Felling constantly robbed in this country !

Valresnick

Why do I feel utterly robbed by everyone in this country these days ?

Had a tradesman come out to my house today, he spent 10 minutes looking at something, telling me it’s broke and charging me 70 quid for the pleasure without fixing a thing.

I went to a doctor recently, barely looked me over and prescribed me antibiotics for a flu?

What annoys me most is when I tell other people these stories they say “that’s what they all do” like we are just meant to accept being ripped off as part of life in Ireland and I’m in the wrong !

What happened to decent tradesmen who gave good advice, loved what they do and were helpful ? Instead we have these new guys who care only about earning as much as they can and telling what they can’t or won’t do !

What happened to decent doctors who gave you a proper check up, instead of just slapping a prescription in front you?

Perhaps it’s me, maybe my standards are just too high or maybe people agree that most services in Ireland today are only interested in getting as much of your money with as little service as possible !

blackbox

I thought this thread was going to be about people stealing logs from forests!

Valresnick

blackbox wrote: »

I thought this thread was going to be about people stealing logs from forests!

Feeling.... 😂

Quantum Erasure

We have to import timber now...

Water John

Iv'e heard it is hard to get a tree felling licence in Ireland ATM so three boat loads of Scottish timber are coming into Cork. Is that what you're complaining about?

Valresnick

First post fail

jimbobaloobob

I can see your point OP and the point of professionals. They cant go about giving free advice all the time or thats all their phone will ring for.

Its like that old story of the guy thats called to fix the machine and invoices the company 10000, they ask for an itemised breakdown of his costs.
He sends in a new invoice €10 for a hammer, €9990 for the expertise to know where to strike with the hammer.

Valresnick

jimbobaloobob wrote: »

I can see your point OP and the point of professionals. They cant go about giving free advice all the time or thats all their phone will ring for.

Its like that old story of the guy thats called to fix the machine and invoices the company 10000, they ask for an itemised breakdown of his costs.
He sends in a new invoice €10 for a hammer, €9990 for the expertise to know where to strike with the hammer.

I like that story because he sounds like a guy who actually did something with the machine.

taytobreath

Valresnick wrote: »

First post fail

edit is your only friend here lol

Valresnick

taytobreath wrote: »

edit is your only friend here lol

Can’t edit the title

bilbot79

I think the thread should carry on as though it really is about stealing logs from forests

cyberwolf77

bilbot79 wrote: »

I think the thread should carry on as though it really is about stealing logs from forests

I"m inclined to let it stay if that what it remains. Keep it light, or off to Forestry you go

bobbyy gee

There's no free advice
You don't work for free

Why expect others

Graces7

Old saying. " The labourer is worthy of his hire."

Would you work for free ?

Kylta

How much is a bag of logs anyway?

Rodin

Valresnick wrote: »

Why do I feel utterly robbed by everyone in this country these days ?

Had a tradesman come out to my house today, he spent 10 minutes looking at something, telling me it’s broke and charging me 70 quid for the pleasure without fixing a thing.

I went to a doctor recently, barely looked me over and prescribed me antibiotics for a flu?

What annoys me most is when I tell other people these stories they say “that’s what they all do” like we are just meant to accept being ripped off as part of life in Ireland and I’m in the wrong !

What happened to decent tradesmen who gave good advice, loved what they do and were helpful ? Instead we have these new guys who care only about earning as much as they can and telling what they can’t or won’t do !

What happened to decent doctors who gave you a proper check up, instead of just slapping a prescription in front you?

Perhaps it’s me, maybe my standards are just too high or maybe people agree that most services in Ireland today are only interested in getting as much of your money with as little service as possible !

Maybe the doctor was trying to teach you not to be bothering them with a flu....

Stay in bed. Fluids. Paracetamol if high temp.
Job done.

Suckler

jimbobaloobob wrote: »

I can see your point OP and the point of professionals. They cant go about giving free advice all the time or thats all their phone will ring for.

Its like that old story of the guy thats called to fix the machine and invoices the company 10000, they ask for an itemised breakdown of his costs.
He sends in a new invoice €10 for a hammer, €9990 for the expertise to know where to strike with the hammer.

Trades in this country have seen a race to the bottom in the last twenty years. A lot of clients know the price of everything but the value of nothing.

jimbobaloobob

Suckler wrote: »

Trades in this country have seen a race to the bottom in the last twenty years. A lot of clients know the price of everything but the value of nothing.

