[bigmitch69]

Does anybody work installing/ maintaining home alarm systems?

I am a carpet fitter and while working at a customers house i accidently put a staple through the alarm wire that was under her carpet.

My mistake (although a heads up about the wires would have been helpful) so i offered to pay for the alarm people to come out and repair the wire.

The company quoted me about 70quid for the call out feet, 30cm of wire, 2 junction boxes and possibly a new fuse. Gutted because the job only paid me 50 but these things happen. Due to being told it was only 70 quid i didnt want to involve my insurance as it might put up my premiums. I asked the alarm people to email quote before carrying out any work. They didnt.

2 months later i recieve a bill from alarm company for 992 pounds (i have to keep writing pounds as the pound symbol doesnt work on laptop)

When i spoke to them they said the staple caused a short circuit and broke the motherboard and nearly everything had to be replaced.

To me this doesnt sound right. How can a staple going through a wire cause so much damage?

I spoke to a sparky and he reckons they are having it on. He can't see how a wire carrying 12volts can short circuit anything, at most he thinks it would blown an internal fuse and thats it.

I was unhappy paying 70quid. I am definately not going to pay 992! Especially when noone has been in contact with me to let me know what was going on etc.

 

[Incredibl3Bulk]

I'm a apprentice sparky in my last year and have done a few alarm systems. Tbh that sounds like a load of ****e. Like your mate said a short circuit may take out an internal fuse but very unlikely the whole system.

I'd speak to the customer. Tell them of the bill and ask what they did. Id also ask for wholesaler invoices to prove they bought the materials and a breakdown of there bill. Just short of a grand to put in a whole alarm system in a domestic property sounds steep to me.

 

[bigmitch69]

Ive worked as a sparky for 20+ years and TBH an entire alarm system (2 bell boxes, panel + remote keypad, batteries, PIR's and 2 door contacts ) is only around £130 to buy trade.

All reputable panels come with at least 4 x 20mm glass fuses to protect the m/b. so basically mate they are talking sh1t..

Where you not there when they carried out the so called repairs?

Id want proof of purchase of any equipment and also to change a panel even if all 10 circuits were used is only 13 x 6core cables plus T+E from the spur to power it.

Change the lot in under an hour with another 30mins walk testing it all.

£70 is top dollar for a staple repair unless you called them out after midnight, on a bank holiday...

or maybe Im just cheap!!

They said they would email me the quote for 70quid and then i would OK them to carry out the work. I wasn't there because i was never informed they were going to do the work. I didn't hear anything for 2 months so i thought they might have repaired it and it cost so little they didnt bother invoicing me. But then the customer forwards this 992 pound bill.

And to top that the customer is now saying she wants 500quid compensation off me!!!!

Yeah right!!

 

[bigmitch69]

I'm a apprentice sparky in my last year and have done a few alarm systems. Tbh that sounds like a load of ****e. Like your mate said a short circuit may take out an internal fuse but very unlikely the whole system.

I'd speak to the customer. Tell them of the bill and ask what they did. Id also ask for wholesaler invoices to prove they bought the materials and a breakdown of there bill. Just short of a grand to put in a whole alarm system in a domestic property sounds steep to me.

Customer doesnt like me anymore ha ha!

I am going to speak to Citizens Advice. Surely a company cannot carry out work and then bill a third person. The customer OK'd all the work so the customer must be liable for the bill and then she can try (and i mean TRY) to get it back off me.

 

[bluedave]

i use to instal and service them a long time ago your being ripped off dont pay up you didnt agree to a new alarm system just a repair which would have taken all of 10 mins max to reconnect the broken wires and replace the fuse if blown

 

[bigmitch69]

Thanks for the replies guys. They have made me feel alot better. I am going to enjoy the bank hols weekend and then get on to the Citizens Advice.

 

[Khaos1436114653]

they are trying to pull your pants down and dry bum you, they cant quote you £70 then bill you £900+ tell them you are going to get your solictor to get an independant specialist to check their work(it's a blag but normally works)

 

[micky07]

They is trying to rip you off mate. I was a spark for 15yrs before I changed my career. If that is the price nowadays I think I'll go back on the tools!!

 

[Nidge]

Does anybody work installing/ maintaining home alarm systems?

I am a carpet fitter and while working at a customers house i accidently put a staple through the alarm wire that was under her carpet.

My mistake (although a heads up about the wires would have been helpful) so i offered to pay for the alarm people to come out and repair the wire.

The company quoted me about 70quid for the call out feet, 30cm of wire, 2 junction boxes and possibly a new fuse. Gutted because the job only paid me 50 but these things happen. Due to being told it was only 70 quid i didnt want to involve my insurance as it might put up my premiums. I asked the alarm people to email quote before carrying out any work. They didnt.

2 months later i recieve a bill from alarm company for 992 pounds (i have to keep writing pounds as the pound symbol doesnt work on laptop)

When i spoke to them they said the staple caused a short circuit and broke the motherboard and nearly everything had to be replaced.

To me this doesnt sound right. How can a staple going through a wire cause so much damage?

I spoke to a sparky and he reckons they are having it on. He can't see how a wire carrying 12volts can short circuit anything, at most he thinks it would blown an internal fuse and thats it.

I was unhappy paying 70quid. I am definately not going to pay 992! Especially when noone has been in contact with me to let me know what was going on etc.

Pants down mate, shop around and look at the prices of alarms. It's not rocket science to install one. £992 sounds like they want a few drinks out of you.

 

[lockhes]

there ripping you off im a sparky and also do alarms and like others have said theres glass fuses in the pannels protecting the board

even if they couldnt join the wire they could of replaced the wire

we charge around 65 a call out for alarms

 

[bert1]

Im a spark to trade, and as a janitor have a lot of dealings with alarm companies.....a LOT.

Id say for the job, with callout ect £250 top line. It is possible you messed up their mobo to the point of a fuse but nothing more inho. We had joiners put nails thru a wire in 7 places and it was rewired for £300 - and all the nails did was to activate the alarm and eventually pop a fuse.

£900+ is ripping the **** out of it, get an independant report and a solicitor ( or at least threaten to )

The only reason this COULD have happened is if they bypassed the protection circuit, and were using obsolete equiptment ( ie. the system ) imo

We got an entire security system for a school, a large school including partial rewiring, cameras, sensors, door swipes, new controllers ( 12 I think ) and it was ~£10000

Hope you get it sorted tho, perhaps theres some type of insurance for this type of accident in the future?

Bert

 

[BillC]

I'd put it into the hands of your insurance company, they'll fook them right off.