Would you or have you paid for a devis.

[mysty]

We have someone interested in a house.
He was wanting some estimates for work.
The email is below, the builder wanted two hour payment. He was an hour away from the house.
See below.

Thanks for the pictures. Yes the doors do look nice - we would definately go with those. The builder I had lined up was wanting to charge us for the visit and couldn't make next week so I've cancelled. It was a 2hr round trip for him so it's understandable.I can sort out an alternative at a later date. I think the priority now is to see the video of the property, ask any final questions which may arise from it and then start the purchase paperwork.

[treiziste]

No I haven’t and no, I wouldn’t.

[exile]

No I haven't but if I were asking a builder who must be 60+km away (120km round trip), then I can understand why he might ask for some recompense.

[mysty]

I have never paid for a devis but it's obviously happening now.
We did get a devis of 8000 a couple of months back to repair a small wall and fit French doors.
If I had paid for the devis l would not have been happy with the price.

[Gigi]

We haven’t ever been told that one would cost us and wouldn’t have paid fir one, too many good workers out there who wouldn't dream of charging for one.

I have seen quite a number of adverts stating that a devis was free. Our Swiss neighbour had somebody arrive at her apartment and then told her that it would cost her - he didn’t get through the door.

I would hope that your client could find somebody capable and willing to do the work fairly locally, as driving 2 hours to quote for work is a long time to do for free, plus if he got the work presumably he would expect to be paid that each time he visited - that would bump the price up!

[CRAZY DIAMOND]

Yes, I paid for a devis for the repair of my chain saw. The chap had to test it, check it out, dismantle some of it to determine the problem, calculate the cost of replacement parts - all of which took time. I decided the cost of repairs was too much, so when I collected the saw I was presented with a modest deivis. The fee is clearly stated in the repair shop so I had no objection. Had he gone ahead with the repairs, the cost of the devis would have been waived.
Being realistic, I reckon most tradesmen do, or certainly should, factor in the cost of compiling a devis when submitting it, i.e. it's rolled into the price. One way or another you're gonna pay.
Syd.

[Aardvark]

Very interesting. Last year I took a chainsaw to my nearest Espace Emeraude. It had become very hard to start and if started would run roughly. The guy behind the counter took it into the workshop and had a fiddle with it, came back pointing to something (I forget exactly what he was indicating) saying it was essentially buggered and I'd be better picking out a new chainsaw from their wide selection. I took it home, had a look at the bits he'd loosened and refitted them. It started and ran immediately and carried on another 6 months. Glad I didn't pay for a devis.

[Le Démerdeur]

Several times I have found myself in the situation of being asked to give a quote that I was certain the customer was never going to take up, they just wanted a quote to present to an insurance company, often an hour from home to find out that what they had said on the phone "my electric gates aren't working, can you come and fix them!" was a lie & that a delivery driver had scraped the side of the gate post chipping the edge of the bricks causing cosmetic damage.

When i told them that I really was not interested, it was not what they had called me out for & they would say "all I want is a quote", when I said that it would be chargeable they would always get the hump.

I am in the same situation when tenants do damage to my rental property that I would repair myself, I have to have a quote to have any chance of the deposit holding organisations allowing me any costs (which they rarely do anyway) and the timescale is impossible to do so plus all the companies are as wised up as I am & I could not ask it of them. My solution has been to ask one of my old network of artisans to give me an estimate which I will pay them for in the knowledge that they would not be getting the work, they are all too busy anyway and would otherwise refuse to quote.

So I have paid for quotes and have asked for payment but never recieved any!

[Le Démerdeur]

I think that its reasonable to pay for a devis when it involves considerable work and travelling & for it to be deducted from the sum paid if you accept the devis.

I had a friend doing ground source heat pump installations on historic & listed buildings, not sure if he's still in the business, he only worked for very rich clients & was one of their peer group himself, he would ask for £500 up front for a survey and quote which was very thorough and frankly worth the money even if they used his designs to get done by someone else, it was of course refunded against the order if placed & it worked very well for him & meant he got exactly the type of customers that he was seeking.

[bluebird]

No chance. I don't even waste time with French 'artisans' anymore. If I can't do it, it's not getting done!