Help please, can i get some advise feedback from you please

[frendlered]

I am fairly new to motorhoming, but as yet haven't been able to go anywhere until i get everything fixed
Very difficult to do myself as i have a bad tremor from nerve damage from the meds i was given for TB when overseas
Can you offer any advise for me please, i have managed to get myself tied up with a rogue electrician and I he is getting me very stressed.

I hired an electrician to change my very old electrical system to LED and update the habitation control, 12v controler etc
the guy i have is so erratic in what he does, numerous excuses for not coming as promised etc. I am unfortunately commited to using him now as he is half way through

Anyway, cost for just parts not labour
he asked me to pay £950 in advance to buy all the items
his invoice
LED mini spot lights x 4 = £50.99
Main celing lights £36 these turned out to be 3 LED strips very basic (photo attached)
Reversing camera = £139.99 (just camera)
Cable , terminals , connectors and consumables = £145
Consumer unit fusebox and control panel £436

i wouldnt mind if there was a little on top, but these prices are beyond fair

My question is
Will i be able to confront this guy when it comes to paying the balance and ask him for proof of cost of purchase?
Where do i stand legally?

This is what he was going to put as the main ceiling lights (ok only for hidden lighting)
he was going to charge me £139.99 for these 4 strip lights when they are £14.50 on Amazon for 4
(This is the cost of just parts, not labour btw)

















so i bought these myself £24 for 2

 

[Boris7]

Where are you is the obvious question here?

 

[frendlered]

I am near Dumfries Boris
I just need some to offer advice on whether i can get him to prove the actual cost/price of the items he bought
is he legally obliged to produce these?

It would be nice to find someone else, but as he is a third way through i dont know a way to get out of this nicely or without me losing even more money
He's made my life a misery to be honest

 

[Boris7]

Ok, too far for me to butt in Im afraid.

anyone on here with knowledge of van electrics near enough to help should step forward please.

 

[trevskoda]

100% sure you are taken for a ride, reverse cam £25/35 ebay, lamps cheap on the bay, £950 up front, not in your nelly, I would have sorted the van here for £500 including all the parts, I did one 2 years back for a chap up my street, tell him to do one.

 

[frendlered]

100% sure you are taken for a ride, reverse cam £25/35 ebay, lamps cheap on the bay, £950 up front, not in your nelly, I would have sorted the van here for £500 including all the parts, I did one 2 years back for a chap up my street, tell him to do one.

The problem is that i don't know how to get out of it. I have searched and cant find anyone else remotely near here to do it.. Do you know if i can ask him to see the invoices, do you know if he legally obliged to do that?

Very stressed and miserable about the whole thing, that's the problem with Scotland its quite hard to find people like this unless you are in a big city. Whereabouts are you?

I don't mind travelling to get it done

 

[Boris7]

100% sure you are taken for a ride, reverse cam £25/35 ebay, lamps cheap on the bay, £950 up front, not in your nelly, I would have sorted the van here for £500 including all the parts, I did one 2 years back for a chap up my street, tell him to do one.

Your right Trev, but someone needs to be local enough to help here.

 

[frendlered]

Your right Trev, but someone needs t

The problem is that i don't know how to get out of it. I have searched and cant find anyone else remotely near here to do it.. Do you know if i can ask him to see the invoices, do you know if he legally obliged to do that?

Very stressed and miserable about the whole thing, that's the problem with Scotland its quite hard to find people like this unless you are in a big city. Whereabouts are you?

I don't mind travelling to get it done

How much should this normally cost?
Consumer unit fusebox and control panel - his charge £436

 

[trevskoda]

Your right Trev, but someone needs to be local enough to help here.

True but id still say ferk off, then hunt for someone, second it take him through the small claims for poor workmanship and daylight robbery.

 

[r4dent]

Have you asked trading standards / citizen advice ?

Many of us are barrack room lawyers, but not qualified to give advice on legal issues.

 

[frendlered]

Can i ask you guys. How long would it normally take to do all of this?
is it a days work or more?

yeah, I'm gonna call Citizens advice in the morning

 

[frendlered]

I was looking on Motorhome fun, i am a member, but cant find any search mechanism there. can anyone send a link to Ambulance Kid please?

 

[oppy]

Some on here would recommend David aka Wildbus as the go to chap for standard electricary, He is a member and is north of the border too

 

[frendlered]

that would be great, would you have any link or contact details please?

