Vokera Boiler PCB...

p4girl

Hi,
My Vokera syntesi 25e boiler gave up: I studied manual, reckoned the PCB needed replaced so called out 'reputable' local firm, who said it indeed needed a new PCB, it'd be about £100 for the part and replaced my old one with a genuine Vokera part (I'm told).

The bill came in - the part was £295 + VAT!!!!!!!

Bill total is over £450. I've been to query it with the firm's director - who asked his supplier to fax the price through - £327. I complained about his engineer giving wildly inaccurate quotes, but he didn't seem bothered.

Internet prices and UKPlumbing say around £100. I've not really any other option but to pay but is A PCB for this boiler really that expensive????

Canucklehead

p4girl wrote: »

Hi,
My Vokera syntesi 25e boiler gave up: I studied manual, reckoned the PCB needed replaced so called out 'reputable' local firm, who said it indeed needed a new PCB, it'd be about £100 for the part and replaced my old one with a genuine Vokera part (I'm told).

The bill came in - the part was £295 + VAT!!!!!!!

Bill total is over £450. I've been to query it with the firm's director - who asked his supplier to fax the price through - £327. I complained about his engineer giving wildly inaccurate quotes, but he didn't seem bothered.

Internet prices and UKPlumbing say around £100. I've not really any other option but to pay but is A PCB for this boiler really that expensive????

Good morning: an answer here. The inherent danger of folks 'diagnosing' boiler problems can be additional cost. The OH had a call from a customer claiming that a motorised valve needed replacement (very insistent that the entire part be replaced by the way)...problem was someone had inadvertently kicked the frost stat giving an apparent 'problem' with a motorised valve... the result was increased labour costs...the motorised valve was fine and lives on;)

HTH

Canucklehead

kaya

i went to the vokeira website when mine broke down last year, they charged me about £150 as an all inclusive price, thats labour and ANY parts i needed, plumbers ARE NOT ENGINEERS , why not call vokeira directly and ask how much the PCB is ?

macman

But the OP didn't self diagnose-he reckoned it was the PCB, called out the local firm, who confirmed the diagnosis and gave a parts price of 'about £100'. If that was an estimate and not a quote, then if it came in at £120 ,then OK. But not £295!
So they cannot justifiably charge £295 for the part. OP, I suggest your supply evidence of the part cost and withold the balance of the invoice pending their response.

Canucklehead

macman wrote: »

But the OP didn't self diagnose-he reckoned it was the PCB, called out the local firm, who confirmed the diagnosis and gave a parts price of 'about £100'. If that was an estimate and not a quote, then if it came in at £120 ,then OK. But not £295!
So they cannot justifiably charge £295 for the part. OP, I suggest your supply evidence of the part cost and withold the balance of the invoice pending their response.

Did the OP receive a quotation from the firm or an estimate from the RGI onsite? The OP has not yet established which of the 2 PCBs used by the Vokera has been replaced but has established the retail price of both. The cost of the repair is pure speculation from the perspective of a keyboard as it is via the 'reckoning' of the fault by a non-specialist from a boiler manual (not that it ever stops anyone on this forum.;))

Always get a written quotation before agreeing to any works...this protects both the customer and the tradesperson.

Canucklehead

macman

My reading of it was that the RGI confirmed the diagnosis and price on site, but as it's slightly ambiguous the OP needs to clarify. Even if an estimate and not a quote, surely £100 up to £295 is outside the boundaries of what is reasonable tolerance?.

p4girl

Hi, to clarify...

I never said to the engineer that I suspected the PCB - just let him have a look for himself.

He said PCB needed replacing, and when I asked how much the part was, he said about £100.

I now know there are TWO PCBs on my boiler - and I guess it was the more expensive one which was replaced... but I'm still reeling from the difference in price.

I've registered my shock and horror with the company's Director, but all he said was he'd speak to the engineer, which I doubt.

It'd probably cost me £350+ wherever I went to have boiler fixed, but I'm just really not happy about being quoted one price and being charged another.

Annoying, as they're considered a really good firm in these parts and I was going to organise my boiler insurance with them. Not sure I want to now!:mad: