British Gas Homecare

[CoolBreeze2106]

Hi

 

I have just had an engineer out as my boiler would not turn on. He has told me that the parts I need are now obsolete and I need a new boiler.

 

Whats the point of having this homecare if they just throw that at you.

 

Any advice would really help as I cant afford a new boiler.

 

Thanks.

[Leakie]

I have heard this so many times,

 

I bet if he gave you a quote for a new boiler it would be around £4000-5000

 

Get a second opinion, it may cost you a bit more money but it will save you a fortune,

 

Most of the time the part is still available

What type of boiler do you have?.

 

Leakie

[smouk]

Second that. Parts for boilers are surprisingly abundant once you know a part number. Only the very oldest boilers are truly "obsolete".

 

I think BG homecare is operating a little like the RAC's battery [problem] of a few years back.

[Climate]

Hi

 

I have just had an engineer out as my boiler would not turn on. He has told me that the parts I need are now obsolete and I need a new boiler.

 

Whats the point of having this homecare if they just throw that at you.

 

Any advice would really help as I cant afford a new boiler.

 

Thanks.

 

How long have you had your agreement for?

 

As others have said, the part may well still be available but they use certain suppliers so unless they can source it through them then it is 'beyond repair' in their eyes.

 

That doesn't mean that a small plumbing supplier somewhere hasn't got a part on the shelf that's been sat there for years though.

 

My boiler is also not 'service listed' as far as British Gas are concerned and hasn't been for many years, it's around 20 years old but I still have a source of parts from another source.

[Leakie]

If I were paying BG to take care of the boiler I would expect them to be honest ad advised that they could no longer get the parts,

but others may be able too.Not say they are obsolete.

 

This is a sales tactic from BG

9 times out of 10 the parts are available.

and as I say they will be nearly twice as expensive as smaller companies.

 

Leakie

[CoolBreeze2106]

Hi all thanks for your replies!

 

I will try to respond to your questions as best as possible.

 

Leakie:

 

Yup, I assumed they would try this tactic, the engineer may as well be a salesman!

 

I have a BAXI WM 30/3RS. I wasn't able to be there when the engineer came out but my sister was. The engineer stated 2 parts needed replacing the gas valve and something else, which I cant read his hand writing (maybe shorthand for thermostat?) could you check the attachment and see if that's what you think it is?

 

[ATTACH]39497[/ATTACH]

 

I have checked this site baxiboiler . com and it seems to have the gas valve but not sure what the other part is.

 

Climate:

 

I have had the agreement for 3.5 years and not once have they ever asked me what boiler I had.

 

smouk:

 

Thanks for your reply, yes obsolete is very string word.

----

 

Really I have a right mind to say to them that I have just found the parts so what the hell are you talking about and why have I been paying you all this money for something you cant honor.

 

Anymore advice you guys have would be great.

 

Thanks

[smouk]

Yes, that's a thermostat he's referring to. A quick Google brought up:

 

http://www.boilersparesdirect.co.uk/parts-online/shopexd.asp?id=10662 - Gas valve

http://www.boilersparesdirect.co.uk/parts-online/shopexd.asp?id=10668 - Thermostat

 

You might/should be able to argue the Homecare policy to be invalid. This is bread and butter to a good heating engineer - if it's not a back boiler then it's two hours tops.

[CoolBreeze2106]

I will definitely be calling BG to argue the case, as that is now 2 websites with the parts. Its not a back boiler thank god.

 

One other thing... I still do wonder if he has actually diagnosed the fault properly/missed a part off as I also noticed since the boiler will not turn on that the mechanical timer has stopped turning? Could it not just be the timer? Surely this great BG engineer would have checked that?

