Housing Solutions Limited Terms and Conditions Fixmy Boiler Service Housing Solutions Limited Crown House, Crown Square Waldeck Road Maidenhead SL6 8BY Tel: 0800 876 6060 Web: www.fixmy.org.uk
Terms and Conditions This documents sets out the Terms and Conditions of your agreement with us. If you have any questions please contact us on 0800 876 6060. If you would like this document in large print or audio CD please contact us on 0800 876 6060. Contents Part 1 Definitions Part 2 Our products Part 3 Eligibility Part 4 Landlord eligibility Part 5 Fix my Boiler Cover summary Part 6 Fix my Boiler & Central Heating summary Part 7 Replacing your boiler Part 8 General exclusions Part 9 Our commitment to you Part 10 Your responsibilities Part 11 Safety and maintenance inspections Part 12 Agreement period Part 13 Cancelling the Agreement Part 14 Ways to pay Part 15 Call out fee Part 16 - Other work we can do Part 17 Personal information Part 18 Third party rights Part 19 Guarantees Part 20 Governing law Part 21 - Complaints Part 22 - Alternative formats 2
Part 1 Definitions Wherever we refer to the following or phrases we mean the following: Agreement this means the agreement between you and Housing Solutions in relation to the product or services that you have purchased. Agreement Period this means the 12 month period that you have agreed to pay for the product. Cover refers to the product cover that you have purchased from us Us/Our/We refers to Housing Solutions Limited. You / Your refers to the person named on the account. Call out this refers to when we attend your home at your request to carry out a repair. Call out fee this refers to the fixed fee that is payable by you for each call out you ask us to do. Home this refers to your place of residence which is a private domestic dwelling. Gas boiler refers to the boiler that is used to heat your home and for which you have provided details of upon registration. Central heating system refers to the gas fired central heating system operating at your home. Controls any programmer / timer / thermostat that is connected to the boiler. Beyond economical repair means where we estimate that the cost of repairing your boiler would be more than its current value, or, that we are unable to obtain spare parts to repair your boiler. Part 2 Our products This is a summary of the products and services that we currently offer. We may change the prices or package options from time to time. Your Agreement will set out the product and price of the product that you have purchased. Product Cover Annual Safety Inspection included Fix my Boiler & Controls Gas boiler and controls Yes Fix my Boiler & Central Heating Gas boiler, controls and central heating system Yes 3
Part 3 Eligibility For you to be eligible to receive any of our products or services, you must meet the following criteria: Your system must run on mains supplied natural gas Your property must be used for domestic purposes Your system must be located in the main building of your home Your boiler must be a domestic conventional boiler, combination boiler or back boiler Your boiler must have a net output rating of less than 70w Your boiler must have been installed and maintained in accordance with the manufacturers guidelines Your boiler must comply with relevant regulations and safety standards Your boiler must be easily accessible and located in a safe, well lit and ventilated area Your boiler and central heating system must be in full working order at the time you purchased the cover. We will carry out a pre-inspection of your boiler to assess its condition before we agree to cover it. Not be of the following type of boiler Potterton Powermax, Elm Le Blanc or LPG. By signing the agreement you warrant to us that you meet all the qualifying criteria set out above, and to the extent that it is relevant the criteria set out in Part 4, if you are a landlord. Part 4 Landlord eligibility Landlords who let properties for domestic purposes may take out the Fix my Boiler and Fix my Boiler and Controls cover on the same terms and conditions as private domestic householders. 4
Part 5 Fix my Boiler cover summary Your cover package includes: A 365 days a year emergency boiler breakdown service. Same day response if you call before 7pm. Professional and experienced Gas Safe registered engineers. An initial inspection of your boiler and controls. Please be aware that if we inspect your boiler and find it to be unsafe, it is our legal obligation to isolate the supply to the boiler. We will provide you with a quotation to bring the boiler in line with safety standards. You are not obligated to accept this and may wish to obtain other quotes. An annual safety inspection of your boiler. Maintenance and repair of your boiler and controls including the circulating pump, motorised valves, time clock and programmer. (Some exclusions apply - please refer to What we won t cover and General exclusions sections). Unlimited call outs. If you have opted for cover with a call out charge you will be charged each time you call us out. Please check your Agreement to see how much this is. Unlimited parts and labour. If we find your boiler to be beyond economical repair we may choose to replace it rather than repair it. Sorry, but we won t cover: Cosmetic or third party damage Design or pre-existing faults. Central heating system Plumbing & drains. Home electrics Damage or faults caused by you or others interfering with the system Improvements to get your boiler or system up to the required legislative standards Repairs or maintenance that is already covered by a manufacturers guarantee Any cost in excess of 1000 inclusive of VAT incurred in accessing your system, pipes, wires or built in appliances Upgrading to your system as at the date of registration. 5
