Brit gas trying to kill a customer

[namsag]

DIA.
You ask why didn`t they just say its x amount and needs doing .
Firstly after 15 years on contract i would imagine this has been suggested several times (after all BG sell at every opportunity).
So has probably been refused several times.
And at one time just before the reg changed in various area`s BG where doing this work for free to contract customers.
You seem to think an undersized vent for a open flue is still only classed as NCS instead of AR as well.

Secondly he would still have to turn it off there is no reg that says if the customer agrees to have it done then you can leave an at risk appliance on.


The other job you speak about with independent witnesses why did none of them speak up or inform you at the time .
BG have fixed prices and its up to the customer to accept them they are not tied up and whipped till they give in( doesn't mean i agree with how expensive they are).
If such good friends why did nobody contact you for a quote????.

Also if the vent was not big enough no matter how safe we personally think it would be the guy has to stick to the rules otherwise he could find himself sacked losing £30k + a year . Would you have given him a job for being so kind?

 

[mehran]

BGSMJack, miss that bit saying it was left on anyway.

also yes you can get done on duty of care even if you followed the regs. Its to do with what a reasonable person would do and think.

BG, is a large company and would think it reasonable they should have policy in place to deal with AR & ID vulnerable peoples boilers. In the end I would blame BG and not the engineer.

as an RGI I would put the vent in or get electric heaters and I would most definitely contact relatives, would expect no less from BG.

 

[MeterMonkey]

Mehran, we have electric heaters.

I even left one with a guy who refused a disconnection because of a leak on pipework.

I Told him the score that NG would come round and disconnect without his permission, but he was happy cause it gave him an hour to get his house warmed up.

Last thing I did was hand over the lil 2kw Electric heater fan.

Working for McAlpine in West yorkshire when they had the metering contract, I used to have fan heaters and gas stoves on the van for vunerable customers.

We do get a bad rep for sales and such, but for us meter fitters because the smart side is government backed, one of the stipulations to that 11billion quid is that we arent allowed to 'sell' stuff. If a customer is interested in services and products from BG then I will of course give as much advice that I can. I will always be honest with a customer.

A customer to me, isnt just a client, im working in their house, i want them to be comfortable and if I'm constantly baggering them about buying stuff then they wont have that level of comfortability with me being in their house.

 

[namsag]

People missing that this is a back boiler and the guy only turned off the boiler stat.
So she would have been left with the fire

 

[doitall]

Namsag,

The property is a semi-detached, lets say Bill lives in one and Eric lives in the other, both were built at the same time to exactly the same spec, even having identical boilers.

Both boilers are serviced by BG at the same time every year.

The ventilation has never been a problem for the last 20 years, and no updating has ever been suggested.

Same job, BG turned up, serviced next doors boiler, and moved on to Bills, boiler, Immediately say the vent are undersized and he'll have to turn it off, as it happens mate the sales shark is just round the corner I can ask him to give you a price for a new boiler.

As if by magic the shark turns up, frightens the life out of the guy, takes £1200.00 odd quid deposit and scarpers, while his Guest were sat there dumbfounded.

They did contact me, but I don't do work, not even for Friends, and BG refused to give him his deposit back, and Bill didn't want all the bleeding hassle.

My question to BG is.

Why is Bills boiler Immediately dangerous and must be turned off before you die, when Erics boilers is perfectly safe and still going strong.

Both the same boilers.

Both the same age.

Both serviced annually by BG since new.

Both the same size vents.

Both the same size plant rooms.

Both the same asbestos flues.

Only difference is the age of the occupants, and for the record I am good friends with both.

Incidentally the flue exits the back wall around 300mm from Erics boundary.

The periscope which looks over the ridge means the prevailing winds, blow the plume straight into Erics kitchen.

 

[doitall]

Now tell me what you would do if it was your friends or family.

Acceptable or not.

The flue itself breaks every rule in the book.

