UK Homecare (Blackburn) - think they're a scam :(

Ferrety_2

In a bit of rush on Fri to take boiler cover for my rented property, I took a basic policy online with a company called UK Homecare... but I'm deeply regretting it and wondering if they're even a real company.

I recieved a Netpay reciept immediately but no confirmation or documents, so have been continuously trying to call them and email since Saturday. No one answers the phone, emails are not replied to and even a Facebook message was unheeded - a bad, bad sign from a boiler cover company!

Losing patience, today I publically posted on their Facebook page asking what was going on... at last a response!

They claimed they had trouble with BT (anyone from BT care to comment?!) so didn't have phone contact - for five days?! Really? If that was my company, I'd be spitting feathers at BT!!!

Long story short, my credit company confirms they have charged them, have given me a transaction number to pass on, given them 48 hours to respond, I have emailed them the receipt, sent them a screenshot of my credit card bill and they STILL deny the transaction has taken place.

So has anyone had dealings with them?

Because it seems they are either:
(a) Con artists
(b)Utterly incompetent
(c)An incredibly unlucky yet genuine company who's phone lines have been down for 5 days, and who's online payment system is up the swanny

Oh, incidentally, I had a bad, bad feeling about them when I checked their 'terms of service' and found their trading address listed as "This company is registered in England and Wales, Number 11111111, registered office 123 Any Street, Anytown AB2 3CD. [Only need to state this if Limited Company, otherwise proprietors'/partners' home/trading address must be shown, without use of the term: registered]"

Finally, isn't calling the company 'Homecare' a wee infringement on British Gas's copyright?!

So... can anyone confirm if they're genuine and simply hapless? Or am I looking at a chargeback claim on my credit card?!

Oh, I searched for them on this forum and two posts come up by 'daveprops' who has never actually posted anything else, but sings their praises in both posts and naughtily posts their web adress with spaces inserted... tut tut...

Ferrety_2

Oh! Forgot the best bit! They threatened to sue me if I posted my experiences online

Shhh! No one mention Uk Homecare and their HORRIBLE customer experience!!!

Ferrety_2

So not a single person has even heard anything about them? It's definitely looking like a chargeback is my only hope of getting my money back. Will it be as straightforward to claim for undelivered services as undelivered goods or is it harder to prove?

ChumpusRex

Easiest thing to do is e-mail them, and ask if they have received the payment. If they say they haven't then do a chargeback.

Tell the card company that you think the payment has been sent to the wrong company, and send them a copy of the e-mail as proof that the payment was not received.

Don't forget that if they sold you a boiler breakdown insurance policy (not just a service plan - they need to have sold something that pays out if you boiler breaks down and dies), then they are an insurer and must be registered and authorised by the financial conduct authority (FCA). You can search the FCA website to see if a company is authorised and registered. If not, then you can report them for being unregistered.

Ferrety_2

The thing is, they have the receipt and acknowledge it shows the transaction going to their company and my card company confirms the transaction was completed.

I have no idea what they're trying to sell as the website doesn't seem to specify if it's insurance or a payment plan! They never sent me any documents so all I have to go on is the website.

They refused to answer any emails or phone calls until I posted publically on facebook - although that finally prompted a response, since then they've been totally unhelpful and at first refusing to contact Netpay which processed it. Eventually they sent an email to Netpay which they cc'd me in on, but I've heard nothing since.

Can the processing company accidentally pay the wrong company but still debit my credit card with the right transaction ref and send an email receipt to me with the right company name and address?! Seems quite a gaff if they have!