Screwfix and CORGI

[mike]

Anyone spot this gem on page 9 of the latest Screwfix catalogue?

_________________________________________________

"Good stuff we Do"

"Get it Right Together

"We've teamed up with CORGI to help get the right kit into the right hands. Customers deserve a quality job, and hardworking, qualified tradesmen needn't feel the pinch when rogue traders let the side down.

"Qualified for Quality

"It's all about being safety critical... so, now anyone wishing to buy safety critical products eg. gas fittings will have to prove that they're qualified to do so. Better for your customers, better for you too!

"We've marked these in the catalogue with the CORGI shield." _________________________________________________

Products labelled with a CORGI shield include gas boilers, bayonet cooker hoses and gas PTFE tape.

So you can't source your own boiler or buy a roll of PTFE (from Screwfix anyway) without paying protection money to some incompetent, self-serving cartel...? Bit draconian, isn't it?

Anyone been refused these products yet?

[Doctor Drivel]

DIY gas fitting is legal. It is as simple as that. If they want to implement a list of quality tradesmen for their customers to use that is another matter.

[fred]

It might be legal but I wouldn't want to try claiming on my insurance for a problem caused by diy gas work.

[Doctor Drivel]

Which is entirely beside the point that DIY gas work is legal and Screwfix should not,(may be illegal) discriminate against people legitimately purchasing products,.

[John Stumbles]

Heh! Created a bogus ID at screwfix (occupation "DIY-er"), stuck a boiler in my trolley and wheeled it off to the checkout. Didn't go so far as to put in a credit card number, but didn't get asked for any semblance of CORGI ID.

[NOSPAMnet]

When so many places DO sell such products it just doesn't make any business sense in such precarious financial times to not sell them to customers .

[Dave Plowman (News)]

You wouldn't need to as you're obviously not competent to work on gas and therefore excluded from being allowed to.

[EricP]

It's their loss.

[fred]

I'm competent enough to do it, I just wouldn't have a piece of paper (for the insurance) stating that it was done by a CORGI registered bod. Oooooo, tut tut tut sir, we've been plumbing gas ourselves I see, sorry, you 'aint covered.

[John Rumm]

I think the thrust of what Dave was saying, was that if you are technically capable, then you need to claim on the insurance anyway.

(also worth noting that home insurance policies do not generally exclude DIY related accidents from cover)

[Andrew Gabriel]

Mine specifically includes them.

[Rod]

That'll be fun for the Centrica-registered gas fitters. :-)

[Tanner-'op]

They can sell *or* refuse to sell to anyone they want to and - impose such restrictions on their sales (as do Plumb Center) - without falling foul of any law.

Tanner-'op

[Doctor Drivel]

DIY is legal, so CORGI do not come into it. CORGI is a registration body that list those doing gas work for profit. If you do not do gas work for profit CORGI does not apply.

[Exhausted]

If this is only screwfix and plumbcentre, make your purchases from somewhere else,

What will be next electrical items ?, although this will be harder

mike wrote:

[Toby]

Rubbish, if they decided to refuse sales to black people they would be breaking the law.

Toby...

[Rod]

As I understand it, there is a small set of grounds on which discrimination would be/is illegal (e.g. colour/race, disability, perceived or actual sexual orientation, age, religion or belief) - but most are not.

If there is a lawyer in the house, clarification would be appreciated.

[Ed Sirett]

AFAICT the online screwfix is not restricting gas fittings. So is this new policy at the trade counters only?

[Toby]

Just sent the below to them by email, will report the response if I get one!

Toby...

You appear to be showing incorrect information on your website, with regard to installing gas appliances. On the Gas Fires section, it states "Gas fires must be fitted by a CORGI registered installer." This is not correct, any competent person can install gas appliances, as long as there is no reward, so, if I wanted to fit a gas fire in my own home, I am legally allowed to complete this work, as long as I am competent. CORGI registration is simply a scheme that proves competence, so you are then allowed to be paid for work involving gas.

I also notice you are stating on page 9 of the current catalogue "anyone wishing to buy safety critical products eg. gas fittings will have to prove that they're qualified to do so." How can an non CORGI registered person prove this to Screwfix, or do we need to find an alternative supplier?

[Toby]

That is my understanding also, which would make Tanner-'op's statement incorrect ;-)

Toby...