Robothobo Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 I wanted to get the opinion of the forum about something that happened today. I'm having some work done on my house, some of which is the installation of a new boiler. The plumber has removed a load of copper pipe and the old immersion heater. He left the immersion heater in the garden over the weekend so I put it in the skip. When I got home from work today I noticed that the immersion heater had gone so I asked him about it. Turns out he has sold it along with the copper pipe. I'm not too happy about that and told him so. He got very,very defensive and said that it was perfectly normal. So, am I over-reacting, or was I right to pull him up on it? And what should I do? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Humpy Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 Why did you put it in the skip if you were not intending on keeping it? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMballistic Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 My mate is a gas/heating engineer and it is pretty common place tbh. He calls it a perk of the job. I helped him once cut up all these copper pipes into small bits so he could put it in his van. He had collected them all over just a few months work and got around £200 I believe for the entire lot. Not going to make him rich but still definitely worth him doing as it's an extra couple of grand a year for him I'd imagine. Not sure if there is anything you can do unless you ask the guy to see if he'll split what he got for it with you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
350 Russ Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 being that I'm a plumber i don't see nothing wrong with that. Normal practise in my opinion. As you put it in the skip he probably thought you didn't want it so no harm. Im yet to meet a client who wanted to keep old pipe and bits and bobs. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
headrush Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 been in building trade 40years its the plumbers, perk of the job if you upset him you will be the looser in the end, just let it go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flex Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 Did you copy and paste that OP? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zugara Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 Gosh, but he made all of £50 for his troubles........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricey Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 Yep - my old man was a plumber for years and its very commonplace to accept that the waste material is fair game unless you say otherwise. Same with old car parts - a knackered cat still has decent scrap value but most people wouldn't ask for them back from the garage if they had the cats changed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomdotc Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 Why did you put it in the skip if you were not intending on keeping it? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robothobo Posted April 14, 2014 Author Share Posted April 14, 2014 A bit of an over-reaction from me then! Just didn't like how quickly defensive he got. You live and learn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricey Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 A bit of an over-reaction from me then! Just didn't like how quickly defensive he got. You live and learn. No not really - you just didn't know the unwritten rule. I can see why you would get the hump if you didn't know. He'll only have got on the defensive to be fair to the guy because its so commonplace and I guess you would feel a bit like being accused of stealing if someone took you to task on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Husky Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 Tbh if you put something in a skip it's fair game for anyone imo. You don't want it and it's better someone recycles it than it ends up in landfill. Did you copy and paste that OP? Yes as he posted it on two other sites first. The internet is a wonderful and terrifying place Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flex Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 Tbh if you put something in a skip it's fair game for anyone imo. You don't want it and it's better someone recycles it than it ends up in landfill. Did you copy and paste that OP? Yes as he posted it on two other sites first. The internet is a wonderful and terrifying place Truly is, I tread with fear on every key stroke! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ioneabee Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 all as above - its normal most of the main contractors I know also keep it and sell it for the xmas party Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMballistic Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 Tbh if you put something in a skip it's fair game for anyone imo. You don't want it and it's better someone recycles it than it ends up in landfill. Did you copy and paste that OP? Yes as he posted it on two other sites first. The internet is a wonderful and terrifying place Curious as to what other sites now!? Definitely won't be on www.plumbers.org though I'd bet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Humpy Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 (edited) If the plumbers didn't take it the Scrappies and pikeys would of snapped it up before you knew it! Edited April 14, 2014 by Humpy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Husky Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 Tbh if you put something in a skip it's fair game for anyone imo. You don't want it and it's better someone recycles it than it ends up in landfill. Did you copy and paste that OP? Yes as he posted it on two other sites first. The internet is a wonderful and terrifying place Curious as to what other sites now!? Definitely won't be on www.plumbers.org though I'd bet. It's a bit stalkerish to say 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madhatter Posted April 15, 2014 Share Posted April 15, 2014 Now if it was the local rag and bone man that's a different thing The one round here often pinches items from the front, side and rear gardens around here - Now I have to lock everything up including my rubbish! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tigerzed Posted April 15, 2014 Share Posted April 15, 2014 Folk mock us thrifty Yorkshiremen . . . . . . When I had my boiler replaced I told the plumber to leave my copper and I'll sort it. Half hour's work removing the copper water tank and associated pipework, a trip to the local scrap metal dealers and £60.00 in the back pocket Straight to the pub . . . . . Happy days Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Husky Posted April 15, 2014 Share Posted April 15, 2014 Bet he overcharged you by 60 quid And he didn't even have to make a trip to the scrappy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tigerzed Posted April 15, 2014 Share Posted April 15, 2014 (edited) Got it done on the side by a council plumber mate, saved me a fortune Edited April 15, 2014 by Tigerzed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted April 15, 2014 Share Posted April 15, 2014 Keeping scrap isn't a perk of the job, it's built into how we price for things. A bit like how waiters live off their tips, if you will. If a customer really wanted to keep their scrap I wouldn't argue with them, but I'd be a bit peeved they didn't mention it beforehand. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grundy Posted April 15, 2014 Share Posted April 15, 2014 Keeping scrap isn't a perk of the job, it's built into how we price for things. A bit like how waiters live off their tips, if you will. If a customer really wanted to keep their scrap I wouldn't argue with them, but I'd be a bit peeved they didn't mention it beforehand. This, when I went to get my custom exhaust done, I asked if I could have my old Cats back, they said I could but it was built into the price, so it would be more expensive to have them back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Husky Posted April 15, 2014 Share Posted April 15, 2014 Keeping scrap isn't a perk of the job, it's built into how we price for things. A bit like how waiters live off their tips, if you will. If a customer really wanted to keep their scrap I wouldn't argue with them, but I'd be a bit peeved they didn't mention it beforehand. This, when I went to get my custom exhaust done, I asked if I could have my old Cats back, they said I could but it was built into the price, so it would be more expensive to have them back. As it should be imo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rabbitstew Posted April 15, 2014 Share Posted April 15, 2014 When I had a new boiler fitted, i told them i wanted to keep my old copper. However, they took the old copper water tank without asking me. Baring in mind I think that alone would have been £70 at the scrap yard. However I didnt cause a scene about it as i figured if they were that desperate for money they could keep it. I remember my dad having a boiler fitted and he told the plumber he wanted to keep the old copper tank and the plumber went mad, got well upset about it. I guess they just assume they will get to keep it. Really they need to be more "transparent" (hate that word) about things and say to the client, "look, its this price for me to fit new one as long as I can keep the old one". Not automatically assume that they are entitled to keep the old copper. On the other hand, anything in a skip is fair game. Around my way, any scrap metal which goes in a skip lasts about 3 seconds before some transit magically appears and takes it. Its as if the pikeys have a built in metal detector. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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