Can an electrician charge you for taking a look at something without discussing a price?
I called an electrician recently
concerning my ceiling fan. I told him the fan itself was working fine, but the lights on the fixture were not. I asked if he could come take a look and possibly fix it. When he arrived I told him what fan it was and he got to work. He took the fan down, told me it was broken and that I would need a new one. I told him I was busy at the moment and would give him a call if I decided to get a new one and have him install it. This guy proceeded to tell me that I might as well get it done now because he is charging me either way for two hours of work despite the fact he was in my house no longer than 15 minutes. Mind you we never agreed upon a price. I told him I was confused because I thought he was just doing a consultation. He told me he charges $100 an hour and I have to pay him a minimum of $200 just for coming out. I refused to pay that amount, but told him I could pay for the time he took a look at it. He declined the offer and left the fan on the ground. He proceeded to tell me I can expect a $200 bill in the mail and if I didn’t pay he would take me to court. He then got in his car and drove off. Like I said we never discussed a price and he didn’t fix anything. I also cannot find a website stating he charges $200 minimum. Is it legal for him to do this?
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11 Answers
It’s legal, and he can take you to small claims. But you can countersue and say he never gave you an estimate or told you what the consultation fee is. He probably won’t get the money from ths court.
But you should not have expectd him to come for free. Next time, find out the cost before you hire somebody.
Yikes, that is unfortunate. I have installed ceiling fans myself that worked perfectly so I would consult a local handyman to do that kind of thing rather than an electrician, or even a neighbor, instead of $200.
I still wouldn’t pay it as it was not disclosed. Sounds like a crook.
There is almost always a charge for making a service call. $200 does seem steep though. Next time make sure you ask.
That’s the going rate in my area and yes I know if I call and the come out, I’m going to get charged.
I had a problem with lock on my front door called the locksmith and she told me flat rate was $55 and hour one hour minimum. She came and fixed the front door in 35 minutes, asked her to re-key my storm door. No problem and was completed in less than 15 minutes. Wrote her a check for $55.
It’s usally $85/an hour for the service call plus other costs if he stays and does the work.
As the consumer, you should have been aware of that. Sad to say this, but it’s on you. Driving to a service call takes gas and time, and they are justified in charging you for it.
That’s pretty standard procedure. You can’t expect him to come out there for free.
Did you think he was going to come for a pittance?
Yes. You are asking for a professionals opinion on a subject of which he is an expert. It cost him money to learn that info, so you should pay for it.
You took a couple hours or so out of his day. That’s why service calls are not free. You owe this money.
You should have asked up front what the terms were so you were aware.
He certainly has the right to charge you like this. Do the right thing as pay the man.
Any tradesman can charge you for a consultation and to look at a faulty device it is then up to you whether you want to take their advice and get the item fixed.
However the fact that you employed this person to come and look at your fan allows him/her to charge you for the time it took to travel to and from your address together with a realistic amount
for the time taken to inspect your fan.
Did this person tell you that he/she was going to charge you a minimum of 2 hours even if they only stayed for 15 minutes? If they did then you are obliged to pay them for two hours.
If the electrician did not inform you before attending I would suggest that when/if you get the bill I would offer to pay them £50 dollars which is the equivalent of ½ hour. This should cover his expense to call on you and cover the cost of his fuel.
If he refuses simply tell him to take you to court and if he does I believe you have a good case but the person hearing the claim may award the electrician a fair price for their visit.
Good luck.
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