4th go, still no show .. ;-(

[T i m]

Hi All,

So, there I was, up ready and waiting for the 4th time, ready to have our gas meter changed (see posts a few months back) by the Siemens engineer between 8am-12am.

It's 11am and no show ... the missus phones to see if it's been done and she suggests I give them a ring to see if we actuallly are going to get an engineer this time ... ?

"Ah yes, it's on my system .. it's been cancelled for today ... "

So, now a 5th date is planned for September .. (yeahright).

I said "*you* want to change the meter, *you* state a time and be there at that time (after all, they could schedule me in for the first job of the day couldn't they)?

One of the last excuses was "we tried to phone you to let you know but we didn't have your number nor did 118 118... "

When we tried them they *did* have it straight away (but that was no surprise, even offered to put me thought to myself!) and we have only been on this house and in the phone book, with the same non ex directory number (and hence BT's directory enqs) for 26 years .... .

Anyone know what goes on behind the scenes with these people ...?

All the best ..

T i m

[ben]

Phone them back up, but this time ask to speak to whoever is in charge..(make a note of the persons name and rank), and demand you want this 5th date carried out otherwise you'll cause such a stink and go above his/her rank and make a formal complaint. It does work believe me. :-)

[Andy Hall]

Very little, one would deduce....

[John Cartmell]

The last time we were given the telephone excuse they told me they weren't allowed to use telephone directories. I assume that it's part of their attempt to return to the 19th century before electricity challenged to supremacy of gas ...

.. then again Powergen are doimg their best to ensure they remain in competition by sending three letters reminding us that we need to be in to allow them to read the electricity meter ...

.. which would be OK if the meter wasn't readable only from an exterior slot.

Of course they may have forgotten that the meter wasn't internal ...

.. except that the first letter referred to our complaint about receiving estimated bills when they always had access to the meter.

All ignoring the minor fact that they did not turn up to read the meter when they insisted they couldn't gain admittance and someone was in the house at the time and could have directed their brain-dead employees to the external meter point.

(There is *much* more to this saga - but the full story requires serialisation...)

[David Hearn]

Why are you having your meter changed? When we moved into our current house just over 2 years ago, we found the digital meter was unreadable due to the plastic on the front having frosted or something.

We phoned British Gas (as it said "Property of British Gas" on the meter. They said to phone your supplier. We phoned Npower (the supplier we were switching to) - sorry - you need to speak to Seeboard who are your current suppliers (we'd just moved in a day or so). Phoned Seeboard, who said, nope - not their problem - it's Transco's as they deal with meters/pipework and gave me a number. Phoned Transco who said guy would be around within 45 minutes to change the meter. 20 minutes later the guy was here, and 10 minutes after that he was gone, with a new meter installed, and the paperwork to prove the new/old meter readings. Apparently they'd stopped using that model due to problems.

Our meter was changed within 30 minutes of phoning by a Transco engineer, completely free and hassle free.

I don't know why you're having the meter changed - but is it worth speaking to Transco about it?

David

[T i m]

Will there be a person 'in charge' Ben, and if so .. what are they currently doing if it's not ensuring thy meet appointments they have made to their schedule weeks in advance? (a stupid question but you get the idea) ;-)

and demand you want

I can see why that might make a difference but it does frustrate me that we should have to do it?

I'll be guided by those who have been there .. ;-) They did say that this time they could make the appointment 'monitored', suggesting that if no engineer was going to attend they would phone me and tell me so? ???

All the best ..

T i m

[T i m]

LOL ... indeed ... ;-)

T i m

[T i m]

Hmm, it not like they are 'cold calling' .. maybe be an issue with the Data Protection Act .. like if you wanted them to have my phone number I would have given them it ... but not if it's in the phone book surely! And I think 'Phone number' was on the form when I signed up with British Gas 26 years ago?)

Doh! A mate got a mate to make a cupboard to cover all the meters / CU's but make the front panel removable if needed. He also asked if he could make a letterbox sized hole in the front to allow meter reading without having to remove the front. When he came home he saw the 'slot' was .5m from the front of the meter. When he asked him why he put the slot there he said "I don't know, couldn't you use a mirror to read it ..?" ;-)

I bet ..!

I *try* to keep things in perspective and remember it's not the hands fault that it doesn't hnow what the other one is doing ..?

Like with NTL. Loads of folk slag off the service and the C/S but , the few dealings I have had with them over probably 10 years (guess) I have had with them have been ok? Recently however they were supposed to remove a service (and have) but have billed me for it for the last couple of months. I spoke to CS for the 3rd time today and they are going to sort it out. We will see .. I'm sure they will but I bet they (any of them) aren't as slow at charging / getting your business in the fitst place?

All the best ..

T i m

[T i m]

"It is a requirement to exchange your gas meters routinly to ensure that their accuracy and safety are maintained" (their letter states)?

When we moved into our current

So that had been changed at least? Our nice easy to read mechanical lekky meter was changed recently for a (wonkey) white digital job .. that you have to watch for 5 mins as the display pages through the rates / totals ... ?

Hmm, although we do see Transco round here sometimes (iusually in a hole in the road, Nth London) it's Siemens on behalf of British Gas who do the meter changes it seems?

Phoned Transco who said

Sweet and how it can be but rarely is. I suppose the issue could be if they have someone 'spare' to atted at such short notice (for a non 'emergency' issue) .. who is paying for them?

Apparently they'd stopped using that model due to problems.

Ah, if they were 'safety' problems that might explain the hurry. Like when you go to the doc and he phones the ambulance himself ... ;-(

Result ;-) The lekky meter was done painlessly / on time by a nice lady (ok it's wonkey but hey!) ;-)

I suppose I could .. and *forget* to phone Siemens to tell them it's been done! ;-)

All the best ..

T i m

[ben]

Of course there will be, he/she is called a superviser to answer problems the school leavers don't know. :-) and because after 4 appointments i'd be going ballistic with them wasting my time.

I have been there with Npower. :-( apparently the second appointment was a stupid mistake by the person who took the call, silly cow put down door number28 instead of 29, 3rd appointment was successfull.

[John Cartmell]

They admitted that they had my number (unchanged for nearly 30 years). But not that department. ;-(((

Originally they said they had rung - then that the letter saying that they had rung meant that they would have rung if they could - but couldn't because they weren't allowed to have telephone directories.

[no I *couldn't* have made up a story like that!] [Snip]

[T i m]

Don't they realise we can see through all that sh1te? I'm glad I rang them not my Missus otherwise they would have learnt some new words! The reason I'm more 'mellow' (for want of a better word) is the poor creature you are actually speaking to often has no power over the proceedings and is being paid a pittance to take loads of abuse. I have learn't more truths about my problem by being 'nice' (but firm) to the frontline folk, all handy ammo if it goes pear-shaped later.

Nope, you often can't. Like a biker mate who seems to be very 'unlucky'. He's in his wifes car and get's hit up the backside by bloke in a Merc. The Merc driver protests about exchanging 'details' flings his business card at him and in his hurry to leave (we suspect he may have been drunk) backs up, knocks my mate over then drives off over his foot!

Nothing funny there!

All the best ..

T i m

[david lang]

Send them a bill for four mornings off work at your usual pay rates. Mention that it must be paid in 7 days. After 7 days write & tell them you are going to sue in the small claims court.

Dave

[Colin Wilson]

You do know you`re entitled to a payment for a missed appointment don`t you ?

Drop me a line per my sig, and i`ll try to find the most recent draft of the Guaranteed Standards I managed to get hold of from the OFGEM website.

Oh, and you may be entitled to an additional payment because they haven`t let you know you were entitled to a payment !