"Bad Advice"......The Home Improvement Section.

[Petetheblu]

Thought I'd do a hero and villain thread on home improvement advice from the so called "Professionals".

Six months ago I had a leaking tap (a mono where both hot and cold water pour from the same spout), not being to worried as I'm very well cover by the BritishGas 'home serve' policy. So I gave the little monkeys a call to find out that they'd send someone around with in an hour or two.

Anyways it turns out that my taps aren't covered by home serve (my bad, it's in the small print!!), but the thing that got my goat was the fact that the professional plumber, Mr Grumpy Pipe, basically told me I'd be looking at a new tap, which was around £90 before the fitting cost. So I thanked him for his kind advice and bid him fair well....without the normal cuppa I'd make a professional.

The good thing was I did a bit of research and visited 'Ideal' in Heywood, they were absolutely brilliant and sourced out a replacement cartridge for.........£7, yes £7!!!! I've just fitted the bugger works and I can now wash my hands again!!

Have you ever had any bad advice that could have cost you a bomb (don't name names), but luckily someone who had common sense and good manners saved your bacon?

My thanks goes to 'ideal' plumbing in Heywood, for taking a good 30 mins of their time to sell me a £7 replacement. I'll certainly be going back there again.

 

[BoyBlue_1985]

My car accidentally slid of the road with me driving it when I was 18. No crash no one involved but the sideways slide through some hefty mud caused what I assumed was a fair bit of damage as the car was not too much fun to drive.

Took it to a garage up the road from my house, anyway looks at it tells me I need 4 new parts + the labour £400. So I looked at the car, then him, then the car again and told him to get it off I will get another opinion.
Took it to another garage next day he looked at it and said £50 in time come back in 4hrs. Apparently some bits were bent but not too much and just need some tapping out and adjustments plus some wheel reblancing

The garage that tried to charge me that ridiculous amount was shut down by the office of fair trading a year or so later. Turns out it was owned by a right crook

 

[Petetheblu]

My car accidentally slid of the road with me driving it when I was 18. No crash no one involved but the sideways slide through some hefty mud caused what I assumed was a fair bit of damage as the car was not too much fun to drive.

Took it to a garage up the road from my house, anyway looks at it tells me I need 4 new parts + the labour £400. So I looked at the car, then him, then the car again and told him to get it off I will get another opinion.
Took it to another garage next day he looked at it and said £50 in time come back in 4hrs. Apparently some bits were bent but not too much and just need some tapping out and adjustments plus some wheel reblancing

The garage that tried to charge me that ridiculous amount was shut down by the office of fair trading a year or so later. Turns out it was owned by a right crook

What winds me up the most is, that these bastids can lie bare face to you, in the hope of earning an extra £200. I can't help but think "go on you robbing cock, how much is this going to cost me", every time I get an estimate/price.

 

[BoyBlue_1985]

My car accidentally slid of the road with me driving it when I was 18. No crash no one involved but the sideways slide through some hefty mud caused what I assumed was a fair bit of damage as the car was not too much fun to drive.

Took it to a garage up the road from my house, anyway looks at it tells me I need 4 new parts + the labour £400. So I looked at the car, then him, then the car again and told him to get it off I will get another opinion.
Took it to another garage next day he looked at it and said £50 in time come back in 4hrs. Apparently some bits were bent but not too much and just need some tapping out and adjustments plus some wheel reblancing

The garage that tried to charge me that ridiculous amount was shut down by the office of fair trading a year or so later. Turns out it was owned by a right crook

What winds me up the most is, that these bastids can lie bare face to you, in the hope of earning an extra £200. I can't help but think "go on you robbing cock, how much is this going to cost me", every time I get an estimate/price.

I have always been honest in my prices to the point where I will show them the receipts for what I bought for the job. Too many lying cowboys out there, sometimes an honest mistake or just being a bit too lazy to check the problem properly

 

[Petetheblu]

My car accidentally slid of the road with me driving it when I was 18. No crash no one involved but the sideways slide through some hefty mud caused what I assumed was a fair bit of damage as the car was not too much fun to drive.

Took it to a garage up the road from my house, anyway looks at it tells me I need 4 new parts + the labour £400. So I looked at the car, then him, then the car again and told him to get it off I will get another opinion.
Took it to another garage next day he looked at it and said £50 in time come back in 4hrs. Apparently some bits were bent but not too much and just need some tapping out and adjustments plus some wheel reblancing

The garage that tried to charge me that ridiculous amount was shut down by the office of fair trading a year or so later. Turns out it was owned by a right crook

What winds me up the most is, that these bastids can lie bare face to you, in the hope of earning an extra £200. I can't help but think "go on you robbing cock, how much is this going to cost me", every time I get an estimate/price.

I have always been honest in my prices to the point where I will show them the receipts for what I bought for the job. Too many lying cowboys out there, sometimes an honest mistake or just being a bit too lazy to check the problem properly

I fully agree as I've had some great professionals, but some are just cowboys who are probably no more qualified than an eager DIY.

I've also payed highly for expensive bogged up jobs, where advice just wasn't given.

 

[kenzie115]

I have no stories of my own but this thread could become very useful if everyone posts stories of good experiences they’ve had with professionals (not that kind). It could become bluemoon’s very own yellow pages of trusted handymen.

 

[honkytonkman187]

a few months ago we noticed a patch of the garden sinking. We decided to "keep an eye on it" until a few weeks ago, decided to get somebody in to look at the septic tank - the sinking was quite close to one of the covers for the tank.

Blokey came out and had a look, and declared that the septic tank was fooked, and that the ground around it was absorbing all of the liquid, and so collapsing. I waited, full of fear for how much it was going to cost when he said "get onto your insurance company."

For some reason, we hadn't thought of that, and presumed it wouldn't be covered.

We've just had confirmation from the insurance company that they'll cover it - all £11,000 of it !

So thanks to first blokey who came out to inspect it, even doing his company out of the job of replacing the tank themselves, by suggesting that we go through the insurance. He got a bottle of whisky, and a nice email thanking him. I bet his boss wouldn't be too pleased, though !

 

[kaz7]

Our shower broke down and i called out the people we were covered by,Mr k wasnt in so the guy thought i was on my own and said i needed a whole new shower costing a few hundred quid,i told him to get on his bike and he left.A friends son came and looked a it and said it was just a minor bit that cost about £25 and he fitted it for free

 

[Ronnie the Rep]

I tend to use people I have known for years. I use a local garage that has had plenty of chances to do me over - but never have. They get all my family's business.

Other than that, I now use checkatrade. Sitting in my breakfast room ATM as there is an installer fitting a new fireplace in the lounge that I got from there. In days gone by I would have done most of the work myself as I don't trust most tradesmen but checkatrade hasn't yet let me down

 

[SteWadda]

I tend to use people I have known for years. I use a local garage that has had plenty of chances to do me over - but never have. They get all my family's business.

Other than that, I now use checkatrade. Sitting in my breakfast room ATM as there is an installer fitting a new fireplace in the lounge that I got from there. In days gone by I would have done most of the work myself as I don't trust most tradesmen but checkatrade hasn't yet let me down

Breakfast Room? A room just for breakfast?