24/7 Home Rescue package

harrym1byt

Just to set the scene - A widow friend of mine, lives alone since her husband passed away, but before he passed away he took on a package deal with 24/7 Home Rescue. The deal included a new boiler, plus their entire home breakdown package. The package claims to include electrics, plumbing and drainage internal and external, mentioning no exceptions. She is now stuck with paying this as a monthly sum for 7 years, with 3 more years to run. She is on what can best be described as a desperately struggling income from her salary, added to which English is not her first language.

During the 4 years she has been paying this, she has suffered two problems which she has called them out to fix.

The first was an issue with her kitchen sink draining slowly. They attended, claimed to have fixed it, but it was no better.

The second was a leak in the bathroom. They attended, but made an excuse that they wouldn't dismantle anything to trace the leak and left. That was maybe 10 months ago, since when the leak has continued and done considerable damage to the bathroom floor and the walls and ceiling of the room below. I finally got her to rip up the floor covering, bath panel and panel covering the toilet cistern, so she could herself attempt to trace the source of the leak. Over the weekend she found the source was in fact the toilet discharge pipe seal, which had failed, so she once again called 24/7 to come and fix it.

Their guy turned up this morning looked at the problem and said 24/7 do not repair sewer pipes, but agreed to fix it himself for £60 - not working for 24/7. Now I would expect the word 'drainage' to include a toilet drain, and their policy does not specifically exclude it, unless you ask them. What do others think?

Whilst he was there, she asked him to look at fixing the slow draining kitchen sink. He had a go, claimed to fix it, but it was no better and now the bottle trap leaks.

Before this final recent episode, I suggested she should ask 24/7 - as they were so useless, how much it would cost her to buy herself out of the 7 year contract. She said there reply was approximately half of the overall value of the contract.

For her, it has been an awfully expensive and frustrating way to purchase a new boiler on the 'never never', almost £3500, but what do other's think?

  

     

Alderbank

They are well known here at Money Saving Expert but for all the wrong reasons.

Read this thread:
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5619424/24-7-home-rescue-stay-away/p1

They have an authorised rep who has posted here in the past. The rep might help your friend to escape.

harrym1byt

I've just read the earlier discussion and to be fair to 24/7....

I tried to ring 24/7 on behalf of my friend, hoping to try to get her issues resolved. I got through straight away during the working day, and the people I spoke to sounded English. They refused to discuss anything with me, as I was not there customer. They would only discuss it with me with my friends confirmation of her approval, plus my knowing her email address - which I didn't know. Idea was that she would ring them and give her approval, but instead they diverted her by offering to send someone out to the bathroom repair a second time. Obviously they didn't want to fight with me, being a timid character, she is a much more easily bamboozled.

I have suggested she should put a stop to the monthly direct debit and see them in court, but she is far too timid for that. Unfortunately, the contract included the installation of a new boiler.  

Alderbank

Your friend was wise not to listen to you. Stopping a direct debit but not cancelling the service is bad advice.

Why was installing a new boiler unfortunate?

macman

Of course they won't discuss another customer's account with you without her prior authorisation. You could be anyone.
You are aware of data protection laws?

harrym1byt

Alderbank said:

Your friend was wise not to listen to you. Stopping a direct debit but not cancelling the service is bad advice.

Why was installing a new boiler unfortunate?

Not the boiler installation, but the company they unfortunately became involved with.

macman said:

Of course they won't discuss another customer's account with you without her prior authorisation. You could be anyone.
You are aware of data protection laws?

They/she have more than paid for the boiler over the years, but being let down on the advertised repair service, when it is needed. Stopping the debit would focus their minds somewhat. 

sheramber

Why can't you phone with her beside you. She starts the call and then advises then that she authorises you to speak on her behalf. You then take over the call.

eskbanker

harrym1byt said:
Stopping the debit would focus their minds somewhat. 

Indeed, but that focus would be squarely on recovering the consequent debt rather than increasing their cooperation or improving the service if that's what your aspiration would be!

harrym1byt

sheramber said:

Why can't you phone with her beside you. She starts the call and then advises then that she authorises you to speak on her behalf. You then take over the call.

That would involve a 100 mile trip to be at her side.

harrym1byt

eskbanker said:

harrym1byt said:
Stopping the debit would focus their minds somewhat. 

Indeed, but that focus would be squarely on recovering the consequent debt rather than increasing their cooperation or improving the service if that's what your aspiration would be!

My aspiration is now to get her out of a useless and expensive contract which serves her no benefit apart from lots of frustration. 

Jumblebumble

harrym1byt said:

sheramber said:

Why can't you phone with her beside you. She starts the call and then advises then that she authorises you to speak on her behalf. You then take over the call.

That would involve a 100 mile trip to be at her side.

I think most mobile phones can be conferenced
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT211110