Part 6 Fix my Boiler and Central Heating cover summary Your cover package includes: A 365 days a year emergency boiler breakdown service. A customer help-line available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Professional and experienced Gas Safe registered engineers. An initial inspection of your boiler and controls. Please be aware that if we inspect your boiler and find it to be unsafe, it is our legal obligation to isolate the supply to the boiler. We will provide you with a quotation to bring the boiler in line with safety standards. You are not obligated to accept this and may wish to obtain other quotes. An annual safety inspection of your boiler. Maintenance and repair of your boiler and controls including; the circulating pump, motorised valves, time clock, programmer, external thermostat, radiators and valves, hot water tank, feed and expansion tank, pipes and fittings, primary flue and draught diverter (Some exclusions apply - please refer to What we won t cover and General Exclusions sections). Unlimited call outs. If you have opted for cover with a call out charge you will be charged each time you call us out. You should check your Agreement to see how much this is. Unlimited parts and labour. If we find your boiler to be beyond economical repair we may choose to replace it rather than repair it. Sorry, but we won t cover: Cosmetic or third party damage Design or pre-existing faults System improvements e.g. adding an additional radiator Drains Home electrics Damage or faults caused by you or others interfering with the system Improvements to get your boiler or system up to the required legislative standards Repairs or maintenance that is already covered by a manufacturers guarantee Any cost in excess of 1000 inclusive of VAT incurred in accessing your system, pipes, wires or built in appliances Upgrading to your system as at the date of registration 6
Part 7 Replacing your boiler If your boiler is less than 7 years old and we decide that your boiler is beyond economical repair, we will: Replace your boiler with a new boiler that we consider an appropriate replacement. You will be given the option of paying for an upgrade. Cover the cost of the boiler installation in the same location and position that it was in prior to replacement. This replacement offer does: Not cover the cost of any upgrades required to your central heating system that either you request or that are required by legislation. Not cover the cost of moving the boiler. If your boiler is older than 7 years old and we decide it is beyond economical repair, we will: Provide you with a quotation for replacement and installation. You are not obliged to accept this quotation. Provide you with a 12 month guarantee on all parts and labour on a new boiler that you have purchased from us and we have installed. Part 8 General conditions and exclusions These exclusions are in addition to the areas of work and responsibility that are not covered under this Agreement and as set out in Sections 5 and 6. Cover will not apply for first 28 days, or until we have carried out the initial inspection, whichever is sooner. Following the inspection we will confirm to you whether we can continue the cover. We do not cover boilers which require specialist work such as Potterton Powermax, Elm LE Blanc We do not cover products that are liquid petroleum gas (LPG), oil, electrical, underfloor heating or warm air heating systems. We do not cover ground, air and water source heat pumps We do not cover immersion heaters, combination cylinders, elson tanks, thermal storage units, unvented hot water cylinders and controls We do not cover fan assisted convector heaters and immersion heaters We do not cover the removal of asbestos associated with repairing the appliance or system. You will need to provide us with a Clean Air certificate following removal of asbestos before we will carry out any repair work. 7
