Weeks of fun with British Gas

Don’t you love huge companies who offer inefficient service to their customers?
In February I entered into a HomeCare agreement with British Gas to maintain the boiler at my home in Wells.
March 12: Their engineer does the first service and says the vent in the kitchen does not meet current regulations because the metal grill on the garden side can be closed. I can’t open the grill because of its several coats of paint, and am quoted a steep £323, but I accept after the engineer gives me a safety warning.
April 15: A second British Gas engineer arrives to replace the vent. He says the charge should, in fact, be only £192, and the plastic vent costs £40.
April 28: The invoice has arrived and I ring British Gas to repeat what the second engineer said about the overcharging. They promise to check it out.
May 1: No-one has phoned, so I ring again. I try three times and hear “All our agents are busy” before being cut off.
May 6: I phone again and am told “Your query is being investigated and a stop has been put on the invoice”.
May 20: I receive a red letter threatening me with a debt recovery team because the invoice has not been paid.
May 21: I phone and speak to someone who says not to worry about the red letter, that the invoice should have been for £163 and that a new invoice will be arranged.
June 1: The replacement invoice has not arrived. I am thinking of replacing my gas cooker with an electric one.
June 2: Replacement invoice arrives and an envelope for my cheque. No apology is enclosed and the envelope needs a stamp.
Philip Welch