Sky subcontractor

indenial

I just had a bad experience with a sky contractor this weekend and I'm still seething.

I was getting Sky installed into my house last Friday, which is free. While the installer (subcontracted by sky) was doing his work I asked him would he be able to connect the tv in the kitchen to the one in the sitting room so that we could watch whatever was being watched in the sitting room. i.e no paying for another box. He told me it would be easy to do. I was happy with this and told him I would give him a few cuid for doing it on the side. He said he couldn't do it that day as he had a busy schedule on but would call out last Friday.

He calls out anyway on the Friday, drills the hole through the dividing wall for the cable, connects the magic eye and hey presto it works perfectly (just 10 mins work). I had the bracket for holding the TV on the table to do myself when he was gone but as he had the drill out I asked him to put it up while he was there. All this required was drilling four holes into the wall and screwing the bracket in (5 mins work).

Happy with the work I asked him what was going to him and he said 150 euros. :eek: I laughed and said no seriously how much. He remained glum faced and repeated the price. I said how could you justify that? He said 100 euros for the magic eye and 50 euros for putting up the bracket. I didn't know the cost of the magic eye and thought it must be expensive so I left that part but let him know it was far more expensive than I thought it would be. I was well thick with the 50 euros charge for putting up the bracket because I should have done this myself. Some cheek I thought.

I gave him the 100 euros for that magic eye as I didn't know the cost of this and 20 euros for putting the bracket up and told him to take it or leave it. He gladly took the money and left.

When he went I googled the magic eye to see it is 7 euros to buy. I am so mad about this as the guy fleeced me but don't know who to get on to.

What avenue do people recommend I should take with this? I know I should have asked for a price beforehand and I know because I didn't he felt he could charge what he liked when the work was done. I have nothing in writing but I just don't want this joker getting away with this. I don't think Sky would give a fiddlers as he doesn't work for them. Any recommendations?

Jip

Don't think you have anything to fall back against as this was all done as part of a nixxer.

Cabaal

indenial wrote: »

<SNIP>,,,,
He calls out anyway on the Friday, drills the hole through the dividing wall for the cable, connects the magic eye and hey presto it works perfectly (just 10 mins work). I had the bracket for holding the TV on the table to do myself when he was gone but as he had the drill out I asked him to put it up while he was there. All this required was drilling four holes into the wall and screwing the bracket in (5 mins work).

So you get him to do extra work before finding out his fee for doing it?
Doesn't matter if its easy or not he still can charge for it as its not covered by sky

Happy with the work I asked him what was going to him and he said 150 euros. :eek: I laughed and said no seriously how much. He remained glum faced and repeated the price. I said how could you justify that? He said 100 euros for the magic eye and 50 euros for putting up the bracket. I didn't know the cost of the magic eye and thought it must be expensive so I left that part but let him know it was far more expensive than I thought it would be. I was well thick with the 50 euros charge for putting up the bracket because I should have done this myself. Some cheek I thought.

Again you should have agreed a price for both work and the magiceye, none the less you got him to do work doesn't matter if you can do it yourself

I gave him the 100 euros for that magic eye as I didn't know the cost of this and 20 euros for putting the bracket up and told him to take it or leave it. He gladly took the money and left.

When he went I googled the magic eye to see it is 7 euros to buy. I am so mad about this as the guy fleeced me but don't know who to get on to.

Just because the magic eye is 7e from some places doesn't mean he can't charge 20e or more for it (after all nobody forces you to buy it), you were wrong to assume work and the magic eye wouldn't cost you much.

You should have agreed a price before hand and you didn't in addition its nothing to do with Sky as it was outside of the contracted work for them.

You may not like it but I don't believe there is much you can do about this especially given lack of proof, best you can do is learn from this imho

jor el

Before getting any work done, you should have asked for all the prices. As it is, you haven't a leg to stand on.

indenial

Yes, lesson learned. Will definitely get a quote in future. I just hate the fact of being stung. I just know he wouldn't have charged half that if I had asked for a price beforehand. As I said lesson learned.

