

Charged for boiler NOT being repaired!

(14 Posts)
impty Wed 19-Feb-14 15:22:43

Boiler didn't work. Boiler engineer called out. Thought it needed one part changed. Changed part. Boiler still doesn't work. Change same part again. Boiler still doesn't work. Insist original part goes back in. Engineer can't fathom problem. Suggests either changing random parts to find out which bit is faulty (it is an intermittent fault so it IS difficult to pin point) or replace boiler. In the meantime they'd like £150 for work carried out so far.

They do have a good reputation locally, and they are charging for much less time than they've been here for. But I feel its lots of money to be exactly where I started from! What to do?

Picturesinthefirelight Wed 19-Feb-14 15:24:31

Standard I'm afraid for diagnostic work.

impty Wed 19-Feb-14 15:25:47

Which would be fair but the diagnoses was 'we don't know'.

LyndaCartersBigPants Wed 19-Feb-14 15:26:57

I was pleasantly surprised not to be charged £100 for a call out when mine broke the other day. I think unfortunately, you've called them out, they've spent time (and money on parts) trying to fix it. As much as they'd probably love to do that as a charity, they are a business and have to charge for work they have done.

They could carry on working at it and only charge you once it is fixed but the bill would then be huge and you'd also be within your rights to get someone else to have a go and they wouldn't get paid.

Sadly I think you'll have to cough up and hope the eventual repair doesn't run into several hundred otherwise it may be cheaper to get a new boiler!

LyndaCartersBigPants Wed 19-Feb-14 15:27:33

Still cost me £200 when they fixed it of course.

mummyto2boysandagirl3 Wed 19-Feb-14 15:27:36

It's a tough one i can c both sides u have called an engineer to fix the boiler which he's been unable to do but then the engineer has obv spent time on the job which has stopped him from doing others. Perhaps ask them if you could just pay a "call out fee" plus parts in light of the fact ur boiler is still not working? I'm sure they'll b as sympathetic as possible but they r running a business at the end of the day

ShatnersBassoon Wed 19-Feb-14 15:27:53

What do you think would be a fair amount to give them, based on the number of hours they've worked on it so far?

impty Wed 19-Feb-14 15:31:45

Part of my problem is 20 minutes has been billed as 1 hour. So they are claiming to have spend 6 hours on it but billing for 2. Actually really they've only spent 2.5 hours here absolute max.

Plus they would now like me to spend 1, 700 on a boiler replacement. I just feel a bit ripped off.

However, I do realise time=money.

JabberJabberJay Wed 19-Feb-14 15:32:56

You have to pay him for his time.

BackforGood Wed 19-Feb-14 15:36:56

It is frustrating when that happens, but they have still put the hours in. Sounds like they are trying to be fair to you if they are charging you considerably less than their usual rate.
They presumably have also spent time sourcing the parts, as well as the time in your home?

Masterchuff Wed 19-Feb-14 15:57:55

I work for a small plumbing firm and jobs like this drive out guys up the wall. We genuinely don't like charging for them but our engineers still need paying for the time they have spent with you. We wouldn't charge for parts if the original parts went back in though. If they are charging more time then they have been there ask for a breakdown as, as a pp said they might be charging you shopping time or time talking to manufacturer trying to establish the fault. Fairly standard I'm afraid.

Viviennemary Wed 19-Feb-14 16:01:55

They've done their best. I can see both points of view. They are not a charity and can't spend lots of time for no pay. I suppose if they have a good reputation locally you will just have to pay up if you know they've done what they could and aren't ripping you off. But I don't blame you for being annoyed at the waste of �150.

We had a similar experience last summer. Plumber came out 6 times and couldn't fix it. In the end, he said that he had been in touch with the manufacturers and they were going to send someone out free of charge to sort it. He also specifically stated that he was not going to charge for his time as he hadn't fixed it (we had been without hot water for nearly 3 months by this stage). Fast forward to about 8 weeks later when he said that we owed him £150 for a part that he had fitted. This hadn't fixed the problem and we had no knowledge that he had fitted it. In the end he said fine, he'd come and put the old part back and take his new part away, which we agreed to. This was back in October, haven't heard a peep since.

impty Wed 19-Feb-14 16:15:33

We will pay. I just can't help be disgruntled that we are no further forward! I don't think they are being unfair but ideally I'd like the boiler fixed.


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