I tried to loop for Ambulance Kid on Motorhome fun, but there is no way of searching, does anyone have a contact and link for this as well please?

 

[Val54]

One of the problems here, (with the exception of the LED strip lights) is that some of the items quoted could be in the region of the price quoted. For example a topend dual reversing camera could be well over £100. The same goes for some of the larger items such as the consumer unit and control panel, did he give you a specification for these items. If he continues as with the leds then Boris and Trev are spot on. You need that spec info before deciding to ditch him otherwise I don't rate your chances of getting any money back. Did you get a written, itemised quote?

 

[r4dent]

Prices will vary lot depending on what you are getting, so it is very difficult to comment.

e.g.

Reversing camera = £139.99 (just camera)

Is this just a rear view camera or is it a true reversing camera with the lines that indicate where the vehicle will go and is linked to the steering?

Is it single or twin lens.(one for reversing and one for rear view) ?

It sounds like you don't trust the guy in which case I would give him the heave.

Have you tried searching for auto electricial or contacting local dealers.
or asked your owners group?

 

[frendlered]

Its just a camera, this would connect then with the media screen in the cab
I know this guy has never done a motorhome before and he just buys what comes up on Amazon. My guess is that its a cheapy, i need to tread carefully first. I dont want to go through a court battle
I am going to ask him for an itemised bill when he has finished and asks for the balance. I think this is the only thing i can do to be honest
His labour charge is £700 for 3 days work, which i guess is Ok
He's not VAT registered so i will ask for the receipts on that basis
What do you think?

 

[Pudsey Bear]

Sounds like a rip off to me however without seeing the parts and the invoice for them it's hard to know for certain, of course you can buy cheap but if I was doing my own cheap is my choice but doing it for someone else I'd err on the side of caution and not want to be fixing stuff all the time.

I'm sure David can do jobs for less than whatever he charges, but at the end of the day you would get less, there is also the issue that good gear is made better and money was spent on designs to enable easier and better fitting and cost less in labour, cheaper gear may cost more to fit as it's crap but does the job.

I fitted a solar panel and controller for a Facts member about ten years ago, I bought all the gear and fitted it and gave him my pre agreed bill, he said I could get these for less that half that, I just said well if you could have then you should have, and fitted them yourself which he couldn't as he was clueless, (bit like me but I now how to do that job) I just priced the job based on what the gear cost me and £10 per hour, plus travelling cost to his storage place and back.

As they say Cheap no good, Good no cheap.

 

[frendlered]

I found him Boris, so sent a message, thanks so much - all this crap in life is so unecessary isnt it?
this guy will find out one day the right way to do business

 

[wildebus]

One question ....
He has quoted all these prices and parts. Have you actually accepted his invoice and paid them?
Are you questioning the prices he is quoting before settling the final invoice?

Some of the prices you have stated it is hard to comment on without knowing more info.
Other items seem excessive, although quality of items can vary so much for the same apparent product, it is possible he is buying top quality stuff from a motorhome product supplier rather than looking for the best deal on eBay.
As an example, a camera to connect to an in-dash display... you can buy a camera for £10. You can spend a lot more, but £139 is certainly very much at the high end.

Just as Pudesy says below,

..... doing it for someone else I'd err on the side of caution and not want to be fixing stuff all the time.

When you being paid to supply and fit kit for someone, if you are sensible, you fit quality stuff that means you don't have to go back to fix/replace, plus you have to factor in replacement costs IF something fails, so there will be some kind of mark-up to cover some service costs, plus higher quality kit where appropriate as well. But these markups have to be fair and not take the pee.

Its just a camera, this would connect then with the media screen in the cab
I know this guy has never done a motorhome before and he just buys what comes up on Amazon. My guess is that its a cheapy, i need to tread carefully first. I dont want to go through a court battle
I am going to ask him for an itemised bill when he has finished and asks for the balance. I think this is the only thing i can do to be honest
His labour charge is £700 for 3 days work, which i guess is Ok
He's not VAT registered so i will ask for the receipts on that basis
What do you think?

I would absolutely agree that you should ask for an itemised bill with a product breakdown including prices. I
Labour of £700 for 3 days is ok I would say but not sure if I can see 3 days work involved there to fit the list of kit mentioned.


All I think maybe you can do is hope he has done a good job and while the price is questionable, you are happy with the result. There is a saying along the lines that the price is long forgotten whilst the quality lives on. Let's hope that is true for you.