[Old Cogger]

Sounds very familiar, they tried that with me and I pointed out this Baxi is installed in millions of homes over the years, and he pointed out the same that spares are non existent or near non existent, I told him that I could go on the net and find most spares for it if it was necessary, but he said I could quote you for a new boiler £4,00-5,000, I said oh yes I have been quoted £1,800 incl some radiators extras, but I pointed out please be very careful and just service the Boiler it is not broken down, and I would bring to your attention that in the past an engineer at another property I lived in a freezing February in the 1980s from BG condemned a Baxi system in the house and taped the fire/back builder up, I called a builder in who could not find anything wrong, a couple of days later, who then arranged for a BG Inspector to come around for a meeting two days later, who then apologized and the Engineer was sacked there and then and the tape removed with just an apology, the builder who did a lot of work for a company I worked with forgone the 1 days inspection testing flues etc etc and said god you will be warm now it is - 5 degrees still outside.

 

The details of the type House Age - 2 years old, therefore system brand new, purchase another system not needed. BG get your act to-gether as after decades it seems the sales commissions are over riding service. By the way I cancelled BG and got refund of 11 months payment after the last episode what was witnessed by a local mechanic, who said he could not believe his ears as to the BG guy was dribbling on about.

[Climate]

Part of the reason for the annual service is so they can let you know that part availability may be limited for your boiler. When did you last have a service? Do not let fob you off with a £30 gesture of goodwill if it hasn't been done, they charge nearly £100 if they ONLY service the boiler.

 

As I said above, they only deal with their suppliers and will not spend ages phoning around places. If you can obtain the parts (genuine ones, not some cheap rubbish from China!) then they will come out and fit them and refund you for the parts.

[CoolBreeze2106]

Part of the reason for the annual service is so they can let you know that part availability may be limited for your boiler. When did you last have a service? Do not let fob you off with a £30 gesture of goodwill if it hasn't been done, they charge nearly £100 if they ONLY service the boiler.

 

As I said above, they only deal with their suppliers and will not spend ages phoning around places. If you can obtain the parts (genuine ones, not some cheap rubbish from China!) then they will come out and fit them and refund you for the parts.

 

I have never had it serviced. Not once have BG phoned me to arrange a service (maybe this isnt included in my cover) or more to the point ever stated that the service also is when they determine if my homecare is valid. Surely if they just kept my boiler make and modle on file they could keep me in the loop if they can uphold their agreement.

 

The websites i have found the parts on say genuine.

[Climate]

I have never had it serviced. Not once have BG phoned me to arrange a service (maybe this isnt included in my cover) or more to the point ever stated that the service also is when they determine if my homecare is valid. Surely if they just kept my boiler make and modle on file they could keep me in the loop if they can uphold their agreement.

 

The websites i have found the parts on say genuine.

 

If they have never serviced it, they wouldn't have your boiler make/model on file to let you know.

 

Check your agreement but I don't think they offered a breakdown policy without a service 3.5 years ago.

 

Was this the first time they have been out to your boiler in 3.5 years?

[CoolBreeze2106]

Hi All,

 

Just thought I'd update you.

 

So Engineer 1 comes out as says the gas valve and thermostat were broken and obsolete. I complain at this obsolete statement and they organise a new engineer to come out.

 

Engineer 2 comes out and says that a screw that had been put in the living room wall had penetrated a wire and that I had to get this sorted before they could carry on testing.

 

I was left to sort out a BG electrician which is all under the same cover. Why didn't he organise this?!

 

Electrician is booked for X day between 10 and 12 he doesn't show until 4 and BG tell me that booked the app incorrectly their end. So I have to explain everything to him as BG obviously don't communicate between each other. He then proclaims that he can only work up to the spur and that he isn't a central heating electrician how he knew that the damaged wire was after the spur defeats me as he didn't even open the wall to look.

 

So I call the Service Manager and he gets a contract electrician to me. He turns up around 6pm and opens the wall (plasterboard so wasn't like it was much effort) whilst he is fixing I ask him what the difference was between him and the last electrician, he said none. This obviously wound me up a lot. He fixes the wire however the boiler still wouldn't come on.

