British Gas added Breakdown Cover to my account when I was moved to them last year without asking me

slugbreff

Just been on to look at my energy bill from British Gas and I get a message that my Breakdown Cover is due to renew.
This is something that I didn't want and didn't ask for! Now being asked to pay for something that I didn't know about is really sneaky.
Might be worth others checking their bills before they get hit with an unexpected charge.
Oh, and I have to phone British Gas between 9 - 5 Monday - Friday to cancel this. It is really inconvenient.

EssexHebridean

Has it not been shown on your bills for the last year, assuming that you mean it is an added charge to your energy use? 

slugbreff

EssexHebridean said:

Has it not been shown on your bills for the last year, assuming that you mean it is an added charge to your energy use? 

No. It was included as a freebie apparently.

brewerdave

I was moved to BG from Neon Reef just over a year ago - I remember them making some sort of introductory (free) offer for boiler cover - but you had to opt in, wasn't automatic 

EssexHebridean

slugbreff said:

EssexHebridean said:

Has it not been shown on your bills for the last year, assuming that you mean it is an added charge to your energy use? 

No. It was included as a freebie apparently.

OK - did it also come with a note that said that it "would be chargeable from X date unless it was cancelled before that time"? It sounds like it may have been set up as something similar to the free trials you get for  various things - and you would be far from the first person to have got caught out with something like that! 

I'd email them, be terribly polite and apologetic, and tell them that you simply cannot afford to pay for it so please could they remove it.  Fingers crossed they will be obliging. 

diystarter7

brewerdave said:

I was moved to BG from Neon Reef just over a year ago - I remember them making some sort of introductory (free) offer for boiler cover - but you had to opt in, wasn't automatic 

Hi

We have BG cover on our boliers and white goods. NB: We never go for the auto renewal and it takes some doing to ensure this.
Therefore if you are with BG or anyone else for that matter and don't want auto renew on any services they supply you, then double check. Other than that BG is ok but I have to make a few calls to get the hard copies of the agreements for the cover.

Thanks

oldagetraveller1

BG's renewal letter does confirm the auto renew but it's not that difficult to opt out.

I have found their breakdown cover to be abysmal in that they never show up. When someone does they only complete half a job. Last month, after three no shows, he turns up with a float valve for the f & e tank without a float! Fortunately I had one in the garage, otherwise it would have meant hoping the float on the faulty valve would fit.

The sticking three way diverter valve still has to be changed - "wait until the warmer weather in case your system is difficult to fill".

vic_sf49

I had it free for a year, then you could opt out of auto renew online. Can't remember how exactly, think it was just changing an option from auto renew, to "remind me by post", and possibly only within a certain time frame near to the renewal date, but it used to be possible.

I didn't want it, and still used my local gas safe chap, so I just made sure it didn't renew.