It's the Builders fault

[Dave]

Over the years I've heard them all, customer complaints about stuff that's nothing to do with the builder but he/she just happens to be working on the house at the time....today I got blamed a good one

The RCD in the house has started to trip when the Tumbler Dryer is used. We're doing a full hip to gable loft conversion with dormer, so it has to be our fault
It was mentioned yesterday and fair enough we've had the sparks in doing the first fix electrics, ie putting cables in place, but nothing connected up as yet so knew it couldn't be the cause.
We're not working near any circuits other than the 1st floor lighting circuit which is on the non-RCD protected side of the consumer unit, and there's no chance of trapping a wire or nailing through it anyway.
But it's still our fault that their Tumble Dryer is tripping the RCD

Same as last week when the shower started to drip when turned off, yet we've only used the toilet in that room lol, still our fault

 

[ukzero1]

Take pictures or/and make notes before you start on a job. You got proof then.

 

[spark1]

The whole blame game is a goodun

 

[Dave]

ukzero, before I start knocking walls down, lifting roofs off, or any structural works I always walkaround the rooms photographing any existing cracks or signs of movement. You'd be surprised at the number of times I've heard "it wasn't there before you started......." lol

 

[mickthechippy]

whereas the Lady whose house im working on ( untold different jobs, just started the second fix works on the room I drylined the other day, along with a en suite on the next bedroom)

can do it on an as and when I fancy working timetable, just bung a daywork and mats bill in monthly, and the son transfers it to my bank account

She has described me as "her Treasure"

 

[Gwillim]

Over the years I've heard them all, customer complaints about stuff that's nothing to do with the builder but he/she just happens to be working on the house at the time....today I got blamed a good one

The RCD in the house has started to trip when the Tumbler Dryer is used. We're doing a full hip to gable loft conversion with dormer, so it has to be our fault
It was mentioned yesterday and fair enough we've had the sparks in doing the first fix electrics, ie putting cables in place, but nothing connected up as yet so knew it couldn't be the cause.
We're not working near any circuits other than the 1st floor lighting circuit which is on the non-RCD protected side of the consumer unit, and there's no chance of trapping a wire or nailing through it anyway.
But it's still our fault that their Tumble Dryer is tripping the RCD

Same as last week when the shower started to drip when turned off, yet we've only used the toilet in that room lol, still our fault

Their always looking to get a free fix

When I was in demolition doing explosives the amount of cars that were supposedly dented, scratched, needed valeting because of dust, resprayed, replaced, you name it they tried it, we actually had a woman working for us who's sole job was to monitor the perimeter of our sites taking notes, pictures and recording everything before, during and after any detonations or controlled collapses.

 

[Dave]

Last year on one particular job, the customer's dogs got out (a Huskie and a Doberman) and ran off.
Somehow they managed to corner and kill a neighbour's Cat
The owners tried to blame us for the dogs running off despite them doing so everytime the owners let the door open.
All of a sudden we became the irresponsible dog sitters

 

[Maesknoll]

I used to work on cars as a bit of a sideline, had a company set up and did it above board, but I had a couple of incidents that jarred me off, so I jacked it in. One guy brought a car back after two weeks of me doing a cam belt change and said the radio wasn’t working, it was before I had worked on it. Total nonsense, I hadn’t disconnected the battery, the radio was working on arrival and departure.

Another, I did his front discs and pads, came back a couple of weeks later, failed MOT on front shock leaking, apparently I caused it. Again total nonsense.

I had a few regular customers who were loyal and as good as Gold, I looked after them but then gradually wound it down and stopped working on cars at all.

 

[breadflake]

The plumber started stripping a bathroom out and found water behind the bath panel he had already done some work on rads in the new bedroom so he got the blame, after failing to find the leak we searched the adjoining airing cupboard and under the mountain of clothes, sheets and towels there was a plastic bottle of bath cleaner laying melted round a hot water pipe the stuff had corroded through the copper giving a regular drip that ran along the floor towards the bathroom, must have been doing it for weeks .

