About Thames Water? Am at the end of my tether with them!

[VelvetSpoon]

Long story short, months ago I reported a leak. It didn't get fixed and I ended up complaining, and then escalating my complaint, to their exec complaints team.

Eventually after much more delay, last week their contractors started work. They did 3 days (during which time they dug up my driveway rendering it unuseable, were rude to me, and didn't give any idea what was happening) and then tucked off and haven't returned.

I had to call twice to find out what was going on, now the complaints dep't have told me the leak is under my kitchen, amd if I'll just lift up the floor they'll fix it.

I explained I have marble tiles, over underfloor heating, so not exactly portable. More seriously, my house and all the others on our estate are built on concrete plinths at least a foot thick, and all pipes are beneath that.

I've explained this before when they asked about lifting floorboards...I have no floorboards!

So I've asked why they can just use a mole (which is what my insurers - who are paying some of the cost - suggested) and they've gone to ask. Doubtless that reply will take another week, .meanwhile I have no driveway, slimy water all over what driveway is left, and no bloody end in sight. Plus no one is keeping me updated, I'm having to constantly chase, and constantly query what they say. It is hugely stressful and driving me mad. Having the complaints dep't dealing seems ultimately to be making little difference.

They're arses aren't they? Surely it shouldn't be this complicated??!

[user1468399948]

Mention to them that you will be escalating your complaint to the DWI (drinking water inspectorate) you will find everything resolved very quickly .

[VelvetSpoon]

Will that work?

I contacted the Consumer Council for Water, but once the date for last weeks repair was agreed they seemed to think that was the end of it. Which of course it wasn't!

[DullUserName]

Go back to CCW with an update. Then say that you'll involve either the Water Redress Scheme or Ofwat. Full details of how to choose here www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/water/water-supply/complaints-about-your-water-supply/complaining-about-your-water-company/

I'm ex-water industry. I really hope that you get a proper resolution soon. It's too easy for the big companies to lose sight of individual customers.

[VelvetSpoon]

Another update today (after I chased it!). Thames Water can't use a mole because of the concrete slab. So the best answer (apparently) is to excavate a foot of concrete in the middle of my house.

FFS.

Have left a message for CCW to call me back. This is unbelievable.

[user1470997562]

It seems unbelievable at first then gradually you get used to it (after banging your head against the wall and crying a few times).

We have old plumbing here and 1950's housing (concrete floors). Lots here have had to have their kitchens, sometimes garages dug up to access the leak.

Our own issue was not under the floor but a pinhole leak in the stopcock in the kitchen. The water needed turning off at street level to fix it. It was then we discovered our water point in the street had been paved over. It took months for Thames Water to come and dig holes to find it. They wouldn't treat it as urgent until "water is gushing out of your house" or you have no water supply at all. In the end our house flooded twice and we were on the 4th day with no water supply. Then they came with a team and a digger and spent ten hours digging up the pavement, eventually finding it about 10pm. We had fans and humidifiers on 12 hours a day for about 5 months and a huge insurance claim. The flood affected three downstairs rooms which were out of action for about 8 months in the end.

I'm glad we went with not taking a cash settlement from the insurers at the beginning. Because lots of issues cropped us as we went along.

I would take detailed pictures of your kitchen before they start work. I seem to remember a lot of quibbling with the insurers about what would be covered. They were picking out some cupboards and not others as being damaged, when in reality they all had to be replaced.

We ended up paying for some of the kitchen to be replaced and the two excesses on the insurance (contents and building). The insurers wouldn't cover the wall mounted units which weren't damaged but we couldn't buy new base units to match them.

The plumber we were using was a lot more successful at getting them to help than we ourselves were. We just seemed to get "computer says no" type responses from the call centre.

I hope someone else comes along and tells you something different. But I think you might be in for a long haul myself. Sorry.

[user1470997562]

Sorry I should add - hopefully yours won't be nearly as bad as ours was. But just getting them to help was a nightmare for us and took several months.

[DoomGloomAndKaboom]

I'm not going to go into details because in all honesty I cannot relive the trauma, but I had dealings with Thames Water that were so stressful I had time off work sick with stress.

They are vile fucking cunts and I can't wait to move out of this area and have a different water supplier.

Very sorry for your troubles OP.