[emaino]

Our vacuum cleaner electrical plug needed to be repaired and our landlord charged us $22 for the plug alone.

I know that some things are more expensive here but the same item in Brazil would cost $1 to $5.

Can anyone tell me if this is a fair price for an electrical plug?

[IanW99]

A quick check of Mitre 10 shows prices from $4.68 to $21.58.

So I would guess it depends on what plug you have?

Ian

[emaino]

A quick check of Mitre 10 shows prices from $4.68 to $21.58.

So I would guess it depends on what plug you have?

Ian

If I knew that beforehand, I would have bought the $5 plug myself.

[Leo]

If I knew that beforehand, I would have bought the $5 plug myself.

:yes D.I.Y. is usually the most cost-effective! :nice1

I have been advised by Kiwis that in NZ, it is often the high labour cost that is responsible for the astronomical replacement/repair bill :o

[emaino]

Actually, the landlord said that only the plug was being charged, not the service itself.

[Leo]

The landlord really said that???

<Incensed> The boiling 25C heat out here is causing my blood to boil as well!

Crikey! I'd probably suggest to that bleedin' con of a landlord that he'd be much better off robbing a bank! :laugh

[YouMeAndThree]

Why has your landlord charged you? If the washing machine here packed up it would be the landlords responsibility to replace it without a charge to us. Our fridge stopped working so he bought us a new one. Light switch failed - he sorted it. Gutters blocked - he cleaned them out.

Are you sure you should be paying? And that does seem a hefty price for a plug, but I guess it depends on what type of plug has been fitted.

[emaino]

Well Quinovic has charged everything that we needed fixed in our apartment.

The other thing was the dishwasher but this was actually my wife's fault: she used liquid detergent and drowned the machine.

If the fridge stops working, I'm pretty sure that they will charge us to fix it.

We really hate that company... :mad:

[YouMeAndThree]

I think you need to have a good read of your tenancy agreement. It is not, IMO, normal practice for the tenant to be responsible for such repairs. Sounds a bit harsh on you. Or get the agents to point out the sections which show you being responsible.

[KerryS]

I think you need to have a good read of your tenancy agreement. It is not, IMO, normal practice for the tenant to be responsible for such repairs. Sounds a bit harsh on you. Or get the agents to point out the sections which show you being responsible.

I think it's perfectly normal for the tenant to be charged where the repair is required due to their lack of care. eg using the wrong type of detergent in the dishwasher.
If I was a tenant and broke something myself then I would expect to pay for it.
However, if something failed through no fault of my own then I would expect the landlord to pay.

[emaino]

I think it's perfectly normal for the tenant to be charged where the repair is required due to their lack of care. eg using the wrong type of detergent in the dishwasher.
If I was a tenant and broke something myself then I would expect to pay for it.
However, if something failed through no fault of my own then I would expect the landlord to pay.

I completely agree. If I break something I would expect me to pay for it. I think it was correct for me to pay for the electrical plug... the thing that I'm mad about was the price charged for the new plug. It was HALF the price of an used vacuum cleaner! They could have put a $4 plug instead of a $22 on.

At least now we have an old vacuum cleaner with a top of the line electrical plug... :raebanana

[mylesdw]

It may not be entirely your landlord's fault. You have to be very wary of just going into electrical wholesalers to get simple stuff. One place here in Chch wanted to charge me $100 per metre for some cable I needed. "It's the price of copper" they said. "No it bloody isn't" I replied as I left. I bought the same stuff later on Trade Me for $10 a metre delivered!!

[bob_the_engineer]

Well Quinovic has charged everything that we needed fixed in our apartment.

The other thing was the dishwasher but this was actually my wife's fault: she used liquid detergent and drowned the machine.

If the fridge stops working, I'm pretty sure that they will charge us to fix it.

We really hate that company... :mad:

Quinovic are the only company in NZ that I would NEVER deal with again!

I thought it was just my bad experience but I know of three tenants they have ripped off and two landlords. I know of one lady they left in a particularly desperate position because of their underhanded behaviour

The great thing about NZ is you can say anything publicly as long as its true, so if anyone running a Quinovic franchise would like to discuss my (and my friends) experiences openly on this forum, just shout out, we’ll start a thread ay.

I’m posting this not because I’m disgruntled with Quinovic, I ‘m the sort of person that just moves on… I’m posting this to warn other immigrants that this is a company that you shouldn’t trust… My advice, and I say this wholeheartedly is avoid this franchise.

Bob

[Nathan]

It sounds like maybe you shouldn't stand behind the mule.

[bob_the_engineer]

It sounds like maybe you shouldn't stand behind the mule.

:D the mule?

Bob

[Nathan]

:D the mule?

Bob

Mule (http://www.myanimalclipart.com/images/illustrations/thumbnail/289_kicking_mule.jpg)