Not upheld: Service failures generally complaint against A Shade Greener (Boilers) Llp

Decision detail

Summary

Ms L complained about ASG's management of her 2014 boiler agreement, raising concerns about an 8-day repair wait, charges for annual service, handwriting discrepancies, lack of compassion during financial difficulties, questioning about a fault report, failure to provide cancellation documentation, and inadequate breakdown of amounts owed. ASG had previously reduced Ms L's monthly payments three times between 2021 and 2024 as she experienced financial difficulties. The ombudsman found that ASG had complied with all agreement terms, reasonably interpreted the 'free annual service' clause as part of an upfront maintenance package, and demonstrated appropriate treatment by reducing payments. The ombudsman did not uphold any aspect of the complaint.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman found that ASG had complied with all material terms of the agreement. Term 9 required ASG to 'endeavour' to arrive within specified timeframes, not guarantee arrival, so the 8-day wait did not constitute a breach. Term 8's reference to a 'free annual service' was reasonably interpreted as meaning no additional annual charges because Ms L had purchased an upfront maintenance and service package. The handwriting discrepancy was explained plausibly and the agreement terms were identical. ASG demonstrated understanding and compassion by reducing Ms L's payments three times during her financial difficulties. The questioning about the fault report was appropriate and the fault was repaired at no cost. ASG's failure to provide cancellation documentation was explained by Ms L's dispute over amounts owed, and the service has now been cancelled anyway. ASG provided adequate information about what Ms L owed.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website