How are HomeServe still in business

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  • Just to alert folks that Homeserve are, in my opinion, trying a novel way of drumming up business with a scare tactic for water supply pipe bursts.

    Received a call today saying that because of all the recent freezing temperatures they could offer me (for a nominal £1 for 12 months) cover in case my mains supply pipe up to my house which provides "all your fresh drinking water" to quote the chap, should burst and I would be liable for it all. So nice of them to be so caring! I asked him what happens in year two - is it still a £1? At first he didnt know - but then whether someone was listening in and feeding him the details he suddenly tells me it will go up to £36.

    Having some knowledge of this issue, I asked him directly what had happened to the undetaking given by water companies to John Prescott in the last Government. Whilst he was on I googled up the details. Just type in 'water firms pledge to offer free pipe repair' to see more details.


    No mention of it in his earlier sales pitch but back the chap comes with yes this agreement would still be honoured but in taking out a policy I would get an engineer within two - three hours rather than a "non-emergency" response timing if I didnt pay up. Out of interest I asked him to send me full details in writing first - he said he would, but would also put the plan into place but not to "worry as the payment wouldnt be taken until next month". I strongly told him NOT to start up the plan and just to send me the details. I also asked him to remove my number for sale purposes!!!

    Anyway - if the pipe does go I can isolate it at the main stop tap by meter which is on the public footpath anyway and then call them out under the free promise they gave.

    I worry that this sales pitch will play on the minds of vunerable people who will pay up without hesitation for something which is potentially free! After all to have your mains pipe go twice in one year would be terrible bad luck.
  • mrich536 wrote: »
    Anyway - if the pipe does go I can isolate it at the main stop tap by meter which is on the public footpath anyway and then call them out under the free promise they gave.

    You've got a shock coming to you if it does burst and think you won't have to pay.

    I still consider the insurance a waste of money though even though I would have to pay if it did burst.
    There's no sense crying over every mistake.
    You just keep on trying till you run out of cake.
  • Without going into too much detail, Homeserve stated that the lack of hot water and heating at home for the last 3 weeks required remedial action by me (at an approx cost of £500) before Homeserve would agree to fit the part that was needed. When I queried this in their T&Cs, no-one could clarify it for me and from the call centre through to managers, they repeated ad infinitum that I had to carry out this work first and I was made to feel like a bad parent in letting my kids suffer for the sake of £500 (coz we've all got that lying around the place at the moment! - that's why I have a monthly insurance plan d'oh!).
    When I finally made an "official" complaint, I was told that all that repeated advice to me to get the remedial work done first was a MISTAKE and that they would be happy to fit the part HOWEVER there would be a risk doing it that way and of course I would be liaible to pay (that £500) if further damage was caused. So, I'm damned if I do or damned if I don't.
    In my opinion, from the top to the bottom of that crappy company, dishonesty is the name of the game. I wished I hadn't changed from Domestic General (got "tricked" into taking out Complete Cover with Homeserve). At least Domestic and General's T&Cs are, even with their list of exclusions, at least clear unlike Homeserve's ambiguity (which is obviously how they like it!).
    PASS THE MESSAGE ON TO THE MONEY-GRABBING HOMESERVE TO WHOEVER YOU CAN!
    PS - Unfortunately when I took out the policy I didn't realise that it was Homeserve who left my 77-yr old father without heating for 3 weeks last year in that cold spell - and surprise surprise - he is still waiting for the work to be fully completed!!
  • I recently invited Homeserve into our home to resolove a boiler issue under our agreement. What followed is not short of "shocking" firstly they sent a plumber for a boiler fault, one week later they sent a heating engineer who stated he would get a part and return. One month later after several calls discusing the issue which they tried to state the repair was out of terms they sent another engineer who imeadiatley condemed the bolier and stated that the boiler had been left by the first engineer untested and leaking carbon minoxide.

    MY FAMILY HAVE BEEN LEFT WITH A BOILER LEAKING DANGEROUS GASES FOR OVER ONE MONTH. I WAS TOLD BY THE SECOND ENGINEER THAT THIS WAS DEPLORABLE. HAVING SPOKEN WITH CUSTOMER SERVICES REGARDING THE MATTER THEY NOW STATE THAT THE ENGINEER WAS MISTAKEN. UNFORTUNATLEY THE ENGINEER LEFT A REPORT STATING THE ISSUE READINGS WHICH I WILL USE TO PERSUE THIS AWFUL ORGANISATION.

    MY CONCLUSION DO NOT EVER EVEN CONSIDER USING THIS COMPANY IT IS NOT WORTH YOU OR YOUR FAMILIES LIFES!
  • Sagz_2
    Sagz_2 Posts: 6,251
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    MSE_Andrea wrote: »
    Hi

    Homeserve has asked us to post this on its behalf, it says the email address is a specific one to which your issue can be escalated so it can help. MSE doesn't endorse anything a company says or does on the forum.

    “HomeServe are sorry that you are having issues, please contact [EMAIL="heretohelp@homeserve.com"]heretohelp@homeserve.com[/EMAIL] and we will be happy to assist you”

    Thanks for the email addy, have sent a complaint today....... reading the other posts on here I'm not holding my breath.

    (although it may be safer to hold my breath as my 3 times 'repaired' boiler has just had a part drop off it!:eek:)
    Some days you're the dog..... most days you're the tree! :D
  • Sagz_2
    Sagz_2 Posts: 6,251
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    OK, good start - got a personal acknowledgement within 30 mins. Lets see what happens next....

    Cold tonight again - a week with no hot water or heating :(
    Some days you're the dog..... most days you're the tree! :D
  • themull1
    themull1 Posts: 4,299 Forumite
    Ive never had any problem claiming through Homeserve. Had a leak from radiator in bathroom coming through ceiling and spotlight in kitchen that the wire had burned behind it and was blowing the fusebox all the time. Rang up, and they sent someone really quickly, can't fault them.!!
  • Sagz_2
    Sagz_2 Posts: 6,251
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    Well Done to Homeserves complaints dept!

    Following yesterday evenings email I had a call just before 9am this moring to say an engineer (with the part that was going to take 24hours to get) would be here this morning. Just been and gone and we now have hot water and heating - fingers crossed the repair will last longer than before!
    Some days you're the dog..... most days you're the tree! :D
  • daveg72
    daveg72 Posts: 212 Forumite
    Agree 100%, RBS bank accounts employ the services of Homeserve for their cover and I know lots of people who have had plenty of issues with them, including my BIL who was without heating for 6 weeks, my FIL who was without heating for 4 weeks both during the cold period before Christmas and myself who had to have 4 visits from their contractors, PH Jones to fix a central heating pump!

    I purchased a Landlord Gas Safety Check through www.reactfast.co.uk which, I did not know was Homeserve otherwise I would have avoided. I paid upfront and guess what? Problems..., complained but dont hold out much hope of a response, but they had better process a refund in a timely fashion.
  • I have made three claims in the past and have to say they have been brilliant...
    Last December had a leak in the loft due to frozen pipe in the loft so called HS to have a look at it only to find out I was not covered at the time as my dd had stopped about 4 months back (my fault).

    They came round the next day and fixed the over flow pipe and billed me £140 it was a simple 15 min job . I called them up to ask about their price and after speaking to their engineers was put through their manager who reduce the price to £75 and signed me up for 1 year foc which i thought was a good deal. I would recommend them as I have had very good service from them so far.
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