Has anyone else been ripped off by BAXI Heatteam????

[alex]

I recently contacted the BAXI Heatteam about an intermittant problem with my BAXI boiler. They took my money and then left for about 3 weeks before actually coming. They changed a few parts and got the system working albeit badly (very noisey). They made no effort to test systems and about 30 days later the boiler went back to the original problem. I called baxi but they want another £235 to finish the job. They have no record of what they have done and no record of any calls. They deny any fault.

I contacted the Collection Of Rogue Gas Installers (CORGI) to ask if BAXI had any responsibility when fitting gas valves and I was told that Corgi require the plumber provide no documentation whatsoever after screwing up your boilers (CORGI is a joke).

I am now left with a boiler that has been played around with and I have no proof of what has been done or changed. Baxi have no record and will not even provide a (comprehensive) list of parts they have changed.

I am not going to let this issue drop and would like to hear from anyone who has suffered at the hands of the BAXI. Baxi seem to work on the principle that it is easy to deny responsibilty when only dealing with one person because they know that you can only go on without heating for so long however if everyone stood up to companies like this they may have to alter their policy.

[Old Bill]

Not directly affected but suggest Small Claims Court threat. Also always pay with credit card so they have joint liability.

[Paul Barker]

I am not here to defend Baxi, and it is very strange that they don' keep a serial number list to co-ordinate the history of your boiler.

But mechanical objects like my van for instance are sometimes ver difficult to trouble shoot acurately. When the various garages tha have had my van to bits don't fix it I still have to pay them for al they've done. Three garages later when it blew up I had no come back. now own a blown up van that I've payed three times over to have fixe yet it's now broke completely.

It is a sad fact that boilers are now much too complex, the presen consumer of new boilers would be well advised to find a boiler with a year parts and labour guarantee at little extra cost and bear in min the addage buy cheap buy twice

-- Paul Barker

[Tony Bryer]

Cars used to be such that any competent mechanic could do and fix most things on most models. Now you would be advised to either use a franchise dealer or an independent specialist for lots of things. Likewise with boilers: on several occasions we have had our local guy out to look at combi problems in rented flats and the result has been that he ends up suggesting we get the maker's engineers in

- who have the advantage of detailed knowledge and spares on the van. The couple of Keston engineers I have dealt with have been very good too. This will be even more the case as electronics get more sophisticated: a number of boilers have a connection for the engineer to plug his laptop into, which presumes an authorised service engineer.

But whether all this is 'sad' or not is a different question. In the 1970's fleet owners used to like Fords because they were dead simple to fix. Private owners though realised that because of better design Toyotas et al didn't need much fixing in the first place.

[Paul Barker]

operate an efficient boiler offer multitudinoud opportunities for brea downs.

Re the other point, in my experience manufacturers are great for givin bum steers as to what's wrong with a boiler. True the head honchos ar pretty clued up well experienced old hands but they employ people wh are so bad at fixing bespoke faults that they throw in the towel an take a job with a manufacturer. We independents are worth manufacturers' wally's

-- Paul Barker