Brand new boiler faulty, company wont repair it.
Discussion
My Parents had a new boiler fitted about two months ago, my Mum commented on how sometimes it seemed like the heaters would not warm up and then about two weeks ago they lost the use of the heaters altogether (the hot tap still runs hot, the heaters are just always cold). They have been in touch with the company who sold and fitted the boiler and they sent someone to have a look at it but since then have point blank ignored them. My parents have called the company numerous times and are always told "we will phone you back in five minutes, we just need to check something" but the calls never come, this has happened three or four times in the last week.
Not that it really makes any difference but my Parents are quite poor, my Dad had an accident where he lost partial use of his hand and used all of the compensation money to pay for the boiler and installation, otherwise they would never have been able to afford it. The fact that it's looking like they may have to pay another company to repair something that is brand new is a kick in the face.
I'm not sure what their options are, I think the weather must be due to turn cold very soon and the thought of them having no heating is ridiculous. What can they do?
Thanks
Not that it really makes any difference but my Parents are quite poor, my Dad had an accident where he lost partial use of his hand and used all of the compensation money to pay for the boiler and installation, otherwise they would never have been able to afford it. The fact that it's looking like they may have to pay another company to repair something that is brand new is a kick in the face.
I'm not sure what their options are, I think the weather must be due to turn cold very soon and the thought of them having no heating is ridiculous. What can they do?
Thanks
Speak to the Manufacturers if the boiler itself is at fault.
There should be warranty in place which the manufacturer should honour and send one of their own engineers to repair. If the company concerned is an "Approved Installer" then name and shame to the manuifacturer as they may have this removed should sufficient complaints be received.
There should be warranty in place which the manufacturer should honour and send one of their own engineers to repair. If the company concerned is an "Approved Installer" then name and shame to the manuifacturer as they may have this removed should sufficient complaints be received.
You can't name and shame here, but try these as well:
Citizens Advice Bureau (free)
Trading standards (free)
Consumer Direct (can be good, can be ok, can be useless, but free): call them
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Governmentcitizensandr...
If none of these help, try your local paper - they love a story like that. If it's a local company, you could even try your local MP via his/her constituency surgery - they can be quiet good at applying pressure, depending on the MP. They can't provide legal pressure, but someone from the MPs office might call the company..
Citizens Advice Bureau (free)
Trading standards (free)
Consumer Direct (can be good, can be ok, can be useless, but free): call them
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Governmentcitizensandr...
If none of these help, try your local paper - they love a story like that. If it's a local company, you could even try your local MP via his/her constituency surgery - they can be quiet good at applying pressure, depending on the MP. They can't provide legal pressure, but someone from the MPs office might call the company..
Had a Suanier Duval (sp) fitted once that went caput after 6 months. Couldn't contact the fitter. Rang Saunier who sent an engineer out the very next day. Changed the fan and even fitted the earth straps that the original guy "forgot". No charge as under warranty.
Now I'm pretty sure that this applies to all manufacturers. Makes sense as most boilers are probably installed by one man bands. Even if the original fitter did come out I was told he would have only rang Saunier anyway.
Now I'm pretty sure that this applies to all manufacturers. Makes sense as most boilers are probably installed by one man bands. Even if the original fitter did come out I was told he would have only rang Saunier anyway.
The warranty is owned and operated by the manufacturer. As long as the installation has been completed by a "competent" party to their requirements, then (as long as the fault is with the boiler, and not the installation) they should honour it.
If the fault is with the installation, then the installer is liable.
We have had issues with boilers that we have fitted (we do big commercial stuff and student accomodation, etc.) and as it was the boilers at fault - even though we were the installer, the manufacturer's warranty came into play and they resolved FOC.
If the fault is with the installation, then the installer is liable.
We have had issues with boilers that we have fitted (we do big commercial stuff and student accomodation, etc.) and as it was the boilers at fault - even though we were the installer, the manufacturer's warranty came into play and they resolved FOC.
If the fitter supplied the boiler then the recourse is with the fitter.
I would start with a letter giving them 14 days to fix the problem
Following that, I wouldn't mess about, I would go straight to money claim online.
The problem with going to the manufacturer is that they will slmost certainly point to a fault with the installation. especially as the water is hot and the rads are not. I think, but could be wrong that most boilers (not combi's) heat the rad water by circulating it through a coiled pipe immersed in the hot water tank which holds the hot water. So if the water is hot then the rads would be hot unless there is a plumbing problem
I would start with a letter giving them 14 days to fix the problem
Following that, I wouldn't mess about, I would go straight to money claim online.
The problem with going to the manufacturer is that they will slmost certainly point to a fault with the installation. especially as the water is hot and the rads are not. I think, but could be wrong that most boilers (not combi's) heat the rad water by circulating it through a coiled pipe immersed in the hot water tank which holds the hot water. So if the water is hot then the rads would be hot unless there is a plumbing problem
When we moved into this house the boiler went kaput a couple of months after moving in.
The boiler had been fitted the week before we moved in and although I did have the fitting invoice I just rang Vokera and they sent out a chap the same day who fixed it FOC.
The fitters don't want to come and help you, there's no financial motivation. You have a new boiler, it won't need replacing for years to come, you are dead to them.
The manufacturer is motivated by at least some kind of compulsion to maintain their brand image.
Oh and wtf is a "heater"............"radiators" are what you should have fitted.
The boiler had been fitted the week before we moved in and although I did have the fitting invoice I just rang Vokera and they sent out a chap the same day who fixed it FOC.
The fitters don't want to come and help you, there's no financial motivation. You have a new boiler, it won't need replacing for years to come, you are dead to them.
The manufacturer is motivated by at least some kind of compulsion to maintain their brand image.
Oh and wtf is a "heater"............"radiators" are what you should have fitted.
Who to chase here for a resolution depends on who your parents bought the boiler off.
If it was bought from the fitters (as is normally the case), then go after them as it's their responsibility to make sure the boiler is "fit for purpose" which it clearly isn't in this case.
If, however, it was bought from somewhere else then the fitters were paid to installed it then obviously things get more complicated
If it was bought from the fitters (as is normally the case), then go after them as it's their responsibility to make sure the boiler is "fit for purpose" which it clearly isn't in this case.
If, however, it was bought from somewhere else then the fitters were paid to installed it then obviously things get more complicated
nobodyknows said:
Surely if they get it fixed by another Company they can bill the original installer for cost of repair & if necessary take them to Small Claims Court to get them to pay? Suggest this to the original installers & see if this bucks their ideas up OP.
Winning at the Small Claims Court is one thing, getting the other party to cough up is quite another. It's a bit like a commercial asbo, reputable companies will do all they can to avoid having a judgement against them while the less bothered either ignore it or simply close down and reopen as something else. It was something electrical had blown, we knew what it was to start with as they had sent out an engineer to diagnose the fault but never followed that up with a repair. It's sorted now though, they went down to the showroom rather than phoning (as they had been), all guns blazing and the company actually sent an engineer to accompany them back home and fix it immediately, took 5 minutes to replace the part. The company said there had been a problem with communication between the engineer and the office staff, although I don't know what their explanation was for the numerous phone calls that were never followed up. At least it's fixed now
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