For the record (and you may all quote me) I have dug out details relating to published material on the issue of CORGI’s theft of data. I have checked my records (hardcopy magazines) but the information below is also published online at H&V News. Type HomeCare into their search box. What CORGI said is waffle and I will explain why. CSL by the way means CORGI Services Limited. First of all HomeCare is now HomePlan because CORGI copied the same trademark as that owned by British Gas. It beggars belief that CORGI were stupid enough to register a trademark owned by a biggy like BG. CORGI surrendered their trademark and registered HomePlan. People that feed off other people are filthy parasites. The licensing agreement below simply refers to CORGI allowing the crowd that run HomePlan (nee Green Installer and nee HomeCare) to have ‘legal access’ to the CSL database. Clever choice of words and H&V News were sucked in and blown out again. I have no doubt that access to the CSL database is legal (CORGI obviously have full control over that) BUT what is ON the database is not legal. That is the issue. CORGI (when they were the HSE currently approved body) gathered two lots of data completely separately. CORGI decided that most installed gas appliances had to be notified to them and made it a condition of registration. The HSE would not interfere when I asked. I refused because I knew CORGI would steal the data as they have done and still are doing. That was called Gas Work Notification (GWN). CORGI promised in writing (August 2008) that the data would not be used for other than official purposes. Installation of boilers and other appliances was and still is by law required to be notified to building control. Installers can do that via a competent person scheme. Completely separately, CORGI had the role of Competent Person Scheme manager (Gas) for the then Prescot Government. Under that scheme CORGI had a legal duty not to use the data for commercial gain as they are doing. When CORGI gathered the mandatory GWN data they asked permission of installers to pass the same data to the local authority. They therefore have data for that. The data on the CSL database has to be from one of those two or both sources. There is no other source. The data has therefore been stolen and continues to be stolen. The authorities do nothing. Perhaps they are corrupt ? Misconduct in public office ? We may never know. Some may argue from what people have written above that CORGI are passing-off and using their former status. It is clear that they are confusing people. Those once upon a time holier-than-thou commercial cowboys. Anything consumers can do to highlight this abuse may help vulnerable people. QUOTE Data misuse response 8 June 2011 Under a licensing agreement, licensees are able to use the CORGI brand name, and are given legal access to the CSL database. CSL data should not be confused with Gas Work Notification data, which was used by one of our licensees for a pilot marketing exercise in March of this year. I can state unequivocally that this Gas Work Notification data is no longer being used by our licensees. CSL would not knowingly allow its data to be used inappropriately and, as a precaution, we are currently in discussions with the ICO (Information Commissioner’s Office) for clarification. We would also like to make it clear that CSL data is not given to us by boiler manufacturers or any other organisations operating within the plumbing and heating sector, and we would never allow CSL’s commercial activities to jeopardise installer businesses. Caitriona Deakin. CSL head of trading Ms Deakin was responding to allegations suggesting that data was used inappropriately by one of its licensees to promote a CORGI HomeCare maintenance scheme. END OF QUOTE The new Gas Safe register abandoned the GWN scheme but they still run the Competent Person Scheme which I willing submit data to. They can be trusted 100%.

I need to be careful how I answer your main question. I have never used CORGI HomePlan and would not recommend it to anyone, but I have no first hand knowledge of the actual service. I only know CORGI and believe me I know them. CORGI HomePlan is the original CORGI. It always was and still is a private company. It is the same CORGI that ran the HSE gas safety scheme for the HSE before they got the elbow. I cannot speak personally about the service but I can say that they stole customer data and details of installers. The authorities do nothing about it despite the obvious confusion and distress it causes. They are worse than CORGI. I would be interested to know what the half-price offer is. It has been £16.99 for many months. I know that because I get the same letters off people I know around the UK and they quoted £16.99 until last month when the price was slashed from £34.00 to £16.99 ? In other words they are pathological liars. It has been £16.99 for months therefore that is a trading standards issue that needs to be reported. They make my skin crawl …

If they have not had any expense (engineers out) and you have cancelled your direct debit I would not worry about it. You have properly informed them I gather. Leave it at that and get on with your life. Colder and wetter than you have been used to but at least we have water. Any grief from £ORGI let us know and we can take a fresh look. I get emailed when there is a posting and no doubt others do.

These issues of bullying and injustice can make us very angry and the first instinct is to grab the phone and rip a head off. A waste of time and effort and can cost you lots of money. I used to as well. I call my method now taking a long slow accurate aim before releasing the carpet-bombing. The effects can be devastating for those on the other end and that is what we want.

