Maintenance contracts Options

[JeffG]

I feel a good old rant coming on. Utility companies etc. trying to put the frighteners on gullible people to take out maintenance contracts they don't need.

Today I had a large leaflet through the door from British Gas asking which would I prefer: £1000 bill if my boiler went wrong, or to pay them £13 a month for a maintenance contract. Well, the first actually, especially since they arrive at that figure by assuming 4 separate items in my boiler blew up at the same time. And I don't fancy paying nearly £160 a year in the hope this is going to happen.

The real joke is that I don't have gas in the house and my boiler is oil-fired.

Another lot trying this on is the water company: what if I had a burst in my main supply pipe? Well, I'll handle that if it happens, thank you very much. I have a good relationship with a local plumber from whom I have had very good service in the past - fortunately only for minor problems so far.

Then of course there are the Sky people: multiple firms sussing out that the warranty period on my box has expired and offering to look after it for me. No thank you. If my Sky+ box blows up, I shall take it up to the tip, buy a Freeview PVR and rely on the channels available on my digital TV, which is all I ever watch anyway.

And don't get me started on the "extended warranty" scam...

OK, rant over. Thank you for reading.

[GMR]

I get them all the time; even though I am in a Sovereign House. You'd think they would check.

[TallDarkAndHands...]

I feel a good old rant coming on. Utility companies etc. trying to put the frighteners on gullible people to take out maintenance contracts they don't need.

Today I had a large leaflet through the door from British Gas asking which would I prefer: £1000 bill if my boiler went wrong, or to pay them £13 a month for a maintenance contract. Well, the first actually, especially since they arrive at that figure by assuming 4 separate items in my boiler blew up at the same time. And I don't fancy paying nearly £160 a year in the hope this is going to happen.

The real joke is that I don't have gas in the house and my boiler is oil-fired.

Another lot trying this on is the water company: what if I had a burst in my main supply pipe? Well, I'll handle that if it happens, thank you very much. I have a good relationship with a local plumber from whom I have had very good service in the past - fortunately only for minor problems so far.

Then of course there are the Sky people: multiple firms sussing out that the warranty period on my box has expired and offering to look after it for me. No thank you. If my Sky+ box blows up, I shall take it up to the tip, buy a Freeview PVR and rely on the channels available on my digital TV, which is all I ever watch anyway.

And don't get me started on the "extended warranty" scam...

OK, rant over. Thank you for reading.

Jeff - I think what you are really after is a 'Payment Protection Plan'

[Simon]

I have been called many times by the companies wanting me to take a plan to protect my out of warrenty sky box and i tell them all the same thing.

Sky will try to charge me £70 for an engineer to come out but once i threaten to cancel my contract they will always then send an engineer out for free.

Its simple business, whay lose a customer who pays nearly £50 per month for a one off fee of £70. In my opinion no one should pay for the extra protection.

Credit card companies are just as bad, they keep calling me saying they can save me money, and then when i say no thank you, they usually end up having a go at me saying you dont want to save money? are you crazy???

I have come up with a cunning plan to get rid of the conservatory and window salesmen though, I just lie and tell them i live in a top story flat and they hang up lol

[JeffG]

Simon, do you know about the Telephone Preference Service? It sounds like just what you need. 0845 07 007 07 from a BT line 24/7 automated set-up.

[Simon]

Thanks Jeff, but i am already on it.

It has lowered the number of call but not stopped them

[Darren]

Thanks Jeff, but i am already on it.

It has lowered the number of call but not stopped them

I get the name of the company calling, then tell them that they have just earned their boss a £5k fine. Never hear from them again.

[JeffG]

Interesting. It seems to work for me, but maybe we are on different lists. The only ones I seem to get are those that come up as International, since they are not bound by TPS and BT can't do anything about them.

[Biker1]

The general rule of thumb is .....

"Only insure those things that you could not afford to pay for should you have to."

Example, House, third party damages (such as car) etc.

If you are worried about paying for unexpected expenses, open a deposit account and pay in what you would have into all those premiums and draw on it if you need it.

And get interest!!

I know, can we discipline ourselves to do such a thing??