Cheapest Boiler Cover Discussion

landsker

Beware of sneaky British Gas sending a renewal letter for boiler & central heating cover, with increased payments compared with your existing cover price.
I am contracted for Homecare 200 at a cost of £17 per month. The renewal came in at £21.03 per month. We have not used their call out service in the past 12 months.
British Gas website, today 25/02/2012, is showing Homecare 200 to cost £17 per month.
I was so p***ed off that I called the helpline and complained bitterly that loyal existing customers were being treated shabbily compared with new, unknown, customers.
After some discussion + threats of looking elsewhere (put politely) and being handed further up the line from the original parroting drone I managed to get a reduction to £17.80 per month for the next annual contract.
I saved £38.80 with one (0800) call.:T:T:T

simontarn

Got fed up with BG missing appointments despite texting and e mailing umpteen times to tell you they are coming between 8am and 10am then not showing until 2pm and that only after 3 irate phone calls to find out where they are. Treatment of loyal clients was also abysmal bumping up the costs annually and hoping you won't notice whilst enticing new clients with rock bottom prices.
Have now found a local plumber who has worked for me on a number of jobs in the past. He is very reliable and very reasonably priced comes when he says he is coming and charges what he quotes also doesn't fob you off with excuses. Just a good honest tradesman. He will even come out on a Saturday morning. He also provides a reasonably priced insurance policy underwritten by Domestic and General to pay for the big jobs should the worst happen and something major go on the boiler or heating system (has already provided a new timer unit under the policy for a 10 year old Potterton combi foc). My advice ditch the big boys and look for a decent local plumber lot less pain in the end.

Vinni-Malink

Hi everyone,
Please please spread the word... Dial A Rod is one of THE WORST COMPANIES I have ever come across! Please DO NOT purchase boiler cover with them. I've just realised I've paid for the crappest policy I have ever come across. I've not been ripped off in this way before so I'm in complete shock that companies can be allowed to perform such a scam.
We recently bought our first house and thought we'd be responsible adults and get boiler cover. Unfortunately our boiler broke down 4 days ago and we have since been without heating or hot water. We called dial a rod immediately only to be told someone will call back within 24 hrs. This hasn't happened and we have been calling them daily since.
We can't afford to get a plumber out to check the fault and I'm currently undergoing chemo for hodkins lymphoma So could not only massively do without the stress but I'm supposed to keep myself and my environment clean- very difficult with no access to hot water. It's not even like I can pop to my mums- they live over 150 miles away.
I'm getting absolutely nowhere with this sham they call a company. The staff have now even started to become rude and abusive and hang up on me- I can't believe a company like this can actually operate in the UK, we seem to have laws to prevent us from doing anything, that is, of course, get stung! Please pass this info on and to all those out there who have said that you pay for what you get, come on use your head- this is a complete money maker and the company is promising something it won't ever provide! It completely out of order, just think of all those grannies/ single parent families out there who have no heating and hot water but just a promise of a call back which will never happen! I don't care how much has been paid for the "service" I've completed my side by paying for the contract, now they need to do their side of the contract.
I've now read similar reviews on line so no idea how to resolve it.... I NEED A BATH ASAP!!!!

mathiaskt

Hi Guys,
My boiler used to be insured by EON and they did a pretty good job I think. I changed it to AA in April this year. The AA Engineer (or what ever company they use) came to my house one Sunday (I requested to be that day) and said for Health and safety (H&S) he can’t service the boiler. I have a three bedroom terraced house and the boiler is upstairs in one of the rooms next to the bed. After quoting H&S he left. Unfortunately I forgot to take it with AA. This morning it stopped heating the water. I phoned AA to make a claim and was told my boiler was not insured because the initial service has not been done. Note that they are taking money from my account each month for the insurance I now find I can’t claim against it. Can they do that? I have a 6 months old baby in the house.
Appreciate any help.
M.

The_AA_Company_Representative

This certainly doesn’t sound typical, this is something we should be addressing, please contact [EMAIL="chat@theaa.com"]chat@theaa.com[/EMAIL] including details and Ref 11261 so that we can look in to this for you. Thank you

Sagz_2

Just ahd a call from a company touting for business telling me taht my current boiler cover with Dial A Rod was no good as they had ceased trading.

Called the Dial a Rod number ( 0845 643 5673 ) and the number is no longer in use.


I paid for a years cover through PayPal so am trying to get my money back - wish me luck!

carh

Interesting reading below with the comments on boiler cover even though some are 2007. I was about to sign with British gas as I have made an error on signing with another Building & Contents insurer (the old cover did cover boilers) but after reading what I already felt about BG, I am really put off again. All the big impersonal firms like BG, BT etc seem to have a mix of a couple of maybe good and a large amount of average to poor workmen, maybe because the credentials are not checked enough. I heard some horror stories:eek: about the poor training of workmen in BG from an independent service guy once though he may have had his own issues with them. Still no idea what to do now.:(

ihateyes

carh wrote: »

Interesting reading below with the comments on boiler cover even though some are 2007. I was about to sign with British gas as I have made an error on signing with another Building & Contents insurer (the old cover did cover boilers) but after reading what I already felt about BG, I am really put off again. All the big impersonal firms like BG, BT etc seem to have a mix of a couple of maybe good and a large amount of average to poor workmen, maybe because the credentials are not checked enough. I heard some horror stories:eek: about the poor training of workmen in BG from an independent service guy once though he may have had his own issues with them. Still no idea what to do now.:(

remember home insurance uses subbies. who arent not individually vetted by the insurer. simply they are on a register for subbie work.

muirhead_2

I have used Home Emergency cover over the years as an add on to my main buildings & contents insurance.

On a couple of occasions I called for a breakdown on central heating boiler, engineer arrived fitted a part as required and no problem. This year i insured with DAS insurance who uses Home Assistance as their Home Emergency company.

Without boring you I had to take Home Assistance to The Insurance Ombudsman and won compensation I am 66 and this was the worst compamy I have dealt with in my life. Moral is check who will be sub contracted to provide Emergency cover through your main insurers.

tempsc

Hello. We have a Worecester Bosch 19/24 boiler (universally believed to be a rotten boiler) which I am considering insuring for breakdown before winter.

A few queries...

Do breakdown insurers require that the boiler is serviced before either cover or, if called out for repairs, starting work? (I think mine was serviced late 2010.

I'm a bit concerned about which cover to purchase as I've heard stories on the radio about cover being limited to service only, as opposed to the insured's understanding that the cover also included spares and fitting/labour etc (all in).

I have received a letter from Domestic and General which is offering specific to our boiler insurance for £15.50 per month, inclusive of £1500 repairs per year. Any views on this?

Would really appreciate some advice on this and how to best navigate through the varying providers.

Thanks
Paul