 

I speak with the Service Manager and he organises a an engineer to come out to me on Saturday between 12-2. It gets to 2 and nobody calls me to say he will be late. I get on the phone to BG and have a lengthy discussion with one of their staff but mid way through the call we get disconnected. You thought he would of had the decency to call me back, but no. I call again and eventually get an ETA of 4pm! I was expecting it to be sorted by then and already be at my sons friends birthday party. Which in the end I never get to.

 

Once engineer 3 turns up I have to explain everything again. He gets on with his job and finally finds that the water pump live and neutral were touching and this was tripping out the boiler. He fixes this and all is back to normal.

 

A few things I am annoyed about and will be bring these up with the Service Manager on Monday are:

 

1. Why did the first engineer miss diagnose so badly. Surely he is meant to be professional and not trying to sell me a new boiler.

 

2. Why did the second engineer leave me to organise that electrician, especially is there are 2 types how am I supposed to know who to get out.

 

3. Generally why was there no comms between all the engineers.

 

4. The call center staff we ridiculous at best.

 

5. When the engineers were going to be late why was I not informed. If I had just been told at least I could have planned ahead and not got so stressed.

 

Whilst on the phone to one of the mangers at BG I explain everything and ask about some compensation. She offers me 20 pounds. I turned this down. I hope to at least get back my excess and recoup money that I have spent on the phone to them.

 

Do you think this treatment warrants some compensation?

 

Thanks for reading.

[Old Cogger]

only £20.00 at least I got £50 from an Home emergency axa company for all the fuss I had on a leaking water claim if I did not accept I could go to the FSA..

[CoolBreeze2106]

Well I suppose if I can get my excess (100) back that will be a start.

[Old Cogger]

excess then that is the figure to go for, usual BG incompetatance as I have reported on other threads on experiences with that company over 40 years, no more though.

[MrHandyman]

Coolbreeze,

 

Sorry to hear about your poor experience, sadly this is not uncommon with British Gas.

 

I am an employee of British Gas and have seen first hand the sort of service you are talking about. My own boiler was classified as "Parts Obsolete" on HomeCare...this is a 6 year old boiler which the manufacturer advised every single part was still available.

 

Contact the top man at BG - phil.bentley(at) britishgas.co.uk (replace at with @) with your complaint, and inform him you want compensation for this or you will refer the matter to regulators / Financial Ombudsman. The cost of an FOS complaint to a company is large, so they will be happy to pay you not to go there.

 

You are quite correct that the BG engineers are now also salesmen who are on commission for pushing powerflushes, and generating new boiler "leads" for the Central Heating arm. Sadly sales now come before service

 

Mr H

[tosh1]

I have British Gas Homecare 400.

 

On Thursday our light in the bathroom stopped working and I went online and booked an appointment for the same day. My wife took a day off work and at 4pm she had a phone call to say that they could not make it because they don't class this as an emergency. I complained and they knocked off £5.00 of the direct debit for 2 months and arranged the appointment for today. My wife then took today off and they rang today and advised that an engineer vould come as the engineer had rang in sick. They have re-arranged again for Wednesday, Is there anything I can do?

 

Are there any templates that I can use?

[CoolBreeze2106]

tosh1 - say you would like to speak to customer relations and that you would like to make a complaint. You will then be got in touch with the Service Manger for those engineers. Firstly moan to him. If he does not make you happy google for phil bentleys email address and send him your complaint. I think the email address here is wrong. I think it should be phillip

[CoolBreeze2106]

So I spoke to the Service Manger yester and he has agreed to refund me my excess of 99 pounds.Do you guys still think I should make a formal written complaint? He also said he would start an investigation into the first engineer not doing his job but couldnt tell me the findings of an internal investigation.

[smouk]

Do you guys still think I should make a formal written complaint?

Absolutely!

 

They've been cack-handed (and a little, er, "iffy") from the off and it should be pursued simply for that reason. Mr Handymans advice at #17 seems sound to me.

[*Thumper]

British Gas Homecare

 

Now there's an oxymoron !