Installer Vandalism!

[Smass101]

My VM services were fitted two weeks ago this coming Thursday. 
The engineer turned up and essentially vandalised my property leaving an absolute fricking mess behind him. He also literally ran away from the job after being here for 6hours - I know this as he moaned like a good ‘un all day about installs only usually taking 2hrs max - with vague promises of “I’ve let my supervisor know about the issues”, “the office will be in touch” and so on.

I’ve tried the call centre but it’s torture as the English of the call handlers is really poor. They can’t seem to grasp very well that the issues are with the damage to the house and unfinished install NOT the actual VM services themselves (which thankfully all work).

I managed to get them to send an engineer out as I expected but the poor sod had no notes about the issues passed on to him and genuinely didn’t know what he could do to help or why he was sent out. He was a lovely local-ish bloke who photographed everything and escalated to his supervisor- but it will have been another week gone soon and nothing from this supervisor or the call centre or anything….

Genuinely feels like someone has turned up, f***ed my house up, then driven off giving me the V’s out of the window as they’ve gone. 

Apologies this is a bit of a rant, but I was wondering if there was any sort of escalation route in place for unfinished installs, poor workmanship and some sort of FM for property damage?

[Client62 · Accepted solution]

Post images of the issues caused by the installation.

[Smass101]

I’ll need to get additional photos of the exterior damage tomorrow in daylight but here’s what I’ve been left with from the install and the water damage to the new flooring (radiator pipe drilled):-

[Smass101]

 

 

 

 

[Andrew-G]

Consult Citizens Advice to understand your rights here.  Whilst generally VM do sort out damage caused during the occasional botched installation, if there's any difficulty its best to know your rights.  Or consider joining Which Legal Services, for about a hundred quid for a year's membership, that offers unlimited advice from lawyers who are experts in consumer rights (and one or two other areas).   Obviously if there's water and plumbing, and plaster damage then the repairs may install multiple tradesmen costing several hundred pounds.  You can't use Ombudsman Services for property damage complaints, meaning that worst case you could have to use the small claims track of the courts.  

[jpeg1]

Check your house insurance. Some policies include legal advice which is useful in cases like this. 

[Smass101]

 

 

 

[Smass101]

Hi all - thanks for the responses thus far. Don’t VM hold some responsibility to finish the installation to a decent standard and for their FM company to finish the work in the case of the wall damage?

I can’t believe they’re allowed to turn up, make a mess and then just leave it 😞

[-tony-]

you need to explain the first set of pics - what actually happened - is the wall damage and repair to the water pipe because VM in some way caused a leak

[Smass101]

Drilled the water pipe and flooded the carpet. Emergency plumber came and chipped the wall out to decouple the pipe but the promised plasterer never came back to patch the wall. We had to wait for the water to try to check the state of the carpet - it’s dried and is badly marked as you can see. Engineer said he would write it all up that further visits would be required - but either didn’t bother or the notes never made it through the chain/system till I reported it.