Cavity Wall Insulation

[collareddove12]

I've had a phone call from an engineering company, saying they had an available appointment on Tuesday 28 at 3pm to carry out an inspection on my cavity wall insulation as there has been problems with some dubbed in the media as Cavity Wall Insulation Crisis. If all was fine no problem otherwise they could rectify it. On further probing he said that the cost would be £300 for inspection. The problem was dampness coming through to interior. Has anyone else had such a call?

[Buenchico]

That sounds like a good way to throw away three hundred quid to me!

Yes, there have been some problems with cavity wall insulation. See this Telegraph report
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/property/11485758/Cavity-wall-insulation-crisis-may-hit-three-million-homes.html
and this BBC video
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-lancashire-39647021/horrendous-scale-of-cavity-wall-insulation-problems

However that's simply resulted in lots of firms (such as the one which has contacted you) jumping on the bandwagon and charging people lots of money for unnecessary inspections (and then probably charging over the odds as well for a 'fix', which you might not really need anyway).

My advice is to stick to the old maxim of "if it ain't broke don't fix it". (i.e. if you've not noticed any problems then assume that there aren't any).

[Guilbert53]

NEVER deal with ANY PERSON that rings you up out the blue. And I do mean ANY PERSON.

This is a sure way to get scammed or get talked in to paying out money you dont need to spend.

Sadly most of the people who cold call you nowadays are scammers of one sort of another so I would NEVER deal with anybody who just rang me up.

If you go by the same advice you will be OK.

[collareddove12]

Thanks to you both for comments. I've no intention of using these people but just wondered if this was a common ploy to get more work, looks like it probably is.

[Old_Geezer]

Cold calling is common enough. This sounds a particularly dodgy version of it though. They want to give a free inspection is one thing. Telling you that it needs one, they'll do it for £300 is but one step away from those who claim they've left-over tarmac and can do your drive for you on the cheap: or have noted a slipped tile on your roof and can replace the roof for you.

[Kazal]

Yes I had such a call a few weeks ago. They sound like the same firm who contacted me on many occasions claiming to be the energy advisor for my area and told me that the loft insulation causes damp and needs replacing and they had a representative in my area who could give me a quote. No way!

[Tilly2]

I had one of those calls a while ago. I said, 'No thanks'

[wiltsman]

It's a con. I had a similar call recently, and as I'm more than satisfied with the free wall and loft insulation I had installed a few years ago, I quickly put the phone down on them before any costs were discussed.

I didn't realise that I was about to be asked for £300 for an inspection, so definitely a con!

[Tilly2]

My caller called it 'cavity wall sickness.'

He only got through to me because he said his name on the call blocker and I thought it was a bowling colleague of Mr T!