British Gas - Ricky Tomlinson advert

[Terry D]

The latest BG advert with Ricky Tomlinson is just an insult to the intelligence. Their monthly service contract charge is now £15. I paid £12 monthly for about 20 years and did at first obtain a reasonable yearly service. However, a few years ago they informed me that because of the age of my boiler, they could no longer offer me a repair service, but did not offer any reduction in the monthly service charge. I therefore cancelled the contract, especially when they were unable to sort out my noisy heating system. Their solution was a new boiler at over £2000. I sorted it myself for £25.

I reckon my total outlay on their useless service contract was about £2880. more than enough for a brand new system.

Terry D.

[Huge]

[10 lines snipped]

Which arithmetic my wife and I were idly doing the other night as we waited for something to start.

Not that I have mains gas, and even if I did, I wouldn't do business with those thieving, lying sacks of pus if they were the last gas supplier on Earth.

[Ed Sirett]

I'm more than happy to agree but the 2880 does include perhaps 15-20 'service' visits say (£1000). I guess you probably needed a few thermocouples over the life of the boiler may be a thermostat? or a pump or two perhaps?

Evenso I doubt they provided much more that half the £2880 back to you the rest was is their profit based on giving you 'peace of mind'.

[Dave Plowman]

Some peace of mind if just when you really need them they tell you the boiler etc is too old to fix, and offer to replace it at an inflated price.

[Andy Hall]

It sounds like Huge would like to give them a piece of his....... :-)

.andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

[Ed Sirett]

That good eh! I reckon they have only a couple of years left before they lose all credibility with most people under about 60. There will no doubt be some older people who will be reluctant to review their opinion.

I would say they are losing their credibility because

1) Condemning heating systems rather than fixing them. 2) Threatening to stop repairing older boilers. 3) Quoting 50%+ over the going rate for new/replacement work.

[geoff]

In message , Terry D writes

Hallelujah - another one sees the light

[Ian Stirling]

Just a reminder to all,

have a list of sites that'll enable you to find the cheapest electricity/gas.

[NumptyDumpty]

I have a BG contract on a system; had a (minor) problem over new-year, called them mid day Friday 2nd Jan, the guy was here 9:00 the following Monday (the 5th). I think a lot depends on who you get as an engineer; from previous experience with them, about 1 in 5 maybe 1 in 10 still gives a sh**!

[Rick Dipper]

I worked this out before I started to pay. Most service contracts are a total rip off. Its insurance, and Insurance copmaines make money. I fitted my own CH system, just paid a local plumber an hour or two at the start and end for advice and connecting the gas.

Rick

[adder]

1 & 2 seems to be what most gas fitters do. A friend just paid over a grand for a new boiler when the old one just needed some new CH controls.

[Snowman]

Problem I've currently got is finding a plumber to fit a new boiler for me. The plumber next door doesn't do gas any more, we called four - two made appointments and never turned up or called, the third said he would call back to make an appointment and hasn't, the fourth said he only fits combis - which we don't want. So, reluctantly (having switched from them as a gas supplier), I arranged an appointment with BG - the guy arrived when he said he would, was very courteous and professional, inspected everthing, answered all my questions and gave me a firm price there and then. So, what do I do? It looks expensive, but if I want the job doing what choice do I have - I'm not prepared to tackle this job myself.

Peter.

[stuart noble]

Getting a list of local fitters from CORGI website has worked well for me. IIRC they only allow you to download 4 but you can repeat the exercise till you get a meaningful list. Usually you can find one just round the corner. Most that I contacted usually did trade work only but were more than happy to do a private job (especially as it cost them nothing in advertising). I think "dealing with the public" has become a specialised field, whatever the trade. Yellow pages, sifting out the lunatics and the quote collectors, the investment in after shave, working evenings etc. IME the 50 year old, BG trained, blokes just want a regular 8 till 3 routine so they tend to work for builders.

[geoff]

In message , Snowman writes

Leep looking for a decent installer and wait until it's your market not theirs - i.e the summer

[geoff]

That's not what the OP was asking

[Michael McNeil]

I think £15 a month would pay for a pair of plumbing courses for a husband and wife to take every now and then in order to take the bullets out of the pistol a fat actor nee cynical card carrying ex BNP member is holding at one's head.

[Ed Sirett]

This raises a question I have often pondered. What level of skill is right for the majority of the population to learn. Or to put it another way what level of plumbing knowledge should stand alongside general life skills like that the bulk of the adult populace should be up to? E.g.

Operating a washing machine. Driving a vehicle. Basic cooking.

It strikes me that a litle knowledge and experience would go a long long way to remove both two forms of dishonesty that sometimes exist in construction and allied trades.

1) The marketing of high margin 'peace of mind' 'insurance' schemes. e.g.£15/month... 2) Plainly fraudulent claims/misdiagnoses/scams by a realtively small proportion of the 'pros'.

[T i m]

Fairly logical if you can be bothered ..

As a cyclist / motorcyclist / driver I'm not sure many have mastered that one yet have they (present company accepted of course) ;-)

No problem here .. spent time in the kitchen with Mum and the workshop with Dad. Went on to do catering at college, along with welding, sheet metal work, electronics and automobile engineering. Not sure how may folk (youth) would be interested in any of the above these days?

And let's face it, most of it isn't rocket science is it?

Spurred on from my college work (at 15) I bought a seized Fiat 850, stripped the engine and fitted new shells and cord rings etc and got it running again (just down the back ally). No one to help me, just loads of interest. I was given my first moped and brought it home in bits in a borrowed wheelbarrow. It was mostly together the same day and had it on the road the day I was 16? In my 31 years of motoring I've never put my cycle / motorbike / car / campervan in to have it worked on?

True, and garages, DG fitters etc etc.

A couple of things strike me about the world today.

1) How many kids are intrested in taking up a 'trade' or are happy (or even get the chance) to do an apprentiship?

2) How many of today 'parents' know how to do stuff to be able to pass it on to their kids?

Ho hum .. ;-(

T i m

[Craig Graham]

With both plumbing and electrics, I'd say essential skills are connection/disconnection of appliances to existing water and electricity points, replacement of consumables such as fuses and washers and knowing how to make safe in the event of a problem- i.e. where the switches and stoptaps are. Used to include wiring up a plug but I don't remember the last time I had to do that!