Left Out In The Cold (British Gas)

Member Name: Angelic_Goth

Product:	British Gas
Date:	11/11/02 (307 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: none., no, really, none.

Disadvantages: rude staff, crap customer service, incompetant engineers

Back on the 1st August, A Scottish Gas/British Gas engineer came out to my flat for an annual safety check. He told us that the appliances were unsafe and would have to be disconnected. He also told us to get a chimney sweep, to fix what he claimed to be a blockage in the flue.

And so, a Chimney Sweep was duly called. He said there was no blockage in the flue, and that we would need to get Scottish Gas to reconnect the appliance.

Scottish Gas returned, and DENIED that they had ever told us to get a chimney sweep, and that the appliance in question was beyond repair. They advised us to get a new appliance. (e are wondering if they have their own secret masonic language where "you need a chimney sweep" is their term for "sorry love, its fucked".)

A third engineer visited several weeks later, and informed us that in fact the flue was too small. (We have a 4inch flue installed in the flat, instead of the legally required 5 inch.) This had not been spotted by the first engineer on either of his visits, begging the question, why is he a qualified engineer? It has also never been spotted in the last 15 years, and yet until this year the appiance has passedits safety checks, begging th equestion why have safety checks? The reason we were given by Scottish Gas for it passing so many tests is that we have had the checks done on days where it was not windy. Great. So, living in Scotland, I can only use my heating on days when the weather is fine, dry and without a hint of a breeze.

Since then things have gone from bad to worse, they told us get a "corgi-registered builder". Not the easiest job in the world, to fix the flue. Nobody we have spoken to is willing to take on the work. So we have ended up contacting plumbers. They CAN do the work, but we are looking at at least a six week wait till they are free to do so.

In the meantime, we are still in battles with the gas people. I wrote a formal complai
nt to Scottish Gas, they have not replied to me. They have however replied to my letter, to my landlord. Saying that they are unwilling to deal with two sets of communication, and that tey are unwilling t deal with me as I am the tenant of the property. I feel that this is a total invasion of my privacy, and am investigating if it contravenes the data protection act.

As well as invading my privacy and having no respect for me whatsoever, they have repeatedly accused myself. flatmate and ladlord of lying to each other.

All of their "customer service" reps (and I use the term very loosely) have been rude, arrogant and unhelpful. It has taken 3 and a half m onths to even speak to the people above them (including over the phone being told that I could NOT speak to a supervisor, when I wished to complain about the rep being rude, lying and not listening to what I was repeating.

They are inteding to do a site visit this week, despite the fact that they will not speak to me (the tenant as they put it, in a very derogative tone), and the fact that they have no answers to any of the questions we have put to them. They also managed to not be able to schedule a visit at any time that is suitable to me, forcing me to re-arrange my life AGAIN.

Summary: