Combi boiler nightmare

[frednick]

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Cutting a long story short.
New tenants moved in found the boiler was faulty, no hot water. My usual engineer was off due to sickness so I called the local Ariston repair "specialist". He advised that the main PCB was faulty and ordered it, told me he'd call when it was in. A week later no news so after leaving several messages on his answerphone he finally answered and said he'd ordered the part from Italy and had no idea when it would arrive.
As it was in my opinion an emergency I asked if he could contact his supplier in Italy to track it, he refused. I reiterated that the tenants were without hot water but he just didn't care.
I told him that I would try to get the PCB locally and he said "you won't find it, there's a two week lead time on this item and even if you do find one I'm not fitting it".
After thanking him for his "wonderful service" I hung up the phone.
One phone call to the local plumb centre and I had a PCB for £147 + vat. (so they were in stock after all even though this nougat had to order it from Italy!)
Got the PCB fitted by another engineer and surprise surprise it wasn't the board but some diverter diaphraghm washer thingy.
So, basically I am now out of pocket by the £147+vat plus £60 labour plus the washer. The plumb centre understandably won't refund me for the PCB.
I am fuming by the attitude of this "Corgi registered Ariston specialist".
Can I sue him? Should I report him to Ariston/ Corgi? Surely they should have some duty of care?

Thanks
Fred.

 

[corgiman]

Ariston and CORGI wont give a monkeys

try your local trading standards

 

[kingo15]

what ariston boiler is it for?

might be able to find a use for it.

 

[frednick]

Hi,
It's an Ariston Microgenus
Cheers
Fred

 

[gas4you]

Anyone can call themselves an 'Ariston specialist'. Whether he has been factory trained by them and approved by them is another matter.

If you wanted someone who knows these boilers you should have called Ariston for local engineers.

This bloke sounds a complete muppet.

 

[frednick]

Anyone can call themselves an 'Ariston specialist'. Whether he has been factory trained by them and approved by them is another matter.

If you wanted someone who knows these boilers you should have called Ariston for local engineers.

This bloke sounds a complete muppet.

I did, I called Ariston, and guess what he is the local Ariston engineer for my area.

 

[Agile]

You certainly can write a letter to Ariston as it helps them to build up a view of the engineers they recommend.

Focus on the lies he told you about the part not being available.

My view is that he was not confident of his diagnosis!

I hope you did not pay him anything!

Tony

 

[frednick]

You certainly can write a letter to Ariston as it helps them to build up a view of the engineers they recommend.

Focus on the lies he told you about the part not being available.

My view is that he was not confident of his diagnosis!

I hope you did not pay him anything!

Tony

I will write to him and demand he pays for the pcb, he can then have the damn thing as it's no use to me.
I can't help feeling he's either totally incompetent or even worse knew the real fault but wanted me to pay more ( a pcb replacement would presumably be a lot more expensive than changing a washer!)

 

[Agile]

If, as it seems, you did not pay him anything, then I hardly see that you can expect him to pay for a PCB if you took advantage of his ( unpaid for ) diagnosis.

His diagnosis was based on him repairing it. Although I cannot explain his lies about the part not being available. There seems to be something odd there!

Tony

 

[frednick]

Thanks, but I must disagree. He failed to correctly diagnose and as a result of his refusal to co-operate I'm subsequently left with a £180 bill.

 

[heatingman]

Take it up directly with Ariston (MTS), you requested there help and they recommended there agent. He is therefore representing Ariston on there behalf.
Sure they will be interested in your comments, and they may make a payment as "gesture of goodwill"

All the makers require and want reports on their agents, as they are representing them, and dont want Idiots or conmen

 

[sooey]

Thanks, but I must disagree. He failed to correctly diagnose and as a result of his refusal to co-operate I'm subsequently left with a £180 bill.

So this guy didn't actually charge you anything for diagnosing the pcb, is that right? But after he had declined the job you went ahead and bought one and had it fitted, and now want him to pay for it. Why didn't you have the other engineer diagnose the problem instead of taking the word of somebody who was clearly out of his depth. As for getting him to pay for it, good luck with that one.

 

[heatingman]

The poster is not a boiler engineer, and has accepted the diagnosis given by the manufacturers. Its has been assumed that the engineer was an expert with the brand/boiler.

 

[Agile]

This is an independent service agent from what we can gather and the expected contract to diagnose the fault was directly with the agent and not with the manufacturer.

However, as the homeowner did not keep his side of the contract by paying for that diagnosis then I dont think that he can expect any diagnosis or rely on any mentioned verbally . We need the opinion of a barrister!

Tony

 

[heatingman]

Agile is probaly correct, but I think a word to Ariston would help. It is the actions of the agent that get RGi's a bad name and get us treated with a certain amount of contemt by joe public as they feel we are all out to con them and just gets large amounts of their money.