Job Too Small ? Picky Traders...

[DanTheManUK]

Hello All. Though I've been happily reading topics for some time now this is my first post. I have a simple yet strange query. I should begin by stating I am a domestic customer and DIY enthusiast (don't hold that against me pls)

Following a burglary to my garage around the New Year, I decided to get my double garage alarmed up - possibly add a PIR and contact to the back door from the garage. I have a compact Honeywell hard wired 8 zone system at present on the house. With 4 free zones. My garage is attached to the house. The panel is approx 6 metres from new PIR location.

I began by contacting the alarm company that installed my system (house was a new build 10 years ago) to find they had shut up shop. Progressed to calling all Local firms I could find in the book, on the net etc - widening my search to about 8miles radius. After around 15/20 calls I found about 20% of the numbers were dead, and the rest were split evenly between we are too busy for the next month at least and sorry we don't work with pre-installed non Nacoss systems (in some cases this was before even looking at or asking about my system)

Only 2 engineers came out. The first chap (sole trader but seemed experienced) chatted on the phone a couple of times and before coming out we discussed a GSM dialler - he provided me a link which I used to purchase said dialler online so It was in hand by the time he arrived. On the day he looked at the Job and decided that wired PIR may be not such a great option due to trailing the cable, making a mess etc and said he'd go away and source / price up a radio PIR and receiver unit to add on. Never heard from him again and he ignored my follow up text too.

Second guy was only interested in swapping out my system for a Texecom monitored bells and whistles hybrid with annual monitoring. Quoted me £900+ so I showed him the door.

I've called a few more local guys whom either sound disinterested or say they're too busy. Then I thought try a local sparky - found a qualified chap on the next street whom told me he couldn't even come to look at it for 2 or 3 weeks. He lives like 1 minute away!! Surely he could spare 5 minutes any evening ??

I'm now totally flabbergasted..!

Are you guys really that busy ?

Lazy ? Picky ? Or just uninterested with the smaller job ?? Seems they all go cold as soon a s I tell them I have a hard wired house alarm and all I need is to add a couple of zones in my garage. Looks like I might end up doing this myself..!

Suggestions anyone ??

[al-yeti]

If you can do it why not?

How much did first guy qoute you? Or did you agree to pay? Let's say £300 ?

[satsuma01]

What area are you from

[PeterJames]

We have a minimum 3 week lead time, and work is constant. Lots of companies wont touch stuff they dont know, there are co's out there that are multi skilled but the problem with this is that it is hard enough training new engineers on panels that we already install let alone lots of different types of panels. We (As a company) never used to be fussy but we soon learned at our cost that its expensive not being fussy. Takeover systems that are not your preferred system and that have not been installed properly can come back and bite you hard.

 

Theres a reason why many companies you called have gone, its mainly due to them being run the wrong way, the co's that run their co as a business are the ones that are still going, most of those will want to do the job their way or not at all.

 

That said there are plenty of installers that install honeywell kit

[DanTheManUK]

If you can do it why not?

How much did first guy qoute you? Or did you agree to pay? Let's say £300 ?

[james.wilson]

Id agree with PJ, id expect a quote within a week but if anyone is not busy and free to do it quickly they probably wont be around for long.

[DanTheManUK]

Ball park figure it was coming in at around 250 including a new battery / service look over. He then decided to Qoute me for a radio option and vanished

[DanTheManUK]

Some really good & interesting points PJ. exactly the kind of insight I was for... Thanks.

Saying that I do try to give as much detail on initial contact and my kit is very common SL Compact Honeywell base.

As far as I can tell its well installed, never problematic and I'm not looking for warranty or extended cover on the whole system so very little chance of comebacks to the upgrading company.

If I continue to struggle finding an installer (it's been nearly 3 months already) I may end up fitting the PIR in garage and trailing cable back to the panel myself. Then all I need is an engineer to wire the cable into the Panel. As thats the only part that I'm not confident about.

[PeterJames]

Ball park figure it was coming in at around 250 including a new battery / service look over. He then decided to Qoute me for a radio option and vanished I now have the gsm dialler he recommended sitting in a drawer...

Birmingham / Solihull : actually bang next to B'ham airport and the NEC. do you have someone in mind satsuma1..?

James covers Brum and he installs Honeywell, he may be able to help

[Simlec]

James is closer and we also cover your area but it would be 2-3 week until we could fit you in.

So if your still stuck give me a bell.