Experts - useless

[lanason]

It occurs to me that "experts" are useless.
I was watching TV about one of those Houses from Hell and the experts advice was :-
"Check the creditials of the person offering the service" - err like we would know one certicate from another ??
"Check with previous Customers" - errr how do we find out - ask the guy for a list of customers we can talk to ??
"Check the bits need replacing" - that why they called the expert cus they could fix it themselves.

Same thing with boats isnt it - "How can the man in the street know if the person we are dealing with is OK" - the only thing in our favour on here is other peoples experiance - they may be happy with the work that was done but how do they know it "needed" to be done in the first place.

Maybe i'm feeling a bit cynical but I start off by NOT trusting everyone who offers a service rather than sells a product, and ask loads of questions !!

No dont get me started on the IFA's or the Boat Safety Scheme..

<hr width=100% size=1>Adrian <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.arweb.co.uk/argallery/kelisha>Kelisha</A> Nothing is better than a Holiday

 

[duncan]

IFAs?

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[Althorne]

Take your point Adrian. Friend recently paid a surveyer £340 to look over a 24' boat with a view to purchase. Without his knowledge and unintensionally we saw him arrive at 9am and leave at 11am. Report was so vague it bore no relation to the boat at all. When challanged he didn't give a toss. So much for another expert????? £600 wasted. friend still has no boat and feeling very disolusioned (1st boat). Wish I could earn £170 an hour. Being serious though - nobody is worth that kind of money I don't care what work he does. What is the going rate for a survey anyway?

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[sailorman]

WHY DID HE PAY THE INVOICE????????????

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[PhilF]

they normally ask for it up front, I have always paid in advance of getting a survey done, its like they are doing you a big favour, don't get me started on IT or plumbers

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[sailorman]

ive just had a survey & the invoice will come with the report.
i also know a lot of plumbers.

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[Alpha22]

I work in IT and know plumbers and sparkys that get payed much more. :-(

<hr width=100% size=1>Last weekend was shopping darling........ so this weekend is boating. (Duck!)

 

[truebrit]

Not sure of surveyors costs but Solicitors take the biscuit! a friend of mine asked his solicitor "how much will it cost me to ask you 3 questions?" solicitor says £300, Friend says " Isnt that a lot of money?" Solicitor's answer "yes it is,now whats your third question"
As for cerificates,generally they mean nothing,Im in civ engineering and construction and I regularly get letters from federation of master builders and ilk asking me for £x00 to join and be allowed to use their heading and endorsement, they have never seen my work, and are willing at a price for me to use a heading which implies Im trustworthy!!! Incidently I am,but all my work comes from word of mouth ,recommendations etc from previous satisfied customers etc

<hr width=100% size=1>Mike....... V8s are sweet music

 

[lanason]

"Independant" Financial Advisors - now theres an Oxymoron if ever I saw one.

<hr width=100% size=1>Adrian <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.arweb.co.uk/argallery/kelisha>Kelisha</A> Nothing is better than a Holiday

 

[sailorman]

so what

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[sailorman]

ask a ifa how to get 7k
answer
start with 14k
not inc. service costs

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[longjohnsilver]

Hmm, well if you've had bad experience of IFAs then maybe you've been talking to the wrong one! Like every trade/business there are good and bad ones.

I speak as one I hope my clients would rate as a good guy.

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[jeffro]

My surveyor got the wrong engine on the survey and the wrong make of vessel but i had to pay up . that little strolling bird is doing my head in

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[longjohnsilver]

Hope this is more to your liking!

Didn't you spot what engine you had?

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[jeffro]

ur not quite prefered the bird engine was out at the time!

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[BrendanS]

Oi! copyright! Intellectual propery right theft. Get your thieving piratical hands of my piccie!!!!!!

<hr width=100% size=1>Utinam logica falsa tuam philisophiam totam suffodiant

 

[longjohnsilver]

Engine was out at the time

That was unfortunate, had it popped out for a pint of milk, a paper or maybe a curry.

Or maybe it didn't answer the doorbell to the surveyor!

Perhaps it was shy. /forums/images/icons/wink.gif

Ok I'll change the pic again. There's no pleasing some people!

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[longjohnsilver]

Intellectual? Surprised you can even spell it let alone understand wot it means!!

Is this better?

And there's 2 f's in off!!! Need I say more?
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[halcyon]

Last survey we had cost £85 just over 2 years ago, spent 3 hours on boat, then 2 hours at his house going through survey point by point, tea and biscuits included. Previously he charged me arounnd £70 to survey a SCOD and found £10,000 of work that was required, which I thought great value.
It's down to find a surveyer and stick with them, had 6 boats surveyed and two I was told not to touch, so they do earn there money.
Normally if they drive a old van or Volvo there not a bad bet in the Marine trade, if they have a new 4 wheel drive with name splashed all over, think who's paying.

Brian
Still trying to get rid of that old Volvo.

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[BrendanS]

Out of body experience? I sympathise, I get that too.

There are indeed to f's in of, so f' of 2 <g>

<hr width=100% size=1>Utinam logica falsa tuam philisophiam totam suffodiant