Bath Waste Outflow Leaking for a Second Time

[richdeniro]

Back at the beginning of September I had a leak underneath the bath that turned out to be the waste outflow so I had Dyno plumbing come and repair it, took a couple of hours as the bath panel had been tiled in by the previous owner so the plumber had to smash through it. Total cost was £220 and he replaced the bath waste and trap. All has been well since then.

This morning I had a knock on the door from the flat below and she had water pouring through her ceiling after I had a shower, at first I thought maybe the sealant had gone but after running the taps for a minute it was soon apparent that it was coming from a pipe, presumably the waste outflow again.

Typically it has passed the 90 day guarantee that Dyno offer by 13 days and just last weekend I paid £50 for someone to cut down and fit a new bath panel after having the tiled one smashed out last time.

Just wondering if I had any hope with getting something off Dyno or just go with a different company/plumber and should I remove the bath panel myself or just wait for the plumber to arrive to do it? It has obviously has sealant put around the edges so I'd have to cut all that out.

Also I paid on my Barclaycard which has 120 days purchase protection - might I have any hope claiming on that?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Chuck]

Quite possibly. The '90 day' guarantees offered by firms are just a distraction tactic to stop customers doing some digging and learning about things like 'implied terms', 'unfair contracts terms', 'reasonable skill and care', 'inherent defect' and a whole lot of other legal jargon that allow a ripped-off customer to make life a misery for incompetent traders for years after they take the money.

You need to consult your lawyer, your house insurance may include some legal advice, or the Citizens Advice Bureau how will give you a step-by-step list of things to do to pursue your case.

In my experience, most large companies try to grind down complainants by creating a huge maze of a 'customer complaints' system desgined to waste as much of your time as possible. Their goal is to get you to give up in frustration before you learn how cheap and easy it is to sue them in the Small Claims Court. My advice is to bypass the whole lot by sending your complaint by registered mail. They will probaly refuse your claim at that point even if it is cast-iron. You immediately start a small claims procedure. They will leave it to the last possible moment to settle but once they realise you are serious they will settle.

It's important to minimise the amount of time you spend on this as you probably won't be able to reclaim compensation for any time you spend trying to get them to see reason, a fact that they well know.

Good luck.

 

[Chalked]

What if it's not their fault?
They should first be allowed to have a chance at fixing

 

[richdeniro]

The problem is that the earliest they have said they can come out is Wednesday and I can't really wait that long without a shower/bath so I'd prefer to just get another plumber in tomorrow or Monday at the latest.

Perhaps if it is their fault I could get the new plumber to put that on the receipt?

 

[Stoney Ground]

The problem is that the earliest they have said they can come out is Wednesday and I can't really wait that long without a shower/bath so I'd prefer to just get another plumber in tomorrow or Monday at the latest.

Perhaps if it is their fault I could get the new plumber to put that on the receipt?

You need to give them the opportunity to repair their error, if you do get another company in to deal with it inform them you will have to do that and photograph everything with time and date stamps.

 

[king of pipes]

The other option is to video the evidence and keep it on your phone you can persue your competition claim later if needed, regards kop

 

[NickH]

Why not take the bath panel off and take a look yourself. If there is water pouring through the ceiling it should be fairly obvious where it's coming from.
I'm not saying you don't have any redress from Dyno etc. but this plumbing lark isn't that difficult and you might be able to sort it out yourself and get back to normal stress free life. Post pics. if you can and ask for advice. Good luck.