Boiler Service - No appointment slot have to be at home for 1 day

Q*bert

As title states...currently rent through a housing association.

The boiler is serviced yearly and normally you are sent a card with a day the company will service your gas boiler/heating.

I'm sent a letter from my housing association, stating you have refused entry on numerous occasions. First time was 8 days ago and was on my way out to work - No appointment scheduled, guy turns up at approx 4.00pm expecting to get let in.

Ive phoned my housing agency to discuss the reason you cannot get an appointment time and also the letter and its strong wording also and to ask the reason a card with an appointment time was not sent.

To discover the reason you then phone the service company, and the receptionist gets upset because your not at home when no appointment was sent and your supposed to be in...etc

Long story short....You have to set an entire day aside, day off work [nobody to leave the key with] and are asked if you could leave the key in a safe place...seriously Ive been put on the spot and I do not know if I'll be allowed time off

Anyone else experienced this sort of behaviour and should I reasonably have to wait in an entire day for a boiler service company to service a boiler - just seems strange being at their disposal like this....

G_M

Write to the landlord. Point out that your gas inspection is due and you have not been notified of a date. Request a date. Point out that an engineer did turn up without notice, so of course could not get access.


Can you really not leave a key with the LL (HA)? If not, and no family/friends who can help, you'll have to be in.

AdrianC

Q*bert wrote: »

As title states...currently rent through a housing association.

The boiler is serviced yearly

Good.

But also GSC is an annual legal requirement.

and normally you are sent a card with a day the company will service your gas boiler/heating.

I'm sent a letter from my housing association, stating you have refused entry on numerous occasions. First time was 8 days ago and was on my way out to work - No appointment scheduled, guy turns up at approx 4.00pm expecting to get let in.

Right, and?

The poor guy gets a list of his appointments for the day. He turns up to the first job. Maybe it goes well and he's in and out in half an hour. Maybe he's mucking about for two hours then finds he needs parts. Repeat all day. He has no idea whether he'll be with you before lunch or at the end of the day...

Ive phoned my housing agency to discuss the reason you cannot get an appointment time

It's the exact same reason you probably wouldn't if you were a home-owner. The only difference is that there wouldn't be a legal requirement to get a GSC...

G_M wrote: »

Point out that an engineer did turn up without notice, so of course could not get access.

I read it as the guy was expected at some point during the day, but the OP wasn't planning on being in for the entire day, even though they'd said they would be.

Q*bert

Already done, spoke to a housing association receptionist earlier and also the boiler service company receptionist and she assures, "The service engineer took a photo of the card being put through your letterbox"....this was at an earlier date and have no card..!?

Most annoying aspect is having to wait in for an entire day for a boiler service...

Ive experienced this before with a delivery company - After finding a card outside on the pavement and their receptionist claiming we put a card through your letterbox and its all your fault.

All this seems like a cheap way of passing the blame and apart from firing off letters and emails Im hoping there is another way of defending yourself from this sort of behaviour.

And more importantly - why should anyone be expected to wait an entire day for a boiler service and for reasons unknown the service company cannot give an appointment time...

pinkteapot

Q*bert wrote: »

And more importantly - why should anyone be expected to wait an entire day for a boiler service and for reasons unknown the service company cannot give an appointment time...

As GM already said, because they simply can't be that precise with their timings as jobs can easily take longer or less time than expected.

We've recently moved and had four-hour slots for a couple of furniture deliveries, then a half day slot for BT to install and another half-day slot for Sky (who couldn't do the same date as BT). We had to take time off work. It's what you do.

It is slightly rubbish that they're using a company that does all-day slots. I have used boiler companies before that do half-day slots. That's as good as it ever gets though - you won't get an exact time.

AdrianC

Q*bert wrote: »

Already done, spoke to a housing association receptionist earlier and also the boiler service company receptionist and she assures, "The service engineer took a photo of the card being put through your letterbox"....this was at an earlier date and have no card..!?

And was it a photo of your letterbox?

Because, if not, there's clearly been human error on the part of the engineer, and he's simply gone to the wrong flat.

davidmcn

It's possible that with sufficient pleading you might be granted a "first appointment of the day" or at least a "some time after x" visit, even if they're not immediately offered upfront. After all, the contractor and the landlord will also want to just get it done without too much extra hassle.

Q*bert

Asked for a copy of the card being put through the letter box and the service company receptionist started a song and dance about it taking 5 minutes to download and then send...still not received

In all honesty from my stance, the amount of headless chicken behaviour Im encountering is unbelievable.

Previously cards were sent, this time no card...possible error, ok..Im going to work.

The service company have my telephone number, why not call - "Hello Mr Q'Bert our engineer will service your boiler in approximately 1 hour, please be at home and allow our engineer to service your boiler...

Instead of this blame game/pass the buck rubbish.

Seriously, being drawn into a problem like this when you are not at fault in this day and when they have alternative methods of communication...not good people not good at all and perhaps the service company want to look at their methods of scheduling appointments.

Is the homeowners fault the engineer takes 2 hours repairing another persons boiler, how long does it take step away from what you are doing and send a text

AdrianC

Well, there's a very easy answer if the landlord is that bad...

Move.

Q*bert

The Landlord at the beginning is not that bad

Next on the agenda is the new toilet they installed as part of a recent upgrade. Waste namely sh*t does not flush away and sits in the pot....the bowl is too small and maybe my !!! is too big, either way takes several flushes to leave the bowl empty

G_M

Are you sure it does not have a half/full flush option?


Many modern toilets do to save water. Either 2 buttons, or sometimes for a half flush (pee) you press the handles and release, but for a full flush (poo) you press the handle and hold it down till the flush ends)


Or maybe some other process.