Unable to contact company,after dangerous boiler installation

[Billywhiz]

Hi if anyone can please advise what to do next.
I had a boiler installation done on the eco4 scheme.
Started job and returned 4 days later to complete.
After having the heating on, I noticed smell of gas,and water leak soaking kitchen floor.
When I tried to contact company,from the gas safety certificate they left.
the phone number was wrong,address wrong .
I contacted gas safe and the gas safe reg no was wrong.
they also confirmed they couldn't trace the company.
Gas emergency cadent came out,detected leak and capped boiler off and deemed it dangerous.
I then employed a gas safe engineer to fix leak and get the boiler working .
Since then I have finally traced the company,tried to resolve through every possible means on the advice of cab.sent recorded delivery letters but they have not been able to be delivered
This has now been going on a month.
I have spent money I can't afford on rectifying gas leak, but have been living with a water leak,that is damaging flooring in kitchen,and it is going to be costly to repair as the leak is a bent/cracked pipe where it goes under the floor,it needs concrete digging out.
Also others problems with boiler installation
the manager of the company has been aggressive on the phone and said take me to court, I've got loads of money to throw at solicitors and you'll end up owing me thousands.
After waiting for a resolution, can I now pay for the repairs needed and then try to get refund through small claims court.

What happens if the company don't accept delivery of recorded letter before claim.

Thanks in advance, sorry if my post isn't very clear.
I'm disabled and totally stressed out from chasing around in circles trying to get things fixed.
Thanks

[echat11]

Hi Billywhiz

Welcome to LB

Gather all the evidence reports etc, write a summary so you don't forget things. Try to get things like gas safe response in writing.

CAB need to pass this matter to Trading Standards, the fact that the boiler / installation is deemed dangerous is a red flag, they need to act to stop this company trading.

Also find out how they advertise, if it's social media and you could leave an honest review, see if bad publicity will help your cause, stop this happening to anyone else.

[Billywhiz]

Hi, and thanks.
I've done all that, especially the fact the scheme is backed /funded by the government. It appears this company is preying on the vulnerable.
After contacting every possible source of government body, who I thought might be able to help..it appears no one seems interested.,or they too have the wrong company address.
it's sickening to think how many people have been left with dangerous boilers,no heating or hot water.

I just need advice on how to try claim through the courts.
Will they take my case if my letters of complaints and letter before claim can't be delivered??

[echat11]

Have you contacted your local councilor and MP?

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/eco4-compla...0the%20adviser.

des8 Can you please advise.

[Billywhiz]

Yes local council ,ofgem,gas safe,not much help. Awaiting reply from mp.,companies house.

I can't even find out where or from whom the company would be paid for their work.
it appears that there are no checks or inspections carried out on the work done and no paperwork for the customer to sign.
Free reign for shoddy work, and endless stress for me.

[des8]

Is the company that did the faulty installation a limited company?
If so court papers can be sent to their registered office, just use first class post with a free certificate of posting from post office.

As long as your claim is less than £10,000 you can ignore his threats about costs.

Does the company 9if limited) or the owner actually have sufficient assets to pay your claim if successful?

Don't contact them on the phone...stick with letters, preferably snail mail as easier to produce in court

[Billywhiz]

Yes it's a ltd company, installing eco grants backed by the government.
I've sent letters by recorded delivery as advised by cab to his registered address on companies house website.
Royal mail unable to access ,and Mondays reply from royal mail,recipient no longer at this address.
I'm sure he would have loads of funds,profits from installing boilers,loft insulation, cavity wall insulation nationwide.
contracts from government..Big money..with no comeback..

[des8]

It is often counterproductive to send letters recorded as the recipient can always refuse to accept them!
Always recommend first class post with free certificate of posting from post office

Anyway you can still send those letters to the address registered at companies house, and if they are not responded to you could end up with a default judgment against the company.
However you then have the difficulty of enforcing it, and the company could apply for the judgment to be set aside.

Do you have another address for this outfit?
Care to name them... someone here might have useful information

[islandgirl]

you say the local council was useless - have you spoken to your local councillor - the person who is elected to help those in your area? It may help

[Billywhiz]

I have the address that they first used,but it's an old address.
I have found another review online ,almost similar problem gas leak,water leak.
plus a newspaper article.
It's horrendous what this company is doing
the company is..Eco4u energy services ltd.

How can a government backed contract installer be allowed to trade like this?

Not only putting people's lives at risk,but leaving them unable to recover costs for making their home safe.
I'm fuming and horrified.
I will try to pursue.
Thank you for your advice

[Billywhiz]

Hi again.
should I resend the letters as you advised or can I just proceed to court.
Cab..advised recorded delivery and also said court would try to find the company to issue court papers.
Sorry if I sound dim,I've never been through the court process before

[echat11]

I'm not having a go, the company name should ring alarm bells 'Eco4u energy services ltd', simply because the company has been set up for Eco4u Scheme, there is no customer review history for you to research.

You are 100% correct regards, the Government don't do any due diligence on companies that are allowed to handle these types of contracts.

How did you pay? Credit Card, debit card?

[des8]

Property shown as current address on Companies House (Martyn Ford House Wagon Lane Bingley Bingley West Yorkshire BD16 1WA) doesn't seem to exist now! (house name changed?).

The company has nominal capital (unpaid) of £10,000.but no accounts filed
If you obtain a judgment against the company it will need to be paid from that unpaid capital which is owed by the single director.

Whether or not he actually has that money is another question that needs answering before you start down the court route.

No point suing someone who has no real assets

NB can't be much of a business man if he sets up a company with £10,000 unpaid share capital.
Very risky when he could get the same result with £100 unpaid share capital

[Billywhiz]

DES8 thanks for your reply.
that's interesting , when cadent came out and my gas engineer ,we were chatting about wether this is a dodgy company, they both said to get on the contract list to install the eco scheme grants ,the company's have to pay 40k ??
Do you know if this is illegal to give wrong address ,especially to gas safe
Thank you so much

[Billywhiz]

Reply to Echat11, I filled an online form in through wirral council online..maybe government website.
it was a free grant for eco 4 scheme.
The company then contacted me and said I was eligible and sent a surveyor around before commencing work.
I took it for granted that the company would be a trusted trader contracted by the government