About Swale Heating?

[VelvetSpoon]

Am fuming.

I posted on here a few days ago about my boiler breaking down (actually since then it's been working intermittently but clearly isn't right). A couple of posters recommended Swale, so I contacted them.

Called yesterday - was advised they could send someone out same day. However I was at work, so arranged it for today instead (and to work from home). They said they couldn't give me a call time (a bit but ok...) but it would be from 8am. And they'd call 30-60 mins before to tell me engineer was on his way.

So, it gets to 3pm, and I think shouldn't I have heard by now? So I've just called.

Apparently the engineer will be here any time up to midnight. WTF??

They can't find out when, as he's not started his shift yet. Would I like to call back after 4pm when they might know, or he'll call me when he's on his way (apparently any time up to 11.30pm).

To be clear, this is not an emergency callout nor was it booked as such. Boiler is limping along, I have hot water and it's warm enough I don't need the heating on.

I can't tell them to stick it because a) I've worked from home today and won't be able to again for the foreseeable and b) I had to pay a £75 call out charge upfront.

I feel really annoyed and ripped off!

ukplumbersforum.co.uk

Just post in the "I`m looking for a plumber........ section". Top notch guys and forum, help given on any plumbing problems except diy gas repairs.

Im just sharing the reviews but will pass that on . Thanks.

Unfortunately though tenants are forced to use the sub contractor the HA has given the contract to and in a lot of cases its Swale.

Why are you updating this thread with reviews a year after the issue has been resolved?

To show that things havent improved with them. I think someone going without heating for 12 months is testament to that.

Wonder what Age UK would think of this.

"Its beyond me how this Company are still in business and also have the nerve to continue with their advertising. Another sign of how this country has gone to the dogs as Trading Standards are not prepared to do their job in spite of informing them about all that has been going on - just look at this page, how much more proof do you need! I had a new Boiler installed on 4th December LAST YEAR and to date all the issues and problems that followed have still not been resolved. Because the new boiler was a 'Combi' which required water from the Mains and not from a tank as I had before, the water pressure was strong and as a result was too much for my Shower and resulted in water coming down from the ceiling into the Lounge and down the walls as a result of a leak or other damage to the pipes. New pipes had been laid due to the need for the change from tank to Mains pressure. Prior to this my shower was in perfect working order with no leaks.Swale told me in so many words that they take no responsibility whatsoever for this and as a result shut off all the hot water, told ME to get the shower fixed and left me with no hot water for 5 days. As a result of this, I was forced to boil kettles to take up to the bathroom to wash and also boil large pans of water on the gas stove to take to the sink to do my washing up. I am 73, but that didn't seem to make any difference, I was told they wouldn't turn on the hot water until I got the shower fixed. In the first place, initially when the Surveyor came round to give me their quote, it was his job to examine all the water outlets and make sure they were up to the change in water pressure or at least inform the customer if there was a risk of burst pipes or leaks. After the 5 days I could take no more and insisted I get my hot water back. This was done by isolating the pipes to the shower but they still insisted it was MY responsibility to get the shower fixed" This went on for months and even after I insisted that someone in Management came round to discuss the situation, which they did and we came to an agreement that Swale would fix the shower, after promising to call after the weekend to discuss a suitable date - 3 weeks went by, no phone call. I sent an e-mail and said I would be forced to have my plumber do the job if I didn't hear from them and send them the Bill. (I had already been without the shower for 4 months). Had a one-line e-mail promising to telephone,after that NOTHING for a further 2 months so I got the shower fixed in May this year. The day after it was fixed, May 12th I had an e-mail saying 'we are ready to fix your shower....' Cut a very long story short,, there was also the wall in the corridor which needed to be fixed as it needed to be opened up in several places to gain access when they isolated the pipes to the shower. This was done by Swale. Following the jobs been done, I wrote a letter to Luke Mantoura (Recorded Delivery) Sales Manager, detailing why I had to get the job done and on a separate page detailed what I still owed, minus my plumber's fee and £400 which was promised off the Bill for all the trouble I had. Surprise surprise - I heard not a thing for 5 months until a knock on the door on November 1st, someone had been sent by Swale (a Supervisor) to collect £2,616, obviously being totally unaware of the letter I had sent to Luke Mantoura. I have all the paperwork - copies of all the letters I have sent for which I have neevr had a reply, plus all the e-mails. A call was made to Mr. Mantoura and messages left for him to contact the Supervisor at my home. He waited here for well over an hour - no phone call came through and on leaving I was told Mr, Mantoura would contact me, but to date, now 16 days later, no phone call. Don't they want their money? Furthermore, I was told I have a faulty thermostat which needs sorting out and other issues too which I wanted resolved as it is coming up to 1 year since installation and next thing I will be told is that they can't fix the problems and I will have to pay because the year is up!! I just want this all sorted, this has caused me enormous stress and also money with all the letters I have sent since last December - obviously they never get read and its extra money for Recorded Delivery. Doesn't anyone care, and Swale how would you feel if all this happened to one of your relatives or an elderly parent?? No compensation for anything, including the ruined ceiling and all the water marks running down the walls in the lounge - you are an absolute disgrace! "