We do not cover cookers, AGAs, gas fires or space heating appliances. We do not cover the replacement of bespoke or designer radiators radiators where required will be replaced with standard panel radiators. We do not cover the resetting of controls including summer and winter time changes We do not cover repairs due to changes in gas, electric or water services We do not cover connections to utility services from the meter to the appliance We do not cover the repair or replacement of flues that are not part of your central heating system We do not cover the removal of sludge or hard water scale from the boiler or system or repairs arising from this. We do not cover the cost to access buried pipes for the repair of your central heating system. We do not cover the cost of redecoration or reinstatement of floorings / covers / fixtures and fittings damaged as a result of the repair, unless the damage is due to our negligence. We do not cover cold water supply tank and feed and outlet We do not cover the repairing or replacing lead or steel pipes. We do not cover subsequential losses as a result of the fault and cancelled appointments i.e. loss of earnings We do not cover repairs caused by someone else s negligence or where a system has been damaged either accidentally or intentionally by you or others acting on your behalf Unless we are responsible for it, we shall not be liable for any loss or damage to property caused by the appliance, boiler or system breaking down (for example, damage to furniture caused by water leaks). We do not cover the cost of repairing faults or damage caused by freezing weather conditions, subsidence, structural repairs, accident, fire, lightning, explosion, flood or storm or the cost of repairing damage caused by changes to, or problems with, the gas, electricity or water services. You should check your household insurance to make sure you have enough cover for these risks. We do not cover improvements including work that is needed to bring your system up to current standards. Examples of improvements include system upgrades, such as adding thermostatic radiator valves, replacing parts such as flues, which do not meet current standards, and replacing working radiators with improved models. 8
Part 9 Our commitment to you: Part 10 We will provide you with Gas Safe Registered engineers to carry out repairs. We will treat you with respect and dignity. We will turn up when we say we will. If we do not turn up for an appointment we will pay you 25. If you call us before us before 7pm we will offer a same day response. If you contact us after 7pm we will attend the following day. We will aim to complete the repair right first time. If we cannot complete the repair right first time we will arrange a follow-up appointment with you. When we carry out a repair we will leave your home clean and tidy. Your responsibilities to us: It is your responsibility to let us into your property. If we cannot gain access to your property for a scheduled appointment we will charge you a 25 missed appointment fee. If we cannot gain access to your property to carry out the necessary work, we will tell you and arrange another appointment. If, after several attempts, we still cannot gain access, we may cancel your agreement. We will tell you in writing if this is the case. It is your responsibility to carry out maintenance works that we ask you to do, in order to keep your system in good working order. If you fail to carry out regular maintenance we may cancel your agreement. It is your responsibility to ensure that our gas engineers have safe working conditions whilst they are in your home, and that they can access your boiler or central heating system without having to move items of furniture or stored goods. It is a decision solely for our engineers as to whether your home provides them with a safe working environment and if they decide that it does not, then you must rectify this situation immediately and we will inspect your home to ensure that it is a safe working environment for our engineers before we arrange any further appointment for them to undertake works. During this period the contract between us will be suspended by reason of your breach of this essential term and if you do not provide a safe working environment free from obstructions within 10 days of the decision by our engineers that they cannot safely work in your home, we will treat this contract as ended due to your fundamental breach of this essential term of the contract. 9
Part 11 Safety and maintenance inspections Initial inspection We will complete an initial safety and maintenance inspection within 28 days of taking out the cover. This is to confirm to us that your boiler and central heating system were in safe working order and comply to current regulations at the time you took out your cover. Customers should note that if your boiler or central heating system is not safe we have a legal obligation to isolate your gas supply. If we have to turn off your boiler because it is unsafe we will tell you what work needs to be carried out in order to make it safe and we can provide you with a quotation for the works. These works will not be covered under your agreement with us and we will either cancel or postpone your cover until the required works are complete. If as a result of the maintenance inspection we have to cancel the cover we will refund you any payments due. Annual safety inspection We will carry out a safety check of your boiler each year. We may carry this out at the same time of your initial maintenance inspection, however if