Craftsman charges travel costs multiple times

Hello everyone,

I have additionally commissioned my heating installation company to carry out the bathroom installation on a time-and-material basis.

The last delivery of two washbasins and cabinets arrived and the company was informed. After about a week, I received a call saying that the installation would start at short notice the next day at 10 a.m.
The next day, however, the company only arrived at 2 p.m., installed most of it, and left again after 2 hours. The following day, the company came back (at 11 a.m.) and finished the rest in 1 hour (it was a Friday).

Now I receive an invoice:
Day 1: travel km
Day 1: travel time
Day 1: 2 hours working time
Day 2: travel km
Day 2: travel time
Day 2: 1 hour working time

The breakdown corresponds to the truth and everyone here will probably be able to prove to me legally with paragraphs that this is also legally okay.

But travel km and time alone make up more than half of the invoice. Personally, I feel taken advantage of... They could easily have finished the work in one day.
Why they had to leave, I can only speculate. But even earlier during the heating installation, they always knocked off at 4 p.m.

Have you ever experienced a similar case? Can I somehow defend myself against the double travel costs here?

Thanks and best regards,
Stefan

Hello Stefan,

Can I somehow defend myself here against the double travel costs?

What exactly does it say exactly in the order or signed offer?

Rhenish greetings

Call stating that the installation would start at 10 am the next day on short notice. The next day, however, the company only arrives at 2 pm

Basically, there is a possible key to the solution here. You are not responsible for the "delay," but rather the company. If the work had started at 10:00 am as ultimately agreed in the phone call, the job could have been completed on the same day without a second trip.

What happened then at 4:00 pm on the first day? Did you comment on leaving the construction site somehow? Or did you perhaps verbally approve the (unfinished) departure or already express your astonishment at that time?

However, I would choose the route via the delay here. It was within the contractor's sphere to complete the work on the same day. Presumably, he had to patch a hole at another site or needed more time there than previously calculated. I cannot see why you should have to pay for this circumstance through a double trip.

Hello Stefan,

What exactly exactly is stated in the order or signed offer?

Rhenish greetings

The order / offer says nothing regarding travel / travel costs etc. The assembly based on effort was basically only mentioned as a one-liner in the main offer for heating and sanitary installation.
For the work on the heating and sanitary system (which is completed) travel costs have never been charged so far. At least not as a separate item... that's why I was surprised that now suddenly something like that is listed.
After you asked yesterday, I only realized that the craftsmen have always been there so far within the framework of the heating and sanitary system works and have basically carried out the bathroom installation immediately afterwards. Thus, the tasks were mixed and no travel costs were charged.
Now they were there exclusively for the bathroom installation and suddenly there are travel costs. So I apparently missed having that point added separately when awarding the contract, right?

Basically, here lies a possible key to the solution. You are not responsible for the "delay," but the company is. If the work had started at 10:00 a.m., as was finally agreed in the phone call, the completion on the same day without a second trip would have been possible.

What happened then at 4:00 p.m. on the first day? Did you somehow comment on leaving the construction site? Or possibly verbally approved the (unfinished) departure or already expressed your surprise at that time?

However, I would choose the path regarding the delay here. It was within the company's sphere to complete the work on the same day. However, they probably had to patch a hole on another construction site or needed more time there than previously calculated. I cannot see why you should then have to pay for this circumstance through a double trip.

Unfortunately, I myself was not on site on the first day, only my wife was. As far as she told me, the worker came up to her and said, "You have to leave now, but the bathrooms are almost finished and there is only a little left to do tomorrow." However, my wife did not say anything special in response. She was still surprised because really only a cabinet was missing, but whether one could read that in her facial expression I do not know.

Regarding the delay, I also see a (small) leverage, thanks for the hint! I will now simply politely and nicely inquire whether it would be possible to cancel one of the travel charges. From my current legal knowledge, I do not see a legal basis for this, but perhaps the company is accommodating.

Best regards
Stefan

I do not see a legal basis according to my current knowledge,

I do.

Hello Stefan,

So I guess I missed having that point included separately when awarding the contract, right?

That's how I see it, yes. Agreeing on a flat-rate travel expense in advance wouldn't have been a bad idea. However, our current lawyer in the forum, Volker, sees it differently. So how can I contradict him?

Talk to the craft business and then see where the debate can lead.

Rhineland greetings