 

[namsag]

Firstly BG would /cannot legally refuse to give back a deposit there is a cooling off period,
so explain that one

And a guest is that dumb founded they dont even say to an elderly friend are you sure hang on think about it .
I find that extremely hard to believe.

You dont do work ? i must have miss read some of your posts in the CC then. But even if you dont do work as friends and a ex businessman surely you would have helped them out by knowing the laws on selling and advised them and could have recommended someone as we would all do for friends
Or as you say it just needed a vent increased in size
Same guy? service both boilers?
Customers swears blind never been told yep exactly the same customers that say to you each year oh they have never took that off before when you know fine well it has cause you have done it.

So by rights if what your saying is correct both boiler should have been labelled have you advised your other friend to rectify the fault before the same possibly happens to them.

Sorry DIA it doesnt add up in the way you have described .

On a personal note i have helped people i dont even know who have been wrongly advised by BG and by doing so cost my self tens of thousands of pounds and they are not even friends shame you could not spend half an hour helping someone you know extremely well.

 

[doitall]

Bg refused to pay the deposit, later they wanted to keep a percentage.

Bill said he can't be done with it and just let them do it.

No I don't do work other than at home, and I tried everything to get him to change his mind.

Same guy serviced both boilers and still does.

And yes I have told Eric the ventilation need to be made bigger.

Don't believe me, pop into Bath any time and I'll show you personally.

 

[namsag]

So basically what your saying is the guy did have the choice he refused advise from a good friend who he must have known had years of experience that would have seen him spending out less than a hundred quid to have a proper size vent fitted and CHOSE to go with a new boiler from BG at the inflated prices they charge.

And now we have BG offering a percentage of the deposit back where as half hour a go it was none strange one still as has never seen that in BG documents that they would keep a percentage as administration for what is a free visit advise and quote

 

[namsag]

I know most of the sharp practises BG use from a several prospectives . ex TU position ,ex stand in field manager and as an ex engineer.
I dont have any loyalty to them as such but one thing that does make me laugh on this site is how people big it up re what has actually happened and detracts from what is actually happening.

And then you have the opposite side with comments made in the CC guys boasting they can charge the customer more because BG have priced the job , also saying they know the boiler is ok and needs minor stuff but going along with what BG have told the customer because they can make £££ from a boiler change instead of ££ from a simple repair.

I have never seen you have a go at anyone in there when they have admitted to it .
Double standards ????

 

[namsag]

Dia what do you mean what would i do? Do you mean regards the flue?
300mm on back wall so its not facing the neighbours but is facing out onto own back garden?

 

[doitall]

The sharks had been in and run off with his deposit before I got involved.

I then advised him that all he needs is a bigger vent, could have done it ourself in 1/2hr.

Bg refused to give the money back, all of it. I phoned them and they still wanted to keep 30% or whatever it was, but still illegal under the door step selling.

The sale shark has then re-visited the owner and persuaded him to go ahead, and I washed my hands of it.

He was turned over by BG big time, and if others learn from it good, job done.

As for the CC you know as well as I do, there's more hot air than a Richard Branson Balloon.

There's also some really intelligent guys, know the difference.

 

[doitall]

Dia what do you mean what would i do? Do you mean regards the flue?
300mm on back wall so its not facing the neighbours but is facing out onto own back garden?

If the flue had been left sticking out the back wall, even though it is too close to the boundary it would have been fine.

As it is they stuck a periscope on it and took it over the ridge.

The terminal is now 300mm from the boundary, less than 3m from the kitchen window, and the prevailing wind takes it straight into next door window.

Trust me, if I had my way, Gassafe, environmental health, the Council, and anyone else with an interest would be involved, Totally unacceptable.

 

[FiremanT]

.

Bg refused to give the money back, all of it. I phoned them and they still wanted to keep 30% or whatever it was, but still illegal under the door step selling.


When did this tke place?

 

[doitall]

Must be 2years roughly, 3 maximum.

Got some dates on the other computer I think when I get back from snooker.