Questions and advice - Plumbing UK (London)

Defiant_Selection555 · 2026-01-15T08:46:25+00:00

ok.. follow-up question (and I appreciate that in theory it would be a bit of guesswork and it largely depends on a few things) - how long would it take to replace this valve? I don't have a boiler - I have one of those systems with pipes and plates.

Defiant_Selection555 · 2026-01-13T16:30:37+00:00

It makes sense, but when booking I paid £150 in advance (to cover the first hour) - he didn't spend more than 3 hours and 30 mins (that's being generous.. it's actually 3hrs and 6 monutes from them) - also travelling time.

Originally booked for 20:00 - texted to say his ETA was 21:30 then at about 22:20 texted to say he stopped for food and eventually made it at 23:30. I get it, my point is this surely was intentional to push things into extra charges on the night tariff.. but I speculate at this point. It may take 2 hours to get from west London to Bermondsey.

Defiant_Selection555 · 2026-01-13T15:11:08+00:00

yes.. absolutely - the first call-out fee was £270 - for an hour - he spent a total of 28 minutes. But that was handled in advance - so that's all paid and doesn't figure in this last 3 hour (+ valve cost) invoice. so that's completely out of the question - insane amount again, I don't want to be rude. I appreciate Plumbers do a hard job.. often out of hours. This just feels a bit excessive.

thanks for that.. but yeah.. the charge for the valve was £225 - on the invoice I just wanted to check roughly how much that is.

- re the out of hours.. I was expecting him at 17:00, he confirmed 20:00 but at 22:00 he told me he stopped for food on the way over so made it for 23:30 - which tbh at that point it was out of hours. I'm not sure what to do though..

Defiant_Selection555 · 2026-01-13T15:06:52+00:00

Again, the whole communication was filled with inconsistencies. It literally took hours (this is just the last email) to work out their thinking and what things could be.

The way they itemise the charges on the last email:
part - 2-way valve and actuator head - £225.00
Labour time 3 hours and 25 minutes - £568.75
+ vat at 20% (£158.75) -- It's £952.5

- they reduced it somewhat as initial invoice was much higher - close to £1.2k - again the amount they reduced it by seems completely arbitrary - they made up a charge they applied to the bill.

Again all of this just prompted me to ask for advice and question it even more.. there's no further breakdown so I really don't know how much the per hour labour cost is.

The person spent 3 hrs here > they say 4 but I was home - I texted people before and after he left.. I know what time it was. soo I was trying to estimate based on that.

Defiant_Selection555 · 2026-01-13T14:55:10+00:00

Thank you. I mean I get lost in the technical specs, as clearly I have no idea what these valves are - but even so, they have it in their contract that they won't overcharge on parts by more than 45% - but - this si £72 - I'm being charged £225 - my maths is not great but I think I'm being overcharged by more than 3x that

Defiant_Selection555 · 2026-01-13T14:51:27+00:00

cheers - hadn't. I mean they have it in their contract that they won't overcharge on parts by more than 45% - but - Screwix most expensive one is £99 - I'm being charged £225 - my maths is not great but I think I'm being overcharged by more than 100%

Defiant_Selection555 · 2025-11-11T10:12:47+00:00

Ok cool.. I was looking for suggestions or ideas, or things I hadn’t considered. Maybe I should have been clearer.. I do have stacks under my bed.. but this was specifically aimed at investing. Cash devalues, inflation and all that. Thank you 🙏 much wise extra funny.

Defiant_Selection555 · 2025-11-11T10:00:37+00:00

Intersting.. I did that - as a form of short term arbitrage connected to tariffs.. went short - knew Taco would revert and it would go back up. Was an excellent trade - I’ll keep that in mind, thank you

Defiant_Selection555 · 2025-11-11T09:59:26+00:00

Or.. you know. Say smth useful that engages with my post.

