Do I Have A Right To Complain

[renegadefm]

Ok so this is a tricky question because I don't even know if we have a leg to stand on, by we I mean my partner and I. 

 

Basically we recently had a new consumer trip box installed as our old fuse box was out of date, and we needed to upgrade. 

 

We have a night storage heater which we never use, I even removed the fuse from the isolate switch so it can't be turned on because we had over 40 vinyl singles we store on it as its right next to our record player. We have had them there for years for convenience. 

 

I was actually at work when the electricians did the work, and only my partner was here, but little did she know during the instillation of the new consumer box they were randomly testing sockets, lights etc.

 

What we didn't realise until many days after the done the work and left, that they must have been testing the heater where our records were on, and by testing I mean put a fuse in and put the heater on. 

 

Needless to say many days after they left, we went to play one of the records, and to our horror over 40 of the records have been severely worped and unplayable. 

 

Are we in a position to complain or claim for the value of the records, as they didn't inform us they needed to actually put the heater on. 

I thought with testing equipment you can test appliances without turning them on. 

 

I know some of you will be screaming why would you store vinyl records on a heater, well normally I would agree with you, but I took steps to make sure that particular heater could not be turned on by removing the fuse, plus two switches would have needed to be switched on for the heater to run, so it was impossible for it ever to be turned on. 

 

Shouldn't we have been informed of what they were doing?

 

Have we got a right to claim for this damage to our property? 

[renegadefm]

Old_Geezer, 

 

Thanks, but they are too badly damaged, they have ripples, we were in shock when we found them like it.

 

They mostly about £5 each in terms of total value I would say we lost over £200 worth of vinyl singles. 

[youngmafbog]

//I feel they could have just asked my partner is it ok to test the heater.//

It was connected into a new circuit, they have no choice but to test it.  If you refused they wouldnt sign it off.

If you didnt want it connected they you should have stipulated this in the engagement.

[youngmafbog]

//we lost over £200 worth of vinyl singles. //

So probably less than your exces plus a claim may push up next years premium.

Take it on the chin and buy replacements.

[Barmaid]

I think you have even less of a leg to stand on since proving that it was the electricians who did it is going to be difficult.  You do not even know they switched the heater on by the sounds of it and the only indication was the damage to the records sometime afterwards.  

If it was a night storage heater that is never used, then I would be amazed if during the short time it was only switched on for testing it did that much damage. Testing something like that takes a matter of minutes. 

I know £200 is not small change, but is it even worth an insurance claim given the amount and a) your likely excess and b) the obvious rise in premiums.

 

[barry1010]

Night storage heaters do not heat up quickly.

[renegadefm]

Barmaid, 

But like I mentioned we never use it, and it can't be accidentally turned on as it would mean 2 switches would have needed to be on. 

I removed the fuse to ensure this particular heater can't be used, and the only way it was put on is by the electricians as they would have had to put a fuse in. 

 

Thats why I know it's not an error from our point of view. 

 

We didn't think to check the records on the day, as we didn't assume testing a heater requires turning it on. 

[Barmaid]

Barry, that is what I understood.  I remember when I had NSH and if they were switched off over the summer it took a wee while for them to get up to a reasonable temp when they came back on in the winter.

[Barmaid]

You obviously feel very strongly about this Renegadefm, so just crack on with your complaint. 

[renegadefm]

I think my point is they turned something on that I disabled by taking the fuse out. So they must have put a fuse in to try the heater. But failed to see a load of records on top of the heater. 

If it was me as an electrician in someone else's house I would have checked what was on the heater before turning it on. At worst it could have created a fire.