I very much wanted to like Domex UK's service but I was disappointed. I needed an engineer to repair the microwave within an old combination oven that had suddenly stopped working. I was told Domex's price of work would start at about £46.
The engineer phoned to say he couldn't find my address. I pointed out that it sounded like he was outside the wrong building and went upstairs to stand in the rain so he could find me. I was pleased to find him as he didn't find me. No hello from him in the face of my smile.
He continued with monosyllabic responses as I showed him the microwave. He was what I can only describe as polite but hostile, snorting with contempt as I replied Bosch to his barked what type is it?. Oh, you mean the model. I didn't know.
I laughed at my own mistake when the engineer told me that, after the power is cut, which was necessary in the building recently, the clock of the microwave has to be reset using two of the clock buttons. I have done this a couple of times before, but had forgotten on this occasion. I asked the engineer if he had reset the power switch to the oven at the mains, himself. He said no, he had just pressed the buttons. I'll have to charge you. Fine. My mistake, I pay.
He told me the cost was £78. I asked him to break it down for me. I couldn't understand his explanation, which was mumbled at his receipt pad, but, a), I didn't want to argue with a surly, unpaid man when alone in a basement flat, and, b), I didn't want to create a trail of an unpaid bill. I told him I would pay and would phone the company, query it and might ask for reimbursement. He had no change when I offered a cash payment, (Parking is very expensive here!), so I gave him all of mine.
When the engineer gave me the receipt, I saw that £42 was charged for consultation, (the company advertises that has a no call-out fee policy), and a further £36 was for repairs. I told the engineer that I would of course pay for the consultation, as he had reminded me how to operate the microwave and I needed to pay for his having come out, but that there had been no repairs. The engineer told me he had repaired the microwave by pressing buttons. He briefly seemed uncertain exactly which buttons he had pressed. I pointed out the ones I'd use.
A Domex phone operative told me repairs had taken place because the engineer said that he had pressed buttons and had said this would be repairs. A Domex manager told me repairs had taken place because the engineer said that he had pressed buttons and had said that this would be repairs. I told her we could bring that definition of repairs to the small claims court. She told me it didn't matter how long repairs took to carry out. I agreed. I asked her what had been repaired. The manager interrupted me to tell me that anything I was saying to her was irrelevant because she had come up with the solution. I was to be reimbursed for repairs. She had the engineer's knack for conveying brief contempt while using only polite language.
My point is that Domex turned a tiny incident into a surprisingly elaborate pain-in-the-neck, such that I wondered why anyone would choose the company in the first place. I am happy to have paid for the consultation/call-out fee, on which Domex puts a value of £42, because I acknowledge a mistake. I wish Domex would try the latter. By the point at which the company's manager had patronisingly advised me of the re-gift of my own money, I was kicking myself for becoming involved with the company even briefly.
Would I use Domex again, considering the reimbursement? What do you think? read more
