Over the weekend I called an electrician, who told me it would cost 30.00 to find out my electrical problem. After checking around the house for an hr. I was billed $575.00 and my problem was not fixed. Is this legal? What recourse do I have?
2006-11-20 05:24:00 · 17 answers · asked by Anonymous in Home & Garden ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
Well, my mom wrote the check because the guy wouldn't leave. He had his boss call & say that yes, it costs 575 to "troubleshoot" & find the problem.
2006-11-20 05:35:54 · update #1
You wrote him a check for 575.00? Call your bank,if it's not too late,the shyster probably cashed it already though...and laughed all the way home.It's a disgrace to all technicians when someone does something like this to a homeowner. It makes us all look like crooks. What happened to the 30.00 cost? I would also call the Better Business Bureau to report this clown. Check your bill,see if it says he has to actually repair something in order to get paid.I know of no electrician that would ever charge over 500 dollars for a weekend service call.
2006-11-20 05:38:05 · answer #1 · answered by auntgnu62 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Another approach might be to call the scamming electrician back and (very politely) ask for their contractor license number. (Assuming this is a USA based question). If they ask why, just say something about you intend to contest the bill and your attorney has requested that information. Whether you have an attorney or not. It may rattle them a little and may make them a little more open to renegotiating the bill. The prospect of a more than $575 legal mess for them down the road.
2006-11-20 06:02:09 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You will probably have problem stopping the credit card charge as you have to prove non-receipt of the service and this is a dispute about the charges made and I doubt that the cc provider will want to get involved. You have another issue if you issue a cheque to recover the vehicle that you later cancel (which you can always do) in that, technically, you have obtained possession of your vehicle by deception. In the UK this is the equivalent of theft but it may be different where you are. One solution is to issue two cheques - one for the $3000 and the other for the $4000 and write on the back of this second one "paid under duress to recover my property" which at least provides evidence of the dispute. I suggest you seek legal help otherwise you could end up in more trouble than you bargained for.
2016-03-29 02:50:49 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You can stop payment on the check, but first, I would call and dispute the charges. If the explanation doesn't make sense, call your bank and stop the payment. The electrician can sue you in small claims court, so be sure to have any documents available. It may also help to have a second professional opinion to back up your claims of your problem not being solved.
2006-11-20 05:28:12 · answer #4 · answered by Hestia 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You shouldn't have written the check in the first place. Since you did, the court will see that as you knew you owed it. Stopping payment is illegal if you just decide you don't want to pay the bill. You could get into trouble. Check with the Better Business Bureau. Or check with an attorney about what to do.
2006-11-20 05:32:01 · answer #5 · answered by sheeny 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You can stop payment on the check, but your bank will charge you a fee and you'll end up making the electrician p****** off, which won't help if you're trying to negotiate a lower cost.
You can always call the bank to stop payment and report to the Better Business Bureau while it's in dispute.
2006-11-20 05:27:46 · answer #6 · answered by jenzee 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Don't take this as Gospel truth, but a combination of common sense, experience, and some education tells me that this is relevant:
1) was there a contract and does it say explicitly what you would pay for what services?
2) was your mother pressured into writing a check? (as you said she was)
3) was the amount paid for the service done for a reasonable rate according to the common practise in that business (this last I learned about in 1 course in business law)
3) was there 'consideration' - you need to get reasonable service in return for the fee that you paid; otherwise, the contract may be considered void. (same course)
This is Canada I'm talking about. I don't know where you live. PS. I hate it when anyone is taken advantage of by shady people.
2006-11-20 07:12:25 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Call the bank and put a stop payment on it. You can also let who ever is in township go to the attorney general and make a complaint. They check to make sure these guys are frauding people. You can also check the Better business bureau to see if he had any complaints on him.
2006-11-20 05:53:20 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
you can call your bank to stop the check. why did you did you sign a check if the problem was not finished. chances are you will have to sue and call another electrician in the mean time. also you should call the better business bureau and leave a complaint
2006-11-20 05:40:38 · answer #9 · answered by ats02171 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Yes, Call your bank and stop payment on the check immediately before he has time to cash it at your bank. Call the police and ask them for advice on how to handle the situation.
2006-11-20 05:31:00 · answer #10 · answered by kstfas 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