Issue with 24/7 Home Rescue

[Sissyliu]

Hi everyone, I really need some advice regarding 24/7 Home Rescue and a £65 “cancellation fee” they are chasing.Here’s the situation:
My boiler had ongoing running water noise but
24/7 Home Rescue refused providing the service as they said it was caused by poor installation.However I have lived in this house over 10 years and I never have this issue or was informed by any engineer regarding poor installation before.Therefore, I was froced to hire and pay £55 for an independent engineer to fix this issue properly. As the result, I requested them to cancel the policy on their side.Later they claimed I cancelled the Direct Debit (which I didn’t) and chased me to pay £65 cancellation fee.
I have now submitted a formal complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS), and FOS has confirmed receipt of my complaint.
Despite that, 24/7 is still chasing me for the £65 cancellation fee before 15th Dec.
I thought companies were supposed to pause all collection activity when a case is with FOS, especially if the charge itself is part of the dispute.
My main questions:
Are they allowed to keep chasing the £65 while FOS is investigating?
Can this affect my credit score or lead to a default? (It’s not a credit agreement, so I believe it shouldn’t?)
If they pass it on to a debt collection agency, can the amount increase?
Has anyone had a similar issue with 24/7 Home Rescue and won through FOS?
What’s the best way to stop them from harassing me while the complaint is active with FOS?
Since FOS will take 3-4 months to deal with thid complaint, do I need to pay them £65 before deadline?
Any help, advice, or shared experiences would be massively appreciated.
Thank you!

[echat11]

Hi Sissylui

Welcome to LB

Look through their Terms and Conditions, although they have Terms and Conditions, they maybe 'unfair'.
You haven't given a time line, when the policy started? when you tried to cancel it?

So they've not been able to fix it, because of 'poor installation', but are charging you a 'cancellation fee'.

[Sissyliu]

Hi I joined 24/7 home rescue in Oct 2024 and the policy including boiler, heating, plumbing, electrical cover was just renewed on 9th Oct.

They mentioned that based on their Terms and Conditions, I have to pay £140 cancellation fee as I called boiler breakdown service.Since I paid £75 call out fee, they can reduce the cancellation fee to £65.However, I do not think they can charge it when their own failure to fulfil the contract led to the cancellation as they effectively refused to provide the service that I paid for. Im addition, the amount of £65 is unfair as I paid £75 call out fee and £55 for an independent engineer. I am also unsure about any contractual or regulatory basis for the alleged £140 fee.

Using poor installation to refuse proving their contracted service is incorrect.

ps: My bank has confirmed that the Direct Debit was cancelled by 24/7, not by me.

[echat11]

Hi I joined 24/7 home rescue in Oct 2024 and the policy including boiler, heating, plumbing, electrical cover was just renewed on 9th Oct.

They mentioned that based on their Terms and Conditions, I have to pay £140 cancellation fee as I called boiler breakdown service.Since I paid £75 call out fee, they can reduce the cancellation fee to £65.However, I do not think they can charge it when their own failure to fulfil the contract led to the cancellation as they effectively refused to provide the service that I paid for. Im addition, the amount of £65 is unfair as I paid £75 call out fee and £55 for an independent engineer. I am also unsure about any contractual or regulatory basis for the alleged £140 fee.

Using poor installation to refuse proving their contracted service is incorrect.

ps: My bank has confirmed that the Direct Debit was cancelled by 24/7, not by me.

They would have covered 'poor installation' in their Terms and Conditions' (check for them).
But the Terms and Conditions may still be 'unfair', only a Court can determine if they are.
Your position is that, you are not an installer or engineer, so you wouldn't know at the
time the installation took place, if the 'boiler' was installed correctly or not, so they
can't charge you the fees that they are trying to charge you, thus being 'unfair'.

Send 24/7 Home Rescue the following letter (add the correct T's and C's). Make sure you get Proof of Postage.

https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rig...s-ax9MJ6q9oCb2

Update when you get a response.

[Sissyliu]

Thanks. Will let you know.