Gas Safe

[Pea]

I am not a central heating engineer but would just like your thoughts/advice on my experience with Gas Safe as a consumer.
I lodged a complaint against the Gas Safe registered engineer who installed my Vaillant boiler (as advised by the engineer who serviced the boiler a year later). An Inspector inspected the installation and produced a Report listing the defects when the boiler was installed. Gas Safe contacted the installation engineer and advised him he had one month to correct the defects. He denied carrying out the installation so Gas Safe asked me to provide proof. I provided the headed business Invoice, the benchmark certificate and numerous other evidence to prove the engineer installed the boiler. Despite numerous amounts of evidence Gas Safe has informed me that as the engineer has verbally denied installing the boiler they can take the complaint no further and consider the matter closed.

What I want to know is it how does the verbal denial of the engineer carry more weight than the indisputable evidence I have supplied proving that the engineer installed the boiler? I don't know where to go from here.......any advice??

 

[tamz]

In the world we now live in people can and do forge or use registered companies details without their knowledge.
He may well be but Gas Safe aren't the gas police (although they would like you to believe that).
They are a private company (Capita) ,
Outsourcing (BPO) & business process management(BPM) solutions UK | Capita plc
who's main role is to operate a registration body and appointed by the HSE.
They have no powers to do anything much and certainly no power or resources to investigate cases much beyond the token inspections they do.
Are you 100% sure the guy who installed your boiler is who he says he is? Maybe he is maybe he isn't or maybe he just knows how to play the game.
Your only redress i'm afraid is through costly legal means. Whether it is worth the money and effort is up to you.

 

[Reg Man]

Did you pay cash, cheque or BACS for the job? the latter two are proof, cash is not. Provide Gas Safe Payment proof and I do not see how they can ignore this complaint.

 

[Scott_D]

What are the defects?

 

[stevetheplumber]

can you not view a picture of the engineers card on the gas safe website? if you can and it isnt the guy who fitted your boiler then gas safe should be chasing the illegal using his details

 

[hammers4spanner]

Gas safe won't chase this costs time which means costs money and the HSE don't have much of that

 

[snowhead]

Check a Gas engineer, or Check a business if the Card no. is not on paperwork

Is your gas engineer on the Gas Safe Register?

Can you remember what van he came in?
Have you still got his phone number you contacted him on?

 

[Millsy 82]

Gas safe won't chase this costs time which means costs money and the HSE don't have much of that

What I think is that the cost of investigation should go on top of the fine that they get.

Isn't it if the tax man investigates you you have to pay them to do it? It should be the same for this.

 

[drip-dry]

Well you have not provided any ''indisputable evidence'' that I can see mentioned in post..a filled in Benchmark book ,with his details..I have had that done to me before by a builder..only came back to me when owner was selling property and the boiler was not registered, I did not install boiler,never even been near the property,as said a builder I had done some small works for,used my details..that same builder would have had a copy of one of my invoices,which in this day and age, he could of easily copied the letter head of if he wished..
Gas safe would have investigated and if satisfied it was not one of their members,would just pass it on to the HSE...they would look at the case and the faults involved with the installation and decided what action to take ,the same as the public prosecutions do,it this case they have obviously decided that the case was not worth taking through a court or evidence would not hold up,however the details will be kept on file and names involved will be logged and if they re-appear again ,all the evidence will be added together,so if other problems come to the surface elsewhere,you could well hear from the powers that be again

ALL GAS SAFE ENGINEERS HAVE AN ID CARD WITH THE SCOPE OF GAS WORK THEY CAN CARRY OUT ON THE BACK.....AND A PICTURE OF THEMSELVES ON IT.....CUSTOMERS SHOULD ASK TO SEE THIS....and if having major works done...check it on the gas safe web site.......and really us engineers should show this even if not asked,to get the public aware of this and protect the industry and those involved in it

 

[Masood]

can you not view a picture of the engineers card on the gas safe website? if you can and it isnt the guy who fitted your boiler then gas safe should be chasing the illegal using his details

This would my suggestion also. Check that the mugshot is of the original installer so you can eliminate the possibility of the guy actually telling the truth.

Then go to trading standards. Also contact the local newspapers and your MP and report that Gas Safe have fobbed you off despite the overwhelming written evidence. Bad publicity always seems to make Crapita jump, as they want to keep winning these government contracts....