Warning re 24/7HomeRescue

smp1959

This is more of a warning regarding this company but there may be others who operate in a similar way.

I have had a policy to protect my boiler against breakdown for almost 2 years. Over a week ago my boiler developed a fault and I had no hot water. An Engineer from 24/7 came out and said the heat exchanger was faulty and he would order the part and be back in the week to fix the boiler. I had also paid an extra £40 to 24/7 to have an inhibiter put into the system.

The following day I received a call from 24/7 stating that they would not fix the boiler under the terms of the policy as the cost was more than 60% of the value of the boiler. Looking online this seems to be very, very common with them getting out of fixing boilers etc. They told me that Vailant, would come out and fix the boiler for a sum of £240, which was a highly reduced cost. I reluctantly agreed to this but told them I wanted a refund of the £40 I had paid for the inhibiter and they agreed to this.

When the Engineer from Vailant saw the boiler he immediately noticed a hole in the flue, said he could not carry out the repair until the flue was repaired and capped off my boiler. He also stated that the fault was not with the heat exchanger but in fact the diverter valve! I rang 24/7 and asked them why their Engineer had not noticed the hole in the flue and they stated "we don't deal with flues"!! They also stated that I could only have £120 of the £240 I had paid as Vailant had been out. I argued that if their Engineer had told me the flue needed repairing and had caped off the boiler then I wouldn't have paid the £240 and Vailant wouldn't have come out.

I have reported the company to Gas Safe and Which have asked for details of the complaint as they have stated it is very worrying.

This company cannot be referred to the Financial Ombudsman as they state they are not selling an insurance contract.

I have put my full complaint in writing and am contacting them constantly but keep being told my complaint is being looked at or that I will be contacted in due course.

This seems to be the way they operate. Anyone with elderly or vulnerable relatives needs to be aware of them.

I feel I have a bit fight on my hands to get a full refund but as I now have had to pay out for a new boiler I am determined to see this through.

bigisi

smp1959 wrote: »

This is more of a warning regarding this company but there may be others who operate in a similar way.

Then it belongs on the 'Praise, Vents and Warnings' Board.

stuartJo1989

I'd be interested to know why you want a full refund if the Vailant price "was a highly reduced cost".. (though it could be a sister company to 24/7).

You see, it may well be cheaper to have a third party fix the flue bit and then get Vailant back out to complete the work as initially agreed. You could, in theory, end up paying MORE to get the boiler up and running if you pursue a refund and go via one third party.

Also, you say "He also stated that the fault was not with the heat exchanger but in fact the diverter valve" - so does that mean 24/7 were initially wrong? If so, does this new fault fall under the warranty Ts and Cs in any way? If you've got like an engineer report specifying the fault then that would be brilliant, and I'd potentially consider Small Claims court as your next step (depending on the specifics, may be worth speaking to CAB) to enforce your rights under the warranty, or get a full refund.

I don't know much about boilers etc mind you, so just speculation here more than anything.