Does this apply to doorstep selling

[kawasaki]

Hello,
Just a bit of background firstly:

We have a service and breakdown contract with a well known large heating company and our boiler has recently broken down and they have said that the part that failed was due to sludge buildup in the boiler which is not covered under their terms and conditions, so our claim was refused. He slapped a sticker on saying it was dangerous to use.

He stated that he could do the repair for £540 plus vat if we wanted the heating system recommissioned which we declined.

As he quoted for a repair at our home, would this come under Doorstep selling regulations. His quote was verbal after getting the price from his manager over his mobile ?

Thanks

[Amethyst]

BG Homecare?

sludge - the natural build-up of deposits in your boiler or central heating system as it corrodes over time.

Bolier Cover

What’s not covered 
Damage caused by limescale, sludge or other debris, if we’ve told you before that you need to carry out repairs, improvements or a British Gas Powerflush, or a similar process, but you haven’t done so.


Central Heating Cover has same thing.

What’s not covered 
Damage caused by limescale, sludge or other debris – if we’ve told you before that you need to carry out repairs, improvements or a British Gas Powerflush, or a similar process, but you haven’t done so



So - I guess the question is - have they told you to carry out a sludge flush previously?

https://www.britishgas.co.uk/aem6/co...Conditions.pdf

I don't know if you're on Homecare with BG but whoever you're with, go and check the terms.

Anyway - you might need to clarify your reason for the question about doorstep selling ? You declined to have the work undertaken?

[kawasaki]

Thanks, Yes spot on. Hope I can explain this clearly. Will do my best.

Yes the engineer and his manager said we had been advised on a flush but..................

BG had previously said in August this year we needed a 'Magnetic filter fitted' (Not a flush, as It will be clearer as i go on) ,

We got a filter fitted but by a local heating company at a fraction of BG quote. We also use the same guy to put in inhibator as BG do not do this in their annual service. We keep all the invoices and work done from BG and the independent company and that has paid off on this one.

On the day of the breakdown we were left with a form saying the cause of the fault was due to sludge buildup as it had clogged up a pipe but all he did was take the cover off the boiler and never took any parts apart, so it was a visual inspection and could somehow see through pipes !

We got the local heating company in who diagnosed the leak as a worn rubber grommit seal that had perished/ He fixed it and problem solved. He has also taken a water sample that he said he can get analysed but said from looking at the colour of the sample there is no sludge in the system either.

He gave us a receipt and commented on the water quality.

Obviously not happy I called spoke to a service manager from BG and informed him of what the independent engineer stated and that it had been repaired.

I also stated that I had the original BG engineers report from August advising on a Magnetic filter being installed and no mention of a flush. I emailed this to him and he called back within the hour stating that the engineer had read the info wrongly on his tablet when he is assigned to a job. He was very apologetic and will refund us on the repair bill plus £50 compensation. I asked him for this in writing or email but still waiting.

I have accepted neither and cancelled cover with them as they were willing to fleece me for over £500 for a 'mistake'

Trust me if I had been advised on a flush It would have been done.

This is why Im now asking about the doorstep regulation as i thought even a quote needed a form: It is a legal requirement that traders trade fairly. By law, for contracts concluded away from trade premises, consumers must be given a 14 day cooling off period to consider, or cancel, contracts costing more than £42.

They offered to repair at that time
Thanks

[ostell]

So was this the BG engineer offering to do the "repair" outside of the BG system? I think a refund of your fees for this year at the very least and find yourself a local plumber. My yearly boiler checks are £60 (and lots of cups of strong tea)

[kawasaki]

So was this the BG engineer offering to do the "repair" outside of the BG system? I think a refund of your fees for this year at the very least and find yourself a local plumber. My yearly boiler checks are £60 (and lots of cups of strong tea)

No, he called his boss and it was the boss who came up with the price so all through BG

[MIKE770]

problem I have Bosch state no replacement part for boiler until system flushed (silly prices to drain and flush (£700 down to £560)) guarantee runs out next January, inhibitor put into clean system 2 years ago, all plumbers state silly prices yet when told OK due to Bosch guarantee in place etc never turn up, caught one engineer who states after 2 years system is OK as it work OK , and then never turned up to quote flush out etc, seems Bosch (Worcester) have guarantee and will not stick to it, i.e. regardless if a problem they are obligated to replace part, as far as guarantee it has only 2 months etc to run so not there problem after regarding replacement part????urgggggggggggggggg

Fernox cleaner F3 was put into mine, but sludge was just stated by Worcester engineer not test just angry he had to service ubit??? (so called who even stated not serviced = showed him a service report from 48 hours before - refused to put statement on paper)

[2222]

I have had no problem whatsoever with the 5 years guarantee on a couple of WB boilers, including them fixing a new heat exchanger FOC one month after the guarantee expired.

But I am extremely unimpressed with BG.

[kawasaki]

problem I have Bosch state no replacement part for boiler until system flushed (silly prices to drain and flush (£700 down to £560)) guarantee runs out next January, inhibitor put into clean system 2 years ago, all plumbers state silly prices yet when told OK due to Bosch guarantee in place etc never turn up, caught one engineer who states after 2 years system is OK as it work OK , and then never turned up to quote flush out etc, seems Bosch (Worcester) have guarantee and will not stick to it, i.e. regardless if a problem they are obligated to replace part, as far as guarantee it has only 2 months etc to run so not there problem after regarding replacement part????urgggggggggggggggg

There is a company online who will test a water sample from your radiators to determine if the system needs a flush or not. They supply you with a report.

Obviously if a system is full of gunk sludge or whatever they want to call it then obviously it needs a system cleaned out. They should really need to prove to you that the system is full of sludge. In my case they guessed and they were wrong.

Needs to be tougher regulations on these flushes as they are giving people the fear factor saying that they will not cover if a flush is not done.

[ostell]

If the boiler was installed only 2 years ago then part of the installation instructions, possibly highlighted, would be to flush the system prior to the installation. If you have sludge in the system after less than 2 years then either there was no flush, it was inefficient or the system was incorrectly installed. The inhibitor does what it says: It inhibits the creation of sludge, it does not remove it. Get in touch with the original installer and query their installation.

Found all this out when I took an installer to court because the system kept sludging up every 6 months or so. Turns out it was bad installation.

The sludge is ferric oxide, a form of rust, black instead of red. It's the inside of your radiators being corroded away. It is very abrasive (think jewellers rouge) and hence can abraid away the inside of the boiler.

[kawasaki]

Yep all new installations are or should be flushed. Again the water sample that you can send off will also determine if a flush has been done.

[Amethyst]

On the doorstep selling - the quote for the specific fix was part of your overall contract, not a new/different contract, and even if it is classed as a new and separate contract for the services/parts ( as it falls outside the service agreement as excluded by the terms?) you can waive your cancellation rights if a service is performed immediately ( you still have your rights if the service not performed properly etc ).... http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/...ntents/enacted s.48 on.

[kawasaki]

On the doorstep selling - the quote for the specific fix was part of your overall contract, not a new/different contract, and even if it is classed as a new and separate contract for the services/parts ( as it falls outside the service agreement as excluded by the terms?) you can waive your cancellation rights if a service is performed immediately ( you still have your rights if the service not performed properly etc ).... http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/...ntents/enacted s.48 on.

Many thanks for your advice.
I never thought of it being part of my original contract with them.