disgraceful boiler cover .scottish power

rjohn2000

Do not touch this company with a barge pole when it comes to Boiler Cover. I have had the same experience with my cover. The 3rd party engineers turn up, diagnose the wrong part (i don't think they carry any replacement parts) and then you have to wait a week before they can get a hold of the part. When the part does eventaully arrive, the cycle starts again because they misdiagnosed the fault. From the coversations with Scottish Power you would be led to believe that it is easier to find moon rock than to find a replacement part. Cant believe this is happening in this day and age. I'd understand if the boiler was old and the parts were becoming obsolete, however they don't even carry the most common parts for the most common boilers. Still without a working boiler 1 week later. Will be looking to end my relationship with this company asap.

Challen

My boiler stopped working on Saturday afternoon (covered with SP Home Comfort Premium Care) and after I had explained to them that I had a 7 year old with asthma and croup they said they would arrange for an engineer to come out on Monday (Premium service?) but they would escalate the importance tomorrow morning (Sunday). They could not do this straight away because the planning team had gone home. I was also told 3 times that it was a 'bad time of year'. I told the bloke - I didn't pick the time of year the boiler broke down but you pick the date you want to take my money every month.

I called them on Sunday mid morning and was told - no, an engineer won't be out until tomorrow afternoon.

The engineer turned up (sub-contractor, naturally) and got it going again. I asked him if he had been asked by SP to come out to us over the weekend. "No" he said but I am asked frequently to go out to breakdowns for AA and AXA customers.

So it would seem that Scottish Power don't want to pay the engineers a premium to fix a premium customer's boiler at the weekend.

Boiler stopped again today. SP said they would send an emergency gas engineer out to make sure the boiler was safe. He tested the gas pressure and increased it a little but could not start the boiler.

So on possibly the coldest night of the year, we still have no central heating. Stay away from Scottish Power.

Fife-Flyer_3

Scottish Power are nothing short of a disgrace.

My mother's central heating broke down on the 17th January. I told her not to worry as it was covered under their platinum fixed contract. When I phoned Scottish Power they said they couldn't arrange an engineer but they would phone back the next day. Needless to say, nobody phoned. I tried again first thing on the ironing of 19th January only to be told that all the engineers were booked and there was nothing they could do for me until the next day. This was despite the fact that my mother is over 60 and has a severe heart condition.

When the engineer arrived on the 20th, he said that he would need to order a part. Fair enough. We waited the weekend but when we still hadn't heard from them I gave them another call. They hadn't even bothered to order the part. At this point I emailed the complaints department to escalate the issue.

Just when I thought the situation couldn't get worse, the part arrived and another engineer came out to fix the boiler. Only problem is that the boiler didn't need a valve, it needed a gasket. The boiler has listed as bein immediately dangerous and was disconnected from the mains. Another part needed to be ordered. By now, I was well and truly cheesed off. My complaint was supposedly escalated, and yet Still nobody from Scottish Power was contacting me with updates.

On Saturday, we got a call to say the part was in and would be fitted on Monday of this week. Excellent I thought, an end in sight. But Monday came and no engineer arrived. They said they had lost the part and would have to reorder it but they would put it through as an urgent order. Now given that the normal order only took a couple of days to come in, I stupidly assumed that an urgent order would be in the next day. After yet another call to complaints department today, they have said the part won't be in till Friday. No explanation as to why an urgent order would take longer than a normal order.

Frankly I wouldn't touch Scottish Power with a barge pole. They have shown themselves to be nothing but a bunch of incompetent liars who should hang their heads in shame. 3 weeks into this nit are and I still don't know when it will be fixed and Scottish Power just don't give a damn.

ihateyes

while Sp are a shambles can i point a few thing out:

Asthama is not considered life threatening... i dont think asthama is affected by no heat. anyhow if you suffer from life threatening asthama you need to make the people aware.

Being over 60 is not vulnerable either.

Also these engineers are paid varying amounts dependin on the company that needs them.... so sometimes some companies will be overlooked for the more lucrative payout.

najma

Interesting reading all these comments however i wanted advice on what i can do?
I am a single mum with four children and have been paying scottish power for home comfort boiler cover.

