Page 1 of 9 123 ... LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 84

Thread: Electrical nightmares

  1. #1
    Diamond Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Location
    planet earth
    Posts
    3,943
    Thanks
    153
    Thanked 317 Times in 287 Posts

    Electrical nightmares

    Interesting to see how ECA and Carte Blanche make a fool out of the person...and dont get the facts right themselves

    For example i sometimes install as many as 4-5 even 6 breakers in a DB... just for the kitchen plugs... to prevent overloaded....making a statement that there are too many circuit breakers in the DB ...mmm.

    Picking up an insulation resistance tester and telling everyone it is a multi meter ...well need i say more.

    I am not saying the fella is right (prices are over the top) ... but at least get your facts right before going nation wide with a film.

    He has a a point about the doctors who rip a hole in your backside so big ...he needs a medical aid to hide his blatant theft... i dont see any carte blanche movies about how the medical profession is ripping the public off ?

    I go for a scan... i am told if i have medical aid ...they will rob my savings of R2900 ...but if i pay cash ...i only have to pay R1200.

    Lets no even talk about anesthetist.
    Comments are based on opinion...not always facts....that's why people use an alias.

  2. #2
    Diamond Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    Cape Town
    Posts
    6,329
    Thanks
    426
    Thanked 978 Times in 795 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by ians View Post
    Interesting to see how ECA and Carte Blanche make a fool out of the person...and dont get the facts right themselves

    For example i sometimes install as many as 4-5 even 6 breakers in a DB... just for the kitchen plugs... to prevent overloaded....making a statement that there are too many circuit breakers in the DB ...mmm.

    Picking up an insulation resistance tester and telling everyone it is a multi meter ...well need i say more.

    I am not saying the fella is right (prices are over the top) ... but at least get your facts right before going nation wide with a film.

    He has a a point about the doctors who rip a hole in your backside so big ...he needs a medical aid to hide his blatant theft... i dont see any carte blanche movies about how the medical profession is ripping the public off ?

    I go for a scan... i am told if i have medical aid ...they will rob my savings of R2900 ...but if i pay cash ...i only have to pay R1200.

    Lets no even talk about anesthetist.
    My GP says that Discovery is unethical - He hates Discovery as much as I do. I don't care for movie tickets - I want low medical costs!

  3. #3
    Site Caretaker Dave A's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    Durban, South Africa
    Posts
    22,648
    Thanks
    3,304
    Thanked 2,676 Times in 2,257 Posts
    Blog Entries
    12
    For those who aren't regular watchers of Carte Blanche (like me) and need to catch up, here's the story Ian is talking about.


  4. #4
    Full Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2019
    Location
    Alberton
    Posts
    67
    Thanks
    2
    Thanked 4 Times in 4 Posts
    Thanks Dave A this was the first time in possibly 10years that I watched something of carte blance, I lost all respect for them long time ago when they went after some small time electrician for also over charging to fix a DB. and at that time I saw Carte Blanche had no real stories so they were what I call (poep vir punte) It reminded me of myself many years ago when I was treated like trash by a customer who did not want to pay a deposit for a job that he wanted me to do like yesterday. After he sweared at me and said I’m probably going to quote him R30000 for a COC. Guess what? I sent him a quote for R30000 and am glad I never heard of him again. Then that “multi-meter” displayed by Matthys is not very convincing. I wonder what his insulation tester looks like.

  5. #5
    Platinum Member Derlyn's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2019
    Location
    East london
    Posts
    1,484
    Thanks
    104
    Thanked 141 Times in 134 Posts
    Be grateful he isn't a doctor.

    He would suggest a heart transplant if you presented yourself with a sore ankle.

    Cheers and peace out ..... Derek

  6. #6
    Diamond Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Location
    planet earth
    Posts
    3,943
    Thanks
    153
    Thanked 317 Times in 287 Posts
    The hand of safety ...I dont even need to "set traps" for certain hand safety members... i have just returned to another ECA members illegal COC... I dont even waste my time reporting them anymore there are so many...so using the ECA to point fingers at other electrical contractors is a bit rich

    The problem with the elctrical industry is much bigger than 1 small little one man operation ... they should be investing the real problem... but I suppose Carte blanche couldnt handle a real problem like the electrical industry...its out of their league.


    I take my rescue pavement special mut to the vet yesterday ... he cant tell us what is wrong with the mut ... or what is causing the marks on her legs... so he cant treat her... but he writes out a script for R800 worth of medicine ... it cost a total of R1800 for a 15 minute visit.
    Comments are based on opinion...not always facts....that's why people use an alias.

