Protherm Boiler Repair Company Refuses Refund After Botched Ignition Card Replacement
We contacted A***** M***** from M***** Technical Boiler Service, which we found online, regarding a fault with our Protherm brand water heater. The problem with the boiler was that hot water came out boiling at 60-65 degrees, and for the past month, it hadn't been coming out at all. When the technician who came introduced himself as an energy engineer, we trusted him. He told us there was a previously opened service record they'd forgotten about, and because of that forgotten record, we agreed to a discounted price of $249 instead of $291 for replacing the ignition card, and we made the payment.
An hour after the technician left following the part replacement, we noticed the hot water was again coming out late and boiling, so we called them back. They apologized, saying they had mixed up the placement of two parts during installation. We were told the installed card had a 2-year warranty, but we were given no warranty document, and our old ignition card — which they were legally required to return to us — was never given back.
The next day, when the boiling water problem continued, we reported it again via WhatsApp and phone. This time they refused to acknowledge the fault, claiming it was a normal issue caused by the plumbing, the municipal water supply, or the faucet aerator. When I pointed out that we hadn't had this problem in 6 years, they came the next day to adjust the temperature and gas settings, but the problem still wasn't resolved. The hot water continued to come out late and excessively hot, exactly as before.
Given the misdiagnosis of the fault and their failure to deliver the promised fix, we stated that we had received defective service and requested that our old card be reinstalled and our payment be fully refunded. Company representatives cited head-office procedures and refused a direct refund. We told them they could only come back on the condition that they reinstall the old part and issue a full refund, that we would pursue our legal rights through the Consumer Arbitration Committee, and that we did not consent to them filming video inside our home. In response, the company said they could refund the remaining amount after deducting a $62 service fee. We rejected their offer, stating that this deduction was not legal since they had provided defective service. Lesson learned: you shouldn't trust just anyone online who calls themselves a technical service provider.