BSS Examiner Fees

[Guest]

Another boater on our moorings was charged £20 for the BSS examiner to get in his car and drive from his office to our moorings which is less than a ten minute drive!

If he took the boat to the BSS examiners marina he would have not been charged or given a £20 discount for making it convenient for the examiner to work!

I'm not sure how other people feel about this and wondered if this is a commen practise?

When I was a district nurse a significant amount of my time was spent in the car travelling between calls. The more rural the area I worked in the more time this involved.

 

It was also time I was paid for by you the tax payer. If I had not travelled I could not have done my job, I also couldn't have afforded to keep the job if I was only paid for the time I had direct hands on patient contact, I estimate it could often be only up to 50% of my working week. To add to this I was also paid expenses to run my car to do the job and latterly had access to a very favourable car leasing scheme.

 

I don't think it's unreasonable for the BSS inspector to cover some of the expense associated with the time and expense of getting to a call.

[mayalld]

Why would suspect that exactly?

If a BSS examiner comes to my site and pisses off my customers with retentive behaviour I will raise issue with it.

If they come to my site and offer a good service I will use them again and recommend them.

Remind us why did the annoyed party not just take the boat to the examiner to be tested?

 

It isn't a difficult journey, no locks and just one lift bridge.

[floatsyourboat]

Remind us why did the annoyed party not just take the boat to the examiner to be tested?

 

It isn't a difficult journey, no locks and just one lift bridge.

Why does the sun shine on sunny days?

[mayalld]

Why does the sun shine on sunny days?

It seems that you are as mystified as I am

 

If the OPs friend thinks 20 quid for the BSS Man to drive to their mooring is such crap value, then there are two options

1) go to the examiner and prevent him charging his extra fee.

2) use a different examiner.

Looks to me like he accepted the deal the decided to whinge about it.

[matty40s]

I spent yesterday's training session stuck at the bottom lock of Buckby for 5 hours, I made good use of the time, doing knots,and other stuff while we waited. I also explained why I Was fixing the pounds above ready and making sure the flight available was ready for swift ascent once passage resumed.

I also talked the owners through why I was sending water down the Braunston flight instead of going straight down . It really is about time that CRT sorted the leakage out, it's been 4 months now.

[RLWP]

It seems that you are as mystified as I am

 

If the OPs friend thinks 20 quid for the BSS Man to drive to their mooring and back

 

Richard

[floatsyourboat]

It seems that you are as mystified as I am

 

If the OPs friend thinks 20 quid for the BSS Man to drive to their mooring is such crap value, then there are two options

1) go to the examiner and prevent him charging his extra fee.

2) use a different examiner.

Looks to me like he accepted the deal the decided to whinge about it.

From what I can gather the OP customer is miffed because despite paying £20 twice the examiner didn't offer to bring a breather with him the second time round after learning he had it on the shelf in his shop!

The way I see it is fine just don't use the guy again if your not happy and accept not everyone will agree so leave them to it.

[mayalld]

From what I can gather the OP customer is miffed because despite paying £20 twice the examiner didn't offer to bring a breather with him the second time round after learning he had it on the shelf in his shop!

The way I see it is fine just don't use the guy again if your not happy and accept not everyone will agree so leave them to it.

 

Hmm.

 

Let us assume that this chap had failed the boat on the breather, and then said "I own a chandlery, so I can supply the parts" Would we then see him accused of failing the boat just to sell a part?

 

The suggestion seems to be that on his return trip (£20 travel only, because he doesn't charge anything more than travel for a simple retest), he could have brought the part with him.

 

So, not only does the OP resent paying for his travel time, but he expects that when the BSS chap comes back to do the retest, he brings the parts and waits while they are fitted. Is he allowed to charge anything for waiting around to do the retest?

[floatsyourboat]

 

Hmm.

 

Let us assume that this chap had failed the boat on the breather, and then said "I own a chandlery, so I can supply the parts" Would we then see him accused of failing the boat just to sell a part?

 

The suggestion seems to be that on his return trip (£20 travel only, because he doesn't charge anything more than travel for a simple retest), he could have brought the part with him.

 

So, not only does the OP resent paying for his travel time, but he expects that when the BSS chap comes back to do the retest, he brings the parts and waits while they are fitted. Is he allowed to charge anything for waiting around to do the retest?

From my experience of dealing with examiners if something can be quickly done they are perfectly happy to have a brew and a chat while you whip about.

For what costs less than a tenner I can't see anyone concluding there could be a conspiracy going on to bump up fees.

I do see their point but hey ho put it down to experience and move on:)

[RLWP]

hey ho put it down to experience and move on:)

 

I expect the boat owner did ages ago.

