Don't use British Gas Services (Other Home Services)

Member Name: RobDickson

Product:	Other Home Services
Date:	25/05/02 (266 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Household name

Disadvantages: Lies, Service

About a year ago, I employed British Gas Services to install a new central heating combi-boiler and replace all the pipework to the radiators. I was told that I would never be without hot water and that I would also get a 5-year complete plumbing and draining policy.

They were due to start and finish the job on a Monday, with the parts being delivered the previous Friday.

All the parts were delivered and the scaffolding erected on the Friday. Apart from having the parts and scaffolding getting in my way all weekend, I was happy.

The two fitters arrived on Monday morning. When I explained what was involved, it turned out that all the wrong parts had been delivered and that the fitters had been given the wrong paperwork. They understandably refused to start the job and left.

I telephoned British Gas and was assured that the correct parts would be delivered and another fitter would carry out the job. I also wrote to them explaining exactly what parts were missing.

They arranged for 1 fitter to carry out the work on the next Monday and Tuesday. When he arrived on the Monday morning, he also had the wrong paperwork and the correct parts still hadn't been delivered. However, he agreed to start the job and arranged to actually have the correct parts delivered. The actual job itself (the fitter was a contractor, not a British Gas Services employee) was carried out proffesionally, although I was left without hot water for two nights (understandable, but not what I had been promised by the salesman).

When I received the paperwork, I realised that my 5-year cover only covered the boiler (not my drains or plumbing). It took another 3 weeks before the scaffolding was taken down, by which time the roof that it was erected on had been cracked.

Unfortunately, British Gas Services is saying that the roof was already cracked before the scaffolding was erected and that their salesman had never offered plumbing and drai
nage cover. Unfortunately, I have no proof otherwise, so there is little point in taking the case to court. Since then, British Gas Services has failed to return my phone calls or respond to the majority of my letters.

I will never be using British Gas again.

Summary: