British Gas Boiler Service

[J3000]

Hi All,

Just had a friend of mum's on the phone and she said BG came in to service her boiler. She said he was at the boiler for 5mins, didn't take the cover off and asked her to turn the hot tap on for about a minute. She said he used a device to check something, I'm assuming this is his analyser. He was in and out of the door in under 10 minutes and it cost approx £60! I don't think this a good service at all as I usually spend at least 40 minutes on a standard boiler service. What do you guys think?

 

[galaxy_plumbing]

its well known fact how they do servicing..

 

[petercj]

BG pass off a gas test as: "a service" - tell them to make a complaint to BG Customer Services, and quote the service schedule in the boiler handbook.

Also, to drop an email to Trading Standards with details.

 

[J3000]

Yep going to tell her to make a complaint. It's a disgrace.

 

[petercj]

Yep going to tell her to make a complaint. It's a disgrace.

Good to hear that.

Trading Standards are aware of this practice by BG, but say that they haven't received enough complaints from the public to show evidence that people are generally being misled (not a statement I feel happy hearing from a Government department charged with acting as a watchdog, but there you go!).

As very few members of the public will know the difference between a gas test and a service, the very great majority of people are not going to question the fact that their boiler has been checked but not serviced, particularly when told by a company like BG that its been done.

BG refer to a: "Safety Check", and "a Service", in both their marketing and customer contract.

Part of the problem seems to be that when a complaint is made to Trading Standards the complaint is passed to the local TS Office where the company resides (or their HQ). The local TSO investigates, and then reports back to the TSO where the complaint was made.

My local TSO didn't seem very happy with the feed-back they got from their colleagues in the BG area, but then included the above statement. A comment was included to the effect that: "BG has a very good working relationship with their local TSO" ... so make what you will of that remark!

If calculated in monetary terms and on a national basis, this maneuver is worth millions.

If the same was done by Joe Bloggs Gas Ltd, TS would come down like the proverbial ton of bricks.

Would make a great story for BBC Watchdog - if they didn't get told to ignore it by their powers that be, that is.

It may not have an immediate effect, but the more BG customers complain, the greater the chances of getting something done about it.

 

[lame plumber]

BG also no longer service or repair fires and cookers, to much grief and they reverted to safety checks as theres less chance of grief and hassle. But the customers still think they are brilliant!!!!

 

[villa_tom]

BG also no longer service or repair fires and cookers, to much grief and they reverted to safety checks as theres less chance of grief and hassle. But the customers still think they are brilliant!!!!

Well that's not true mate.

 

[hammers4spanner]

Its well known thats what british gas do for a service and to be fair alot of one man bands do the same as well as many wouldn't even know the billy basics of a gas service .

 

[petercj]

Its well known thats what british gas do for a service and to be fair alot of one man bands do the same as well as many wouldn't even know the billy basics of a gas service .

In the trade maybe, but not by their customers, who are told when they sign up to Home Care that they will get an Annual Safety Check, and an Annual Service.

I wonder what the average gas engineer would say if they left their van at a garage for a service, and the mechanic put a gas analyser in the exhaust to confirm it was running OK, and then did no more, but confirmed that the van had been serviced when collected by the customer?

I can't predict word for word what they would say, but I'm pretty sure it would need moderating!

 

[Avatar]

Never fear - say it anyway and Croppie will edit it out for you . . . ..

 

[lame plumber]

Well that's not true mate.

whats not true ,the part about not doing fires and cookers or the point on safety checks making life easier? Its what I came across today customer was bg fan but they stop contract on her fire and cooker and she described her last service as a 10 minute check and the cover of the boiler stayed on.

 

[villa_tom]

whats not true ,the part about not doing fires and cookers or the point on safety checks making life easier? Its what I came across today customer was bg fan but they stop contract on her fire and cooker and she described her last service as a 10 minute check and the cover of the boiler stayed on.

Im not being drawn into the whole BG don't do things properly debate, but on the fires and cookers reference. What you said isn't true, I service and repair fires all the time and service a fair few cookers. I have never repaired a cooker in my life, but cookers rarely break.

 

[lame plumber]

Im not being drawn into the whole BG don't do things properly debate, but on the fires and cookers reference. What you said isn't true, I service and repair fires all the time and service a fair few cookers. I have never repaired a cooker in my life, but cookers rarely break.

the lady i went to today with a failed spark generator was moaning BG had serviced all her appliances for years but in last year or so not renewed on the cooker or fire but kept the boiler on contract. Cookers a good condition rangemaster and the fires a good condition valour, no reason to walk away, only reporting what I have come across. Maybe regions and management vary.