Anyone used the Mark Group?

dogoff

I have two tenanted properties and I approached Mark Group. Properties were both surveyed in November 2013. Surveyor was very rude and spoke broke English according to my letting agent. I chased Mark Group 2 weeks later and was told they needed to visit the properties again to do EPC certs. I explained I had certs for both properties as I am legally obliged to have as a landlord. They insisted they needed to do their own. I explained the inconvenience this was causing to my tenants who needed to be present. They insisted they need to do it to secure funding. Dates were arranged and EPCs produced. Called Mark Group again 2 weeks later and was told they needed to resurvey as they didn't have all the info. Yet again my tenants needed to be present. Mark Group finally confirmed 1 property qualified for loft and cavity wall the other only required cavity wall. Dates for install were booked for both properties. Tenants needed to be present, yet more inconvenience. The day before the cavity wall only property was due to be installed Mark Group called me to say they were cancelling as they needed to do a "Technical analysis". I was livid and put it to them they should never have arranged an install date if they didn't have all the info. They sent a surveyor instead who carried out a further cavity wall survey and subsequently confirmed the property didn't qualify for a grant. An install date was arranged for the property that required loft and cavity wall. I was nervous due to the track record, I called Mark Group the day before who confirmed everything was good to go. My tenants took more time off work. Mark Group never turned up. I was livid again and called them to speak to the same lady who had confirmed the day previous everything was good to go. She couldn't understand why they hadn't turned up. She called me back to confirm they need to do another technical analysis. They have now done this analysis and have booked an installation date of 23rd April 2014. I won't hold my breath, I now have the dilemma of whether or not to accept the date and ask my tenants to take more time off work. I don't understand how this company can survive commercially, they've incurred numerous survey costs on my properties alone. Surely they don't recover these costs ? If they do it needs to be investigated.

bunny_rabbit_southport

I had the very same experience. Somebody turned up at my door and following on from this somebody came and spent about an hour with me drilling holes in the outside of my house. Then arranged another appointment which meant my wife having to take an afternoon off work. They said they would contact us for a date to do the work and then.....nothing.
Then, a few months later received a letter so say congratulations we will give you £250 towards cavity wall insulation (From the Executive Chairman- Mr Lee Cottingham)
Fast tracked....great to arrange a date for job to be done. Arranged time off work and employed a workman for half a day before date to do preparation work
A few days before...cancelled.....no explanation.
We are out of pocket and have a house full of holes. I have written to them but no response.

Don't go near the Mark Group

photome

My only experience with the Mark group is when one of their vans overtook me on the inside when I was slow moving in a line of traffic, realised that he couldnt get anywhere, cut in and took my mirror off and damaged my wing (£600 worth of damage). driver didnt stop, I followed him for about a mile flashing my lights etc, but in the end gave up, rang the company there and then who told me they would find out who was driving and sort it out.

The driver then denied it happened, my car is a lease car and my company chased it for a while but gave up as Mark group said it didnt happen.

I would never use them as one of their drivers is a lying scumbag

sootyalbatross

The Mark Group are the worst, most unprofessional company that I have had the misfortune of ever dealing with either personally or professionally, and I would strongly anyone else to avoid having any dealings with them whatsoever.

Initially the offer by the Mark Group to insulate our early 1980s home to modern standards via a Government initiative seemed like an offer too good to miss. However our experiences with them have been appalling: Whilst I accept that things go wrong for all organisations from time to time, in my experience, when an error or issue is made clear the situation is dealt with promptly, an apology is made and, if applicable, reparation.

In the case of the Mark Group there has been a catalogue of issues at both an individual and company level that they have failed to address and most disturbingly they seem to have a company-wide lack of even the most elementary notion of customer care, instead displaying a seemingly institutionalised lack of professionalism and customer service.

I would urge other people to seek an alternative supplier of home insulation and cavity insulation as the Mark Group should be avoided!

Following our initial contact following up on some literature offering us a free installation of loft and cavity insulation, Mark Group surveyors missed two out of four appointments to survey our property, and at one stage we had two separate surveyors simultaneously trying to make appointments to visit our property as our details had been duplicated internally.

31.03.14: Wall & Loft insulation installation booked for between 8am & 12pm.

Loft team: Arrived 8.30am – finished within 1 hour

Wall team: Did not arrive as booked. Chased at 1pm: Passed around Mark Group – advised that local depot would call back with an eta, but no call received. Chased at 4pm & advised that due to breakdown no one would be coming out that day: Invited to rearrange installation. No apology given.

Got home to find the toilet/bathroom door broken

01.14.14: Rang Mark Group and spoke to a young, inexperienced lad in Customer Services: He emailed local Field Manager to contact me to arrange appointment to inspect broken door that day. No call received: Chased the young, inexperienced lad in Customer Services at 4.45pm – he sent chase up email to get Field Manager to contact me within 48 hours. No call received.

04.04.14: Chased the young, inexperienced lad in Customer Services again: Emailed local depot to call me by end of day. No call received.

07.04.14: Chased the young, inexperienced lad in Customer Services but as he was on holiday, I spoke to a different young, inexperienced lad in Customer Services. He emailed local depot to call me by end of day. No call received.

08.04.14: After holding for 12.55 mins to speak to a Manager, I spoke to the Customer Service Manager: Appointment arranged for Field Manager to visit on 10.04.14 between 8am and 8.30am.