 

[Captain Pugwash]

If I was them it would be the dryer I was checking out as there as been alot of problems with these things starting fires. Tripping out would be the first signs of a problem with a fault.

 

[The Landlord]

When I was a mortgage broker, I remember arranging a mortgage for a couple via the Abbey National. They opted for a basic lender valuation which came back fine....nothing major on the survey, just a few minor repairs but the lender requested a damp & timber report. I gave them the name of a reputable DPC company that all the local estate agents used (I'd actually used them myself on the house we bought). DPC report came back fine, no remedial works needed. When the couple moved in they stripped the wallpaper from one of the bedrooms. There was a damp patch behind the wallpaper by a window (bit of penetrating damp, caused by a gap in the sealant). Guess who got the blame? Yeah - me! .........for recommending that company.
How the hell they expected a company to strip the wallpaper, halfway up a wall in the house where the vendors were still living, beats me.

 

[Dave]

If I was them it would be the dryer I was checking out as there as been alot of problems with these things starting fires. Tripping out would be the first signs of a problem with a fault.

Good point Captain, I'll mention that to them

 

[Wise Owl]

The best ones we get Blamed is the after smell and Condensation, of course its gonna smell its Damp Plaster open the windows but on one Job on The Trinity in Leeds was, we got blamed for Mucky Footprints from where we were working down into some offices, now to get to these offices you had to go through a security coded door or walk outta the Job and Round 5-10 mins. We didnt even know the Code so it Weren't us but we got Blame even though the Prints weren't same as mine and Jnrs work boots.

 

[mickthechippy]

The best ones we get Blamed is the after smell and Condensation, of course its gonna smell its Damp Plaster open the windows but on one Job on The Trinity in Leeds was, we got blamed for Mucky Footprints from where we were working down into some offices, now to get to these offices you had to go through a security coded door or walk outta the Job and Round 5-10 mins. We didnt even know the Code so it Weren't us but we got Blame even though the Prints weren't same as mine and Jnrs work boots.

plaster smells, heres one for ya

plasterers revenge

I was the carpentry foreman on a new build about 15 year ago, small estate of town houses with a linked block of flats

the top flat-penthouse was very nice, but had been bought off plan by this bloody horrible woman, she was always on the job, walking around with the sub agent complaining about things

she winged about the plasterers mess one day, and there was a bit of trouble about it

the spreads came round after that and got loads of us to pee in bottles-buckets, which was quite handy as we didnt have to walk all down the stairs, wondering why, I asked em what was going on and they said they were using the stale pee in the mix then top coating the walls of the penthouse with it

it must reeked when the heating was livened up,

 

[crackatoa]

I was working on a house years ago when the phone rang. I answered it and it was the womans sister. When the lady came home I told her that her sister had rang and could she ring her back. The old cow went absolutely ballistic at me. " She'll keep me talking for ages and it will cost a fortune. You can knock the cost off your bill. Stupid man"
Never bothered answering one again in a customers house

 

[Kojak]

Over the years I've heard them all, customer complaints about stuff that's nothing to do with the builder but he/she just happens to be working on the house at the time....today I got blamed a good one

The RCD in the house has started to trip when the Tumbler Dryer is used. We're doing a full hip to gable loft conversion with dormer, so it has to be our fault
It was mentioned yesterday and fair enough we've had the sparks in doing the first fix electrics, ie putting cables in place, but nothing connected up as yet so knew it couldn't be the cause.
We're not working near any circuits other than the 1st floor lighting circuit which is on the non-RCD protected side of the consumer unit, and there's no chance of trapping a wire or nailing through it anyway.
But it's still our fault that their Tumble Dryer is tripping the RCD

Same as last week when the shower started to drip when turned off, yet we've only used the toilet in that room lol, still our fault

To right it’s your fault?
I get the same, fitted some wardrobes in a house and two weeks later got a call to say water was coming in through the lounge window when it rained and it must have been us because we were the only ones working on the house!!
They even threatened legal action if I didn’t sort it, so I went along in the middle of a rain storm to see the rain hitting the gable end running down the brick work and through a cracked brick just above the window ??
I did sort it and never even received an apology!