I have been without heating and hot water for 2 weeks now and scottish power home comfort have now told me that my boiler is beyond economical repair. It is a vaillant 831 fitted in sept 2008 and still retails for £1000 +

their engineer has come round 3 different times initial problem was a small leak, the engineer when fixing the leak did not fit the pipe in the boiler correct so when the pressure increased water gushed in the boiler and now after coming out 3 time and waiting 2 weeks they are saying because the water has gone every where i need a new boiler and they wont do it.

I have been quoted £1000 for the same boiler and £200 labour

I cant afford this, i have a 3 year old and i am really strugling. I have contacted citezens advice, complained to scottish power and also contacted offgem. however no one has helped me.

Is there anyone one on this forum that can help. Energy companies make billions out of poor people like me

iluaf

Owing to my disgust with Scottish Power I am going to the press starting with a radio interview tomorrow.

First call out was in October when the heating failed whilst new radiator being fixed, the issue was the pressure gauge. A new pressure gauge was ordered, but the wrong one was sent so the engineer had to go away and come back. He fitted it, but we then got a very bad leak. He came back and fixed it, then had to come back again, so a total of 5 visits going from October into December. In this time we had intermittant heat/hot water.


The leak came back but we decided to wait until the annual service in January. At this point the water started doing the hot/cold thing in the shower and bath. When the guy came out in January he said we need a new part (looked like a diaphragm) when he fitted it, the leak got worse again and the hot/cold thing got worse so he had to come back. He then said we need a new heat exchanger, this was ordered (leak and temperature issue not fixed) and then a week or so later he came back and fitted it. I made him check the leak before he left and the leak was still there. He checked again and there was a large hole in the pipe behind the heat exchanger. He felt the boiler was beyond economical repair and said he would call it in and come back with a new boiler. This was on Thursday 29th January. Since then we have had no heating or hot water (3 weeks) when I checked what was happening I was told a new pump had been ordered and would be with in stock on Monday.

On Monday I was told it was a 3 hour fix and it would be Wednesday before they could come out to fix it. On Wednesday the pump was not in stock, and the engineer would not be available to fit it until Monday. On Monday the engineer said he came, but did not. They said an engineer would be with us on Wednesday. On Wednesday the pump was with the wrong engineer and had to be reordered and it would not be until Monday before they could fit it. On Monday no pump, it would be Wednesday, On Wednesday it would be ASAP possibly Friday. On Friday I started calling them and spoke to Andrea who made all the promises with Sean in parts etc, and a guarantee of a call by 12 on Saturday. No one called. On Monday I had to call & was told catagorically it will be fixed on wed & an engineer will call. When I called at 12.30 to say the engineer had not rung, the operator hung up on me. I called back & was told the part was still out of stock. I then spoke to someone senior in customer services who assured me they were giving it their personal attention & would call me before the close of business today. No one called.

I appreciate it is difficult for everyone to be in our position but we have an autistic son who relies on a shower every morning. He will not use a strange shower & therefore has been 4wks without one. My father is terminally ill & should be with us for the month of Feb & it breaks my heart he cannot be here because it is too cold.


Just for reference we still have not had the service.

dom2599

Nothing surprises me with SP any more, im going to ensure i have emergency cover with my home insurance from now on, they came out straight away amd had me up and running in less thanan hour, it took SP and Carillion over 3 weeks just to get the right part......very poor service

Scottish_Power

Hi iluaf,

Sorry to hear of the problems you are having.

Can you e-mail me your details and I will pick this up?

My e-mail address is [EMAIL="onlinecomplaints@scottishpower.com"]onlinecomplaints@scottishpower.com[/EMAIL]

Kind regards

Graeme @ ScottishPower

Ecokev

Afraid to say most cover is false economy, British gas, home serve they're all the same, in the cold snap they were ringing around me and others to fulfill their warranties!!!!

dom2599

Hi Ecokev,

ig may be false economy, however when you purchase a service from someone you expect just that, a service. it seems however that the big energy suppliers haven got their heads around this yet....they need to seriously look at who the sub contract to as these firms are way below par, there seems to be a common theme also, that incorrect parts are ordered and when they do finally arrive a week or more later the engineer breaks them.

i ended up using my jome insurance cover and their service was second to non....take note Scottiahpower company rep, now you've decided to show your face again......hope you had a nice warm xmas unlike a lot of your customers.