Domestic Appliance Repair

Seasalt3

Has anyone had any dealings with NAC (Domestic Appliance Repairs)? I booked a repair for my fridge freezer through their website on 27th October and the engineer was due to come today.  He hasnt turned up or made contact despite  leaving messages on his voicemail . There is no phone to call NAC and they only communicate through virtual assistants. I've tried to cancel the appointment but the virtual assistant says I need to contact the engineer. Going round in circles with this!

LessImpecunious

Hello Seasalt - did you get anywhere with this?

I had a similar experience with booking someone for a washing machine repair through NAC. I made an advance payment to the mechanic for the replacement part which I knew needed to be fitted, after which he (with numerous just-about plausible excuses) failed to turn up for about a month. He finally visited and replaced the part after I phoned NAC (which unlike the OP I was able to do) and complained. However, the machine was still leaking (original booking was to replace broken part and investigate leak), so I was asked to pay the labour charge, which I was told would also cover the return visit to fit an additional replacement part, which I was also charged in advance for. Long delay, several requests to visit, eventually gave up and booked a local repair person, who quickly determined that the machine had a split drum, so was effectively a writeoff, which he thought would have been obvious to the original mechanic...

During the wait for the second visit I had a look at several review sites for NAC; overall scores seem good, but the 1 star reviews makes interesting reading, with lots of no-shows, partial repairs with additional payment made up-front, etc; suggesting something of a pattern...

Based on several random tests it appears that anyone searching online and putting in a postcode, for example, is likely to find NAC topping the list and claiming to have a network of repairers in your area; but in fact they seem to be a national "broker" for mechanics who run, or work for, their own businesses, which may or may not be local (mine had a c. 2 hour drive to get here, which might partially explain his reluctance to attend). 

I'm not suggesting that all repair/ers booked through NAC will behave similarly, but I think the fact that booking takes place through another company may give rogue, or just lazy, traders an extra layer of security which makes it easier for them to get away with dubious behaviour... NAC themselves appear to benefit whether or not a job is completed adequately, as they are apparently (according to my local repairer, who had been approached by them) paid a fixed fee for each job they pass to the affiliated repairer, and have disclaimers in their Ts and Cs which mean that any dispute has to be taken up directly with the repairer and not themselves.

Based on my experience I'd advise anyone searching for appliance repairers online to check that anyone booked through NAC is actually local to yourself, or look down the list of SERPS and pick a genuinely local repairer, as they are more likely to be concerned with doing a good job and building/maintaining their own local reputation.

Hope you managed to get your fridge-freezer sorted Seasalt!

whattochoose

I've used NAC Repair for a repair (electric cooker grill) but I'm not sure I would again. 
OK, the repair's been completed, but I've found the process quite unsatisfactory. 
From reading "the small print" it appears they have NAC employees and NAC direct engineers. However, I think the majority tend to be NAC service partners, who are an outsourced means of carrying out repairs. 
I sensed the whole process was not going to be totally professional, so I made a point of creating my own receipt which I asked the engineer to sign after paying him. Also in terms of guarantees for labour and parts I found him somewhat vague, and I am currently persuing this with NAC Repair.
In the event of the repair not proving adequate, I'd have no hesitation in getting in touch with Trading Standards.

Seasalt3

I didnt hear from them so gave up and  found a local repairman on MyBuilder.  He was very good

TB20

We have paid NAC a total of £311.66 to repair our oven. They charged initially for the call out on 23rd June 2026, engineer ordered two parts which we paid for. He came again to fit them 26th June, the oven blew the electrics when he tested it. He said we needed another part which we paid for. After several phone calls, we still have no date for them to come and fit this part and it is now 4th August. The oven cannot be used obviously. We asked for all our money back, that is not possible apparently. The customer services man suggested we get the part from the engineer’s house! We have lost all that money and have no means of cooking. We are pensioners, my husband has many health problems. What should we do? We could buy a new oven for £479 and write off the losses but we have been cheated out of almost that amount.

whattochoose

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/get-more-help/report-to-trading-standards/

Might be worth getting in touch here?

lincroft1710

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82091284#Comment_82091284

CAB will refer matter to TS who will log it. Only if TS have multiple complaints against NAC would they consider taking any action. But TS can't get your money back. The only way to do that is a Letter Before Action and if no joy, subsequent referral to MoneyClaimOnLine

Sheila3

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82091879#Comment_82091879

You could also try chargeback (credit/debit card) and/or Section 75 (credit card). Chargeback preferred as the money will be recovered from the merchant. More details in MSE guide.

If you need more evidence for your claim (eg call recordings), put in a Subject Access Request.

See also thread 6615755 (can't post link).

Vkay44

I wish I had read more reviews before booking with NAC Appliance Care. My experience has been incredibly frustrating, and I would urge others to think carefully before paying upfront.

I completed the online booking form and paid £96.40 upfront for a tumble dryer repair, with my initial appointment booked for 12th October.

On the morning of the appointment, I received a text with an estimated arrival time that I couldn't accommodate. I contacted the office as soon as it opened at 8:30am to see whether an alternative arrangement was possible.

Initially, I was told that the original morning slot was still available. I explained that this time was unsuitable and politely asked whether the office could contact the engineer to see if an afternoon visit might be possible. Helen, the call handler, refused to do this. Almost immediately, her attitude towards me deteriorated, and I was then told there were no slots left, despite the office having only just opened five minutes earlier.

I found Helen's manner incredibly rude and unhelpful. I felt I was being dismissed rather than helped as a paying customer. Unfortunately, the events that followed only reinforced that impression.

I subsequently spoke to another member of staff, Becky, and rebooked online for Monday 19th October.

At 6:55am on the morning of that appointment, I received a text saying the engineer was off sick.

The company then rescheduled the visit again, but I received two separate emails from two different engineers, both suggesting they would attend. The proposed date conflicted with my work commitments, so I couldn't accommodate it. I called the office and spoke to Rita, who rearranged the appointment for 26th October.

On 26th October, no ETA text arrived, despite this being the expected procedure. At 10:10am, I called to chase the appointment because previous correspondence had indicated that jobs could be aborted at 10am if customers hadn't confirmed their ETA.

The receptionist couldn't explain why the text hadn't been sent. After checking engineer Andrew Crush's diary, she confirmed that no time had actually been scheduled for my visit. She said she would chase this up and get back to me.

Shortly afterwards, I received yet another text cancelling the appointment due to engineer sickness.

By this point, I had spent two weeks being messed around, had confirmation of 5 different rescheduled appointments, had tried to accommodate repeated changes to the arrangements, and had paid £96.40 upfront for a service that had still not been provided.

I tried to call back to request a refund, but it took a while to get through to the office. Eventually, Lisa answered and submitted a refund request to the accounts department. She apologised and acknowledged that I hadn't had much luck. I appreciate her acknowledging the situation, but I am now left waiting for my money to be returned.

Overall, my experience with NAC Appliance Care has been extremely negative. The repeated cancellations, confusing communications, lack of organisation and initial customer service experience have left me with absolutely no confidence in the company.

I understand that engineers can become ill, and I wouldn't criticise a business simply because of a genuine sickness absence. However, when appointments are repeatedly rearranged, communication breaks down, no visit is properly scheduled, and a customer has already paid almost £100 upfront, I believe the company has a responsibility to manage the situation far better.

My biggest concern is that customers are paying a substantial amount upfront without receiving the service they've paid for. In the current financial climate, almost £100 is a lot of money to have tied up while chasing a repair that never happens.

I would strongly recommend reading reviews carefully before booking and paying upfront. I have since seen other reviews describing similar experiences, which is particularly concerning. I also noticed that the company appears to use the same generic, seemingly automated response to multiple negative reviews. This does little to reassure me that individual complaints are being properly considered or that meaningful action is being taken in response to customer feedback.

A thoroughly disappointing experience. I only hope my refund is processed promptly.