Busta Gut (British Gas)

Member Name: SadlerJohnson

Product:	British Gas
Date:	20/08/02 (220 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Shouldn't be too busy, Easy to spot you're being ripped off

Disadvantages: Lazy, Ignorant, Untrustworthy

I don't think that British Gas should be allowed to use that name as any reasonable British person would hate to be associated with such a conniving front line employees and such elusive management.

It's incredible how they have the ordacity to operate they way they do. Fortunately, I've only lost a little time and patience so far, but I'm not so sure that somebody more desperate and vulnerable wouldn't be conned by them.

I'm not a customer and doubt I ever will be but here is the account of my interactions with them so far.

Taken in by attractive marketing blurb:
Save over £3000 over the average life span of the boiler.
Buy a new energy-saving boiler from the BG range for the same price as a standard boiler of the same make.
£100 trade-in on your old boiler.
Nothing to pay until March 2003

So I called. Too good to be true? Yes it was.

I called and tried to ask a few simple questions - well... it was my first call! The phone operator didn't understand anything about their business except date, time, advisor. At least I would have a couple of days to get gen'd up before my 'visit'.

Except Stuart Roberts, the 'advisor', didn't show, didn't even call. I had to leave work early and wait at home for three hours before I gave in. I complained the next day to the operator who knows nothing and requested another date, time, advisor. New date, time but couldn't get a new advisor for several weeks so I had to make do with Mr Roberts.

In the meantime I tried to work out a ballpark figure for myself - a new quality condensing combi boiler costs about £900 and a similar normal combi boiler of the same make about £600. Okay with £100 trade-in that would be £500 for the boiler and say £100 for the flue, £40 for the timer and say £100 for pipes and sundries and the labour of a qualified engineer for two days at £50 per hour comes to about £800.
Total + VAT is now £1810 or thereabouts. So I might have missed a few bits so let's say a round £2000 final bill.

The second appointment was a bit later so I didn't have to leave work early but as soon as I got in the door the phone goes: "Stuart Roberts here. I'm about 20 mins away is that all right?" Fine by me, get it over and done with. An hour and a half later he actually shows up - "Sorry about that, I had a puncture". Nice one Stu!

I'll not go into the details of his visit as I'm still following this up with BG complaints department but I'll let you know the bottom line - £4630.59 - that's FOUR THOUSAND six hundred and thirty pounds and fifty-nine pence.

Now, as to the elusive management. After a call to BG 'customer service' and a few days I was expecting a call from Ian Smith, the District Sales Manager who oversees Mr Roberts. I have yet to receive that call. My original appointment was on Wed 24th July 2002 and I shall update this opinion when I get a call - we shall see. Apparently, my complaint has been escalated to the Customer Services Manager, David Purnell but I haven't had call from him either and he's gone on holiday for a indeterminate period so who knows!.

All the above dates, amounts and names are fact and my opinion of BG is just that. But I'm a reasonable bloke by anyones standards.

Summary: