If they damage your boiler they'll try and profit from it! (British Gas)

Member Name: FairyG

Product:	British Gas
Date:	11/09/08 (127 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Damaged floor covering quickly replaced.

Disadvantages: Lax customer service, and extortionate prices.

I took out British Gas's central heating maintenance contract a few years ago after my heating broke down. I contacted British Gas as I saw them as an experienced company. They agreed to an arrangement where I would take out their Homecare 200 contract and add in around £10 extra a month for the first year to cover the immediate repair. That seemed a fair deal and meant I didn't have to fork out a large sum to get the repair done. It needed a new motorised valve, so wouldn't have been a cheap job. As part of the contract, the engineer also did a full maintenance on the boiler and checked the radiators. After the first year the price was dropped down to their usual rate of £16. We don't buy our fuel from British Gas or we'd have got this a bit cheaper.

However, the last time the engineer came to do his annual maintenance he dropped the glass front fascia, smashing it and also tearing a hole in my floorcovering. He reported it to his office and a few days later someone came to see us about repairs. They arranged for us to have a new floorcovering under their insurance and within another couple of weeks it was fitted. So far so good. All we had to do was wait for them to get a new glass boiler front from the manufacturers. We had one letter informing us it was on order and then heard nothing for about six months. After a lot of hassle trying to find out what was happening we were finally told they could not get one as the company does not make these any more. Nobody had bothered to let us know.

I spoke to the customer relations person who had come to see us in the first place and he offered us fifty pounds off our maintenance contract. I was not impressed and pointed out that this still left us with no glass front. Finally he came to see us again and offered us a full years free contract. By now I was sick of the hassle and realised this was the best they were going to do, so accepted. He also offered us a £500 voucher off the cost of a new British Gas boiler. We got a quote for a new boiler, but even with the discount this was going to come to nearly £3200, which we thought was extortionate, so didn't accept.

However I'm still not happy that we are left with a boiler with no glass front. The boiler specifications state that all parts must be fitted for the boiler to be considered safe. Although British Gas have assured it's safe I think it's now open for dust and steam to get inside from the kitchen.

All in all it was a lot of hassle and took a lot of phone calls and waiting in for visits from gas men, floor fitters, and an insurance loss adjuster.

I don't intend sticking with British Gas once this contract runs about, but I'm worried whether anyone else will approve our boiler and give us a maintenance contract.

Summary: British Gas have lost my confidence and my custom.