Appliance trades person - rip off?

paultf

Is this dodgy service?

I had an accident with my washing machine recently which IMO was unrepairable. My dishwasher also stopped working but I thought it could be fixed. (The water wasn't draining away.)

Where I live there isn't much of a choice for repairers. As it happened someone put a leaflet through my letterbox advertising applicance repairs. Spoke to him on the phone and he seemed OK. (I know where he lives and he is friendly with someone I know.)

I suppose I was hoping it would be a small job. Zanussi were looking for a €75 call out charge for 1 machine. I was hoping a local guy could do it for cheaper.

It toke over 1 hour to get the semi-integrated dishwasher out - with me helping (there was no tiles under the machine so made it difficult.) He then said he needed to take the dishwasher away to check it. (He said the main parts of a DW are on the bottom.) He also toke the washing machine.

I told him I didn't want any work done if it was going to work out better to get 2 new machines.

The next day he told me that the pump was gone in the DW and it would take €100 to fix. Plus he said the control dial was broken - I said it was OK when it left my house - he said it probably got damaged in transit. Part would cost €20 and implied I would have to pay for this.

The WM would cost €130 to fix.

I said maybe my house insurance might cover the WM. I said I would call him back as I wanted to check prices for new machines online. I also told him I might want both applicances back.

I rang him later and told him I didn't want any repair work done and to bring the machines back. He asked would he bring the DW to the recycling centre. I said no.

He bought the machines back. He was harping on about how insurance companies never follow through. Then he started to point out how the DW was fixable and that maybe using a power hose could unblock the WM.

Charged me €50 for work done.

I am not sure but I get an uneasy feeling when I think about how this interaction went:

* While trying to get the DW out I had to give him some of my tools. One of the tools is quite unique and he packed it into his bag as he was leaving. I had to ask for it back.

* He kept referring to a local electical retailer that he uses for parts. He also said that this particular place sells 2nd hand machines. I wonder was he really going to send my DW to the recycling centre?

* Some people I spoke to wondered why he toke the machines away. Could he not have done an initial diagnosis on the spot?

* Both returned machines had marks, scraps and small dents.

* The control dial on the DW was broken.

* He had unscrewed the WM door and now 3 screws are missing - the door is hanging on. (Yet he said he had done no work on the WM?)

* As he was leaving he told me he saw a good value 2nd hand Bosch WM in the same retailer for sale. He said "I have nothing to do with them, not pushing, etc."

OK, I know it's my fault - I should have handled it better - along the lines of "buyer beware" and all that. The thing is I am not very good at this stuff. I feel this guy saw me a mile away and was trying to pull a fast one. I shouldn't have let him take the applicances away. I wasn't thinking it through when he suggested it.

In the end I got my appliances back but they have been damaged. If the quotes he gave me fixing are correct then it will out better for me to buy new.

Not a good experience IMO.

coylemj

I'm not sure I'd call that a rip-off, I think you were just unfortunate to engage an incompetent bufoon. He probably took the appliances away because if he had tried to repair them onsite, you probably would have quickly realised that he hadn't clue what he was at.

No way would I let someone take away a large appliance unless it was going back to the shop that sold it to me for a warranty repair i.e. if I was paying the guy, I'd want it fixed on the spot or no deal. Any large white goods appliance can be disassembled on the spot, a local repairman should never need to take it away.

Celeron Media

I'm not sure I'd call that a rip-off, I think you were just unfortunate to engage an incompetent bufoon.

I totally agree, from what I read he sounds like Calgon's worst enemy

paultf

coylemj wrote: »

I'm not sure I'd call that a rip-off, I think you were just unfortunate to engage an incompetent bufoon.

OK, maybe 'rip-off' was the wrong term to use in the title.

I am annoyed that I allowed this so-called 'Appliance Doctor' make a fool of me. I hate when this happens. Maybe I'm gullible but I tend to take people as they are. I don't want to be continually on guard when I ask someone to come into my house to get something fixed.

I am fairly honest myself and I just expect people providing a service to be honest too.

sandin

I think its a classic example of a real rip-off except that you were a little wiser than others.

It seems to have been a couple of simple issues to fix and both of which would be fixable in your home by a competent repairer.

Whereas this guy was making up things that needed to be done and tried to charge you for his own damage.

A REAL rip-off merchant ino.

Celeron Media

I am annoyed that I allowed this so-called 'Appliance Doctor' make a fool of me.

It happens, there is so many of these spare tools around. They watch a few YouTube repair videos uploaded by kids and then call themselves experts, geniuses, doctors etc...


I keep imaging this 'Appliance Doctor' trying too fix your washing a hand saw or hammer for some reason . Probably would explain the dents you mentioned.

paultf

I am so angry. :mad:

Where I am based there are only 2 applicance repair people locally. I tried one of them before and he wasn't very good. So I toke a chance with the only other available local tradesman - who turned out to be a cowboy. (He put a leaflet thorugh the door a few weeks ago advertising himself as the 'Appliance Doctor'. Has the van marked with RGI, OFTEC, domestic applicances, etc.)

Over the weekend I have been sending off emails to various repair companies to get an idea of cost for repair. All of them are in Dublin and they don't really come down the country. Thought I'd chance my arm.

I got a phone call a few moments ago from a guy called Niall from www.nationalappliancerepairs.ie He was in Dublin airport on his way to London. He must have spent 20 minutes on the phone with me, diagnosing the problem and offering solutions. Came across as been very decent. (He uttered a number of "I don't believe you" comments when I told him about the cowboy antics. Especially the one about taking the applicances away in his van.)

National Applicance Repairs (NAR):
€35 call out (The main brand repairer were looking for €75.)
€35 per hour labour.

He said my washing machine can be fixed and that it wasn't a big job.
[Cowboy quoted €130 for fixing the WM alone.]

My dishwasher can be fixed too. Niall thinks it's possible, from what I described, that the pump might not need to be replaced.
[Cowboy was looking for €100, plus €20 for a part to fix the control dial he broke.]

So with NAR I might be looking at a repair bill of around €105 (only if there is a 2nd hour of labour.)

The cowboy broke the control dial on the DW, left WM door hanging on by one screw and stole the hot & cold pipes off the back of the WM.

So with these breakages, by my reckoning NAR might be able do the job for less than €130. (Without the breakages, maybe €105.)

Cowboy was looking for around €260 to do the same job - both WM and DW.

I am annoyed now with myself that I didn't do more research into this. I thought it was a straight forward job so I never even thought of getting advice or comparing prices. I never thought I'd be fooled in this way. I am too trusting for my own good, I think.

Not sure what I am going to do now. Do you think I should get in touch with the National Consumer Agency to complain or am I wasting my time? I thought about sending a registered letter to the cowboy pointing out how I rated his so called service and maybe seeking compensation for the breakages he made. Maybe even a solicitor's letter? (The thing is I don't know if he has done any damage internally on either of the machines. He did mention that he tried a 2nd hand pump on the DW. He said he never examined the WM but yet the door is missing screws. I just don't trust this guy. He has been filling me with BS all last week. If I get in proper engineers and they discover internal damage, that would mean more cost to me.)

Is there anyway of marking this guy's card so at least one customer in the future might be aware of his antics and at least saving them from what I went through?

Terenuremum

Had issue with washing machine - google led me to the above company who apparently have "25 years experience". After speaking to the owner - a colleague was sent out to assess my machine . His assessment involved hearing what the problem was and immediately ringing the owner who reported that it was a timer issue - not worth replacing given the expense and advised that I allow them to take my machine away for me and give me one of their reconditioned ones (at an exorbitant price).... how convenient?! Given the fact that no one had actually looked at the machine I decided to get a second opinion.... who was pretty shocked at my description of the first assessment and quickly found that it was a broken thermostat which cost me little to replace. When I called the owner to discuss my dissatisfaction with his initial assessment he became extremely aggressive on the phone and suggested he would be "sending people" round to get payment (which I sent). Avoid this company at all costs. Further attempts to discuss my issues with their service - via email - have been ignored. Just wish we had an Irish version of the TV show "Rogue Traders"!

IHPhoto

Definite rogue trader

Terenuremum

Just realised that the name of the company I used did not appear - they are called Beaumont appliance fix - they seem to have several names however - also swords appliance fix - based on my experience - AVOID!