New review.

Today at 15:43
"Utterly disgusted with Swale heating, been waiting since MAY for our boiler to be fixed, since getting colder I've phoned every week for the past 6 weeks for somebody to come out and fix the boiler as we've had no heating and I've been draining the boiler myself for hot water (like your engineer showed me) finally got someone to come out on Monday to fix it and just received a call saying as you've had a high number of emergencies you won't now be coming out until the 12th December, my 2 year old son has now contracted a chest infection that he is struggling to beat as his home conditions are so cold, I'm curious as to why we are not an emergency considering we've had no heating at all since May and I have 4 young children."

www.kentonline.co.uk/folkestone/news/boiler-part-unobtainable-leaving-family-121171/

This thread was started in 2015.

You feeling ok HelenaDove? Just asking as I have seen you on other threads but this seems to be a bit of an obsession of yours

I get fed up of seeing HA tenants treated like shit by these companies.

And the comments under this article bear this out.

www.kentonline.co.uk/kent-business/county-news/swale-heating-180-staff-redundancy-risk-120926/

They are saying two of the HA contracts didnt deliver enough of a profit so some of their office staff are facing redundancy Which means they will be even harder for tenants to get through to on the phone than they already are.

Well A Quiet Mind Sometimes obsession pays off!

@HelenaDove I respect you for your determination to get this company seen for what it is!
Good luck!

Ta

New review Poor little dog

"Swale Heating It has been over a week since one of your engineers (be it accidentally from stupidity) poisoned my pug dog. Laughing when I told he had and then realizing I was deadly serious serious. I called to complain and while the lady on the phone was very lovely and sympathetic, her manager Raj has not bothered to phone me back and has had 6 days to do so, not even to inquire as to if my dog is even alive. I am NOT impressed at all. This was the second boiler engineer that has been out after the first one botched the safety test of my boiler and sent a half complete safety certificate through. I want someone to sort this out ASAP or I will be making a very big public fuss. Luckily I was able to rush my dog to the vet in time and he has recovered but not without a hefty vet bill as he had to stay there all day for treatment and monitoring, and my losing several work hours which I do not get paid for. Your company should foot the bill for both of these at least after the stress and upset you have put my family through. And yes, fault was accepted on the phone - the engineer already emailed into management to say what he had done. So what are you going to do about it"

Awful company - avoid! First they sent out an engineer who didn't know a thing about oil boilers (it clearly stated ours was an oil boiler on their notes, which he had omitted to read). Then said they'd get another engineer out to us in the morning, so I stayed home from work and waited til 2pm, then gave up and left. The engineer arrived at 14:30. We rescheduled and asked them to call us half an hour before so we could be sure someone was at the property, which they agreed to do, and then didn't. I phoned up to complain, and after being kept on hold for 15 minutes, was told that the engineer had been and found no one at the property (unsurprisingly, since he hadn't called in advance as promised!).
I explained my frustration with the repeated failures, unfulfilled promises and missed deadlines to the phone rep, who simply cut the call off. Don't use them - more frustration than they're worth!

still a bunch of cunts then!