Without seeing the Lady’s contract with CORGI I obviously cannot comment. No one can without seeing the contract. That could be a job for Citizens Advice or a law centre. If you are determined to take action yourself which I have been doing for many years for people, working pro bono then there is much you can do which might bring pressure to bear. First you need a carefully crafted contemporaneous record. Detailed as possible and as brief as possible without losing important detail. Essentially a report of complaint to CORGI. that could include data on how CORGI stole her details. Take your time and do it right. Make sure it is accurate as possible. Refer to CAG. NB: I once went after British Gas for a delightful retired Polish couple who were being bullied. A local merchant put them in touch with me and I worked pro bono (but they insisted on donating to charity after). What really nailed BG was the Lady’s extraordinarily detailed contemporaneous record which was the ammunition I needed and I nailed them well and truly to the barn door. They got a good and just result plus they were given long overdue respect. That makes it all worthwhile. Next, the best bit, carpet-bombing I call it and it works like a dream. I send copies to anyone who might remotely have an interest in this Lady’s plight. Obviously email would be cheaper in which case you could make the report into a PDF document. Copies to: The Lady’s MP The Scottish Parliament (Scottish Registered Company) WHICH Age Concern Citizens Advice Trading Standards Central Gas Safe Register Health and Safety Commission (not Executive) Check with FSA as it is insurance Trade Magazines Heating and Plumbing Monthly H&V News Heating Ventilating and Plumbing PHAM News Age UK BBC Watchdog (Features – Rogue Traders) and related stuff on all channels IPHEE (Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering) APHC (Association of Plumbing and Heating Contractors) IDHEE (Institute of Domestic Heating and Environmental Engineers) Compile a list and get friends to suggest people. Make sure CORGI know who’s on the list as c.c.. If you hear of anyone else in the same plight, pass on the data. Create a bad smell and put them under pressure. Maintain the pressure. Some organisations don’t publish email addresses. Try asking them a question using their form mail and you invariably get an email back. Keep the list and if you need to write again, copy everyone in again. Hopefully CORGI will get the message and give refund if that is what the Lady wants. I am sure you will find out what she wants. Not me or anyone else but her.

As is often the case in these situations it is frustrating to witness the pain being endured by this 75 year old and being unable to do anything to help. It would obviously not be helpful to expect her to do what I would do, which would involve the County Court. I can only wish you and her luck when moving forward. But I will offer what I can that may help her via you on my next posting. First a bit of background and advice for all consumers in re such matters. Being registered to work on gas is a licence, not a qualification. That applied when CORGI was running the scheme (for the HSE) and applies now with the Gas Safe Register, which is completely separate and owned by the HSE. You can trust Gas Safe absolutely. I have a licence to drive. That does not mean I am a good driver. That is a matter of opinion. The same applies to gas. I have a licence for gas but as with driving I am restricted to certain categories. The same applies to all who are registered and it is businesses that are registered, not individuals. People licensed to work on gas have different backgrounds. Electrical, kitchen fitters, heating engineers, plumbers, catering companies and many more. Any of those people may learn, take a test and get a licence to work on domestic boilers. I have vast experience on related topics but I would not rate myself on boiler diagnostics per se for example. As I recall there are almost 100 categories of work. I also have a lifetime of experience in consumer affairs and have been in pursuit of CORGI for over a decade when they were the ‘currently approved body’ for the HSE. Cowboys then and according to all these reports, cowboys now. CORGI always referred to registered businesses as ‘Installers’ but that metamorphosed into the word ‘Member’. That seemed to happen as a new and aspiring Association of Registered Gas Installers (ARGI) appeared (I have no connection with ARGI). It is possible CORGI were anticipating getting the elbow from the HSE. Starting in 2009 CORGI made it mandatory for all Registered Gas Installers to notify them of gas installations on pain of being struck-off. I refused because I knew CORGI was corrupt to the core. CORGI promised (I have the letter) they would not use and abuse the data but they did of course as I knew they would. The authorities took no action whatsoever and that is why your lady is suffering. When her three year old Vaillant boiler (a good boiler) was installed the installation company notified CORGI (check) and CORGI will have stolen her details and contacted her, addressing her no doubt as Dear Vaillant Boiler Owner, which is how they circumvent the deep-seated corruption in the system. The Information Commissioner useless and toothless. Following CORGI’s twists and turns in business matters would require a forensic accountant but amongst many other things they retained (without permission) the register of businesses and put them forward to Joe Public as their ‘Members’. That included me until I instructed them to remove my name. What others have done I do not know but to get some idea of their body of ‘members’ you could try a search using various post codes on their website. Anyone can do that and see how near they are. The tradespeople found are not necessarily on the HomePlan (no longer HomeCare) scheme as that will cost the tradespeople money. And HomePlan does not now seem to be redirecting to the Green Installer site (which once claimed an association with FOE but do not seem to now). The Green Installer site seems very secretive now with all contact by form-mail. All a bit weird. I will end this posting and compose another relating to what can be done.

I will have to ponder this lot on the morrow if I am to be accurate but surely the first priority (as you know) is to ensure the safety of the lady. If it was me I would be pulling out and enrolling in Vaillant’s own service scheme to get the show back on the road ASAP. But it is not my money and I do not know the Lady’s circumstances. Relatives ? Vaillant (not Valliant) will easily be found with your favourite search engine.

Disgraceful and totally unacceptable but you were never at any risk, save from a seemingly less than competent installer. The sketch below illustrates the main features for the benefit of lay visitors. As many will know the filling loop is how you top-up a sealed system (combi) and they should be removed when a system is filled. That has its roots in (potable) water regulations rather than gas safety regulations (backflow prevention). Once removed the open ends should be capped off. They supply one but not two. I use my own more robust caps anyway. If your pressure gauge hits the red, where the gauge is coloured, the safety valve opens and relieves the pressure. That suggests you have a decent water supply pressure upwards of 3 bar. You too may wish to consider an alternative scheme and you will do no better than the manufacturer’s own. There is no regulation whatsoever that requires paperwork to be left following a service, though you are always to be advised to get a receipt. There may (or may not) be a Benchmark logbook on-site and you could ask the installer to fill that in like the service book in a car. By definition there should be paperwork for a gas safety check and it is mandatory for a Landlord Gas Safety Check. Any consumer can get the best advice off the Gas Safe Register. [ATTACH=CONFIG]40850[/ATTACH]

When £ORGI lost the contract (Capita plc running Gas Safe Register) they retained all the names they had on their database. They should not have done but official sources are corrupt in allowing them to continue to use data for purposes other than that which it was collected. My name was on their list as well as a ‘member’. I instructed them to remove it. I have never been a member of £ORGI and never will be. I was registered as required by law but never a member. Check the £ORGI website and see how many people are close to your postcode. Heateam is good. It is another manufacturer-run scheme. BAXI (now owned by the Dutch Remeha). AFAIK they only serve BAXI and related manufacturers (Potterton and many others included). Glow-worm also have a scheme for their boilers and related manufacturers and there are also many there.

Although I do not use WB (we all have our favourites) the Greenstar is a superb boiler and WB themselves run a superb scheme. The Greenstar is very well known. Probably one of the best. I got my neighbour (and others) on that scheme. Curiously £ORGI literature refers to their own scheme as more favourable than WB which IMO it certainly is not. They say WB do not cover external controls which is not true if the external controls are their own fitted with the boiler. Another £ORGI porkie. They are masters at tosh, waffle and mendacious tarradiddle. I have almost written a book on them and will get around to it one day. The main thing is, they will not be back to haunt us as they did. By the by. The £ORGI scheme was diverting to the ‘Green Installer’ website but that has now changed. I have started to work on the details at Companies House but I am short of time. I am trying to find a bookie to lay odds on £ORGI being here this time next year. Write-off the loss on £ORGI and sign up with WB.

£ORGI are still using stolen data to promote their service and of course they are no longer the currently approved body for the HSE, the Gas Safe Register is. I have a number of honeypot addresses out there catching the £ORGI mailshots and last month they sent out mailshots boasting they were dropping their fees from £34 per month to £16.99 per month. The previous month the same mailshot said £16.99 and that surely must be a trade-descriptions rip-off. If the moderator would like to contact me I can supply scanned images where I have posted them on one of my websites. As an aside I am engaged in battle with British Gas over my shoddy cavity wall insulation having discovered major voids in the work. A dedicated ‘british gas insulation’ website is now set up with full details. What I ordinarily recommend is for customer to adopt the boiler manufacturer’s own scheme for maintenance. They have the expertise and carry the parts. Most manufacturers have schemes. Which boiler is yours ?

That is precisely what I was telling the people I was representing when I paid the bill. Relative novices on IT and their URL was about to expire. I used my carpet-bombing technique which involves sending a letter with c.c. copies to everyone relevant under the sun (what’s left of it). That always works (so far).

Thanks for response. I too use a separate account (Halifax Cash-Account) which is a remnant account from when I reorganised my savings. I keep pennies in that account and move money in shortly before I spend money, either on the high street or online. It is the principle I am concerned account as you have acknowledged.

My apologies if this posting is in the wrong slot. I recently paid a small bill for someone online using a debit card (under £10) to avoid their domain name being lost. Bill paid at webfusion (123-reg). To my surprise I was prevented from deleting my card details on their system and they refused to remove them when contacted until alternative card details were supplied. I subsequently sent an extremely powerful letter (legal, clean and decent) threatening immediate action of various kinds. They promptly removed my details within hours as demanded. What is the law on such details been retained ? I have since asked staff at two banks and they had not got a clue (so they said).

Apologies for delay as I have been busy persecuting another biggy. Could really do with people like you as witnesses if we ever get a Leveson enquiry in re £ORGI Homeplan. Talking of direct debits I cancelled one giving 8 days notice in a signed letter but the bank ignored it as you can cancel online. I always bank online but did not know that. My brain is still stuck in the groove that you have to send in a signed missive. Served notice on the bank and they refunded within 24 hours.