Cabaal

indenial wrote: »

Yes, lesson learned. Will definitely get a quote in future. I just hate the fact of being stung. I just know he wouldn't have charged half that if I had asked for a price beforehand. As I said lesson learned.

Indeed its a pain alright, especially given on the moral view he should have advised you of costs perhaps but he obviously decided not to,

Phoenix3

It always makes me laugh when somebody says to me it is only 2 or 4 holes to be drilled.If that is the case why not do it yourself.I doubt if it was only 10 mins by the time he unloaded and packed up and then his travel time.

indenial

Phoenix3 wrote: »

It always makes me laugh when somebody says to me it is only 2 or 4 holes to be drilled.If that is the case why not do it yourself.I doubt if it was only 10 mins by the time he unloaded and packed up and then his travel time.

Glad I got a laugh out of you. He rang the doorbell at 6.40 and was in the van at 7.00

ronaneire

Report him to the revenue lol

whippet

indenial wrote: »

Glad I got a laugh out of you. He rang the doorbell at 6.40 and was in the van at 7.00

I assume this is friday afternoon?

So you got a tradesman to do a call out after hours on a friday evening and he had work done and parts installed to your satisfaction for €120?

That sounds like a decent rate to me. How far did he have to travel to your house?

indenial

whippet wrote: »

I assume this is friday afternoon?

To answer your questions, I didn't ask him to call out Friday evening, I was available all day. Just like if he called out on a Sunday to do the job I wouldn't have expected him to charge me double time.

He is living in the next town to me which was on his home from his previous job that day.

kbell

What area/town are you in??

indenial

Cork

muboop1

indenial wrote: »

I just had a bad experience with a sky contractor this weekend and I'm still seething.

I was getting Sky installed into my house last Friday, which is free. While the installer (subcontracted by sky) was doing his work I asked him would he be able to connect the tv in the kitchen to the one in the sitting room so that we could watch whatever was being watched in the sitting room. i.e no paying for another box. He told me it would be easy to do. I was happy with this and told him I would give him a few cuid for doing it on the side. He said he couldn't do it that day as he had a busy schedule on but would call out last Friday.

He calls out anyway on the Friday, drills the hole through the dividing wall for the cable, connects the magic eye and hey presto it works perfectly (just 10 mins work). I had the bracket for holding the TV on the table to do myself when he was gone but as he had the drill out I asked him to put it up while he was there. All this required was drilling four holes into the wall and screwing the bracket in (5 mins work).

Happy with the work I asked him what was going to him and he said 150 euros. :eek: I laughed and said no seriously how much. He remained glum faced and repeated the price. I said how could you justify that? He said 100 euros for the magic eye and 50 euros for putting up the bracket. I didn't know the cost of the magic eye and thought it must be expensive so I left that part but let him know it was far more expensive than I thought it would be. I was well thick with the 50 euros charge for putting up the bracket because I should have done this myself. Some cheek I thought.

I gave him the 100 euros for that magic eye as I didn't know the cost of this and 20 euros for putting the bracket up and told him to take it or leave it. He gladly took the money and left.

When he went I googled the magic eye to see it is 7 euros to buy. I am so mad about this as the guy fleeced me but don't know who to get on to.

What avenue do people recommend I should take with this? I know I should have asked for a price beforehand and I know because I didn't he felt he could charge what he liked when the work was done. I have nothing in writing but I just don't want this joker getting away with this. I don't think Sky would give a fiddlers as he doesn't work for them. Any recommendations?

used to work for sky(see AH thread :P)

anyway the bracket is nothing to do with them and as uch sky having nothing to do with.

however the 100 for the eye, you should fo refused to pay.

and asked him to show you the proces in writing!

do you know the company who done the installation themselves?

give them a call!

whippet

muboop1 wrote: »

do you know the company who done the installation themselves?

give them a call!

it is obvious the OP got the installer to do a nixer and as such has really no comeback with the installation company.

This really is danger with getting tradesmen to do nixers, your comeback is limited.

indenial

muboop1 wrote: »

do you know the company who done the installation themselves?

No, but I suppose I could ring Sky and find out.

I look beaten on this one. I'll be wiser in future. I won't be caught again....at least that is what I'm comforting myself with anyway.