A lot of that is the fault of the trades people themselves. They are undercutting themselves in the hope of increasing volume of trade and customers but unbeknownst to some of them devaluing their own profession. There are many thought that are still successful whilst keeping realistic pricing in place for themselves.

Antares35

Kylta wrote: »

How much is a bag of logs anyway?

About a fiver.

jimmycrackcorm

Suckler wrote:

Trades in this country have seen a race to the bottom in the last twenty years. A lot of clients know the price of everything but the value of nothing.

I started doing a lot of DiY jobs myself that I wouldn't have dreamt I could have undertaken. Rolling for example but also wood based work.

What made it possible was watching YouTube videos to learn skills and techniques. Whilst not quite at the level of those with lots of experience, it's surprising how much you can do yourself.

So what we pay for is someone else's time and that's where the balance of what your own time is worth instead counts.

JustAThought

No consequences anymore. Thou thank God bad ratings and warning others on local
sites and fb/social media. Bad news and rubbish jobs & shoddy workmanship can be alerted much wider now.

Personally I feel a bit sorry for doctors I usually wait until I’m half dying from something & then have an add on list of C priority ailments for them to check as well. I’m sure I’m not the only one!

AngryHippie

jimmycrackcorm wrote: »

I started doing a lot of DiY jobs myself that I wouldn't have dreamt I could have undertaken. Rolling for example but also wood based work.

What made it possible was watching YouTube videos to learn skills and techniques. Whilst not quite at the level of those with lots of experience, it's surprising how much you can do yourself.

So what we pay for is someone else's time and that's where the balance of what your own time is worth instead counts.

The vast majority of the skill and understanding involved in having learned a trade is:

• Knowing exactly how to complete the job without making any extra work or making something worse
• Having the tools to complete the job and the skill to use them
• Being able to complete the job fast enough to estimate cost and deliver on price
• Being able to sign off on your work / insure your work (Sparkys,plumbers, waterproofers etc.)

The first two can be learned by pretty well anybody with some manual skill and understanding. The third one comes with experience getting the first two wrong and the last one requires a trade certificate, insurance premiums and industry body memberships.

Being prepared to have a go will save you lots of money if you have the time to spend working it out, somewhere to keep your tools and the outlay for the tools. Over the course of a few years, you will probably spend close to what the tradesman would have cost you on tools and re-works. After that it will start to pay off as you'll get better at it and already own the tools the next time the job pops up. Its a long game, but if you don't have commercial programs or your own time pressures, its a no-brainer. Everything you need is on the internet or in a hardware store.

Del2005

Valresnick wrote: »

Why do I feel utterly robbed by everyone in this country these days ?

Had a tradesman come out to my house today, he spent 10 minutes looking at something, telling me it’s broke and charging me 70 quid for the pleasure without fixing a thing.

I went to a doctor recently, barely looked me over and prescribed me antibiotics for a flu?

What annoys me most is when I tell other people these stories they say “that’s what they all do” like we are just meant to accept being ripped off as part of life in Ireland and I’m in the wrong !

What happened to decent tradesmen who gave good advice, loved what they do and were helpful ? Instead we have these new guys who care only about earning as much as they can and telling what they can’t or won’t do !

What happened to decent doctors who gave you a proper check up, instead of just slapping a prescription in front you?

Perhaps it’s me, maybe my standards are just too high or maybe people agree that most services in Ireland today are only interested in getting as much of your money with as little service as possible !

Do you know the costs of a van, tools, insurance etc for a trades person and then you have to add travel time? You won't get a tax registered legit trades person out to your house for nothing. €70 wasn't too bad for a call out.

Why did you go to the doctors when you had a flu? There's nothing a doctor can do and if they don't prescribe something then a lot of people complain. Since you knew that antibiotics don't do anything for a flu then you don't need to buy them

Valresnick

Del2005 wrote: »

Do you know the costs of a van, tools, insurance etc for a trades person and then you have to add travel time? You won't get a tax registered legit trades person out to your house for nothing. €70 wasn't too bad for a call out.

Why did you go to the doctors when you had a flu? There's nothing a doctor can do and if they don't prescribe something then a lot of people complain. Since you knew that antibiotics don't do anything for a flu then you don't need to buy them

I went to the doctor because I needed a certificate for my work. I bought the antibiotics because I only learned after that they are not effective for the flu. I love how you never once questioned why the doctor would prescribe them ?

