Some "tradies" can be strange

Susie

Susie

Member
Location
Australia
"Tradie" is the Australian vernacular for 'trades' men.
Surge board for laptop blew up recently, closing down most outlets and appliances in kitchen.
After many attempts finally found a local electrician who came out on a Sunday morning in 41 Cel degrees heat.
How very kind, I thought, thanked him profusely and paid generously.
The "tradie" decided I needed an entire new surge board on wall and booked a date which he kept.
It took 2 hrs. to install at a cost of $1000. Australian.
When it came to payment, he refused to issue a "receipt"!
What do you think of that?
Any similar interesting experiences? :cry:
 

Did you pay by check? I've never had one fail to give me a receipt. Did he give any reason why not?
 

If he is working under the table (i.e. does not declare income to tax dept) and you gave him cash, he doesn't want a paper trail.

If he gave him a check, the cancelled check can be a receipt, you obtain it from the bank.
 
Sounds like what us Aussies call a "Shonk" hopefully it's not a cheap nasty board he has installed for you ..My hubbies handy at 99% of jobs around the house so I can't remember the last time we called a tradie ...Second thought yes it was two summers ago our ducted air con broke down ,so we called a aircon specialist who said we needed a complete new AC ,Hubby said after he went BS .. Hubby removed the electric motor and found the problem was a bearing ,which he fixed for $3 ,Two summers latter it's still going as good as new

Definition Of:Shonk

dishonest person; swindler or con artist





 
Butterfly said:
Is there some electrician's licensing board you can complain to? Seems to me this is a pretty shady business practice.
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Thank you, Butterfly, for good advice!
I know it's pretty silly, but at the present time I feel intimidated and humiliated (very large, tall electrician, even taller apprentice son!!)
 
Kadee46 said:
Sounds like what us Aussies call a "Shonk" hopefully it's not a cheap nasty board he has installed for you ..My hubbies handy at 99% of jobs around the house so I can't remember the last time we called a tradie ...Second thought yes it was two summers ago our ducted air con broke down ,so we called a aircon specialist who said we needed a complete new AC ,Hubby said after he went BS .. Hubby removed the electric motor and found the problem was a bearing ,which he fixed for $3 ,Two summers latter it's still going as good as new

Definition Of:Shonk

dishonest person; swindler or con artist
Thank you for your reply and example of a Shonk!
Will be far more careful next time, almost afraid now to have anything to do with Australian 'tradies'.
A very happy 2016 to you and your family!
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Susie said:
Kadee46 said:
Sounds like what us Aussies call a "Shonk" hopefully it's not a cheap nasty board he has installed for you ..My hubbies handy at 99% of jobs around the house so I can't remember the last time we called a tradie ...Second thought yes it was two summers ago our ducted air con broke down ,so we called a aircon specialist who said we needed a complete new AC ,Hubby said after he went BS .. Hubby removed the electric motor and found the problem was a bearing ,which he fixed for $3 ,Two summers latter it's still going as good as new

Definition Of:Shonk

dishonest person; swindler or con artist
Thank you for your reply and example of a Shonk!
Will be far more careful next time, almost afraid now to have anything to do with Australian 'tradies'.
A very happy 2016 to you and your family!
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Be carefull Susie, if you want to go down that path you can contact consumers affairs to give you free advise,but you only have his word against yours considering you paid in cash ( Shonk as I said,more than likely not paying Tax,and GST)
I like your avatar the cassowary ,I believe they can give a nasty kick if they feel threatened in the wild ,We are from SA we have seen them in a bird sanctuary in Kurannda ( Qld) while we were traveling ..
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"Tradies" of Many Names

Kadee46 said:
Definition Of:Shonk

dishonest person; swindler or con artist
Click to expand...

Mountebank, Rapscallion, Foot-Pad, Cheat, Grifter, Rogue, Scoundrel, Robber, Thief, Shark, Filcher, Swindler, Gyp, Chiseler, Cozener, Miscreant, Blackguard, ........

There must be a hundred synonyms, so pervasive has been the cheating of honest people over the centuries. What else could explain it? :rolleyes:

imp
 
Another example of boorish, ockerish behaviour (tradie not involved)
Had run out of everything, so made my way to Aldis.
There I assembled a whole lot of groceries, waiting patiently for my turn (only one checkout), when a man with a large bundle of items dropped everything in front of my items.
"You can't do that", I shrieked.
"You're too slow", he bellowed.
Now I have a whole string of German swear words on the ready.
Did I use them?
Wish I had, instead pretending to be a lady (it's also against the law to swear in public!)
What would you have done? (Take the boor by the scruff of his neck and dip his head into his groceries, or worse?)
 
I suppose you could have raised a ruckus, even without swearing, you were in the right after all. Sometimes, caution is the better part of valour. This brutish man might have done more than bellow if you continued to oppose him. You could have been hurt. With his attitude, eventually he will reap what he sows.
 
Oh Susie, it's cruel the way crooks take advantage of good people like you. Hopefully someone else, another ripped off customer,
will report him to the proper authorities - don't know if it will do any good - bad people are smart - that's
why they get away with doing bad things to good people. Not fair, but it is what it is.
 
Susie said:
Another example of boorish, ockerish behaviour (tradie not involved)
Had run out of everything, so made my way to Aldis.
There I assembled a whole lot of groceries, waiting patiently for my turn (only one checkout), when a man with a large bundle of items dropped everything in front of my items.
"You can't do that", I shrieked.
"You're too slow", he bellowed.
Now I have a whole string of German swear words on the ready.
Did I use them?
Wish I had, instead pretending to be a lady (it's also against the law to swear in public!)
What would you have done? (Take the boor by the scruff of his neck and dip his head into his groceries, or worse?)
Click to expand...
He obviously has no respect for others but I wouldn't have said anything or argued with him about it. If I had felt brave that day I would have said "Karma baby, karma" but more than likely I would have just thought it to myself.
 
Can't have you thinking all Australian men are OCKERS.
There are some wonderful people out there who rush to the aide of the elderly, e.g.: The metal cane and I were laboriously pushing one of those cumbersome Bunning's trollies to the car, when a very kind gentleman offered his help, lifting the large planter tub (plastic) and other items into the boot (trunk?).
I truly felt grateful! :praying:
 
Not even all ockers are bad. I've known a number of men who would be classed as ockers ( someone who lives for their sport, mates and heavy drinking sessions) but show general respect to the elderly, women and children. During my marriage I ran the office of our construction company and dealt with plenty of tradies and ockers.................rarely had a problem.
 

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