No one is safe from a plumbing problem. This type of hazard can occur during the week, during a weekend or on a public holiday, day or night. It is necessary tocall a plumber urgently to find a solution as soon as possible in order to avoid suffering very significant damage. But many consumers are victims of scams because some “pseudo-professionals” take advantage of the situation to raise their bills – or on the contrary apply prices that are too lower than the regulated prices to be honest – and offer services that leave something to be desired. An unacceptable attitude which unfortunately casts opprobrium on an entire profession. Here are some tips to avoid being taken in by a dishonest plumber.
Plumbing repair: scams are recurrent in case of emergency
We deplore more and more acts of fraud among individuals in urgent need ofintervention of a plumber their domicile. Some craftsmen do not shine by their honesty, nor by the quality of their service, far from it.
Once the invoice has been paid, it is also generally necessary to call another plumber in a hurry because the problem is not resolved or the site is neither done nor to be done… This can be very expensive, as both in terms of labor and damage. In fact, when plumbing repairs are not resolved immediately, you are seriously exposed to the risk of water leaks, and consequently, damage to furniture, wall and floor coverings, and even of the structure of the dwelling in the most serious cases. This is without taking into account the damage that the neighbors may also suffer…
Plumbing emergency: be vigilant about the prices charged
Call a plumber for urgent repairs involves choosing the right craftsman, i.e. a serious specialist. This implies reactive, efficient and honest, which begins by inspecting before acting, and which practices regulated prices.
Its prices should not be prohibitive. But prices a lot lower than average practiced are also suspect, and generally do not bode well: in this case, one can suspect that the plumber does not have the required skills and/or seriously lacks experience in the field.
How to spot a dishonest plumber?
Some details do not deceive, and anyone – even when the intervention of an emergency plumber is not necessary – should be wary in the following cases:
- The plumber does not explain to his client the origin of the problem and does not give any details on the work he intends to do,
- The plumber undertakes the work when he has not provided either an estimate or a repair order to his client, then gives him a final invoice whose amount is excessive,
- The price of the service seems extremely low, disproportionate to the work to be done,
- The plumber portrays the situation more seriously than it really is so that he can inflate the bill.
It is generally in an emergency that one chooses a plumber in disaster. In this kind of situation, we often do not take the time to select the right professional. It is therefore crucial to find out as soon as possible about the best plumbers of its geographical area so that when the time comes, we know which door to knock on without risking being scammed. Just memorize one or two phone numbers in your smartphone to save valuable time in case of a plumbing emergency.
Request a plumbing quote even in an emergency
To avoid being fooled by a dishonest plumber, we start by asking for an estimate before any intervention of the professional.
When the latter comes to his client’s home, he must first of all make a diagnosis then make a list of jobs what to do to remedy the problem. Throughout this analysis phase, he must in no case intervene with tools. The diagnosis is carried out visually in order to identify the cause of the problem (breakdown, pipe break, defective seal, leak, etc.) and at the same time determine the content of the service that will result from it. if the customer agrees.
The plumber must be able to make a serious inspection even in the event of an emergency, then clearly explain to his client the cause of his plumbing problem as well as the work required to remedy it.
Sign a repair order for any plumbing intervention over €150
After his inspection, when the plumber evaluates to more than 150 € the cost of his intervention which will make it possible to troubleshoot his customer in an emergency, he is required to have the latter sign an administrative document which takes the place of a purchase order and which is called a repair order. It’s exactly the same as at a garage. This document must specify:
- The customer’s name,
- The address of the place concerned by the intervention,
- His name and/or company name,
- The nature of the work to be carried out,
- The date of the intervention.
This plumbing repair order must be accompanied by a very detailed estimate the intervention and the supplies to be replaced if necessary. Thus, the customer is advised of the total cost of the operation.
The plumber and his client must both affix their signature to the repair order and the estimate. Only then can the professional carry out the work.
Concerning the plumbing pricesthey are regulatedand a client must be systematically informed of the base rates. The professional is also obliged to display them on his premises, but also to communicate them to the consumer with whom he intervenes in an emergency.
Supervise the plumber’s intervention from A to Z
It is strongly recommended to don’t leave the plumber alone during his intervention but on the contrary to stand in the immediate vicinity in order to keep an eye on what he is doing. Likewise, it is very important toinspect the site once the work is completed but before the craftsman leaves. The customer must test his equipment before paying the bill, which allows him to check the installation in the presence of the professional.
It is also necessary to ensure that the plumber gives his client any defective part which he replaced with another.
Finally, before paying the billif the plumbing equipment continues to leak or does not work, the customer must ask the craftsman to intervene again in order to end the urgent concern. Of course, when more substantial work is required, such as changing an entire pipe for example, there will always be time to plan for it later. During an emergency repair, the plumber is not required to carry out additional services without the client’s consent.