Have I been scammed?

ahfat41

My son asked me to supervise some works that need to be done in his flat. New wireless thermostat to be fitted to  valiant boiler. Whist installing the thermostat, he said he had to replace the pcb. Whilst replacing the pcb, no hot water identified sensor light switch faulty and flow switch faulty and have to replaced. Labour £350. Now have noticed the pipes are leaking. I do not want to call him again. I git him from my work an website with good reviews.Have I been conned. Had the boiler service two weeks ago and was promised to get report by email. Not such luck. Just wondering whether the boiler did need replacement parts or is he just behaving me on. From now will be British Gas at Keats they can be trusted.

bjorn_toby_wilde

Certainly sounds like it.

This wasn’t a Rightio advert was it? Or did the website/advert say something like “powered by Rightio”?  It sounds very much like their modus operandi.

pramsay13

Doesn't sound like it. It sounds as though you've been unlucky with things that have needed work or have gone wrong. 
I would trust the local engineer far more than I would trust British Gas based on many years experience.

WIAWSNB

Hi Ahfat.
Obviously we cannot tell from here whether the parts needed replacing. But one Q is, did the boiler work fine immediately before the WiFi 'stat was fitted?
Since you had a service carried out two weeks prior to this, the answer is presumably 'yes'? So, chase up that report. And, did it work 'yesterday'?!
If again 'yes', then why would a new PCB be required now? This is a part which would usually be expected to last the life of most boilers, although a number will fail - but usually no more than once - in that term.
Ie, it's a long-lived part that most folk won't need to have replaced at all, and some may do so once. So, if the boiler worked 'yesterday', then it would have been unlikely to have spontaneously failed the next day, during this job. 
But, I can confirm that the PCB is the part that would be expected to be 'fried' by an incompetent WiFi 'stat wiring attempt.
So, I'd agree it's 'suspicious', but obviously not conclusive. The failed PCB will almost certainly contain the evidence for this, but what are the chances of him handing this over? And who would check it?
The other parts like the flow switch will likely fail once or twice in a boiler's life. And, afaIk, should be unconnected to the 'stat wiring.
Did the boiler reliably deliver DHW before this 'stat install? Was it, perhaps, a bit 'sticky' in operation? Ie, the hot water didn't always come on when the tap was turned? 
It's all a bit weird. It would be very unusual for a GasSafe to intentionally 'scam' like this, especially one with good reviews. (But I wouldn't consider BG to be better or worse in this.) But there has to remain a reasonable possibility that the PCB was fried during this job, and you are being expected to pay for it.
I think you need to wait for the result of the service you had carried out. Who did this work? And did they report all was well then? Could you ask them about the 'chances' of a PCB failing during a 'stat install?
And can you get the damaged PCB back?
The leaking parts are a different issue, and does not inspire confidence.
I think, tho', you are obliged to allow them to sort it, but not charge you extra. Unless you have solid concerns about either their competence or honesty.
It's a toughie.