 

Richard

[Radiomariner]

From my experience of dealing with examiners if something can be quickly done they are perfectly happy to have a brew and a chat while you whip about.

For what costs less than a tenner I can't see anyone concluding there could be a conspiracy going on to bump up fees.

I do see their point but hey ho put it down to experience and move on:)

That is exactly what I do. Sometimes "Hanging Around" takes over three hours extra. It is cheaper for me than a return visit.

I charge a fixed fee. Do not charge for travel at all within a range of 45 miles from my base (90 mile round trip) and I do not charge for a return visit to boats within my very local area (Bedford and Milton Keynes) If a third visit is necessary I discuss the cost with the boat owner. It usually works out 45p per mile (that is 22.5p counting the return journey) or £20 whichever is the higher. I do consider pleas of hardship from some owners. Not mentioned yet are things I do not quote for are discounts. I do discounts for boats where I find the owner has been particularly helpful, boats that are easy to examine (No appliances for instance) I do quote a £10 discount for boats fitted with bubble testers or have no LPG installation. I also do special rates for hire companies who make block bookings and some traders that use my services frequently.

I should add that for travel outside 45 miles I charge 45p per mile over the 45. ie were the distance 46 miles total extra would be 45p. However I would probably waive such a small amount.

One thing I have gathered from this thread is that I am grossly undercharging. What the hell, I enjoy boats and the company of boaters

Edited October 2, 2014 by Radiomariner

[Richard10002]

I paid £140 last year, which seemed about right. I don't care how much of that was for the travel to my boat.

 

If he had quoted £120 over the phone, then charged me £140 to include travel, I would have been upset.

 

If he had quoted £120 for the inspection plus £20 for travel over the phone, total £140, I would have been happy.

[mayalld]

I paid £140 last year, which seemed about right. I don't care how much of that was for the travel to my boat.

 

If he had quoted £120 over the phone, then charged me £140 to include travel, I would have been upset.

 

If he had quoted £120 for the inspection plus £20 for travel over the phone, total £140, I would have been happy.

 

For the sake of completeness, I used the same examiner for my last BSC.

 

He clearly stated up front what his charges were, examination fee and travel.

 

As it happens, I was booking for two different boats (mine and stepdaughter's), and when it came to payment, he only charged me one lot of travel, which seems perfectly fair.

[nick.pritchard]

Boaters like Captain Jacks was one of the reasons I got out of the ‘leisure industry’ - expect you to go out on a Sunday morning, lug a battery down the towpath to get the engine started then expect you to accept their profound thanks, a cup of tea and a slice of fruit cake. 
1 it isn’t my leisure time

2 I can’t afford a boat

[cuthound]

My BSC is due. Contacted the last examiner, who advised me that he no longer does boat safety examinations as it is no longer financially viable for him.

 

Contacted Dave Freeman of Taft Farm on the Staffs & Worcs, who will do it for £170 inclusive.

[LadyG]

On 26/09/2014 at 10:34, CaptainJacks said:

I wonder how many minimum wage workers charge their employer travel fare so they can get to work!

It baffles me why some people think they should be payed to arrive so " they" can earn a living.

Surely if that's the case then the customer should be payed to "arrive" for providing the living.

I know you are not self employed, or you would realise that every hour has to be paid for, otherwise the business charges a different charge per hour depending on location.

The employee does not charge the employer for travel from home to work, but if he is asked to travel to a different place of work he would expect to be paid. In the Civil Service it's known as notional mileage.

[MtB]

15 minutes ago, LadyG said:

I know you are not self employed, or you would realise that every hour has to be paid for, otherwise the business charges a different charge per hour depending on location.

The employee does not charge the employer for travel from home to work, but if he is asked to travel to a different place of work he would expect to be paid. In the Civil Service it's known as notional mileage.

 

 

Calm down, you're replying to a post eight years old!!

 

I expect CaptainJacks has gone bust by now, with his views on how a business should be run...

 

 

[jonathanA]

1 hour ago, cuthound said:

My BSC is due. Contacted the last examiner, who advised me that he no longer does boat safety examinations as it is no longer financially viable for him.

 

Contacted Dave Freeman of Taft Farm on the Staffs & Worcs, who will do it for £170 inclusive.

Seems to be the 'going rate' I just paid Paul Morris of St Helens 170 quid. He is gas safe for liveaboards too.

 

I know its a ghost thread but thought the info from cuthound/me might be useful for others .

[nick.pritchard]

BSS fees do seem to be a contentious issue!

Newly qualified examiners will have studied an extended set of checks which are to be applied to boats. It will have cost nearly £10,000 pounds to get to the point of carrying out their first examination for a customer including the training materials, attended courses which require 5 or 6 nights hotel or other lodgings. Public liability and Indemnity insurances add several hundred to the annual cost of maintaining registration.

