Who is BU me or them?

[BibbityBobbityBastards]

NC
Possibly overly upset and angry so looking for perspective or reassurance !
So on Friday I had an engineer out from a local company to replace a couple of radiators (private let, so it's all arranged through the letting agency)
While the guy is here he moves my hoover in front of the tv so he can get to the radiator. Long story short the hoover falls over into the tv breaking it. No one was in the room at the time but the engineer was the last person in the room. He promised me that the company's insurance would cover it and someone would phone on Monday to get it all sorted out.
Company is now refusing to put it through their insurance, or pay outright to fix/replace.
I don't have contents insurance (I know, and I will be getting it now)
I'm going to CAB tomorrow when they open.
I'm a lone parent and it was an expensive television that was bought in the January sales as a big treat for myself and the kids to enjoy. Im a survivor of domestic abuse and hate any type of confrontation, and it's taken me a long time to build myself up to the point I'm at and just feel totally knocked down over something so silly as a television.
Should they be responsible in this case?

What reason did the company give for not putting it to their insurance?

Did he take full responsibility at the time. Unfortunately it's really hard to prove he broke it without any evidence and it becomes your word against his. I'd have got him to sign something when he was there. Really sucks about the TV though!

They say that as no one was in the room at the time they won't be held responsible. The boss won't speak to me directly and has phoned my letting agent (who is wonderful) to then pass information onto me so it's over complicating things where information is being missed out or incorrect.

Tbh, even if you go to CAB, I don’t think there is much they can do, unless their is proof.

He did take responsibility at the time, I hadn't thought about getting him to sign something. They did say initially I would have to contact my insurers who would contact theirs, so is that not accepting responsibility if they would go that far? And it's only when I've said I don't have insurance they have refused to speak to me. I should also point out I have been very cool and calm with them, not shouty or bitchy for them to refuse to speak to me IYSWIM

Yes, however he’s now in a compromising position... he either accepts liability or he denies it, and as it’s a civil matter and not a criminal matter you’ll be hard pushed to get the company to take responsibility.

Surely you should have moved anything out of the way of the radiators in the first place.

I didn't have any warning that he was coming he just appeared at the door while we were actually having lunch so I hadn't cleared the area like I usually would have. Looks like I'm up shits creek then.

Ultimately their insurers will not pay out as he has not acted negligently so no point kicking up a fuss.

That's nonsense. He acted negligently by placing the hoover in an unsafe location. I would withhold rent until the agent sorts it out, since they hired the firm in the first place. And next time, don't let a stranger into your home unless an appointment has been made.

Any suggestion of withholding rent is ridiculous as it puts the OP in a very precarious situation.

My letting agency and the property manger for my house have always been brilliant with me and it's really not their fault the gas engineer company are being dicks so I'm not going to stop paying rent. He admitted it was his fault at the time then had obviously got a bollocking off his boss and has then denied it. I'll go to CAB tomorrow and see if there's anything I can do. If not I'll have to suck it up and do without until I can replace it. I will leave a scathing review on every site they are on though.

Social media can be helpful in cases like this. See if you can leave a bad review on their website / FB / revoo or wherever.

I know money is probably right OP but you can get contents insurance really cheaply busy a few pounds a month, really worth it especially when you've got children who might break things too. I was surprised when I first lived alone how cheap it was, I had Tesco value insurance back then (policy booklet even had the blue and white stripes) and it was excellent. I know that's no help for this time but for the future. Your insurance company would be contacting theirs and they'd probably back down, they think they can get away with it now at its only you they are arguing with.

Be careful about admitting to your landlords you don't have contents insurance, for my tenants that was a condition in their tenancy agreement.

KnifeAngel “Surely you should have moved anything out of the way of the radiators in the first place.”

There’s always a self righteous comment like this. How is this helpful? OP, I would certainly give a visit to CAB. It can’t hurt to try.