we decide not to cover your boiler for any reason the safety check will not be carried out. If we carry out the annual safety inspection at the same time as the initial maintenance inspection and you cancel the policy we will charge you 65 for the safety inspection. If we agree to cover your boiler and do not carry out the annual safety check during the initial inspection we will contact you to arrange a safety inspection at a later date. Part 12 Agreement period Your agreement period will run for twelve months and will start when we have processed your application and following a successful initial safety inspection. This is usually within 28 days of you contacting us about the cover. Your agreement will continue until you tell us that you would like to cancel, or, if we cancel the agreement (see Part 13), or the expiry of 12 months from the date of commencement unless you have paid a renewal premium, before the expiry of the original term. 10
Part 13 Cancelling the Agreement If you wish to cancel your agreement you must: Tell us in writing within 30 calendar days starting from the day after you receive written confirmation of your agreement with us and you will receive a full refund of any money paid (as long as we have not done any work). We may cancel the agreement if: you have given false information; you do not make an agreed payment; we are not reasonably able to find parts to keep your system or appliance working safely; circumstances arise (including health and safety issues and access to your system and appliances as detailed in Part 10) which make it inappropriate for the contract to continue; We have advised you that permanent repairs or improvements are needed to make sure your appliance or system works properly, and you do not follow our advice within a reasonable period; If we cancel your agreement, we will give you a refund based on how long is left of any 12-month advance cash, cheque, credit card or debit card payment. There will be a minimum payment of 65 a year if we have done work or an inspection. Part 14 Ways to pay You can pay monthly or yearly by direct debit; debit card and credit card or by cheque once a year. You can call us on 0800 876 6060 to set-up cover or visit our website: www.fixmy.org.uk. Part 15 Call out fee If you have purchased a cover where you have opted to pay a call out fee, you will need to pay a 99 call out fee each time you call us out. This does not apply if we have been unable to complete the emergency repair on the first visit and have to come back to carry out follow-up work. We will ask you to pay the 99 call out fee in advance over the telephone, using a debit or credit card when you contact us to tell us about the emergency. If you contact us outside of normal office hours (i.e Monday to Friday 11
8.00am to 7.00pm) we will ask you to make the payment the next available working day and will ask you to sign a form to indicate your agreement to this. Part 16 Other work we can do In addition to our Fix my range we can offer the following services: Home Emergency Repairs cover One off boiler repairs Gas appliance safety inspections Annual gas boiler safety check Boiler replacement Upgrades and improvements to your central heating system System flush Electrical testing (PIR) Upgrades and improvements to your electrical system Fitting of mains powered smoke/carbon monoxide detectors Appliance repairs Blocked drains Plumbing repairs Lock repairs Emergency maintenance repairs For further information about any of these services please contact us on 0800 876 6060 or visit our website: www.housingsolutions.co.uk Part 17 Personal information We may use the personal information you provide us with: To help improve services and products that we provide; To carry out customer profiling so that we may improve our service to you; To help to prevent and detect fraud or loss; For training and quality assurance purposes and to make sure that we are meeting our legal and regulatory requirements in the provision of the service. 12
Part 18 Third-party rights Nobody other than you will be able to benefit from this agreement, which cannot be passed to someone else without our agreement. Part 19 Guarantees Any guarantees do not affect your legal rights under the Sale of Goods Act 1979 and Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982. You can get advice about your rights from a citizen s advice bureau or trading standards department. Part 20 Governing Law This agreement is governed by the law of England and Wales. Part 21 Complaints If you wish to make a complaint about the service you can do so by: Calling us on: 0800 876 6060 Writing to us at: Housing Solutions Limited, Crown House, Crown Square, Waldeck Road, Maidenhead, SL6 8BY Visiting our offices at the above address. Emailing us at: contact@fixmy.org.uk Part 22 Alternative formats If you would like this document in another format, please call 0800 876 6060. If your hearing is impaired you can contact us by textphone, please call us on 01628 543101. If you smell gas phone the National Gas Emergency service immediately on 0800 111 999. 13