PAT - Would you pass or fail these appliances?

[Murdoch]

Still have to pay the court fee though so I'd still recommend another last attempt to resolve prior to court.

BUT that is added to the outstanding bill plus you can add interest.

As Binky says most people will pay up before you start the proceedings ............ the wording of you final demand needs to include the following:

"I attach my original invoice to this letter and wish to inform you, that if the invoice is not settled in full by xxxx xxxxxxx 2020, I intend to refer this matter to the Small Claims Court without further reference to you.

Please be aware that all costs associated with such action are added to your outstanding bill and will make the final payment higher."

 

[binky]

@Murdoch is correct, you have to issue a final demand letter before proceeding to court, such letter must be 'signed for' to prove it has been received. Fees are only around £50, last time I looked., and as you are owed far more than that, it's worth the fee, which gets added to your invoice.

Don't be scared of the process, it's quite simple and doesn't involve expensive lawyer types.

 

[phil d]

dont think it applies to a car but on a truck if its dirty to the point of it cant be inspected correctly (i.e mud covering components) then it wont be accepted for test

It does Andy, anything that affects an mot testers ability to conduct a test is grounds for a refusal. My mate had a MK 2 Escort, he used to coat the brake and fuel lines in grease to prevent corrosion, never had a problem until the tester retired, the new one refused to test it point blank! It's a stupid thing, I remember some testers wouldn't pass a car if say they'd failed it on a rotten sill and you'd welded a new one on and painted over it because they 'couldn't see the weld' lie a thin coat of primer is going to prevent them seeing a weld. lol

 

[phil d]

Absolutely agree that with any contractual disputes, the original contractor must first be given the chance to remedy any areas of disagreement...

And due to the nature of this work it is quite possible an appliance has deteriorated since your visit..

Just like an MOT on car..

On garage gives it a PASS..

But a car could be re-tested a month later somewhere else and it fails due to chipped windscreen..  Indicator lamp failed...  low tread on two front tyres.. etc.. etc..

Doesn't mean the original MOT test was wrong..

These are both appliances that can have wear and tear due to normal usage..

and I don't think anyone can offer much significant input to the condition of an appliance purely from some photos over the internet..

But if they felt something was unsatisfactory.. they should have raised it with you..

Not wait for you to chase payment.

That said..

I would have been chasing payment much sooner!

Guinness     

Excellent analogy with the MOT, an MOT test is technically only valid at the moment of test, once the vehicle leaves the test centre who knows what is done with it! Suppose your car needs 2 tyres for the test, you can't afford them so I lend you mine, your car passes the test and then you put your slicks back on and give me mine back, it only passed a test that morning, but it's illegal now isn't it. It's a bit like doing any electrical test, suppose I test a property and sign it off as fine, then a week later the tenant swaps all the plastic light switches for nice shiny metal ones, but doesn't earth them, is that my fault?

I sometimes think people expect too much from testing, I remember my daughter in law bitterly complaining about the car she'd bought a month earlier breaking down, ' but it had a full MOT on it when I bought it' she moaned, it was pointless trying to explain that the MOT didn't check the alternator.