My take on this is that you need to be very clear how much a given job is going to cost before accepting the tender. Electricians are outrageous and charge like wounded bulls. That said, as long as you are both very clear on what is to be done it should be easy enough to get a job completed without such ridiculously high fees.
I have used AirTasker a number of times and the way it works is pretty good. You provide clear information about the task including diagrams and photographs so that you both know whatās required. You pay Airtasker prior to commencement, and they only release the funds when the job is complete. I have had excellent tradespeople and havenāt (yet) had any problem.
The quote is clear, and provided you are sensible to analyse the task carefully it all goes well in terms of costs. The tradespeople have reviews on the site, and if they do a poor job they donāt stay on Airtasker long! Works well for both tradesperson and client.
The cost does seem excessive. You should have asked for a detailed receipt so you can see how they calculated the charge. They may have charged you a call out fee, inspection and travelling time to purchase replacement unit and then installation labour.
They said the call out fee was waived if the tender was accepted. As for the details I really donāt need them to know that the relatively simple replacement of a two heater exhaust fan unit by another one using the same wiring and ducting and taking about 60 minutes, which includes the trip to the shop to collect the new unit, should not cost $645 (after allowing $79 for the cost of the new unit). As I said, I will NOT make that mistake again. I will not use that company again and I am warning everyone I know to keep clear of them.
You DO have a choice. Donāt pay (or pay the amount you think reasonable) and invite them to initiate legal action.
Because their potential claim is less than $10,000 (it may differ in different States) the matter can only be resolved by a Small Claims Court. Solicitors are not permitted to act for either plaintiff or defendant.
The problem is that the vast majority of people who find themselves in these circumstances FEAR court processes. This should not be the case. If you believe that you have been treated unfairly, and are being asked to pay far more than the job warrants, let the Court decide.
The worst that can happen is the Court decides in their favour and you have to pay the amount demanded.
The legal process, however, is daunting and intimidating, and this works in the favour of the bullying companies and service providers who thrive on your temerity to take them on in Court. Iāve said this beforeā¦standing up to them is not something they welcome.
Hereās a trade secretā¦they are as reluctant to initiate legal action as you are to contest.
Itās not good for business to be seen taking customers to Courtā¦and the consequence for them losing is much worse than the consequence of you losing.
Do a little research and stand up for your rights to fair and reasonable treatment by companies and service providers, including government agencies.
Why not turn opinion into experience and give it a go?
The perception may be well intended, however for those of us struggling to find reliable trades at a fair market rate? It is one option for Queenslanders to consider.
Ultimately the lowest cost is typically the local tradie we all use and trust. The one who gets so much local demand you wait in turn to get their service. The one you all found after trying all the others and paying those too much for a job half done. Sometimes we canāt afford the learning curve or to wait!
You didnāt add an amount for the cutting of the gyprock and make good. But I agree that the actual bill does seem excessively high.
Unfortunately it is stories like this that give all tradies a bad name. I once had to replace a ceiling fan. I bought the fan then had to get an electrician to install it. They were in my home for less than 10 minutes (they didnāt clean up, left little bits of wire all over the floor, the old fan and all the packaging all over the place. Cost? $194 (with a discount). Cost of fan? $155! Tradies are expensive.
Are you suggesting dollars for time donāt include any work? A proper invoice should have enumerated what was included, which my straw man costing did not, but I did include an allowance for āworkā.
I did include the cutting of the gyprock. I have done this myself with the sort of gyprock saw he had. It seemed to take about 5 minutes, he only had to slightly enlargen the hole.
This is firstly about the business or service provider
Secondly it is a warning about how this business appears to take advantage of a consumer and secondly a lesson for us all when arranging for trade work. Always get a quote or estimate first and seek tradies with reliable references.
P.S.
There are plenty of tradies that do a great job and charge fairly.
We tend to suffer as consumers from fair trade or consumer legislation that fails to prevent such outrageous abuses of consumer goodwill. Yes, you might seek recourse and achieve some compensation.
Is it worth your time and effort or for many of us the extreme stress of seeking a remedy?
$725 to supply and replace a cheap fitting. Is it a joke or a crime? Some would pursue a better outcome at any cost. Others might share the tale of woe and move on hoping sharing saves others from similar errors.
We are all the better for @rjstevens sharing their experience.
