Re: car breakdown cover (again)

[Dave Plowman (News)]

I view it the same as boiler insurance - instead of paying £15 a month

> to insure the boiler, save the money in an account and when the boiler > needs replacing, buy one and get it fitted with the money saved

£15 quid a month would probably be quite good value if it not only covered breakdowns, but the cost of a new boiler when needed. But most maintenance contracts don't include the cost of a new boiler when eventually needed.

[Andy Burns]

Strangely competing phrases in their policy ...

"We will supply and install a new replacement boiler if Your boiler is less than 10 years old and cannot be repaired

The boiler will not be replaced if spare parts are not available for the make or model of Your boiler"

Wouldn't the main reason for being unable to repair a boiler be lack of availability of spare parts?

[Dave Plowman (News)]

BG told my brother they could no longer service his boiler under their contract as spares were no longer available. What they actually meant was they no longer stocked them. And many of the parts that commonly fail - like thermocouples, pumps, valves etc were generic anyway. But knowing no better he took their advice and paid for a replacement. Which was a Potterton - the one they were pushing. Which failed at least twice a year afterwards until replaced with a decent make. long before it should have needed replacing.

[RJH]

Quite so. What happens if spares aren't available then? They just walk away?