Mud
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Just getting back to point of fitting a customers 'own' gas appliance. We don't like to fit stuff we haven't supplied either for the following reasons: - We loose the profit in supplying the appliance which we then have to either charge more for the fitting or accept that should there be a warranty problem - we don't have the profit in the job to return - if its a fault with our work - fair enough, but if its a manufacturers fault then we loose out!
- Whoever supplies it is liable for the warranty, if I supply it, I know its of good quality, I know where it's come from, how old it is, that it is puka etc and I will return to any problems. However, if the customer supplies it and if it has a warranty problem, it is the customer's responsibility to organise the warranty repair with the manufacturer. This always causes problems as they expect us to go out first even when we know from the symptoms that its not a problem with our installation.
- Customers, by enlarge, tend to purchase cheaper end appliances which are either unreliable (we wouldn't recommend or fit them because we don't want to be going back to the inevitable repairs) and when we do have to return to repair said POS the parts are horrendously expensive - customer thinks they are being ripped off.
- Customer has often done all the pipework up to the boiler themselves and we cannot guarrantee their work. If existing gas pipework to the appliance position is correct size, thats no problem but if it needs upgrading (for boilers it often isn't so they replace it themselves in 22mm and expect us to just connect up at the boiler & the meter) we will not pass gas pipework that we have not installed. At the end of the day - installer who passed it - his neck on the line if that gas pipework fails not the actual, non-registered customer who fitted it.
- I have already turned down several of these types of jobs because the origin of the boiler could not be established.
- In the last 15 years, almost every job where the customer has supplied his own stuff has had major problems, not enough of this, wrong size that, boiler - incorrect flue, no flue extensions etc etc etc ad-nauseum and when you give them the bill with all the extras you had to purchase to finish the job - they don't want to pay, kick up a fusss, don't understand why this part or that part was needed . . . . .
Can of worms almost every time - don't need it. There's too much work around at the moment to have to take a drop in profit just because the customer wants a cheap job done so many installers will charge a higher fee to fit only. Sorry to sound pessimistic but years in this business has made me a little picky about this kind of thing (one bitten etc)
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