No-one likes to feel intimidated in their own home.
Unfortunately, that’s exactly what’s happened to a number of people I’ve visited recently, who all told me they’ve felt under pressure from boiler scams currently doing the rounds.
It was clear to see they’d had a bad experience, as the first thing they asked upon contacting us was how long we’d be there for and whether we’d give them everything in writing. They also made it clear they’d sign nothing today as they’d had an awful time with high pressure sales.
From my many years in the industry as an experienced heating engineer, unfortunately I know these sorts of scams can come and go. If you’ve experienced any of these calls, it’s easy to see why your guard may be up, and rightly so.
Below, I’m going to explain everything you need to know about boiler scams, and how to avoid them.
What do these scams involve?
Much like the scams involving fake pay-outs from missold PPI insurance, these calls often begin by telling you that you’re entitled to something for nothing – in this case, a free boiler.
Sometimes instead of being told it’s ‘free’, they’ll say there’s no outlay, or will gradually transition to this wording.
Unfortunately, when they say ‘no outlay’, it actually means they’ll sell you a 10-year finance deal (often with high interest rates) and supposedly the amount you’ll save in gas and a service contract will pay for the boiler.
Who is responsible for these scams?
This is the type of thing that gives genuine heating engineers a bad name, and it really upsets me.
What I’d really like to make clear here is that these people are NOT heating engineers, but rather high pressure sales companies who will use every trick and fib going in order to secure a deal.
They don’t want you to go to anyone else for advice, or let you hang up the phone so you can do your own research and make an informed decision: this is because the second you do, you’ll see straight through their ‘wonderful deal’.
What to look out for
There are a few tell-tale signs that a call may not be genuine. These can include, but are not limited to salespeople who will:
- Seem to be working from a script and will not deviate from it despite your questions
- Not ask you any technical questions, but instead try to frighten you about the safety of your system
- Try to sell you ‘once in a lifetime’ offers if you sign up RIGHT NOW
- Attempt you keep you on the phone whilst continuing to use high-pressure techniques
Remember, never give a substantial deposit on the spot, and be sure to get a fixed price quote from at least three independent sources. Take as much time as you need to make a decision.
TIP: If you’re ever uncertain of whether a heating engineer is genuine, you can easily ask for their Gas Safe registration number and either check it out online or call the Gas Safe Register to see if their credentials match up.
How do you handle these scams?
If you think you’re experiencing one of these calls, the general advice is to ask them the name of their company and their phone number, and offer to call them back.
This is the same as you’d do if someone claimed to be calling from your bank, as you’d want to make sure you were receiving genuine help rather than giving your banking details to fraudsters.
At this point, they may hang up, but if they refuse to answer you and continue trying to pressure you into agreeing to a not-so-free boiler, simply hang up the phone.
What to do if you’ve been scammed
If you believe you’ve fallen victim to any of these scams, the first thing I’d recommend doing is to call the Citizen’s Advice Bureau. This is because most contracts have a 14-day cooling off period, and they should be able to give you advice on composing a written letter to the company’s registered address.
To be sure it gets there, time and date the letter, and send it via First Class Signed For. This will mean you’ll have proof of their signature when they receive the letter at their end.
Conclusion
It’s a terrible thing to feel intimidated by high pressure sales calls and scams. Unfortunately, some of my customers have been experiencing exactly this recently, which is why it’s been necessary for me to put together this blog post.
These scams work much in the same way as the scam calls telling you that you’re entitled to a PPI pay-out, only this time it’s a free boiler. They’ll often say there’s ‘no outlay’, when in fact you’ll be tied into a 10-year finance deal for your new boiler, often with high interest rates.
These calls are not made by genuine heating engineers but instead by high pressure sales companies who will usually stick to a script and use plenty of underhand tactics to ensure you’ll agree to a deal. If you’re ever in doubt, ask their company name and phone number, or simply hang up the phone.
Have you experienced any of these scam calls? How did you handle it?