 

[Wise Owl]

plaster smells, heres one for ya

plasterers revenge

I was the carpentry foreman on a new build about 15 year ago, small estate of town houses with a linked block of flats

the top flat-penthouse was very nice, but had been bought off plan by this bloody horrible woman, she was always on the job, walking around with the sub agent complaining about things

she winged about the plasterers mess one day, and there was a bit of trouble about it

the spreads came round after that and got loads of us to pee in bottles-buckets, which was quite handy as we didnt have to walk all down the stairs, wondering why, I asked em what was going on and they said they were using the stale pee in the mix then top coating the walls of the penthouse with it

it must reeked when the heating was livened up,

Oh yes been done a few times as well as a few others what I won’t print but are revenge is sweet type of thingymebob ?

 

[Trogg]

We averaged 100 to 150 motors a day at the fuel station..... one day i open the mail and find a solicitors letter informing us that they are acting on behalf of Mr "sillyoldgit" of 999 blahdyblah lane in respect of the damage caused by our "garage" to the engine of his car.

I ring the solicitors and ask them if they are serious or if one of my mates was just using them for a wind up.
I get put through to the solicitor dealing with the "case" he then goes into all the legal speil about the damage we caused to the engine of his clients vehicle and how he had to pay out to have it all repaired including having the head reshaped(?), new pistong rings, new head gasket, oil etc etc.

I asked how we had done this damage and he replied "well, erm, i don't actually know at the moment we haven't had the time to hold a full discussion with our client but he explained how the damage was caused by you and asked we issue the letter to let you know we will be seeking all costs associated plus compensation"

I bust into laughter and said "ok mate, i'll look forward to my day in court, it's going to be great when you have to bring in specialists and other assorted professionals to prove that my fuel has caused so much damage"....... there was silence for a minute or two apart from rustling sounds down the phone then.."erm did you say Fuel, as in a filling station??" i confirmed that we were a filling station he then asked if we had a mechanics bay, i told him no and he was welcome to come and have a look.

He apologised and asked if he could ring me back "shortly" i said yes and he rung off.

About an hour later he rang me and said "i've spoken to our client and i just thought i'd let you know we won't be persuing the case after all, there seems to have been some confusion when he first rang and claimed that the damage was caused by you and your garage, we took that to mean a mechanics garage and not a filling station...good day" and he hung up.

About a week later the guys wife comes in, fills up and comes to pay, i had no idea who she was till she handed over her card and says "i think i should apologise for my husband, unfortunetely he doesn't know anything about cars and because our car broke down just after he left here he assumed your fuel had caused the damage" i must have looked really confused because she carries on "my husband, Mr "sillyoldgit" he went to a solicitors about the damage to our car after the head gasket went on his way home from filling up here"

Then i clicked and said "ahhh yeah, i remember, such a shame he dropped the case i was looking forward to seeing how he would have proved it was our fault, i'm a mechanic by trade and i've never heard of anything so stupid in my life!"

She just blushed and said "yes well, he never has been one to listen to advice and now, as you can see, he is far to embarrassed to come back here but you are our nearest and i refuse to drive to Penkridge just for fuel!"

I told her no harm done and to tell him i can't promise i won't laugh or take the mickey but he's welcome back anytime he wants......never did see him again though!

I'm actually sat here chuckling about it now, i can still see her face as if it was yesterday, silly flowery plastic rain cover thing on her head, horrible green coat, pink knitted gloves and a "queens handbag" over her forearm..... eeeeee ain't the memory a wonderful thing

 

[Maesknoll]

Dodgy fuel has happened......

Tesco to cover customer repair bills after dodgy diesel caused engine failures

Tesco has apologised and agreed to cover the bill for broken down vehicles that filled up with contaminated diesel at its Harlow fuel station. The superstore initially dismissed owners claims for compensation but later issued its

garagewire.co.uk

 

[me]

Walked the kitchen of a plot this morning and found the boiler hanging off the wall. It had pulled the top bracket screws and wall plugs clean out of the wall . I propped it up with a piece of wood