Wise up to workmen's charges

Sky-high call-out charges, on top of parts and labour costs, can leave you seriously out of pocket.

Unwitting consumers are regularly stung by tradesmen who increase prices when people are at their most vulnerable.

Some of the worst offenders have been known to charge double the price of their rivals for the same job.

One Your Money reader was even quoted an eye-watering £200 plus VAT by a London locksmith for removing an anti-theft device from their car’s steering wheel — and that was simply to drill out the lock, leaving it unusable.

Other consumer horror stories include a plumber that was charging a £50 call-out fee – plus £30-an-hour to actually carry out the job.

If he found enough gullible customers his salary would be more than £75,000 a year.

However, it is unfair to class everyone as a cowboy, insists Andy Trigg, who runs www.washerhelp.co.uk.

The vast majority of repair engineers are simply trying to make an honest living.

“Call-out charges are grossly misunderstood by many customers and unfairly despised by most,” he says.

“People often don’t appreciate that if they book an engineer to call at your house, they have to allow up to an hour’s slot in their day. If they are not in when they arrive — or don’t have the repair carried out — it costs the engineer money.”

Of course, this all depends on the fees charged.

“If a call-out charge is very high then it’s a different matter, but a small £10- £20 fee is very reasonable,” says Trigg.

“Also, if they have a call-out charge, then their labour charges are highly likely to be reduced accordingly.”

However, you don’t even need to run the risk of being ripped off, insists Pete Tynan, product manager for Which? Local, the website where satisfied customers can recommend trusted suppliers of goods and services.

“Call-out charges are fair as long as they are transparent and explained by the trader,” he says.

“It’s more of a problem in a time of distress when, for example, a pipe has sprung a leak and a plumber is desperately needed.”

In such cases many householders can easily overlook what should be a golden rule when it comes to employing tradesmen: get at least three separate like-for-like quotes and make sure you know and understand the terms and conditions.

“Prices can vary enormously so it’s vital to shop around,” he says.

“You always expect to pay different rates according to where you live, but we have found prices varying by 100 per cent in the same areas.”

Each tradesman will have a different way of charging.

“Some will include the call-out fee in the first hour’s work, while others just have a flat rate for the job,” explains Tynan.

 “Customers need to make sure they know how the tradesman operates.”

A survey of contractors carried out by the BCIS — the building cost information service of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors — for its book The Property Makeover Price Guide, illustrates how fees for emergency call-outs can vary.

It found general builders charging between £20 and £90; plumbers ranged from £30 to £70; while roofers quoted in the region of £55 to £440; and electricians were as low as £25 and as high as £95.

There are other ways to guard against such expenses. By paying out for specialist insurance policies you can limit the amount it will cost should the worst happen and you require emergency out-of-hours assistance.

Depending on the event — or product — you are protecting, there are a wide variety of extended warranties and service agreements that can be taken out in order to get access to engineers whenever a problem occurs.

However, think carefully before signing up. Factors to consider include: the price of replacing an item; your consumer rights and the existing manufacturer’s warranty; and whether you could survive without the item.