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.