A handyman who wants to charge 2000 baht for a "survey fee"

[Nickcage49]

I contacted this firm in Pattaya called XXX Construction.

 

Don't make the same mistake I made.

 

We exchanged texts and pictures about what I wanted done, I sent him my location and then I suggested he come look at the job. He said "that will be a 2000 baht "survey fee".

 

I'm like WHAT? You don't give free estimates? He said no.

 

I asked him why and he said "we have costs of doing business". LOL. No, really? So you collect 2000 baht fees all day and don't do any work for it? Just unfreakingreal!

 

So I told him which part of my body he could kiss.

 

Just unbelievable.

[observer90210]

The scammer handyman must have lived abroad or have family living abroad, where just to open an look at whats wrong is immediately charged.

[Kwasaki]

You can survey it by asking at your local gov province, why don't people like you ask locally instead of looking on internet on a phone, so sad.

[scubascuba3]

I see them on facebook often but i don't see any good reviews in the comments, or people independently recommending them, maybe for a good reason, I'm guessing a farang in the background 

[OneMoreFarang]

You want that an expert spends time to visit you and analyzes your problem and likely you want to know from him how he suggests fixing it and how much that will cost.

 

And then? Lots of people take then the expert advice and tell others: there is problem xyz, and this and that has to be done to fix it. How much do you charge?

And then they hire the cheapest.

 

So why would an expert give you advice for free?

 

What you described wouldn't happen if not too many people would misuse the initial visit.

 

You could suggest to him that he should refund the service fee if you hire him. And if you don't hire him then you pay for his advice. I think that is fair. 

[scubascuba3]

3 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

You want that an expert spends time to visit you and analyzes your problem and likely you want to know from him how he suggests fixing it and how much that will cost.

 

And then? Lots of people take then the expert advice and tell others: there is problem xyz" and this and that has to be done to fix it. How much do you charge?

And then they hire the cheapest.

 

So why would an expert give you advice for free?

 

What you described wouldn't happen if not too many people would misuse the initial visit.

 

You could suggest to him that he should refund the service fee if you hire him. And if you don't hire him then you pay for his advice. I think that is fair. 

2,000 baht is very high don't you think? maybe even falang price? they obviously are losing business trying to charge this

[stevenl]

Up to them and you. You have a job, they tell you how much it will be to get an estimate. All fair and above board.

[chuang]

Nothing is for free not even in your country 

[transam]

13 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

2,000 baht is very high don't you think? maybe even falang price? they obviously are losing business trying to charge this

50 quid is peanuts for the services of an expert where I come from.

[OneMoreFarang]

5 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

2,000 baht is very high don't you think? maybe even falang price? they obviously are losing business trying to charge this

I think it depends on the job. It is a high price, but is it too high?

Obviously, it could be that the business model of that company is to just collect money from surveys.

But is also could be that they are busy with real work and think: If we spend time on estimates then we can't do other paid work at that time. So, pay us for it.

 

In general, I expect from any professional to charge for their valuable time.

Recently I visited a recommended lawyer. He charged for an initial consultation 6,000 THB. I paid it, and I think I received good advice. Could I have gotten the same advice for free from another lawyer? Maybe. But all in all, it was important enough for me to pay. And I would also pay for a handyman - why not? 

[scubascuba3]

1 minute ago, transam said:

50 quid is peanuts for the services of an expert where I come from.

Isaan?

[bbko]

14 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

2,000 baht is very high don't you think? maybe even falang price? they obviously are losing business trying to charge this

I'm thinking, how big was the job the OP wanted an estimate for? He didn't mention what he wanted done in his post, was if for painting a room or a huge detailed project?

[scubascuba3]

1 minute ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Recently I visited a recommended lawyer. He charged for an initial consultation 6,000 THB. I paid it, and I think I received good advice. Could I have gotten the same advice for free from another lawyer? Maybe. But all in all, it was important enough for me to pay. And I would also pay for a handyman - why not? 

You realise lawyers have falang price and thai price, they charge what they can get away with, you paid farang price

[Lemsta69]

1 minute ago, scubascuba3 said:

Isaan?

Must be a very strange village if they use English pounds as their currency. Is that even legal? ????

[transam]

1 minute ago, scubascuba3 said:

Isaan?

As I said, 2000bht (50 quid) is peanuts back home, so here, acceptable.

 

I would approach in this way, to the building folk..

 

"If you are passing, could you have a look at my project",, other than that you are making an appointment, where the bloke needs paying for his time, after all, we all want paying for our time, though I do sing for free.......................????

 

 

[billd766]

41 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

You can survey it by asking at your local gov province, why don't people like you ask locally instead of looking on internet on a phone, so sad.

He sounds like a professional to me. 

 

Why would you expect somebody to travel to your place, in his work time, in his vehicle, to use his expertise for free, with a chance of not getting the job?

 

The OP seems like a cheapskate wanting something for nothing and most likely wanting the lowest price he can find.

 

quote "We exchanged texts and pictures about what I wanted done, I sent him my location and then I suggested he come look at the job."

 

Text and pictures are not much use compared to the real thing.

 

The 2,000 thb you pay for a survey may well save you far more after a proper survey.

[OneMoreFarang]

2 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

You realise lawyers have falang price and thai price, they charge what they can get away with, you paid farang price

I had that meeting with Thai and farang lawyers together. As far as I know the farang lawyer is not authorized to work as lawyer in Thailand. But he is allowed to work in a Thai law firm and having meetings with clients. 

[MrJ2U]

51 minutes ago, Nickcage49 said:

I contacted this firm in Pattaya called Lotis Construction.

 

Don't make the same mistake I made.

 

We exchanged texts and pictures about what I wanted done, I sent him my location and then I suggested he come look at the job. He said "that will be a 2000 baht "survey fee".

 

I'm like WHAT? You don't give free estimates? He said no.

 

I asked him why and he said "we have costs of doing business". LOL. No, really? So you collect 2000 baht fees all day and don't do any work for it? Just unfreakingreal!

 

So I told him which part of my body he could kiss.

 

Just unbelievable.

If they do good work it might be worth it.  What are you building? 

 

How far does he have to drive.  If it's 200 kilometer round trip perhaps?!?

 

2,000 baht does sound excessive! 

[billd766]

7 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

You realise lawyers have falang price and thai price, they charge what they can get away with, you paid farang price

You do realise that you are paying for his services which will include dealing with you and all the documentation  in English, and dealing with the legal side and its documents in Thai.

 

You seem to want the cheapest, and I have no doubt that if a problem comes along later, you will be the one shouting and complaining about the poor work.

[scubascuba3]

6 minutes ago, transam said:

As I said, 2000bht (50 quid) is peanuts back home, so here, acceptable.

Don't forget what a fee is back in farangland is irrelevant to Thailand, Americans are the worse at always comparing to US

[transam]

Just now, scubascuba3 said:

Don't forget what a fee is back in farangland is irrelevant to Thailand, Americans are the worse at always comparing to US

I am not American, so I wouldn't know about that.............????....

[scubascuba3]

8 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I had that meeting with Thai and farang lawyers together. As far as I know the farang lawyer is not authorized to work as lawyer in Thailand. But he is allowed to work in a Thai law firm and having meetings with clients. 

Thai customers have a different price to farang customers 

[bbko]

1 minute ago, scubascuba3 said:

Don't forget what a fee is back in farangland is irrelevant to Thailand, Americans are the worse at always comparing to US

555, yet the first person to compare their home country's prices mentions quid.

[scubascuba3]

4 minutes ago, billd766 said:

You do realise that you are paying for his services which will include dealing with you and all the documentation  in English, and dealing with the legal side and its documents in Thai.

You've invented all this, not in the op, what a vivid imagination you have

[scubascuba3]

Just now, bbko said:

555, yet the first person to compare their home country's prices mentions quid.

Yes quite, clearly not American, after being here decades he should know not to compare with back home

[Kwasaki]

20 minutes ago, billd766 said:

He sounds like a professional to me. 

 

Why would you expect somebody to travel to your place, in his work time, in his vehicle, to use his expertise for free, with a chance of not getting the job?

 

The OP seems like a cheapskate wanting something for nothing and most likely wanting the lowest price he can find.

 

quote "We exchanged texts and pictures about what I wanted done, I sent him my location and then I suggested he come look at the job."

 

Text and pictures are not much use compared to the real thing.

 

The 2,000 thb you pay for a survey may well save you far more after a proper survey.

Where I live and carrying out building projects the Mrs sorted it 200 or 300 baht here and there no problem Bill.

[transam]

2 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

Yes quite, clearly not American, after being here decades he should know not to compare with back home

Why not, if anyone had paid to be qualified, to be an expert, whether here or anywhere else, he expects money for his professional time, my point was, 2000bht is what this expert wants for his time and professionalism, in comparison, in the UK/USA, wherever, you would pay a waaaay lot more for a professional service.

If you or the OP want's a cheapy, then get the bloke round the corner knocking up cement to have a look at the project..............???? 

[scubascuba3]

1 minute ago, transam said:

Why not, if anyone had paid to be qualified, to be an expert, whether here or anywhere else, he expects money for his professional time, my point was, 2000bht is what this expert wants for his time and professionalism, in comparison, in the UK/USA, wherever, you would pay a waaaay lot more for a professional service.

If you or the OP want's a cheapy, then get the bloke round the corner knocking up cement to have a look at the project..............???? 

Different countries different cost of living and fees for jobs, remember why many of us are here

[billd766]

17 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

Thai customers have a different price to farang customers 

Probably because they are using the same language and documents in the same language as well.

 

5 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

 

Wrong post, Sorry

[scubascuba3]

Just now, billd766 said:

Probably because they are using the same language and documents in the same language as well.

no it's because they like charging falang more, have more money argument