10.04.14: Field Manager arrived late at 8.45am. No apology given. Took pictures and notes to be sent to Head Office. He had to use the toilet with the door open due to the damage caused by the Mark Group installers.

08.05.14: As we had heard nothing I tried to speak to the Customer Services Manager but she was “not available”.

12.05.14: Having still not heard from the Mark Group I chased the Customer Services Manager again, and having been on hold for over 5 minutes I got to speak to her. She was puzzled that I had not heard from them and promised that I would hear back the same day.

Two hours later: the same young, inexperienced lad from Customer Services that I had dealt with originally called me to advise that they were taking the position that they had not caused the damage and that they were not going to take the matter any further. I responded by parking the situation whilst I take legal advice.

We have not remade an appointment for the wall insulation to be carried out but based on our experiences to date we have, understandably, decided to not let the Mark Group near our property again. (BTW: When the Field Manager visited he commented that the installation of the wall insulation sometimes causes householders to experience issues with damp that they had not had previously – be warned).

jlmastersfry

First we had the friendly ladies visit and tell us the good news. We were entitled to free cavity wall insulation. A government funded scheme will cover the costs. Yes we are working and not on benefits and we still get it due to the type of house we own. So next the drilling and testing. All fine. Then the surveyor visits. All fine. We get a date. Then a letter to say ‘we have lost your surveyors report. Can we send another surveyor. Then another surveyor and another date for the work. Then they cancel. Then another date and guess what one day before they are due to come. THEY CANCEL AGAIN...So over the phone we said forget it. We now have a house covered in holes and are left frustrated and angry at the non-existent service. I wonder what they will do with the paperwork. Claim the money for nothing I expect. Complete cowboys.

captainhindsight_2

jlmastersfry wrote: »

First we had the friendly ladies visit and tell us the good news. We were entitled to free cavity wall insulation. A government funded scheme will cover the costs. Yes we are working and not on benefits and we still get it due to the type of house we own. So next the drilling and testing. All fine. Then the surveyor visits. All fine. We get a date. Then a letter to say ‘we have lost your surveyors report. Can we send another surveyor. Then another surveyor and another date for the work. Then they cancel. Then another date and guess what one day before they are due to come. THEY CANCEL AGAIN...So over the phone we said forget it. We now have a house covered in holes and are left frustrated and angry at the non-existent service. I wonder what they will do with the paperwork. Claim the money for nothing I expect. Complete cowboys.

Try a different local firm, it's worth having it done.

carmont492

Just had a fella knock on my door claiming to be with the Mark Group. Check his ID and it was falling apart and was mostly hand written with no contact information on it.

He told me that he was offering free insulation and had to drill a hole in the wall of the house and insert a camera. It was at this point that I called the housing association we fall under to see if the company checks out. The gentleman on the phone had never heard from them and told me to wait for a call back. In the time it took for them to call back, the Cold Caller was speaking to my brother claiming that he had to come into the house to take picture of the wall plug sockets which didn't seem relevant at all. We denied him any access to the house and told him that if everything was legit, he would be able to provide us with documentation saying so. He didn't provide anything.

After the second call from the Housing, the advised I contact the police via 101 to report a bogus caller which I have since done.

Once we managed to get him to leave the property, he seemed to make a speedy exit of the avenue.

We have since contacted the Mark Group who have explained that they do offer this service, but when we provided them with the callers name and explained the situation, we were told that no one with that names works for them or infact that they don't have any cold callers in the area at the moment.

It seems that this fella was impersonating the company to gain access to peoples homes for whatever reason.

TCN

Dear All

Could anyone tell me what type of insulation is used please, or can we choose?

I am reluctant to have mineral wool in the cavity because of the problems so many people have experienced with damp and our property is very exposed.

davelg

After a survey which was carried out in a very professional manner I have just had my cavity wall and loft insulation from Mark Group installed . the teams were from Boston Lincs , Cavity wall team arrived on time were efficient fast and very polite , even though I am renovating the house , the guy still removed his boots before coming in .They filled all the drill holes in and vacuumed up round the entire outside , first class service.The loft team arrived within the arranged time , they were very very fast and careful , again very polite , they even insulated the loft hatch and fitted draft proofing around it , cleaned up. The whole job was free of charge and both teams arrived with letters for me confirming no charge to me before starting the job .The head office called me the previous week with a cancellation but I wasn't available, they called the day before planned installation to confirm , again good communication . I think the bad press is more to do with areas and teams something the company has to address .
David Gilks

hunty3

Very wary of this lot. Below is a copy of what I have sent them so far.

"I waited in all afternoon on the 04/06 for a Cavity Wall Insulation installation. I called your Leicester office at app 15:50 on 04/06 to be told it would not be going ahead and I should have had a call to tell me this. I re-booked the installation with **** in your retention team for Monday 16/06 who rightly suggested I should call to confirm this would be happening. I called on the morning of 11/06 to be told by**** that the survey that was done by **** ***** of the Mark Group had not been uploaded to the correct place. I now have to get survey done again before the install can proceed. **** has arranged for the surveyor to call me to arrange a suitable time for the survey to take place on 12/06. But it's more time waiting in the house. You might guess that I'm not happy. I would welcome your comments on this situation please. Also I would like to discuss how your company is going to recompense me for my wasted time so far."