British Gas replacing boiler for £4266.51

s4mmy

We got a quote from BG for replacement boiler and they quoted £4100 however average price from local tradesmen was £1800.......BG won't be getting my custom!

ollski

Ugnaught wrote: »

I rang the delivery company and they cancelled it.

Then I rang the heating advisor at home on his mobile 079 number and he cancelled too, although he said I'd have to ring British Gas as well, and checked with me what brochure I had and what phone number I could see, but I said when I rang yesterday that the BG phone line said it was open Mon-Fri so I'd have to ring then. Forgot to mention there's an email I can cancel with.

He also said cos I requested a 48hr urgent thing that I'd lose my deposit. I said I couldn't remember it saying that anywhere but I have read the bit about 7 days.

10 minutes later got a call from someone else at British Gas 08009 number just checking that when I rang the delivery company that they did actually cancel.

Well that's good news. Is your dad aware he's no longer getting the heating he was expecting yet?

Murmansk

I had British Gas round a few years ago as they had some sort of offer of money off boilers - I think it was something to do with the AA being privatised or sold, can't remember.

Anyway, this man with a nice suit came round and had a look, he said it'd be about £4,000 and I said "I only want a new boiler, not all new radiators and pipes as well" and he said "oh no, that's just for the boiler"!!!.

I told him it was a ridiculous amount and said I was surprised anyone ever used British Gas and he said "people trust us" so I said I thought they were taking advantage.

I've since read on a plumbing forum that plenty of plumbers think British Gas take advantage of the elderly. I've also heard from a fitter that BG just pay local fitters to do the job and charge loads extra - you could just get a local fitter and save about £1,500.

southcoastrgi

meg72 wrote: »

Is your dad on benefit, i.e. pension credit or housing benefit, there are grants to cover this. My Mum and Dad were owner occupiers but on pension credit an got a complete new system for free. I think it is called warm home grant. Well worth looking into for yor Dad I think.

you may be thinking of the warm front scheme, this finishes in April & they have 10,000 installs to do before the end of April so i'm not sure they are taking anymore applications

Cornish_Piskey

Just a thought: was there any mention of a cooling off period in the contract, or does this not apply to British Gas?

Ugnaught

diywhynot wrote: »

Good news. Now ask friends, work colleagues, neighbours etc. for personal recommendations and compare the quotes you get in carefully. Post them up here if you want for comment. Ask those quoting to clarify anything you don't understand etc.

Asking people, bit of a tricky one for us that. Apart from that website you recommended. Surely in 2013 the internet has other webpages that list recomendations? Have posters here typed up personal recomendations onto MSE for comment for their own area?

meg72 wrote: »

Is your dad on benefit, i.e. pension credit or housing benefit, there are grants to cover this. My Mum and Dad were owner occupiers but on pension credit an got a complete new system for free. I think it is called warm home grant. Well worth looking into for yor Dad I think.

My dad isn't getting any benefits I think. Pension credit? well every pensioner gets state pension, but he does get a company pension too.

ollski wrote: »

Well that's good news. Is your dad aware he's no longer getting the heating he was expecting yet?

I'm going to have to work out how I'm going to tell him. I think when they don't turn up tommorrow, he won't be bothered. I have had the brochure since Friday and he's not even asked me for it.

Why does my aunt call BG the gas board?

Ugnaught

Ugnaught wrote: »

He also said cos I requested a 48hr urgent thing that I'd lose my deposit. I said I couldn't remember it saying that anywhere but I have read the bit about 7 days.

Cornish_Piskey wrote: »

Just a thought: was there any mention of a cooling off period in the contract, or does this not apply to British Gas?

http://www.britishgas.co.uk/heating-terms
16. You must pay the deposit shown on your quote when you accept the quote. You must pay the quoted price for the work when we have finished the installation unless you have signed a credit agreement. If your credit agreement ends for whatever reason under the terms of the Consumer Credit Act 1974, you must pay the rest of the quoted price to us immediately, instead of to the finance company.
17. Notice of the Right to Cancel

You are entitled to cancel this agreement. If you are thinking about cancelling, please call 0800 316 3970. If you want to cancel, you must do this in writing and must send it by recorded delivery or registered post (or deliver it personally) to British Gas New Heating Centre, PO Box 177, Newbridge Lane, Stockport, Cheshire, SK1 2FB or by email to [EMAIL="cancelinstallation@centrica.com"]cancelinstallation@centrica.com[/EMAIL] at any time within seven days starting from the date you sign the quote. Your notice will apply as soon as you have posted or emailed it to us. You may use the form attached to this agreement if you want to, but you do not have to. If you cancel this contract after the seven-day period, we may have to keep some or all of your deposit to cover our reasonable costs. We will try to keep these costs to a minimum. If there is a significant delay in the installation after the seven-day period that was not caused by you, or was caused by events beyond our control, then you will have a right to cancel this contract and receive a full refund (within 14 days of the cancellation). If we have seriously broken our duties to you, as set out in this contract, you have a right to cancel and receive a full refund. If you have signed a credit agreement which relates to this agreement, your credit agreement will automatically be cancelled if this agreement is cancelled.
18. We can cancel this agreement at any time by giving you written notice. If we cancel this agreement without good reason, we will pay you any reasonable costs you have to spend or losses you suffer as a direct result of our cancellation.
19.Your quote, together with these terms and conditions, sets out the entire agreement between you and us. Nobody else will be able to benefit from this agreement. This agreement is governed by the laws of England and Wales.

Ugnaught

I built up quite a bit of stress on Friday and Saturday morning added with the delivery firm ringing to confirm - another thing to cancel, and doing it behind my dads back. I was also concerned about them moving furniture to get to lift up floorboards.

On Saturday afternoon I could feel my stress slowly going away, but then I still had to worry a bit about the deposit...
No refund of deposit from British Gas for cancelled boiler installation
"In my 'wisdom' I thought they would return my cheque but no, it was cashed 10 days later. What a fool I was not to cancel it."

How does someone cancel a cheque anyway?

southcoastrgi

now i am really confused, you had the quote on the 6th you have 7 days to cancel & get a full refund of the deposit which you have have done, but they cashed the chq 10 days later ??????????? 10 days later would be the 16th it's only the 11th today !!!!

you cancel a chq by going to the bank