Bookie v British Gas, grrr...

[Bookworm]

So my boiler died. Short of 4 years old, top of the range Saunier-Duval, was I impressed? No. The supplier has gone out of business so no recourse there, so I was left with looking for the best deal to get it fixed at my expense.

 

After research and the advice of a local chap, it turned out the part would be heinously expensive and that I'd be better off getting one of BG's engineers out on one of their "one-off callout", £210 but includes everything. Ok.

 

So then I check BG's website and below the bit about the one-off, it says: "if you join our homecare setup, this could be included in your monthly payment, call us on this number". So I call and lo and behold a lovely chap tells me that yes, it's true, for £24.50/month, subject to a 12 mths contract, I won't have to pay for the repairs or parts, it will be included in the scheme, plus I get an inspection and of course I get cover for 12 mths. Quick calculation, it seems to be that for a relatively small higher payment, I don't have to find the money right now and I get 12 mths additional cover, sounds like a great deal. I check with the chap over the phone about 1/2 dozen times that for this, it covers EVERYTHING? Parts, labour, callout? Yes, says he. Brilliant, says I, sign me up, me laddo.

 

So then engineer no 1 comes out (same afternoon, I am impressed so far). Yep, says he, part is buggered, I shall order a new one and another chap will come out tomorrow to install it. Good. "that will cost you £350, by the way". "Errr, come again?" "Yes, as you have just joined, this is not included in the arrangement". *Bookie's forehead vein starts throbbing*. Deep breath. Give chapter and verse to engineer, who quickly backs down and says: "well if you were told you wouldn't have to pay for it, then contest it, I'm sure they will back down" and beats a hasty retreat.

 

Next engineer comes with part, fixes boiler, does his check and leaves worksheet with box ticked: "no charge, under homecare agreement" (!).

 

I think, ok, let's see if they try and bill me.

Weeks go by, nothing. then through the post comes my Homecare agreement, confirming level of cover etc... and telling me that I get a discount since I chose to pay by DD (I did? News to me! ) and that my instalments will be £34.50 per month. Errrr, EXCUSE me? £34.50/mth? No, I don't think so.

 

So I call BG where I get a lot of waffle and an expressed surprise that I was quoted £24.50, and he will call me back within 72 hours once he has spoken to his supervisor... This was 3 weeks ago, and of course, I am still waiting. Meanwhile, I cancelled the DD and quite rightly so, as they tried to help themselves this weekend, and I am pretty sure they are going to be in touch soon now that they haven't been paid.

 

They have NO idea how difficult things are about to get for them. I have been quoted £24.50/mth all inclusive, I accepted the contract under those terms and now they want to change them? Yeah, I don't think so.

[HSBCrusher]

They have NO idea how difficult things are about to get for them.

no, they don't do they

[poppynurse]

Go Bookie

[Lula]

ooooooooo they made "the Vein" throb!!!

 

I have to feel sorry for the poor sap who told her to her face it would be £350, bet he never knew what had hit him!

[Bookworm]

Well, in my defense, I had been without hot water for 3 days by then.

 

Incidentally, I have done a bit of groundwork since, and have worked out that what they want to charge me is the equivalent of the yearly Homecare agreement + the price of the one callout = £34.50 / month, which means that when they say "included" on the website, what they actually mean is "added"... You still get charged in full for the 1st callout. Naughty, naughty British Gas!!!

[389shell]

indeed! Can't wait to see what happens next.

[Bookworm]

What happened next is that I got a phone call on Friday from a chap who said that they tried to take DD and the bank advised them it had been cancelled.

 

"That's correct", says I.

 

"Oh?" says he. "May I ask why?" (in a supercilious tone, never a good idea).

 

"You may", says I, and proceed to tell him that I was still waiting for a phone call about the price, and that not trusting their company one bit, I had cancelled the DD in case they just tried to help themselves, and look at that, wasn't I right not to trust them?

 

Moment of silence followed by splutter on the other side. "Hold on, I shall check what happened." Tum-di-dum-di-dum...

 

... "Didn't you get a phone call then?" "Errr, no, I have just said so." "Well, you should have (!), and the person dealing with this listened to the original phone call and she says in the notes here that you were quoted £34.50."

 

Now at this point, you may have gathered I had guessed they were going to say that, so I simply replied: "ok, in that case, you'll understand that with the catalogue of errors so far, I am not going to take your word for it, especially as I was writing it down as I was talking to the chap and asked him to confirm the amount about 4 or 5 times before committing myself, so I'd like a copy of the recording, please"... "I'll get the person dealing with this to call you back, Mrs BW, she'll have all the details." "You do that. Bye".

 

So. I have now been told they do have a copy of the original conversation. Great. They can hand it over and thereby confirm that they lied to me... or they can try to say they don't have it anymore, which is going to be tricky since I have been told they had it, so they've been lying to me there. Either way, they have a problem.

 

OR they could just put their hand up and say "fair do" and just charge me the £24.50 they said they would. Anyone believes it will happen that easily?

[spiritgirl59]

Bookie I am well impressed with your firm stance! Bet they wondered what hit them - and it serves them right

 

I shall watch with interest to see what results you get!

 

Good luck

Love SG x

[389shell]

Any updates? I would like to see them get a good thrashing for this

[Bookworm]

Nope, still waiting for the "person who dealt with it" to call me back as promised in above conversation.

 

Anyone wants to take a bet that the telephone conversation recording will have "mistakenly" been deleted by the time the next round comes up?

[389shell]

I don't think they will have been deleted, I think probably a 'technical fault' will prevent them from retrieving it for you

[callumsgran]

I don't think they will have been deleted, I think probably a 'technical fault' will prevent them from retrieving it for you

LOL thats the one............ or i'm ever so sorry Mrs Bookie we dont seem to be able to put our hands on it right now

[MARTIN3030]

I heard you should have had a response after writing just ONE letter.........

[c_allen]

well what happened bookie?????

[affirmation]

subbing

[callumsgran]

She cant possibly still be waiting............. can she?

[Bookworm]

Well, they never called back.

 

I've just had a letter telling me they have now cancelled the agreement.

 

Not to sure what to expect next, a bill for the work they did do? Passed to a DCA? I really have no idea...

[callumsgran]

Well, they never called back.

 

I've just had a letter telling me they have now cancelled the agreement.

 

Not to sure what to expect next, a bill for the work they did do? Passed to a DCA? I really have no idea...

Well be sure and keep us posted wont you?

[jonni2bad]

...Not to sure what to expect next, a bill for the work they did do? Passed to a DCA? I really have no idea...

 

If I nip down to Ladbrokes, do you think they'll let me have a tenner on that one?

[Stopthethieves]

Did anything else happen on this?

[Guest wino]

I love a good 'Bookie thread' don't you?