CORGI Stuff

[naffer]

I'm doing a kitchen make-over with a v good professional bloke in my son's flat.

When we removed the old units we see that the gas pipe runs where we don't want it to go in the new design so the gas pipes will need re-routing.

My man, a very competent and honest plumber says, "I'm not CORGI registered, so we'd better get help".

By co-incidence, across the landing another flat-owner is having plumbing done. I ask and the fitter says, "Oh, yes we're CORGI, so we can do it". Then he adds, "Do you want me to do it for cash or go through the office". I explain that I need it to be done by a "CORGI-Person" i.e. properly.

He replies, "Either way it will be me doing it".

Are you personally CORGI regd? "No, but the company is", was his reply.

******** SO: Is CORGI a personal thing or a company thing?

If it's personal and the company is using non-registered chaps should I let him do the work, not pay and shop him to CORGI?

Howver, I'm pretty sure that the chap from the Co. knows what he's doing but then so does our man but he's honest.

PS. The CORGI firm is charging twice what my honest guy is! Comments please,

[TheScullster]

Not a reply to your question but a "seconded" that it has been asked. I've often wondered what would happen if you had got a Corgi guy to do some work as a guvvy and your house blew up! How do you prove that the work was done by a suitably qualified person, when to do so exposes said guy as a moonlighter?

Phil

[srp]

Someone i know used to work in a factory where they had massive gas ovens. The gas board was quite happy for any of them to work on them, because a few of the fitters there had done a days 'corgi' gas safety ttraining.. It's the same sort of thing here, the cash in hand guy probably is supposed to be supervised by someone who has done the training , or was trained under a company scheme, either way I doubt he'd be offering to do the work if he was not competant, that WOULD be ilegal.. whereas if you did your own work then it might not be. I would ask my self 'does this guy know what he's doing' and take it from there ;)

Sim> I'm doing a kitchen make-over with a v good professional bloke in my > son's flat. >

[Lobster]

A guvvy?? Wassat then? They do foreigners round my way! (allegedly).

Surely you've answered your own question: the 'proof' is the receipted, CORGI-logo-emblazoned invoice; if you haven't got that, then no proof. The moonlighting CORGI er could deny all knowledge of you.

At least the moonlighter would be supposedly competent (being a CORGI and all) so your chances of unwanted explosions should be minimised!

David

[naffer]

Update, The job was done today by the bloke who offered a cash deal but thru' his Co. so that I'd have something on paper with the mythic-magic GORGI logo. However, it appears that he is the only guy in their Co. with Corgi papers. (However, the Company name appears on the Corgi site).

It appeared very neat work and generally pleasing. Completed by 14:30

At 16:30 I smelt gas and tested one of the joints with a soap mixture.

Lots of bubbles. Phoned the main man at the Co. and told him that I'd smelt gas. "Don't worry, gas is designed to be very smelly and it doesn't signify anything". I told him it was bubbling out of one of the joints that they had worked on. "Oh.. turn it off at the meter and we'll be back tomorrow".

************************************************************** Why use CORGI unless you're a landlord and need paperwork? It's no real guarantee.

The chap I'm using for the rest of the job does perfect plumbing but can't do gas stuff 'cos he ain't CORGI. (Similarly, he's got a degree in Electrical Engineering but isn't Part P). Stuff that, I've had enough with these closed-shop restraints on trade! I will take responsibility for my properties and use good tradesmen that I trust to do good work. I'd rather take the risk of a hypothetical incident that my experience of real risk using "qualified" thieves.

If anyone challenges this I will tell you how British Gas left a major leak on my boiler and thought it funny when I called the guy back from the street where he was completing his paperwork on his fancy laptop.

"What would have happened if I hadn't called you back?" "I guess your house would have blown up." He thought it a joke. I despair Naffer

[Mike Harrison]

I believe he could legally do all but the final connection to the supply & test though

[John Rumm]

The irony is that you could then legally finish it off for him!

[naffer]

How it ended: Next day the CORGI "expert" arrived, very grudgingly, to address the leak. He concluded that since the leak (there was a leak, of course), was on the supply side of the meter it wasn't his responsibilty but Transco's. (Funny word responsibility).

Possibly true, but since it only happened after his work, I wasn't very sympathetic. Very grudgingly, he repaired it.

Now I await the bill. If there is any element of cost relating to the leak he created it won't be paid at all. I'll be amused to see if they'll take me to the Small Claims Court! I plan to pay for only the original job.

Better still, I think I'll send him a reduced sum anyway (reduced to cover my aggravation) so as to make court action for the balance virtually impossible if he cashes my cheque.

Doncaster is a big city, I doubt we'll ever see them again!