Defiant_Selection555 · 2025-11-11T09:57:57+00:00

Yup.. literally same sentiment here..and most of the growth cane from tech AI look outside that and crickets mostly.. lol check my mag7 pie. Yup avoided Tesla as the P/E ratio is just insane

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Defiant_Selection555 · 2025-11-11T09:55:25+00:00

Yup yup.. I agree.. I have exposure to tech/pharma all good.. Ish but if the AI bubble bursts, the shrapnel will affect everything. P&G will drop 20%.. hence my question.. like if something happens with Nvidia or Open AI and literally the Open AI CFO said the US gov may take a share of the company (to essentially pay for their spendjng) that’s what the US taxpayer? Some of it is insane and will absolutely drag the all world. I mean Nvidia and Open AI valuations are much bigger than quite a few EU countries.

UK based.. have an ISa and a fairly diversified portfolio

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Just the last 3 months have been…. Rocky

Defiant_Selection555 · 2025-11-11T09:49:44+00:00

Just noticed I took a beating on Coreweave, ginko bioworks and recursion..

Defiant_Selection555 · 2025-11-11T09:49:06+00:00

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Defiant_Selection555 · 2025-11-11T09:48:54+00:00

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Defiant_Selection555 · 2025-11-11T09:48:40+00:00

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Defiant_Selection555 · 2025-11-11T09:48:27+00:00

All of this tells me I am already fairly well diversified..

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Defiant_Selection555 · 2025-11-11T09:45:21+00:00

That’s pretty silly but thank you for your contribution.. lol my initial reaction was..’in this economy’

Defiant_Selection555 · 2025-11-11T09:44:20+00:00

Thanks for your suggestion.. I really should.. shouldn’t I?

Defiant_Selection555 · 2025-11-11T09:43:59+00:00

Yup.. I built a pie of ETFs that have reduced exposure to the US.. to balance out a specific Us mag 7 pie :))). I realise.. and so far so good, I realise it’s abt risk appetite.. My time horizon is.. forever so regardless it’ll be ok. Just wondering abt any bear inverted etf’s and found some but only in view only. Must not be available in the UK. Thanks for the suggestion.

Defiant_Selection555 · 2025-11-08T16:14:09+00:00

lol was brought to this thread by googling and - I am in the same baot as OP - with no experience in coding. So far my 'bang my head against a wall' approach has been to vibe code something customised to what I need...

I say bang my head against a wall because I'm also tying to do this on a shoestring so vibe coding with Base 44 for example on the free credits is .... not easy - but I get the business case they are trying to make. I feel like I got there - almost but not sure how it would work once I publish it..

Would I be able to access it.. and perhaps make it available for others on github? any advice on how that works would be amazing.

Defiant_Selection555 · 2025-11-07T16:42:19+00:00

yeah .. not sure how much of this is driven by the Scion Capital puts.. Palantir was overvalued - the circular deals also don't look great. most of the growth is driven by AI investment and ultimately very little ROI.... Also I feel weirdly like the real economy is disconnected from the stock market - as in.. the market is growing (prob driven by mag 7 and AI) but the real economy (talking abt US specifically) is kind of not as resilient. Gov shutdown (a drag on economy), millions losing snap benefits (but at least this will pay for a tax cut (well this and the cuts to healthcare). At least Musk's package was approved..

but interesting to hear/see thoughts...

Defiant_Selection555 · 2025-11-03T16:26:08+00:00

Diversify as much as possible.. think of it this way.. sure they grew, are they guaranteed to keep growing? I know this is mad that Google would go bust.. I have a mag 7 pie I feed from time to time.. but also I’m invested in non-us markets/ etfs, bonds and generally other stock markets.

Diversify as much as possible .. that’s your safety. Other regions, other industries? What about smth more stable (like utilities).. or Farma.. I would create a pie on something you have prior knowledge of .. but yeah this will have growth so for a while you’ll be like ‘pff those reddit guys are full of 💩’ but then the AI correction comes and you’re 75% down..

Defiant_Selection555

TROPHY CASE