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Re: bbc watchdog
allan73 wrote:I cleaned someones sump out yesterday on a WMA Hotpoint for £30 am I too cheap ?
Allan (effectively a one man band).
yes!
Re: bbc watchdog
clayside wrote:I see he lives in Abingdon, wonder if he repairs losts of Miele
We see plenty of Miele but tbh apart from the rip-off price of spares and the fact they’re so bloody heavy to move, it’s great for us – no-one else would spend £100+ on 15 year old machines. As for Clive – we have plenty of jobs where people call us after him. They’re a nightmare as like in the programme he just replaces random parts, so you have to fix the fault AND whatever he’s buggered up.
Anyway, been a really busy day for us :). Loads of customers have said “I called you because I saw Clive on Watchdog last night then read your reviews online”. Happy days, tbh – I’ve no problem people watching me work and always show them the damaged part I’ve removed.
I think people like Clive are going to be driven out of this industry now every man and his dog can write a review of us online, and it’s no bad thing – if Watchdog help this on it’s way all the better.
Chris
Re: bbc watchdog
Martin wrote:Clive Bramell (a.k.a. Oxford & Abingdon Washing Machine Repairs)
10 Longfellow Drive, ABINGDON, Oxon, OX14 5PQ Tel: 01235 520071Named and shamed……!!!
He does exist then? I found this so cliche’d I began to think it may have been actors and the whole thing staged for the sake of “good” tv.
Re: bbc watchdog
allan73 wrote:I cleaned someones sump out yesterday on a WMA Hotpoint for £30 am I too cheap ?
Allan (effectively a one man band).
In a word….yes
Rob
Re: bbc watchdog
You have to wonder what exactly Trading Standards are doing, 70 complaints and no investigation?
I have been trading 13 years, and the first time somebody contacted TS about me (wrongly, I might add) they were on me like stink on sh*t. 😯
Re: bbc watchdog
Looking once more at the iPlayer video I’m convinced that he thought the fault to be the interlock. Hence why he hastily removed it then came back next day to fit a new one, intent on charging the price of a new board. Gutted to find that his new lock didn’t solve the problem, he kept to his original plan and added yet more problems toward his victim.
odom wrote:I think people like Clive are going to be driven out of this industry now every man and his dog can write a review of us online, and it’s no bad thing – if Watchdog help this on it’s way all the better.
I’m sorry but I disagree totally with that theory. I suspect that there are more, not less, cowboys entering this trade and targeting the more vulnerable. Placing cheap adds in the local rag, advertising ‘no call out fees’ and the like. Many are like Clive, haven’t the faintest how to fix appliances nor are bothered by that. Their aim is simply to get a foot in the door and then let the scam begin…………!!!!
On-line reviews? Not heard of that before and would welcome further info from you on that odom.
But Watchdog are no help to us whatsoever….the programme based on sensationalistic journalism. Their ‘Rogue Traders’ stings only highlight the cowboys for as long as the programme airs. Once the programme is off-air the whole issues are forgotten by everyone. Business as usual for the dodgy roofers, tarmac spreaders, drain rodders, boiler fixers and washing machine herberts.
The Clives of this world are free to roam without a care. The authorities that are meant to stop all this are not only hopelessly ineffective but powerless in stopping these individuals from continuing their scams, cons and rip-offs! This will continue to be so ad infinitum until the trading laws are changed dramatically. Changed so that what currently is deemed as a ‘civil offence’ be reclassified as a ‘criminal offence’.
Within such legislation, and still using Clive’s case file as an example, within those 70 recorded ‘breaches of trading law’ he committed in the past. He would have been imprisoned at some earlier point in time and long before he clocked up his 70th victim.
The law is an ass……..business as usual. :rolls:
Re: bbc watchdog
Martin wrote:
On-line reviews? Not heard of that before and would welcome further info from you on that odom.
Heres one for starters. 😉
Re: bbc watchdog
iadom wrote:Heres one for starters. 😉
Thanks for that…Just ‘signed on’ to that site and if it is a representative example then the trade has little to fear from such sites. I did ‘search’ through a number of companies under the ‘sector’ Electrical appliance repair service throughout various counties in England and no one showed up. In fact throughout the county I reside only 8 complaints were logged, varying from 3 car dealers, a roof contractor and one education service. :rolls:
Re: bbc watchdog
I put his trading name in google and some sites have customer reviews for his entry.
I’ve got it on many of mine too (but no one has put one on yet 😳 )
RobRe: bbc watchdog
this bloke is a complete tosser and to describe him as an engineer is beyond a joke, he is nothing more than a common thief who should be dealt with by the police accordingly. if he showed up on my doorstep looking like he did with a couple of screwdrivers i would not be parting with any cash. pity they dont do a prog called fair traders or something but dont suppose that would be exciting enough!
Re: bbc watchdog
why dont we make these posts available on the public forums to let joe public see how we feel about this type of rip of merchant..
yes £30.00 to cheap fo clearing pump . should have charged for a new one lol ..
ally
Re: bbc watchdog
How long today before somebody mentioned watchdog to you i was a little disapointed my first two calls where blocked pumps had to wait till my third call to replace a neff oven element when i was met with “well at least you,ve bought your tool box in did you see watchdog” :rolls: Cras
Re: bbc watchdog
Just watched on i-player. How does he get away with it? I should’ve thought he would have been sporting a few plaster casts by now. Looks like they’re rather gentille in Abingdon.
Anyway, I did four calls today, three established customers and one new one. None of the three watched me overmuch and they seemed even more pleased than usual to get their machines fixed. One asked me if I’d seen the programme last night and we had a little chin-wag about it. On getting the bill she gave me a tenner extra. (I know, I’m too cheap.)
The new one wanted to know charges etc. when she rang and she hung around painting the door frame adjacent to the appliance (might have been contrived, that) and looking over to see how I was doing. Was pleased to pay my call out charge even though I could find no fault to explain the leak she had had from her condenser dryer. At least she could see I’d given it a thorough examination.
So maybe this sort of programme might make established customers appreciate us more and just make it a little more edgy with new ones.
Mike.Re: bbc watchdog
Who is the guy in the photo?
http://sitebuilder.yell.com/sb/show.do? … 3395000010
Steve
Re: bbc watchdog
EFS wrote:Who is the guy in the photo?
http://sitebuilder.yell.com/sb/show.do? … 3395000010
Steve
Dunno but that’s a Z918T and he’s using molegrips on the door seal 😕 .
Perhaps that’s what he looked like in 1988?
Mike.
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