HOMESERVE - bunch of crooks

[babymutha]

it's really difficult to find a decent independent plumber where we live (SE london) so I thought I'd use a big company like homeserve, thinking that they'd be more expensive but I wouldn't have problems with bent plumbers. HOW WRONG I WAS!
Not only did they demand £200 up front before they'd done anything (should have had warning lights then!) a month ago, but when they FINALLY got round to fitting new radiators they were simply replacing the radiators we had with almost identical radiators (I'd been really clear that we needed more heat in the room, not that the radiators weren't working). I phoned them and they assured me that the £200 would be refunded and no more money would be taken. Just looked at my account a week and a half later and they've taken another £304 from our account! I AM SO LIVID. Don't use this company - they are huge, the left hand and the right hand are in opposite areas of the country and don't know what they're doing.

We had a leak and the insurance company sent them. They were completely clueless and tried to suggest the leak was coming from a pipe behind a wall in the kitchen. This was about 20 ft from where the water was, it was a solid wall and we knew there was no pipe there. They insisted that that was where the leak was coming from. They wanted to rip my kitchen apart 'to see'.

In the end I was so infuriated by their obvious incompetence that I asked them to leave. I complained to the insurance company as I didn't feel they knew what they were doing and weren't plumbers.

FIL (retired engineer) came round, thought about it logically, narrowed down where the leak could be coming from and hey presto there it was under the floor.

My sympathies, you've had shoddy service.

babymutha Have you tried the local netmums website? My central heating wasn't working and I found a chap on the local netmums site. Called him at 8pm, his wife took a message and got him to come out to me. He came at just gone 9pm and worked out that it was just low pressure! I was so embarrassed! He did charge me (fair enough!) but only £25, which I know is a lot lower than a lot of people... On netmums as well, people leave feedback so you get an idea of how good/bad they are!

thanks angel - that's a really good idea. I hadn't thought of that (doh)

ps - after yesterdays message I spent 3 hours!!! Yes 3 hours! trying to get hold of someone on their phone system who could refund my money. I was lied too, cut off, sent round the phone system and generally treated like an idiot before I threatened the ombudsman and someone assured me the money was refunded - its not in my account yet, but the bank says it will take 3 days.

Hope you get it back babymutha! DH and I are completely DIY-stupid so we live in fear of being ripped off by tradesmen! Thank goodness we live in a fairly new house and haven't had much bad happen to it yet...

im suprised your getting through to homeserve because the majority of their offices are now closed...i worked for asprea which has now closed down and been taken over by the useless pricks at aviva, we used homeserve and they closed everything.. you probably wont see that money now sorry to say because the company is a total mess

The most awful experience of my life was at the hands of Homeserve where they left us bailing water out of our house for 24 hours solid! Glad they are closing down1

I agree, totally crap. Waited 17 hours without water for an emergency call out with Homeserve and then got my insurance company to get someone else in as Homeserve had called and told me they wouldn't be coming for several hours more. Shame the other company were no better than the service Homeserve seems to give and I ended up with them out 4 times over the next week to try and sort out the repair that was then leaking....long story but I guess that bit is not relevant to Homeserve.

Homeserve just ripped off my 90 year old maiden aunt 500 quid. Hope they can sleep at night.

god how awful. Is that the British Gas thing? Am about to buy new appliances and can terminate contract thank God due to warranties.

morning bump for any other advice on best providers?

better than virgin anyhow

am a little wary of orange because of my blackhole

sorry wrong thread.. I'm moaning about virgin somewhere else

You can find out from whoever sold you the service who the actual provider is. Barclays bank account home cover and Yorkshire Water home cover were provided by Homeserve. Nationwide wasn't. (I say wasn't as it is a while since I last checked and they change them without saying)

I have just looked at my account and the money has been refunded. Phew. But they've had it for over a month, wasted about 14 hours of my time, lied and been utterly incompetent. Don't use this company!