Does this seem reasonable? Electrical quote

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#2895862 2-Apr-2022 18:52

eracode:
tchart:

No I haven’t paid.

The company is question is relatively well known in Wellington and has good reviews so I was willing to take a punt.

Yes the $150 is deductible from the quote should I accept bud for $7k I won’t be accepting.

If you didn’t pay the $150, I guess that means they quoted without visiting the job.

It’s a bit hard to follow this. How can the $150 be deductible if it hasn’t been paid? Do they now want you to pay $150 so they can come out and quote again, properly?

Not really too complicated.

They charge 1 hour + call-out fee = $150 to do a quote.

This would be deducted from the quote if I proceed (so job would be charged minus $150).

So I owe them $150 currently.

antonknee

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#2895887 2-Apr-2022 19:43

tchart:

Not really too complicated.

They charge 1 hour + call-out fee = $150 to do a quote.

This would be deducted from the quote if I proceed (so job would be charged minus $150).

So I owe them $150 currently.

Makes sense to me now. But this does put you in a rather tricky spot doesn't it? There's no way $7000 is reasonable for this work, but you're now out $150 (on tick) for the privilege.

tchart

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#2895898 2-Apr-2022 19:58

antonknee:
tchart:

Not really too complicated.

They charge 1 hour + call-out fee = $150 to do a quote.

This would be deducted from the quote if I proceed (so job would be charged minus $150).

So I owe them $150 currently.

Makes sense to me now. But this does put you in a rather tricky spot doesn't it? There's no way $7000 is reasonable for this work, but you're now out $150 (on tick) for the privilege.

Yup I agree

I will call them Monday to discuss options. I do think a non-itemised quote for that amount is ridiculous. If there was a bill of materials and labour hours then that would help explain the quotation.

SomeoneSomewhere

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#2895901 2-Apr-2022 20:06

See if you can get another quote or two by then. It's easier to complain about the charge when you can point to other quotes and say "see, you charged me $150 just to give me a go-away quote".

eracode

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#2895942 2-Apr-2022 22:24

tchart:

Not really too complicated.

They charge 1 hour + call-out fee = $150 to do a quote.

This would be deducted from the quote if I proceed (so job would be charged minus $150).

So I owe them $150 currently.

Still finding this hard to follow. You haven’t paid them $150 but you “owe them $150”. If you don’t proceed with them, do you still owe them $150?

Sometimes I just sit and think. Other times I just sit.

l43a2

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#2895943 2-Apr-2022 22:28

it almost sounds like they don't wanna do such small jobs so gave you an outrageous quote.

Wheelbarrow01

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#2895944 2-Apr-2022 22:28

Seems like an outrageous quote to me. I recently paid for my new garage in Christchurch to be fully wired.

My invoice included the following:

Install 6 x LED tube lights

Install 5 x double power sockets

Install 1 x data socket

Install 1 x outdoor caravan socket with isolator

Install 8-way switchboard with RCD protection in garage

Install 6mm submain cable & Cat 6 from garage to house (trench, 2 ducts & Cat 6 cable supplied by owner)

Materials $1549.42 + gst

Labour (17 hours) $1275 + gst

Total inc GST: $3248.08

The above appears like it was a LOT more work and materials than what you have been quoted for.

Sharesies

Trade NZ and US shares and funds with Sharesies (affiliate link).

Jase2985

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#2895947 2-Apr-2022 22:40

eracode:

tchart:

Not really too complicated.

They charge 1 hour + call-out fee = $150 to do a quote.

This would be deducted from the quote if I proceed (so job would be charged minus $150).

So I owe them $150 currently.

Still finding this hard to follow. You haven’t paid them $150 but you “owe them $150”. If you don’t proceed with them, do you still owe them $150?

how is it hard to follow? they charge $150 for the quote which he hasn't paid yet. he has to pay this no matter what.

when he pays it and, if he goes with the company he will get a $150 credit on the job.

basically its them trying to entice him to go with them to save $150.

eracode

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#2895950 2-Apr-2022 22:57

Jase2985:

how is it hard to follow? they charge $150 for the quote which he hasn't paid yet. he has to pay this no matter what.

when he pays it and, if he goes with the company he will get a $150 credit on the job.

basically its them trying to entice him to go with them to save $150.

OK, I get it now. As others have said above, paying for a quote is not a great way to proceed.

It is confusing because earlier, when asked if he had paid them $150, the OP plainly said “No I haven’t paid”.

In fact he effectively has - because he now says “So I owe them $150 currently”.

This is all a bit silly.

Sometimes I just sit and think. Other times I just sit.

antonknee

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#2895988 3-Apr-2022 08:24

eracode:

OK, I get it now. As others have said above, paying for a quote is not a great way to proceed.

It is confusing because earlier, when asked if he had paid them $150, the OP plainly said “No I haven’t paid”.

In fact he effectively has - because he now says “So I owe them $150 currently”.

This is all a bit silly.

If he owes them the $150, and no cash has changed hands (or bank accounts) then he hasn't paid so the ball's still in his court really.... further to that, what would actually be to stop him from paying the $150? Apart from that's "not the done thing" (but then charging $150 to give someone an outrageous quote also isn't the done thing IMO).

It's not advice per se, but if it was me I simply wouldn't pay it. Obviously not going to proceed with this company's ridiculous quote, and if they take you to the disputes tribunal they won't get their $45 filing fee back so I don't see that happening.

Jase2985

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#2895991 3-Apr-2022 08:27

how? they come do the quote and send an invoice for the $150 which is due in x days.

pretty normal in my experience to have the work done and pay afterwards.

Mehrts

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#2896093 3-Apr-2022 10:54

Have I been living under a rock, but aren't pretty much all quotes free for relatively simple jobs? I've never been charged a fee for anything quote related.

"Free" as in the company will factor that into the cost anyway, so you'll be paying for their time spent on the quote if the job goes ahead.

Were you aware of the $150 charge for the quote before getting it done?

eracode

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#2896449 3-Apr-2022 21:57

Jase2985:

how? they come do the quote and send an invoice for the $150 which is due in x days.

pretty normal in my experience to have the work done and pay afterwards.

Not at all normal where ‘the work’ is preparing a quote for other work to be done later.

Sometimes I just sit and think. Other times I just sit.

richms

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#2896452 3-Apr-2022 22:12

Mehrts:

Have I been living under a rock, but aren't pretty much all quotes free for relatively simple jobs? I've never been charged a fee for anything quote related.

No, its common for them to either not offer quotes or to charge like this so that they don't have to waste time on people asking for quotes from 10+ people and starting to play them against each other with vastly different quotes for different work to be done. They all have plenty of well paying work available so no point wasting time on sites for small jobs for free that they probably wont get.

In saying that, $150 for a non itemized quote is absurd. They have software and templates all ready to go for things like this so I think that they just don't want the work.

Richard rich.ms

mattwnz

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#2896471 3-Apr-2022 23:29

IMO people shouldn't be charged for such a quote. Do they charge builders who ask for a quote as part of a project which would likely take a lot longer to quote on. I can see a charge being warranted if such a quote took a lot of time and research. But generally companies for this type of residential work, where it should be easy and quick to quote on, will provide quotes at no cost. NZ IMO has a major problem if tradies are starting to charge for quotes because they have too much work, given that it is regarded as normal practice to get at least 3 quotes.

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