I’ll happily pay a good reputable tradesman, I have the right to be angry when visited by a lazy greedy tradesman who did absolutely nothing and offered no solution !

hurleronditch

Valresnick wrote: »

I went to the doctor because I needed a certificate for my work. I bought the antibiotics because I only learned after that they are not effective for the flu. I love how you never once questioned why the doctor would prescribe them ?

I’ll happily pay a good reputable tradesman, I have the right to be angry when visited by a lazy greedy tradesman who did absolutely nothing and offered no solution !

So even if the doctor did nothing, only told you you had a flu and to take OTC meds, rest and fluids, you still would have had to pay them? Correct? So basically you needed to see the doctor for work, but it’s the doctors fault for charging you? The very odd time I go to a doctor for something minor I make sure to get the value out of it (I have this funny pain in my elbow, is this little lump here okay, etc, etc).

On the tradesman, did he tell you in advance he he had a call out charge? I assume he offered to come back and fix it?

I’m not sure how you were expecting someone to drive to your house, spend some time assessing something and giving his professional view and do it all for free?

lalababa

Unfortunately services have gone a bit pricey since the middle of the Celtic tiger. Fixed costs to service /tradesmen are pricey themselves... Cost and length of qualification/insurance/pension provision/cost of living.
That said some are taking the piss.

pwurple

House call from a tradesman is usually 100-150 around here, so I think you got off ok there. You are paying for their time. Do you work for free? They need you to ok the purchase of the replacement , or parts before they go to the next stage.


A doctor's appointment is typically 7.5 minutes. They see 4 of you every half hour and you sound like an easy case. Do you think there is something else wrong with you that warranted longer investigation? You wanted a note for work, you got that, plus a precautionary prescription.


Sounds like everyone got what they needed here and the systems work effectively and efficiently. You needed two services and were able to access both when you wanted them.


What's missing? The chats? You wanted to be schmoozed?

un5byh7sqpd2x0

Have you gotten onto Coillte?

Chalk McHugh

Don't be mean to the OP posters. I'm sure he's a decent feller.

atilladehun

Employing a single individual is always going to feel expensive.

If tradespeople, who are specially trained and qualified can't afford to live in this society then they won't exist. So they need to be paid. As others mention they've a tonne of costs too. The 70 euro covers the drive in the insured vehicle with told to your house as well as being in your house when they could be working somewhere else.

It's crap for the buyer but that's the way it is.

Doctors notes for work is another issue. There should be a better system.

I'd be keen on nationalising doctors, but the queues would be weeks long. You'd be waiting for a note when you were sick for 3 days 3 weeks ago.

Valresnick

pwurple wrote: »

House call from a tradesman is usually 100-150 around here, so I think you got off ok there. You are paying for their time. Do you work for free? They need you to ok the purchase of the replacement , or parts before they go to the next stage.


A doctor's appointment is typically 7.5 minutes. They see 4 of you every half hour and you sound like an easy case. Do you think there is something else wrong with you that warranted longer investigation? You wanted a note for work, you got that, plus a precautionary prescription.


Sounds like everyone got what they needed here and the systems work effectively and efficiently. You needed two services and were able to access both when you wanted them.


What's missing? The chats? You wanted to be schmoozed?

Ok, doctor barely even looked at me. I gave him symptoms and then he wrote a note and I left. If that’s ok for you then fair enough, but I’m not settling just because you say that’s the way it is. I’ve recently changed doctor and the one I have is now far better and really looks you over when you are in with him.

As for the boiler, I recently went with another fantastic company who came and looked at it for free then provided fantastic info on best approach. No surprise that I’m hired them to fit a new one.

You can settle for crap services but I won’t. My faith has been slightly restored and maybe it was my fault for not shopping around more.

Del2005

Valresnick wrote: »

As for the boiler, I recently went with another fantastic company who came and looked at it for free then provided fantastic info on best approach. No surprise that I’m hired them to fit a new one.

You can settle for crap services but I won’t. My faith has been slightly restored and maybe it was my fault for not shopping around more.

Nothing is free, they have charged you for the call somewhere. Because if they were working for free they wouldn't be in business long.

Why did you complain about the doctor when they gave you want you wanted? A doctor's note for work! The reason why they prescribed antibiotics is because too many people think they have to get something when they go to the doctor and they'd be more pissed off if they were prescribed a placebo.