British Gas "Annual" Boiler Service

trotter09

I have a British Gas HomeCare "Annual" service contract. "Annual" in quotes because in practice it's just about impossible to get an annual service: in reality it’s a service every 14 months. Is this other people’s experience?

 

You can’t access the BG booking system until a year after your previous service and then the earliest date you can get will be 7 to 12 weeks in the future. I believe it’s actually BG policy not to allow anyone to book a service that’s less than 50 days in the future. So you just can't book a service that's a year after the previous one.

 

It seems wrong that BG advertise an annual service when it’s no such thing. Has anyone else had the same experience, that in practice it’s at least 14 months between services?

 

Cardew

That practice has been brought up several times on MSE; it has been going on for years.

Oldbiggles

trotter09 said:

 

You can’t access the BG booking system until a year after your previous service and then the earliest date you can get will be 7 to 12 weeks in the future. I believe it’s actually BG policy not to allow anyone to book a service that’s less than 50 days in the future. So you just can't book a service that's a year after the previous one.

It seems wrong that BG advertise an annual service when it’s no such thing. Has anyone else had the same experience, that in practice it’s at least 14 months between services?

I've had a BG Service contract for about 15 years and up until now they always phone me each year and ask 'when they can send their engineer to do the annual service'. Perhaps you should phone them and ask for the same thing rather than rely on the web site.

 

Oldbiggles

I've had a BG Service contract for about 15 years and up until now they always phone me each year and ask 'when they can send their engineer to do the annual service'. Perhaps you should phone them and ask for the same thing rather than rely on the web site.

trotter09

Cardew said:

That practice has been brought up several times on MSE; it has been going on for years.

Thank you. British Gas advertising is misleading as it gives the impression it's a service every 12 months. Maybe the Advertising Standards people should take a look. 

trotter09

Oldbiggles said:

I've had a BG Service contract for about 15 years and up until now they always phone me each year and ask 'when they can send their engineer to do the annual service'. Perhaps you should phone them and ask for the same thing rather than rely on the web site.

Interesting. I might well try that next time. Do you manage to get a service every 12 months more or less or does the interval still turn out to be 14 months or so. 

I have the basic level of HomeCare cover I'm wondering if they're better if one has the more expensive cover.