Tell the World

what went wrong

and hopefully the

world gets better

Last update

06/11/2007

entered by

anthonyg.martin@ntlworld.com

Ref:- Policy No ST32812 / 08125269 Cost £54.95 paid by D/D Jan 2004

I have been a policy holder for several years without ever claiming. Today whilst making a routine inspection externally - upon lifting the Sewer Manhole on my path I discovered that it was bone dry with no trace of any water in the gully whatsoever.
This immediately suggested that there was a blockage as there have been three adults in residence over the past 5 days.
I therefore flushed the Toilet and poured 12 x 2 gallon buckets of water into the toilet bowl but to no effect - still no water ran through the sewage gully towards the main road sewer. The gully remained totally dry indicating there was a blockage.
I therefore rang Home Service Emergency Number and spoke with a young lady who was most unhelpful. I therefore asked to speak with a manager and was subsequently connected with a Jane Hewitt - a manager based in Preston.
I explained that despite pouring 25 gallons of water down the toilet - there was nothing running in the gully indicating a blockage. She kept asking if the toilet was flushing Ok - I told her that it was but that nothing was moving showing there was a blockage in the system.
She said to me that she was not prepared to call out an engineer as there was nothing flowing back into the toilet pan and she also said that as the toilet was flushing it must be going somewhere so it was not an emergency.
I explained that as human faeces were involved there was a health hazard but she refused to do anything. Neither did she offer any help or advice on the matter as stated in Section A of the policy.
I therefore spoke with a neighbour who had seen me examining the sewer culvert and he concurred that there must be a blockage. Various other passers by entered the discussion and then one said he knew someone who could help with a blockage problem. He made a phone call and within 10 minutes a man arrived who agreed there was a problem and he offered to “rod out the drain to release the blockage”. He said that he wanted £40 for his trouble and in the absence of any other option I agreed.
The drain was therefore probed by some very long rods with a contraption attached to the end.
After much heaving and shoving over the next 20 - 30 minutes, as the rods were withdrawn there was the most horrendous foul smelling volume of effluent that I have ever seen in my life.
He said that it looked as if the blockage had been there for some days and that as he unblocked the drain there appeared to be a large dark mass which he thought might be a dead rat within the effluent that flowed thereafter for around 10 minutes.
Following the rod-ding, further buckets of water were poured into the bathroom toilet pedestal until the drain ran clear. I therefore gave him his £40 and thanked him for such prompt action.
I am however most disgusted with the treatment that I received from Home Service and I have already written to Watchdog on the matter and copied this complaint to Severn Trent.
I have cancelled the Direct Debit at my Bank as I no longer wish to deal with your Company.
As you have failed to provide me with the service as outlined in the Policy I would be grateful if you would cancel the policy forthwith (as it has only just been renewed) and return to me the amount of £54.95 being the charge that was deducted from my account in January.