An examination can easily take four hours or more to carry out on site plus administration time entering the results onto the BSS web site which costs the examiner a further £60 which has to be added to costs.

if someone is doing BSS examinations for £170 including the registration of the pass while spending a total of perhaps 4 hours needed to carry out a full exam correctly, maybe an hour to write up the reports plus perhaps an hour (or two) making a return trip plus fuel costs then perhaps they feel that they are busy fools and are quite right to feel it is not a viable operation.

 

[MtB]

2 minutes ago, nick.pritchard said:

BSS fees do seem to be a contentious issue!

Newly qualified examiners will have studied an extended set of checks which are to be applied to boats. It will have cost nearly £10,000 pounds to get to the point of carrying out their first examination for a customer including the training materials, attended courses which require 5 or 6 nights hotel or other lodgings. Public liability and Indemnity insurances add several hundred to the annual cost of maintaining registration.

An examination can easily take four hours or more to carry out on site plus administration time entering the results onto the BSS web site which costs the examiner a further £60 which has to be added to costs.

if someone is doing BSS examinations for £170 including the registration of the pass while spending a total of perhaps 4 hours needed to carry out a full exam correctly, maybe an hour to write up the reports plus perhaps an hour (or two) making a return trip plus fuel costs then perhaps they feel that they are busy fools and are quite right to feel it is not a viable operation.

 

 

I think you must have been reading some of my old posts on this exact subject.

 

I dunno how BSS bods can do it for so little, given all the sunk costs. I reckon to do a BSS examination properly and thoroughly including all the admin must be best part of a whole day's work.

 

It's no wonder lots of BSS bods 'take a view' and assess the boater as much as the boat, then just write out the ticket after checking the obvious and important stuff, and ignoring all the reams of trivia in the 170 or so pages of checks they are supposed to carry out. 

[nick.pritchard]

Spot on MtB. I was being a little conservative on the timings to be honest. A BSS examiner will never get wealthy.
I regularly spent 5 or 6 hours examining practice boats before the final examination to become an examiner, that wasn’t because I was a trainee but because of the time required to do the job properly. Yes you can get simple boats without many systems but that isn’t the way the market is going.

I’ve heard of guys spending an hour at the boat and asking £100 or so, you take the cost of the certificate off that and it’s not surprising they only want to spend an hour on the boat! On the other hand examining boats for the BSS can generate work for a boatyard to correct faults.

The system seems to be tightening up which is why so many ‘old hands’ are giving up, they need to spend time and money being trained on the new checks and the they are finding their existing customers don’t want to pay increased fees.

[MtB]

10 minutes ago, nick.pritchard said:

The system seems to be tightening up which is why so many ‘old hands’ are giving up, they need to spend time and money being trained on the new checks and the they are finding their existing customers don’t want to pay increased fees.

 

Lol.

 

The remaining BSS bods will find if they stick to their guns on price the boaters will have to pay up whatever the cost, or boat without a license.

 

The BSS has gone bonkers in my opinion. A few fundamental checks that really do take an hour are all that is necessary. Trouble is, any bureaucracy tends to expand and gold plate its requirements. The BSS is a perfect example. When was the last time a member of the public was killed or injured by a narrowboat with no BSS? 

 

Never, I suspect. 

 

 

 

 

[Momac]

5 hours ago, cuthound said:

My BSC is due. Contacted the last examiner, who advised me that he no longer does boat safety examinations as it is no longer financially viable for him.

 

Contacted Dave Freeman of Taft Farm on the Staffs & Worcs, who will do it for £170 inclusive.

Seems like a reasonable price

I paid £180 (not to the same surveyor) almost two years ago,  in May 2020

[Arthur Marshall]

17 minutes ago, MartynG said:

Seems like a reasonable price

I paid £180 (not to the same surveyor) almost two years ago,  in May 2020

It's a reasonable price for the examiner. For the boater, who gets a randomly selected failure from things that have passed without a problem previously, with no appeal, often from an examiner who simply doesn't know what he's talking about, it's an expensive total waste of money.

I'm still smarting from the guy who failed my electrics (wired four years previously by a qualified electrician who was also an examiner) because he didn't understand the wiring. And demanded £600 quids worth of mostly cosmetic changes before he'd pass it.

It's no wonder boaters complain. It's a completely unnecessary rip-off.

[ditchcrawler]

25 minutes ago, Arthur Marshall said:

 

It's no wonder boaters complain. It's a completely unnecessary rip-off.

Trouble is lots don't, they see it like a car MOT and if the boat has a ticket its safe. I was quite surprised at some of the replies (not on here) to the survey about doing the test every 2 years or when the boat changes owners.