@npowerhelp Horrendous Service From npower... Advice Needed.

[Boat]

My boiler broke down about a week and a half ago. I immediately contacted npower as I'm on there hometeam 50 membership.

 

After the first phone call they sent out an engineer who said that they would not work on the boiler because a previous person who worked on it (also npower) had done a cowboy job on it. So he would not touch it.

 

I made numerous calls to npower to get this sorted and they said that a manager would call me back.

 

After waiting a day with no call I call the helpline number again (0800 980 5975). They say the manager will call once again.

 

This time the manager by the name of James did. This was on Tuesday evening. He said that an engineer will be sent out for the 05/01/11 in between 8am and 5pm.

 

I spent the whole day waiting and low and behold nobody shows up. Fearing this would happen I called up the helpline during the afternoon to get the contact number of the engineer. I got it and called him at around 5:30pm and guess what he said that he had no record of my job and that he had not been booked to it.

 

So I called npower again and it's always the same story.... Put you on hold for 20+mins (at least it's a free call)... pass you onto someone else.... Stay on hold some more cause the manager is not available etc... Then take your contact number with the promise that they will call you back (but they won’t).

 

Another day goes by and I have no heat or hot water.

 

I then decided to contact head office this morning and the worker said that she had passed on my complaint to a senior manager and I will be contacted by said manager before 4pm. In fact as a gesture of goodwill she said that she would give me a call around tea time to see if I got the call or what is happening...

 

 

It's nearly 4pm and I've received no call from management or anyone.... and more importantly my boiler is still not fixed... I don't know how much longer I can go without any heat. It looks like I will be forced to get a private worker.

 

 

I can not believe that this is happening.

[pershing]

From my experience these emergency/breakdown contracts are not worth the paper they are written on. If you can get an engineer they blame somebody else, tell you parts are not available any more or just condemn a perfectly good boiler to try to get you to buy a new one, from them of course.

 

I learnt my lesson like you with EDF , my parents did with British Gas. My parents and I both called independent engineers and had the boiler repaired for less than £60 within 24 hours.

[ihateyes]

From my experience these emergency/breakdown contracts are not worth the paper they are written on. If you can get an engineer they blame somebody else, tell you parts are not available any more or just condemn a perfectly good boiler to try to get you to buy a new one, from them of course.

 

I learnt my lesson like you with EDF , my parents did with British Gas. My parents and I both called independent engineers and had the boiler repaired for less than £60 within 24 hours.

 

i cant believe n powers attitude here and i for one would be cancellin my agreement and citin n power as breakin the agreement. as for the above poster for some people your right.. Stay away from there agreements. For other people their boiler breaks a lot and local engineers would cost a fortune. And the cost of a repair depends on whats wrong and the cost of a part. Some people really dont realise how much some parts cost ie heat exchanger 300hundred plus then 2hours labour. British gas has the better terms and more directly employeed engineers than any other company infact some companies dont even have any of their own engineers. These are the companies to stay away from as the company has no disciplinary right over there guys.

[Boat]

Update

 

As suspected, nobody called me regarding my complaint and work for my boiler.

 

So I called npower once again and the staff member said that they've already booked an engineer out to come and see me tomorrow. (07/01/2011)

 

Again they provided me with the engineers contact number.

 

This time I decided to call the engineer immediately to confirm the appointment.

 

After only getting through to his voicemail a few times, I finally get ahold of the engineer, and guess what?

 

He says that npower have booked nothing for him at my address. Deja vu. He was actually frustrated as he says that that he's received numerous phone calls from customers like me for phantom job.

 

Tomorrow I will have to take a gamble and call out a private worker.

 

If npower have there way, they'd gladly take my money every month and sweep my complaints under the carpet.

 

I'm really at a loss for words, that such an established company, could treat there customers so badly. Especially at a time like this.

 

Is there anything more I can do apart from cancelling my membership and try get my complaint acknowledged?

[ihateyes]

At british gas the engineers get jobs at the start of the day but then will be updated as they work and if emergencys jobs come in. I would get a local guy out who will give you a vat receipt . I would write a letter to n power with a list of when you called the list of broken promises and requestin a full refund on all payments made in contract year. Along with a refund for the repair. I would also state that failure to cough ur will mean you will pursue them through the small claims court. Also as they have broken the agreement in sendin an engineer in reasonable time then you are not liable to pay a cancellation fee.

[pershing]

At british gas the engineers get jobs at the start of the day but then will be updated as they work and if emergencys jobs come in. I would get a local guy out who will give you a vat receipt . I would write a letter to n power with a list of when you called the list of broken promises and requestin a full refund on all payments made in contract year. Along with a refund for the repair. I would also state that failure to cough ur will mean you will pursue them through the small claims court. Also as they have broken the agreement in sendin an engineer in reasonable time then you are not liable to pay a cancellation fee.

 

 

Best advice I reckon. British Gas condemned my parents 3 year old boiler as the flu had come lose. It needed new screws. They just said the parts are not available any more. Local engineer bought them from a hardware shop for £1.50. British gas offered to replace the boiler for £5k. 5K for £1.50 worth of screws.

[Boat]

I would get a local guy out who will give you a vat receipt . I would write a letter to n power with a list of when you called the list of broken promises and requestin a full refund on all payments made in contract year. Along with a refund for the repair. I would also state that failure to cough ur will mean you will pursue them through the small claims court. Also as they have broken the agreement in sendin an engineer in reasonable time then you are not liable to pay a cancellation fee.

ihateeyes Thank you for this advice...

 

I will definitely be doing all that you've said.

 

As we speak a private company is here, working on my boiler.

 

Will I have piping hot water and heat by the end of the day?

 

Will keep you posted.

 

On a side note I'm so glad I found this forum, you guys have been brilliant.