Would you buy a boiler online ?

rustyboy21

diywhynot wrote: »

rustyboy21 wrote: »

One trick pony limits the choices for the consumer. One manufacturer doesn't always have the best/value for money solution for every install.

If someone wants to buy their own boiler we will install but only products with which we have experience and rate the technical/warranty support , parts availability/cost and good reliability. A manufacturer's warranty is valid regardless of source of the supply.

If you only install, never repair or service, it is easy for a busy heating business to rack up some points. Potential freebies don't influence our product choices.


No such thing as an 'authorized RGI'.
Installers can be listed on a manufacturer's website after completing a few product courses and manufacturers don't provide any guarantee for the standard of work etc and will have a disclaimer to that effect.

If a RGI doesn't put a hugh markup on materials then a customer shouldn't feel the need to find an alternative: very easy to price check boilers etc on the internet.

At the end of the day, it is entirely up to the individual consumer to ensure their purchase is what they wish for and the standard of aftersales is what they want too.

If an accredited installer can offer extra cover free of charge thru them selling and installing their reccomended boiler brand then that has to be taken into account.

If an accredited RGI has the facility to get 24 hour callouts arranged to rectify the fault, has the facility to get parts within 24 hours, has the backup of an extensive technical library to fault source, Has manufacturer back up if they cannot rectify the fault and the consumer has piece of mind, then that has to be an important point for any consumer to take into account.

I have had this argument on here before, with am RGI, who only fitted one type of boiler. He was dissing every other brand of boiler than the one he installed. I proved that he was only pushing his own brand due to the loyalty system he was signed up to. Yes, I accept that this was only a perk for him, not the consumer, but looking at it again, If this perk of his then enables the consumer to have preferential terms with the manufacturer concerened then that is a good thing.

With a purchase from a brand accredited boiler install from an RGI of that brand, the consumer would have most likely the following extras

5-7 year warranty instead of 12 months
24 hour callout to rectify faults that RGI cannot sort
certainty that their install has been registered through to building control.
24 hour availability of parts
Priority to recalls if issues over their model of boiler are found. This is due to their model being registered on their system as they are under a priority membership with the manufacturer. They wont have to check if they are requiring a recall.
Possible extra goodwill with the manufacturer, if you have issues after the warranty ends.

Compare this to having an internet bought boiler installed by an un acreditted (sic) RGI for that boiler.

Callout charge of say £65 to see what fault is, even if he will do it.
Maybe 4-5 day wait for the part,( with no hot water/heating) as PTS or HRPC don't have the part in branch or the feeder depot, so have to get it from the manufacturer. Or the part is sent out on a standard 3-4 day courier by the manufacturer as the RGI is not one of their Registered installers.
Another £65 to fit the part.
The chance that the boiler hasn't been registered with the manufacturer, so if you ring up to report fault, then you will have to Fax thru Proof of purchase, the installers details and Gas safe Reg details, serial no, etc. This may then end up as the consumer having to pay an upfront callout charge of say £140 before the manufacturer will come out, with this being refunded if everything is shown to be correct with the install ( which it never is !).

I am not saying never buy from the internet, what I was trying to get over is that yes by all means look at brands and prices on the net, but also get a price from an RGI of the brand you are looking at. Then take into account that say , the £400 difference in the price of the boiler ( if that ) is outweighed by the benefits you get from having it installed by the brand authorsed RGI.

My company don't install boilers , but I have dealt with more Installers than most people have had hot dinners. I know how they work. In my own business, if someone comes to me to get an internet bought fire installed, it depends on what make it is. If it is one I don't mind fitting I will give an install price of say £250. If they bought it from me, it would be fitted for £75. I would also give a free 3 year P&L warranty with it and register the appliance with the manufacturer, so it would be a matter of just ringing the Manu up and giving your name and postcode to find you on their system. They would then get a 48 hour callout, instead of 2-3 weeks callout. I can see most installers who fit non purchased boilers doing similar. I do this, as the money I make from install is very little compared to what I make when I supply and install

It is things like above that you have to look at when purchasing a large item which needs installing.

What's the saying.... Expert at one thing, master of nothing !

rustyboy21

diywhynot wrote: »

We purchase our boilers from PTS or the local independent and don't receive a 'bung' or 'incentive' from the manufacturers.

FYI... one online seller is very competitive and the goods are delivered by a large plumbing merchant chain;)

What you are not taking into account is that the local PTS will be offering special pricing on a ceratin brand at particular times, as they have had a 'bung' from the manu. The same with your local ind merchant.

There was an issue with a certain boiler brand, which were giving away a gas fire with a certain boiler model , they were banded together. The local merchant took the fire off the boiler and then sold them on cheap. It was an offer to benefit the installer/consumer, it was abused by the local merchants, so in effect they were robbing the likes of yourself.

Arthur_Crown

If you are on certain benefits you may qualify for a free replacement boiler on the Affordable Warmth scheme. Go to

'affordablewarmthapply'

AquaJen

We fitted a boiler that a customer purchased online the other week... flippin thing didn't work and we spent hours testing the electrics we put in. He swore the boiler was ok, we were adamant it wasn't. Turned out to be a faulty PCB. He has had to order another one and we aren't going to be the ones putting it in. He has paid us for our time, but we would never ever do it again.

As another example, we got a Glow Worm boiler for a customer from our supplier, there was a problem with one of the flue screw holes (it wasn't aligned correctly). 1 phone call from us to the suppler ended up with the boiler being collected, a new one dropped off and Glow Worm compensated us for the time wasted. If the customer had supplied the boiler it would have been a different story.

diywhynot

The reality is some people know the price of everything but the value of nothing. The internet age has made the trade ever more challenging: swim or sink. We prefer the former.

diywhynot

rustyboy21 wrote: »

I have had this argument on here before, with am RGI, who only fitted one type of boiler. He was dissing every other brand of boiler than the one he installed. I proved that he was only pushing his own brand due to the loyalty system he was signed up to.

Who would that be?

rustyboy21

diywhynot wrote: »

Who would that be?

Think he got PP'rd Not around anymore anyway and have not seen someone with similar ideas, purporting to be someone different;)

rustyboy21

diywhynot wrote: »

The reality is some people know the price of everything but the value of nothing. The internet age has made the trade ever more challenging: swim or sink. We prefer the former.

The internet doesn't mean that you have to change into a boiler ' wh9re 'who will fit anything for anyone .

You can get by very nicely thankyou sticking to your guns, promoting your products and service and still keep offering a superior service that they wouldn't get elsewhere.

Sometimes spreading yourself out too much, comes back and bites you on the preverbial.

I find that people use the internet to find the product and what price they can get it for, but have no intention of buying it off the internet. They just want to use the facts to batter the retailer over the head to try and get a bargain.

If the retailer can sell his co, sell his service , show the pitfalls of buying off the internet, it is usually quite easy to get the sale. If you are sales orientated and i don't mean high pressure, you can do this , you feel good and the customer knows they have had good service. Sell yourself, your co and the added extras you get from being an accreditted supplier.

The problem is shops give up too easily and don't know what good service they actually give the consumer. I used to get hit by the likes of B&Q and Homebase. Now it is the internet. Same thing, different beast.

diywhynot

rustyboy21 wrote: »

Think he got PP'rd Not around anymore anyway and have not seen someone with similar ideas, purporting to be someone different;)

Still here.

buglawton

Some tradesmen prefer you buy large items direct, if he buys it, it goes onto his turnover. Can cause issues with VAT and his Sole Trader status if he is not already a limited company.