Able Group Plumbing Work Help

[arhidakis]

Hi,

Life is full of issues and only this forum eases the pain:)

 

Here's my problem:

 

Back at the end of December 2012, i had a pipe burst in the bathroom, at which i called the Able Group emergency number and booked a plumber to come and fix the burst pipe.

The plumber arrived within 2 hrs, saw to the problem, replaced a plastic fitting, paid him £150 through credit card.

Everything was fine up to today when the same problem happened again. Switched off the mains water supply and on closer look the same fitting as per plumber failed.

So rang Able Group, spoke to a customer services advisor confirming my case and what had happened. The response i got was to wait in all day, and that i would receive i phonecall confirming the attendance of the plumber to assess the situation and if at fault will be fixed free.

Now that conversation took place at 9am and its now 8pm and no further calls or communication took place.

Naturally i am fuming as i have been home almost all day with no water and had to resort to friends and water bottles.I do not know what my legal options are:

 

So what is/are your advice?

 

a) Request chargeback and re-book a plumber from somewhere else

b) Ring Able Group and complain + complain to the Trading Standards

 

Any help ideas are welcome (and sorry if the above is long winded)

 

Thanks

[i hate bailiffs]

£150 for a plastic fitting!! You will probably do better in future to use a local plummer rather than a big firm

 

sounds like you need to get it sorted soon you would expect the repair to last longer than it has, maby there is other issues as it is the second time

[arhidakis]

Since my last post, i made a complaint to the Trading Standards and started a chargeback (section 75) through my Credit Card using the pretext of goods/services haven't lasted a reasonable amount of time and it all looks positively good.

 

Thanks for the comments, and if it was easy to find any local plumber that would attend within the day (not couple hrs) i would have opted for the option...Instead it takes an average of three days to get a plumber in this area and i couldn't go for so long without water.

[Gate13]

Hi arhidakis

 

Is this the same Able Group whose head office is in Southend on Sea?

[arhidakis]

Hi arhidakis

 

Is this the same Able Group whose head office is in Southend on Sea?

 

Yeah its the same Group

[Gate13]

Did you get a receipt/invoice from them when you paid? It should have terms and conditions on the back, and any guarantees that come with the work. It should be down to Able Group to send out the original plumber to fix the problem, but this is not going to happen.

I would personally take the money back, call out another company, making sure they were local and independent, get the problem fixed and ask the plumber to write on the invoice the exact problem and that the original work was not up to standard.

 

When ever calling out a tradesman, make sure when you phone that you are talking to the person who will be coming out to do the work.

[arhidakis]

Did you get a receipt/invoice from them when you paid? It should have terms and conditions on the back, and any guarantees that come with the work. It should be down to Able Group to send out the original plumber to fix the problem, but this is not going to happen.

I would personally take the money back, call out another company, making sure they were local and independent, get the problem fixed and ask the plumber to write on the invoice the exact problem and that the original work was not up to standard.

 

When ever calling out a tradesman, make sure when you phone that you are talking to the person who will be coming out to do the work.

 

Thanks for your advise.

 

I got the independent local plumber to confirm in writing that the fitting was a used fitting and was supposed to ladt at least a couple of years.On the Able Group recript's terms and conditions there is no mention of any garranties or warranties the whole text reads as the byer is responsible even if the plumber damages the property. I cant believe what I'm reading.

 

I never agreed to this? Can they gey away with such bogus bold statements?

From what I understand they claim to accept no liability or responsibility.

Shocking my credit card company will have a field day lol

[Gate13]

This does not surprise me at all about Able Group. I am a tradesman and have heard all sorts of stuff about this outfit on certain forums I use, most of it from sub-contractors!

 

I would take this up with your local trading standards regarding their Ts&Cs and to report their shoddy workmanship. This will give you something to go at them with, if it does come back to you.

[Plou]

I recently used able group to fit a new lock to my patio door,the engineer couldn't fit a new lock,he ended up breaking the existing lock and charging me £80. After he had gone we noticed he had broken the handle on our porch door( a door that was fine before and hadn't needed any work) I informed able who were absolutely awful,really rude,they want to charge me £70 to mend a door they broke!!!

[Graham WT]

Interesting to see the comments on Able Group.

My daughter is in a flat in London. We had a problem with the flush and I contacted Able.

They arranged for someone to visit a couple of days later. He spent 10 mins in the flat and said that he needed a part. We paid £72 plus VAT for this 10 mins.

Two weeks later and in spite of my daughter calling a couple of times we had not been contacted by the plumber so I chased Able. They said they would call me back. They didn't. I chased again and was then told that the plumber's van is off the road. Fine, but why did he just leave us not knowing what the position. I find that hopeless.

I have chased Able again and have now been told that the plumber believes that we need a new cistern and the charge will be £150 for a new cistern and up to £140 to fit it (up to 1.5 hours). When he left my daughter he said the cost would be £60!

Needless to say, I'm not using Able to do the work!

[i hate bailiffs]

Interesting to see the comments on Able Group.

My daughter is in a flat in London. We had a problem with the flush and I contacted Able.

They arranged for someone to visit a couple of days later. He spent 10 mins in the flat and said that he needed a part. We paid £72 plus VAT for this 10 mins.

Two weeks later and in spite of my daughter calling a couple of times we had not been contacted by the plumber so I chased Able. They said they would call me back. They didn't. I chased again and was then told that the plumber's van is off the road. Fine, but why did he just leave us not knowing what the position. I find that hopeless.

I have chased Able again and have now been told that the plumber believes that we need a new cistern and the charge will be £150 for a new cistern and up to £140 to fit it (up to 1.5 hours). When he left my daughter he said the cost would be £60!

Needless to say, I'm not using Able to do the work!

 

Nearly a 2 year old thread

 

Perhaps you should start a new thread

[BankFodder]

Interesting to see the comments on Able Group.

My daughter is in a flat in London. We had a problem with the flush and I contacted Able.

They arranged for someone to visit a couple of days later. He spent 10 mins in the flat and said that he needed a part. We paid £72 plus VAT for this 10 mins.

Two weeks later and in spite of my daughter calling a couple of times we had not been contacted by the plumber so I chased Able. They said they would call me back. They didn't. I chased again and was then told that the plumber's van is off the road. Fine, but why did he just leave us not knowing what the position. I find that hopeless.

I have chased Able again and have now been told that the plumber believes that we need a new cistern and the charge will be £150 for a new cistern and up to £140 to fit it (up to 1.5 hours). When he left my daughter he said the cost would be £60!

Needless to say, I'm not using Able to do the work!

 

I think that there is basis here for claiming from the company. I am quite sure that a judge would accept that the the payment was in fact an initial payment in a larger contract to return and finish the job and then charge the full price .

 

I think that it needs a letter terminating the contract and asking for a refund giving 14 days if this does not happen. I estimate chances of success in court at better than 95%.

Chances that they would settle before trial - better than 80%