Unnecessary electrician visits?

Hi guys,

We are in a rental property where one of the sockets was broken so an electrician was called in to fix it. I took the day off from work and he spent all day clicking things, looking through my cupboards and drawers, all my medication and food in the fridge and freezer had to be thrown out as he kept turning the power on and off for over 5 hours. When he left a few of my items were broken and chipped from him drilling the wall and bits of wall flying at everything so I was very upset. He's called back to say he needs to fix more stuff but nothing is broken? Can I possibly refuse? I can't take more days off work and neither can DH. We agreed for him to come in on the weekends but he's refused. So he said he wants the keys to our property from the landlord but I'm uncomfortable with this. Any idea what I should do?

Call the landlord - or the rental agency, and report EVERYTHING. This doesn't seem right, and I would question whether this electrician was qualified.

Under no circumstances allow him (or anyone) to come in when yo are not there.

Usually faulty sockets are no more than a wire that's come loose - easy to fix, and certainly not a 5 hour job. I would also likely demand compensation for anything that was broken - the LL should have insurance and so should any qualified electrician.....and....that never, ever should have happened.

That sets off all kinds of warning bells to me.

I would tell him no he has no access to my rented property without me being there. Did you not tell him off for going through your stuff or question why he was doing that? His attention should have been solely on the broken socket and that should have only taken about 10 mins to fix not 5 hours.

Be assertive and say any further repairs needs to be sanctioned by the landlord but call and tell them that as far as you can see nothing is wrong and explain what he was doing.

Yikes! Definitley call your landlord and letting agency and find out what they asked the electrician to do first. If they asked for a full kind of electrical testing kind of thing, it may be legitimate. (Though, ask them what they plan to do about your losses!)  However, if it was just to fix the socket, then both you and the landlord are being taken for a ride.   

You may want to check whoever it was was also certified through one of these bodies. 

Thanks guys. Yes he did say that while he's fixing this socket that he'll be running full tests to make sure everything is fine. When he searched through things I'd ask what he's looking for and he always had an answer like "the water plug" which I have no idea what that is. But I felt sick when he went through my closets and drawers once again looking for plugs or some kind of switches that could've been in the back he said. It just felt like I had no control and I never want to feel like that again. Since he is communicating with me by texts, I was thinking of ignoring him and just telling the agency I'm not okay with him coming to our flat at all and that everything's fine? Surely they won't want to spend extra money if we're satisfied?

I had a similar experience not too long ago with a guy who came to fix the hob. Similar, at least, because I felt like I had no control over the situation. He came and fixed the hob in about ten minutes, but we couldn't get in touch with the landlord who a)was supposed to be there so I wasn't alone with the guy who I had never met and b)needed to pay for the service. After making several phone calls and speaking in a language I didn't understand, and pressuring me for money (I didn't have any in the house), he said he had to "unfix" the hob by taking the part back out. I told him I understood and apologized for the waste of his time. While he was taking the part back, he got a call and began whispering. I started to get a very uneasy feeling, and suspected he was making it worse than it was. There was nothing I could do, though, but wait for him to leave. When he was done, I asked him to wait so I could make sure the hob still worked, but he ran out the door. As I'd suspected, none of the burners worked anymore. I burst into tears, because I can't work right now and so my sole responsibility is to make dinner and take care of the flat, and now I couldn't make dinner. When I finally got in touch w my landlord, he had the same guy come back to fix it, and stood over the guy's shoulder watching what he did the whole time. My landlord (who is Irish) said that there isn't a customer service culture here like in the US. Still - it isn't easy being a woman and allowing strange men into your safe space. I had a really bad reaction to feeling that helpless and am not quite sure how to navigate things like that in the future. My wife was really supportive, but she's definitely better about watching the service men we have come in - but she's the one w the job now and couldn't miss work.

GibbyGab,  I have to agree with the others here, and say that this is setting off alarm bells for me to.  What was he thinking he would find in drawers? Back of a cupboard, possibly, but a switch or electric outlet in a drawer? That seems extremely unlikely and very worriesome.  Not to alarm you more, but back in the day, I had a problem with a creeper/stalker type.  This was before there were even terms like creeper and stalker.  This sounds too familiar.  Tell your landlord, and rental agency, if there is one, what happened.  And do not let this person back into your house unless the landlord or a leasing agent is there with you.  Ideally, do not let him into your home again at all.  I would take it a step further and be sure to tell them about his texts.  And save the texts, though I am not sure I would answer them. 

Something is wrong about that electrician.  I've had my electrician to my home 2-3 times, and he never looked in drawers for anything.  He checked the breaker box, the two outlets giving me problems and the attic.  If that electrician must return, make sure you are not alone with him.  I don't have to be in the UK to smell trouble.

I agree with everyone who said tell your landlord/letting agent!

 all my medication and food in the fridge and freezer had to be thrown out as he kept turning the power on and off for over 5 hours.

I know it's too late now, but... as long as the fridge and freezer doors were kept shut during this time, you probably would not have needed to throw everything out.

Didn't you have a similar problem at another place you lived?  Some weird guy wanting access to your flat because he was supposedly 'in charge'?

Albatross yes I did have similar problems in a different flat. I'm so sick of it all. Everywhere I go some bullsh*t always happens. I have saved the texts and am now ignoring the guy. I've not been contacted by the agency about this at all. I left a message with them previously but they haven't called back. Im going to continue to ignore his texts and I hope the agency don't give him keys to our flat when we're out. Surely they can't do that? I don't want this man in my house ever again. This really has shaken me up.

What does your lease say? 

What does your lease say? 

I think they usually say that as a renter you have failed somehow in life and have no real rights or dignity....in essence.

I think they usually say that as a renter you have failed somehow in life and have no real rights or dignity....in essence.

Hahahahahahahah

I think they usually say that as a renter you have failed somehow in life and have no real rights or dignity....in essence.

LOL!  Sad how true this is.  I only rented once place in the UK and it was a NIGHTMARE!!

LOL!  Sad how true this is.  I only rented once place in the UK and it was a NIGHTMARE!!

LETTING AGENTS are the worst.... Though I've had crap private landlords too.