Vandalised by Window Repairman?

Can you now tell us what the other 2 quotes cost.

If around £75, then what are you worrying about.

The cost to all of them for giving the quote must be about half that sum.

I would do that sort of thing myself, or ask a regular contractor to do it, or any contractor to test them out, and if I didn't like the bill, just tell them, why I would not be using them again.

Seems dollar time in dime jobs.

Perhaps you should try Foxtons ?

When landlord gives a property to an agent to manage , ordinarily it is with understanding that the agent has authority to instruct contractor for all work up to an agreed amount ( I am a landlord and allow my agent to pay out not more than £200 per repair job ). Have you spoken to your agent about their terms ?

I would try and compromise. Life's too short for unpleasantness. I'd agree to accept it was a misunderstanding on his part since we all make mistakes sometimes.Then I'd show him the lowest of the three quotes and offer to pay that.

Is the chare reasonable compared to the others?
Has the work been done satisfactorily?
Did any charge for estimates?

I try to avoid call out charges like the plague by integrating jobs together and getting quotes but sometimes accept that a single visit may be more cost effective.

£75 doesn't seem all that much to me

As I said, you should be with Foxtons.
http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/news/article-3113604/Estate-agent-Foxtons-risks-huge-legal-bill-charging-616-fix-light.html

Then is would seem cheap!

Has the leak been cured? If you asked for a quote was it a free quote?
I always ask for a free quote on the phone and by email. Although I am now a retired builder I never charged for quotes, and don't expect to pay for someone taking a look!
In my opinion it would have to be a massive window with large gaps to justify the cost, average size widow £25-30 Ground or first floor.

If it is his mistake offer to pay £35 as the job is done, if problem cured, or he can spend time in going back to remove it for free.

If high than 1st floor, pay it, ask for a proper receipt and move on.

I have read the various comments and I agree that it isn't a massive amount of money.

So I would like to be a bit controversial and offer a slightly different viewpoint.

You have a fair argument to make as both I and my sons have been victim to the various scams and dodgy dealings of letting agents using their friends and contacts and just authorizing works without consultation and it has been very costly, (2.5 x a months rent in some cases for my sons). The letting agents soon learn that is the wrong way to treat the landlord that feeds them.

The usual crap they spout is "we couldn't get hold of you and your tenants dialysis machine kept conking out so we authorized it"

Roofers, Gas Fitters, Decorators, Rubbish Removers and Damp Proof Specialists are renowned for it.

So on this one, I am on your side - if your son or daughter went to a garage and asked for a quote and you or they were the receiver of a repair bill of £75 for doing a puncture repair, you might well feel hacked off.

If you were Richard Branson, you might think it was value for money, but the only way to be sure would be to compare all works to your "Hourly Rate".

Do you know what it is?
If not work it out.
1 years salary / number of hours you put in a year = your hourly rate

That's how I price up jobs -

For Example: if it would take me 8 hours including traveling to Leicester to change a double glazed glass unit from Birkenhead in Merseyside it would be less expensive than paying a glazier that's local, the £120 they would charge.

The new glass unit would only cost about £30, and its only a 20 minute job, but factor in my diesel, a loss of a days leisure and a trip to the waste tip and it would then become far more expensive.

You are the recipient of a "Rouge Trader" they are all over the place and they are like bad landlords we all keep hearing about.

So never use them again and make sure you pay a good tradesman fast, because they are as rare as rocking horse sh*t.

I have been a landlord since 2001 and I still have to search for a good tradesman from time to time.

But I stick like glue to the ones I trust and use them time and time again.

I should hink that £75 would be well below most agent's referred level anyway. When we started it was with full management but that soon changed having met a couple of the "cowboys" being used. some of the agent's workmen didn't want to work direct or even meet and we promptly dropped. We now have a few trusted individuals who, as you suggest, are paid on the nail. Small plumbing and electrical jobs are undertaken by our boilerman/plumber and for which I never get a call out charge as he is always in the building (which he knows like the back of his hand having been a snagger for the developer and still working for the mngt. company.

When you find good people you often find THEY don't like working for agents either!

The sooner you realise that agents and landlords may both be in the rented property market but have differing objectives the better.