I Asked An Engineer To Quote For A Job On My Engine Which He Did, Then He Sent Me An Invoice. Without Mentioning It Beforehand!!

[Amjams]

I asked an engineer to quote for a job on my engine which he did, then he sent me an invoice. Without mentioning it beforehand! 

[Boatingman]

Hi Amjams

If you did not instruct him to do work do not pay it

send back and explain you did not order the work

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

10 minutes ago, Amjams said:

I asked an engineer to quote for a job on my engine which he did, then he sent me an invoice. Without mentioning it beforehand! 

Are you saying he`s done the work, or could it be you`ve been mistaken, thinking the "quote" is an invoice?.  Seems a bit strange you ask for a quote and they do the work without even speaking to you about it?.

[OldBerkshireBoy]

 

15 minutes ago, Amjams said:

I asked an engineer to quote for a job on my engine which he did, then he sent me an invoice. Without mentioning it beforehand! 

What is the full story?

[Ray]

I may be misreading but it sounds like he is charging for preparing a quote, check to see if anything in your original understanding mentions free quotes. There is a difference between estimates and quotes but he should have made it clear before looking at the work.

[Stranger]

this engineer needs telling something with an OFF in it somewhere

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

13 minutes ago, Stranger said:

this engineer needs telling something with an OFF in it somewhere

Very diplomatically put there Dave 

[NorfolkNog]

Well I certainly wouldn't use him for the job!

[Chelsea14Ian]

I agree with others,and replay thanks but no thanks.Send me a PM will give you s proper Engineer 

[grendel]

i suppose it depends upon the circumstances, did the engineer have to make a site visit to generate the quote, if so did he indicate either by telling you or on his website or correspondence that a call out fee was chargeable (is it refundable if he then gets the job.

if a callout fee is applicable he should have made you aware before he started.

[JawsOrca]

Yeah you aren't liable for costs unless you have agreed to them at first.  I'd certainly reply back and state that clearly an thus they will need to show where you agreed to it.

[Meantime]

Bearing in mind the original poster also started this thread,

I wonder if there was some sort of oil analysis undertaken to determine the state of engine and bearing wear? If so, I have never known that to be free. It is normally an additional optional item when having a boat survey done. I would imagine there is more to come on this story before any judgements could be made.

 

[Vaughan]

23 minutes ago, EastCoastIPA said:

I wonder if there was some sort of oil analysis undertaken to determine the state of engine and bearing wear?

I was thinking that myself, as white metal fragments would not be apparent when dipping the oil level, and probably not when changing the oil by sucking it out, as we tend to do in boats. You would probably only know about this if you had removed the sump drain plug. 

[marshman]

As has been suggested, perhaps we should not be too quick to judge, knowing only half the story! It may sound entirely different from the other side!!

[Smoggy]

20 minutes ago, Vaughan said:

I was thinking that myself, as white metal fragments would not be apparent when dipping the oil level, and probably not when changing the oil by sucking it out, as we tend to do in boats. You would probably only know about this if you had removed the sump drain plug. 

Cutting the filter open is the easier way to check for shiny bits of doom, we use a can cutter at work after testing rebuilt engines for those sparkly signs of despair.

[OldBerkshireBoy]

12 hours ago, Chelsea14Ian said:

I agree with others,and replay thanks but no thanks.Send me a PM will give you s proper Engineer 

Believe boat is on the south coast so not local.

[TheLaird]

1 hour ago, Smoggy said:

Cutting the filter open is the easier way to check for shiny bits of doom, we use a can cutter at work after testing rebuilt engines for those sparkly signs of despair.

I used to do that at Little Staunton!!!!!

[Amjams]

16 hours ago, Amjams said:

I asked an engineer to quote for a job on my engine which he did, then he sent me an invoice. Without mentioning it beforehand! 

I wasn't clear, he came and gave me a quote and charged me for the quote without mentioning he was going to beforehand

[OldBerkshireBoy]

44 minutes ago, Amjams said:

I wasn't clear, he came and gave me a quote and charged me for the quote without mentioning he was going to beforehand

Can I ask would you know how long it took him to reach you and how long in total including talking to you was he on site for?

Lastly is there any mention of deducting the cost should you go ahead with the work?

[dnks34]

If he has not made it clear there would be a charge for providing a quote from the outset I think its the Engineer at fault here regardless of anything else.

[OldBerkshireBoy]

It is clear on my website and I also tell customers verbally when talking to them before I go that there will be a charge to diagnose the situation and this charge will be deducted from the final invoice should they instruct me to continue.

Double check that it isn't mentioned somewhere. 

[Amjams]

8 hours ago, Vaughan said:

I was thinking that myself, as white metal fragments would not be apparent when dipping the oil level, and probably not when changing the oil by sucking it out, as we tend to do in boats. You would probably only know about this if you had removed the sump drain plug. 

yes the oil analysis was rubbing his finger along the dipstick and feeling and seeing bits of metal, Im not convinced of this

 

22 hours ago, Ray said:

I may be misreading but it sounds like he is charging for preparing a quote, check to see if anything in your original understanding mentions free quotes. There is a difference between estimates and quotes but he should have made it clear before looking at the work.

You're exactly right. there was no mention of charging for a quote and there is no mention on his website either. My a level law suggest to me that have a contract both parties must agree to the terms before it comes into being

[Amjams]

5 hours ago, OldBerkshireBoy said:

Can I ask would you know how long it took him to reach you and how long in total including talking to you was he on site for?

Lastly is there any mention of deducting the cost should you go ahead with the work?

It's 7 miles he spent about 20 minutes with me and there was no mention of deduction from the final charge

[Amjams]

4 hours ago, OldBerkshireBoy said:

It is clear on my website and I also tell customers verbally when talking to them before I go that there will be a charge to diagnose the situation and this charge will be deducted from the final invoice should they instruct me to continue.

Double check that it isn't mentioned somewhere. 

I have checked, the website is pretty simple, there isnt an awful lot of information and nowhere is their mention of charging for quotes

[Smoggy]

How much is he trying to charge you?