  7. #7
    Diamond Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Location
    planet earth
    Posts
    3,943
    Thanks
    153
    Thanked 317 Times in 287 Posts
    max. 20 % mark on material... what a load of horse shyte... as an ECA member for over 10 years ... i was advised during investigation where i was robbed of over R70 000 by a customer ...informing me that i had over charged ...it was the ECA recommendation that a 25 % markup for material was justified to cover overheads ...which they provide a cost schedule to cover ECA fees and national bargaining council fees etc etc etc etc... which as an electrical contractor we are forced to pay (not ECA membership)

    Another thing to point out... the calculation with the 2100 %+ mark is not only the material cost ...it includes the installation cost... R45 for a circuit breaker and R363 for an earth leakage is she reffering to a din mount chint or a heineman breaker... a heineman single pole e/l unit will cost you close R1000 inc vat ...a 3 phase heineman earth leakage unit will cost a lot more than that.

    The video is so full of false info... surely they should be held accountable for misleading the public... i always thought carte blanche was responsible with their content and carried out a thorough investigation... i was told about the video by a customer.

    So if i find a fault in 5 minutes due to my qualification and over 30 years of hands on experience ...and charge a customer doctors rates ... i am crook?
    Last edited by ians; 26-Jan-20 at 01:45 PM.
    Comments are based on opinion...not always facts....that's why people use an alias.

  8. #8
    Platinum Member Derlyn's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2019
    Location
    East london
    Posts
    1,484
    Thanks
    104
    Thanked 141 Times in 134 Posts
    Check the video again.

    They are not misleading the public. They are spot on.

    Jessica's DB is DIN Rail. The cheapest you get.

    R11800 for circuit breakers.
    There are 15 circuit breakers, an earth leakage relay and a main circuit breaker/isolator.
    Any contractor who pays more than R1200 for the above needs to shop elsewhere.

    R4895 charged twice for earth leakage relay (R9790)
    Any contractor who pays more than R300 for a din rail earth leakage relay also needs to shop elsewhere.

    Doesn't matter whether you love or hate the ECA, he is a shyster and deserves every second of bad publicity he gets.

    Cheers and peace out ... Derek

  9. #9
    Diamond Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Location
    planet earth
    Posts
    3,943
    Thanks
    153
    Thanked 317 Times in 287 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by Derlyn View Post
    Check the video again.

    They are not misleading the public. They are spot on.

    Jessica's DB is DIN Rail. The cheapest you get.

    R11800 for circuit breakers.
    There are 15 circuit breakers, an earth leakage relay and a main circuit breaker/isolator.
    Any contractor who pays more than R1200 for the above needs to shop elsewhere.

    R4895 charged twice for earth leakage relay (R9790)
    Any contractor who pays more than R300 for a din rail earth leakage relay also needs to shop elsewhere.

    Doesn't matter whether you love or hate the ECA, he is a shyster and deserves every second of bad publicity he gets.

    Cheers and peace out ... Derek

    This video certainly makes him look like a shyster... however i dont agree with you about the rest... the video is all over the place ...it shows an invoice for single phase ...but the next clip is a heineman 3 phase...they certainly got their point across.
    Comments are based on opinion...not always facts....that's why people use an alias.

  10. #10
    Diamond Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Location
    planet earth
    Posts
    3,943
    Thanks
    153
    Thanked 317 Times in 287 Posts
    Fact:

    As a customer this is what you should be paying... the price includes the 25 % markup (advised by the ECA at the time i was a member) and 15 % vat.

    A single phase 60 amp din earth leakage unit price = R316.00

    A single phase 60 amp heineman earth leakage unit t = R 948.75 (i am surprised they are still around)

    A 3 phase 60 amp din earth leakage unit price = R718.75

    A 3 phase 60 amp heineman earth leakage unit = R3737.50

    The labour rate you should be paying for a "registered electrical contractor" from R550 - R850 per hour...depending on his experience and qualification.

    You can pick up "electricians" for around R250 on the street.

    I see an invoice for a single phase but a clip straight after of a 3 phase heineman... i am confused ...so what was it a single phase din or a 3 phase heineman? I will watch the video again when i have some time and try make sense of the invoices ...clips and comments....which tie up to which and try figue out what multimeter it is that they refer to in the clip... it looks like a major tech MT 500 analog insulation tester to me... but hey i could be wrong.
    Comments are based on opinion...not always facts....that's why people use an alias.

Page 1 of 9 123 ... LastLast

Similar Threads

  1. COC nightmares
    By skatingsparks in forum Electrical Contracting Industry Forum
    Replies: 11
    Last Post: 19-May-14, 06:31 PM
  2. [Question] DIY electrical
    By murdock in forum Electrical Contracting Industry Forum
    Replies: 18
    Last Post: 05-Jun-11, 10:49 AM

Did you like this article? Share it with your favourite social network.

Did you like this article? Share it with your favourite social network.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •