Ideal boilers, disgusting tactics!!

[REDSAW]

need thoughts on this scenario.

some of you may have read i attended an 85year old customer of mine who had an issue with her 3 year old ideal logic+ (not installed by me).
as it was still in warranty i told her to contact IDEAL directly for a call out. they turned up 10 days later!
after they left, she called me to say the boiler is fine but there was only 100v returning to boiler from the controls, unknown to me the service tech had turned off the boiler as the vertical flue in loft had insufficient brackets. this was on a thursday but i couldnt attend until the following tuesday, this left her 2 weeks with no heat or water.

the tech had isolated the gas supply and capped it, took the fuse out of the spur (and pocketed it!), turned off the flow return and cw feed, un-wired the boiler, and issued an I.D notice on the basis of insufficient flue clipping (why does he need to climb into loft?). if he had looked properly there was a clip on the joist, another 1.5m up then 1.5m to ridge tiles! (i rearranged clips & fitted another to 1m spacing) fitted a new drayton prog and stat and all's well.

following on from this, she then received a call from them pushing a service contract for the boiler and gas fire cheeky gits.

today she rang me in distress, they have sent her a letter saying that IDEAL want to make an inspection at the house to see if the flue has been done correctly otherwise they will not continue with the remaining 4 year warranty!
oh yes, they also want £125 for this visit or they will void it!!!!!!

this is disgusting tactics if you ask me and i wont be installing any of their boilers in the future.

any views?

 

[Rickster123]

Sounds like bully boy tactics. Do you know your local rep? Failing that I'd ring ideal on her behalf and kick up a stink.

 

[cdodds2004]

IDEAL ARE A DISGRACE!!!! SIMPLE AS THAT! I guarantee they are losing money on the long warranties on ****e boilers so they are re couping as muich $$$$$ as possible!!

Worcester are about the only manufacturer who are actually interested in fixing boilers and not looking for reasons to switch off or void the warranty!

 

[Riley]

I have to say this is why I have stopped fitting them of late I've not had a direct instance myself however I have had several mates who have had run-ins with their engineers

 

[Ch4 plumbing]

I agree with Adam, get onto the local Rep and kick some butt!!

If he doesn't want to help then Strangle him with a flue bracket!!

 

[Last Plumber]

I'd be on to rep !
Get him face to face.
Always worked for me before.
I can't be doing with this high and mighty garbage from manufacturers engineers.
There are a lot of patronising, lazy, jobs worths in that bunch who irritate the hell out of me.

Some good too though, can't tar all with same brush

 

[quality]

Yes if that's all true it stinks

 

[SimonG]

Worcester are just as bad.

The big boys are having their fingers burnt on these over extended boilers. They need to find any issue at all to void them to minimise losses.

 

[REDSAW]

just took this from their ism manual:

Note - Flues over 1 metre long
It is recommended that a support
bracket is fitted for every 1 metre of
extension pipe used and a bracket
should be used at every joint, to ensure
pipes are held at the correct angle.

tell me where it says condemn boiler and void warranty and leave her with nothing because he dont like the clip spacings!
it does say 'recommended' right?

 

[townfanjon]

The logic van and man was at Hargreaves in Brighouse today, I wish I had seen this post then , I would be intrested to hear His opinion

 

[Masood]

That stinks. Even if the distances weren't exactly to MI that's no reason to leave an old person cold. That "engineer" needs a serious talking to..

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Don't get why he didn't just leave a note to you saying that as its no skin of his nose as he hasn't fitted it

but tbh that sounds like normal ideal / villant cus service / trying to seal customers

 

[REDSAW]

just called in to her house and got the letter and warning notice.

the notice says 'flue in loft inadequately bracketed'=A.R. on what basis?
he did not ask for permission to turn off either as clearly stated on their form, let alone jigger the installation!

 

[mfgs]

An insufficiently clipped flue is AR, its not ID though. Sounds like he has gone well over the top with how he "made safe" by capping gas and removing fuse etc.

 

[Stoney Ground]

just called in to her house and got the letter and warning notice.

the notice says 'flue in loft inadequately bracketed'=A.R. on what basis?
he did not ask for permission to turn off either as clearly stated on their form, let alone jigger the installation!

Now you have the information and evidence, contact local rep and ask her to arrange a meeting with the service division manager.

Explain everything clearly (did you take before and after pics) ask him to write a letter of apology to the customer and that it should be in a card attached to a Xmas hamper.