British Gas ruined my dress

Valli

I'm really surprised at this because whenever I have my boiler serviced, or the fire, the BG engineer always has a sheet down with the BG logo on.
IF there are any other marks anywhere take photographs of the damage caused.

If you have not yet sent your letter specify the remedy you require.

lincroft1710

I'm not a qualified (or even unqualified) plumber nor a BG service engineer, but I certainly wouldn't bleed a radiator without having a cloth to hand.

I'd insist BG send an inspector to check this guy's work as he seems completely incompetent.

withabix

lincroft1710 wrote: »

I'd insist BG send an inspector to check this guy's work as he seems completely incompetent.

A fully trained and experienced British Gas service engineer then!

geri1965_2

You shouldn't have too much difficulty getting them to pay up. The question is how much they will be prepared to pay out, as they are only liable for the secondhand value of the dress. If there are any similar items on eBay, you could use that to value it.

Elvisia

Well I went round to the chemist to get Dad's medication and I have come back to find the house is rumbling, the radiators or boiler or something is going 'dug-ger dug-ger dug-ger'. Waaah!

Meanwhile the dress has been treated and is now in the washing machine, it's no longer covered in black yuck but it has very obvious grey stains on it, and is pretty much ruined from where it's been in soak. Maybe in retrospect I should have taken it to the dry cleaners, but I was so shocked I just wanted to scrap the black cr*p off it myself.

The guy didn't put down anything when he started work, and I have spent the afternoon clearing up the mess. Thank god we don't have carpet or that would be utterly ruined!

jb66

If I was the BG guy and wanted off the hook Id say your mum handed me the dress to mop it up

lynnemcf

12 months ago I had my boiler and radiators serviced by BG and it all went terribly wrong. I wrote to BG and it took them a few months to sort it out, but they did sort everything out. You need to get on the phone to them ASAP, take pics and make notes of everything that happened and not let them get away with the poor service you have received. If you dont complain about the workman then he will do a poor service with the next person and the next person, so you are doing them a favour letting them know there is a problem with their workman!

pinkshoes

:-o Very poor practice by BG!!

I'd write to them and send photos of the damage (I presume you took photos BEFORE you soaked it), along with those showing the stains AFTER you've tried to clean it.

Could you find another one on ebay, showing them how much it's going to cost to replace it? They should have insurance for things like this, particularly as the guy was clearly negligent! I bleed my own radiators, and ALWAYS have a cloth or towel to hand, just incase!

Elvisia

Thank you everyone so much for the responses, I was a bit worried I'd get told I was making a fuss over nothing. It was just the final straw after a stressful time being a carer, and it's always one thing that tips you over the edge. I have photos of everything, and I emailed BG who said they'd pass it onto their Department For Complaints Like This.

Zandoni

Although everyone suggests writing I'd phone them first and explain what happened. Maybe suggest that some sort of supervisior comes out.

Don't sell yourself short on the value of the dress, it's not your fault that you don't have a receipt.

You can also make them aware of the time that you have taken trying to remove the stains.

If this all fails then you start writing.