Help with obsolete boiler parts

CathyH27

Hi, im after some advice.

I have a small honest heating company 6months ago we fitted a pcb to a customers boiler. Recently the fan went wrong which in turn blew the pcb.

The pcb has since gone obsolete from the supplier.

We changed both parts (the fan FOC as it was a part we had laying around) and we got a ocb from a dealer in the end to get the guy heating over xmas.

Now he wont pay his bill coz he says it should be under guarantee (sale of goods act being mentioned). Ive spoken to the manufacturer and we cant get any money from them as the part is obsolete.

I think he should still have to pay for it .... Am i wrong?

And also are we allowed to turn round and ask him for the money for the fan too?

Many thanks. Like i say im not trying to be money grabbing but we are seriously out of pocket as it stands, we put ourselves out for him over xmas and this is the thanks we get :mad:

MamaMoo_2

CathyH27 wrote: »

Hi, im after some advice.

I have a small honest heating company 6months ago we fitted a pcb to a customers boiler. Recently the fan went wrong which in turn blew the pcb.

The pcb has since gone obsolete from the supplier.

We changed both parts (the fan FOC as it was a part we had laying around) and we got a ocb from a dealer in the end to get the guy heating over xmas.

Now he wont pay his bill coz he says it should be under guarantee (sale of goods act being mentioned). Ive spoken to the manufacturer and we cant get any money from them as the part is obsolete.

I think he should still have to pay for it .... Am i wrong?

And also are we allowed to turn round and ask him for the money for the fan too?

Many thanks. Like i say im not trying to be money grabbing but we are seriously out of pocket as it stands, we put ourselves out for him over xmas and this is the thanks we get :mad:

Under the SOGA he would have to prove that the PCB was inherently faulty, or that it went wrong due to your negligence (ie, you had replaced the fan or wired the PCB wrong so that it blew when it shouldn't have.)
As you only mention fitting the PCB, I'm going to assume (and please correct me if I'm wrong) that you a) didn't fit the faulty fan and b) the fan didn't need replacing when you did the original job.
In this case, assuming you for the PCB correctly and nothing you could have reasonably done, installation-wise, would have stopped the PCB from blowing in the event of another part breaking, then he doesn't really have much of a case.
Write to him stating that unless he can prove that the PCB was inherently faulty, then you require paying for the work. Under the SOGA items aren't covered for accidental damage, and I'd say this was damage occurring due to an accident that was nothing to do with you or the parts you fitted.

ThumbRemote

Agree with the above. He needs to prove the PCB you originally supplied was faulty to avoid paying. Otherwise I suspect you have rights to remove the part (assuming you can gain access).

I don't think you can now ask for money for the fan as well, if you'd previously agreed to do it free.

molerat

I think you may all be missing something here

6months ago we fitted a pcb

Recently the fan went wrong which in turn blew the pcb.

We changed both parts ............... to get the guy heating over xmas.

Which suggests that the pcb was less than 6 months old at the point of failure so puts the onus on the op to prove the pcb was not inherently faulty.

I think the op is correct in their diagnosis but it looks like they will have to prove it.

rustyboy21

Hi Cathy

I feel that you are in a no win situation here TBH. They will kick up saying the part was faulty and won't pay and you doing something to help someone out of a sticky situation, get no thanks for it and end up losing out. I am still waiting for 4 people to pay me for sending guys out to sort out frozen condensate pipes from 2 years last Xmas ! They conveniently forget that they owe me money and won't return any calls. One thinks I should have done it for free, even though we didn't fit the boiler in the first place !

The chances of getting back in to get your parts back are now non existent. You will have to prove the part was ok and has not been at fault.

I would put it down to experience. Unfortunately like me, you now don't trust anyone and have to ask for payment in full at commencement of work. The days of trusting people to pay after installation are now over.

Good luck in your fight, and people wonder why tradesmen don't trust customers anymore!

ThumbRemote

molerat wrote: »

I think you may all be missing something here

Which suggests that the pcb was less than 6 months old at the point of failure so puts the onus on the op to prove the pcb was not inherently faulty.

I think the op is correct in their diagnosis but it looks like they will have to prove it.

The OP is (presumably) a trained engineer. They have investigated the problem and concluded that the pcb was damaged by the fan.

The law does not require them to prove a negative; that the pcb wasn't inherently faulty in any way. It only requires them to prove the cause of this fault wasn't down to an inherent fault, which they have done.

jamesperrett

ThumbRemote wrote: »

The OP is (presumably) a trained engineer.

Unlikely - otherwise he'd probably know how to fix a faulty PCB (and probably know how to design it in the first place).

I would guess he's a service technician who simply replaces parts that real engineers have designed.

James.

PS - sorry if this seems a little harsh but in other countries the word engineer only refers to someone with many years study who can design stuff. Over here we regularly misuse the word.

CathyH27

Thank you all for your help. Thats brilliant advice.

And Jamesperrett ... How would you suggest repairing a pcb that has been set on fire?
How about next time you dont assume the worst, and cut the honest traders in the world some slack? Our engineers are extremely qualified and competent and are definitely 'engineers' and not rip out and slap in new part people otherwise tbh we could have said that as the part was obsolete, the customer required a new boiler as british gas or similar would have done.

Instead we helped him out .... So maybe next time even if you think these things, just take a second before you post it. If you havent got anything nice to say and all that

Anyways thanks to the other

shaun_from_Africa

but in other countries the word engineer only refers to someone with many years study who can design stuff

But we are not in other countries, we are in the UK and in the UK an Engineer does not only refer to people who can "design stuff".

I am a qualified engineer (a 4 year apprenticeship followed by loads of exams at the end and more exams almost every year since), and although I wouldn't have the faintest idea about designing systems, my qualification as an aircraft engineer is recognised the world over.

Techhead_2

shaun_from_Africa wrote: »

But we are not in other countries, we are in the UK and in the UK an Engineer does not only refer to people who can "design stuff".

I am a qualified engineer (a 4 year apprenticeship followed by loads of exams at the end and more exams almost every year since), and although I wouldn't have the faintest idea about designing systems, my qualification as an aircraft engineer is recognised the world over.

Just because people routinely use a word incorrectly doesn't make it correct. I suggest you look up the definition of engineer. I am an engineer and whilst I don't denigrate people who service equipment they most definitely are not engineers.

MamaMoo_2

Techhead wrote: »

Just because people routinely use a word incorrectly doesn't make it correct. I suggest you look up the definition of engineer. I am an engineer and whilst I don't denigrate people who service equipment they most definitely are not engineers.

Stop being such a snob...

Definition of engineer
noun
1a person who designs, builds, or maintains engines, machines, or structures.
a person qualified in a branch of engineering, especially as a professional:
an aeronautical engineer