On Sunday the central heating packed up and of course we had no heat and no hot water for showers etc (kettle worked overtime!). The plumber came late on Wednesday and advised the fan had bust and parts would be hard to get over the Bank Holiday. He also mentioned that the bill would be close to £200 for the supply and fitting of a new fan as the new fan would cost 'at least £125 + vat'. The combi-boiler was installed by this plumber five years ago. In an effort to assist him in getting a new part at 8.30 Friday morning I telephoned three suppliers within a five mile radius and found two with the relevant part in stock and, guess what? The new fan to me, without trade discount, was £62 +vat. I immediately rang the plumber to say I'd found a supplier with the part and he told me he'd already bought one earlier that morning. So ... later that day he came, detached four push on connectors, unscrewed 4 screws, placed the new fan in position, rescrewed the screws and reattached the connectors. 15 minutes - job done! The bill? £180 - no receipt available - so, I paid by cheque. I want to have ten radiators replaced and some other sundry plumbing work carried out and that job is going to the man I should have called - as is the profit.
Still polishing the three chapters to go to Camilla Bolton - hopefully get them off Monday. It's been rather cold to type recently.
Publishing Contracts 101: Beware Internal Contradications
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It should probably go without saying that you don't want your publishing
contract to include clauses that contradict one another.
Beyond any potential l...
2 years ago
6 comments:
ooh that sounds like an awful way to start the new year, or end the old one!!! when you say you're getting three chapters out... does this mean you're sending it out to an agent? or a publisher?? (i had to scratch my head over what a VAT was .. and then i remembered... value added tax!!!!)
Hi Annie - Happy New Year, my friend.
I have to say I wasn't terribly pleased about the price for the boiler repair, but I learned a lesson.
I was researching agents and decided on the one I want to submit The Messenger to and then I got talking to an author and sitcom writer (he writes a series for BBC3) here on line and found out he had the same agent. He very kindly read some of my novel and said my choice was good as the agent was ideal for a new thriller writer and allowed me to use his name as an introduction. What a great guy! So, watch this space!
Love the title to this post. The overcharging that goes on makes me nuts too.
Good news about the agent. This year could be the year!
Hope you have a great one John.)
Happy new year!
Thanks Selchie. Happy New Year to you and yours, too.
I believe we learn a valuable lesson with any form of overcharging - not to use the same company, shop or people again. I think when we find good people, whom we trust, then we should let everyone know how good they are and boost their trade.
Fingers crossed for all of us in 2009.
I can't stand it when someone so openly rips you off and gets away with it. Damn their eyes, damn their eyes I say and make them walk the plank!
I have a good feeling about your book John and I'll be watching this space:)
Hi Boxie - Yes, damn their eyes and their long dangly bits and their round knobbly bits too! Make them walk two planks four feet apart, then a knife edge, in bare feet.
I have a good feeling about the book too - let's hope the agent does, also. She seems totally switched on from what I've read of her, but then women in business usually are - in fact most women are - period!
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