by the original guy.
Fortunately you only got burned for a grand.
I have known people get taken for much much much more.
Get all the remaining work completed by a decent electrician, get all your certs for the job.
Put it down to a terrible experience but move on.

 

[telectrix]

might be worthwhile getting trading standards involved. also post his details on here. name and shame.

 

[Deleted account]

Devils advocate.
There is always 2 sides to a story.

I’m not doubting you. There are bad workmen out there.

What did the second sparky say he had done that was incorrect?

Photos would be good.

 

[Str82ais]

Devils advocate.
There is always 2 sides to a story.

I’m not doubting you. There are bad workmen out there.

What did the second sparky say he had done that was incorrect?

Photos would be good.

I will post pictures.

The new electrician starts work tomorrow. So I will make sure to capture the state of play before he starts.

Already, upon the new electrician’s request, some chasing has been carried out. So whatever I post will NOT be how Nigel left things. It will be the start of the fix.

 

[Deleted account]

Is it electrical safety your concern or the workmanship?

Maybe the new sparky could come online let us know what the issues are.

 

[telectrix]

I will post pictures.

The new electrician starts work tomorrow. So I will make sure to capture the state of play before he starts.

Already, upon the new electrician’s request, some chasing has been carried out. So whatever I post will NOT be how Nigel left things. It will be the start of the fix.

before the "new" sparks starts (apart from the chasing), get his advice and take pics. of whatever is wrong before he alters anything. if you ever go down the legal path, these would be invaluable in helping you get some recompense from sparks #1.

 

[telectrix]

just done some reseqarch and they are NICEIC and also on checkatrade. complaints to both these organisations could start the shyte on route to the fan.

 

[Deleted account]

just done some reseqarch and they are NICEIC and also on checkatrade. complaints to both these organisations could start the shyte on route to the fan.

First thing I did.

 

[Dustydazzler]

Takes pictures of the previous work before you or the other sparks touches it

 

[telectrix]

Takes pictures of the previous work before you or the other sparks touches it

see post#8.

 

[Str82ais]

Okay - I will be sure to get pictures today. I will try to get the new electrician to say on camera what the problems are. If not, will try to document what he says.

Just to be clear: there is no evidence of money paid. Nigel did not provide a receipt or invoice and I paid him in cash.

I know I am an idiot — I thought I had a gentlemen’s relationship with him and he’d just been to the hospital with heart problems and made it out like people like me were the cause of his health problems. So I was keen to not mess him around. It’s only after the second electrician came in that I discovered the extent of the unsafe work he’d carried out.

 

[Sintra]

I have removed the name of electrician1 for now as the op hasn’t stated what the original contract with this guy was. Also no information with regards to the safety of the work carried out.

 

[Str82ais]

I won’t be able to post pictures today — not going to flat after all. (Am living elsewhere.) Am definitely planning to get pictures tomorrow before the start of new works.

Re: contract. Please advise how to evidence that.

Re: safety issues. The second electrician mentioned things like: connecting boiler to spur via long wire that would travel 1.8m to spur. Running hob cable directly without isolator. Not chasing into wall for hob wires. Diagonal connection of wire to under-cabinet lights. He said they should run vertically and then horizontally.

 

[Deleted account]

I won’t be able to post pictures today — not going to flat after all. (Am living elsewhere.) Am definitely planning to get pictures tomorrow before the start of new works.

Re: contract. Please advise how to evidence that.

Re: safety issues. The second electrician mentioned things like: connecting boiler to spur via long wire that would travel 1.8m to spur. Running hob cable directly without isolator. Not chasing into wall for hob wires. Diagonal connection of wire to under-cabinet lights. He said they should run vertically and then horizontally.

Don’t see a safety issue with 1.8m wire to boiler.
You said earlier that to avoid expense and redecoration you didn’t want anything chased.
Also if the cable isn’t chased it doesn’t need to be within zones, so the diagonal wire I don’t see an issue if there is no chance of drilling through it accidentally.

Hob directly wired without isolator. If it’s the only load on a circuit I don’t see any major safety issues other than local isolation, but yes Guidlines do state a local means of isolation.

Doesn’t sound like any major issues except fitting an isolator for hob.
Was it an existing circuit to the hob that was altered or was the hob replaced. Or is it a whole new hob circuit.

If it’s an already existing circuit that didn’t have an isolator, if it’s swapping like for like upgrade with an isolator would be advisable, but it depends on what you where quoted for instructed or wanted