Hi,
We moved to Carcassonne 6 months ago and had to replace our Central heating boiler. We had a Chaffoteaux Mira green fitted by a local plumber - for what seemed to us a huge amount of Money €2,600!!!. Shortly after installation when we switched it on there was a loud explosion and there in after we had problems with it including the boiler being very noisy. (We discovered at this point that the mounting was not level and wondered if this could have contirbuted to the problem.) Eventually the chap from Chaffoteaux came to check it out and fobbed us off. After a great deal of agonising too-ing and fro-ing with the plumber and Chaffoteaux via their website our plumber rang up and announced triumphantly that he was coming to fit a brand new boiler.
He duly arrived with a new boiler in a box, saying that he had insisted that chaffoteaux replace it. We pointed out our concerns that the mounting was not level and again felt we were being fobbed off with "We'll see". After 2 hours the new boiler was up, the plumber was ready to go and asked for the balance of his bill. We declined until we had evidence that the boiler was now in a good working condition.
Later on closer inspection we discovered that in fact - we still have the same boiler - or at the very least half the same boiler. The casing and lower part are definately the same - same serial numbers, scratches etc. The mounting is still not level and it is still noisy - though not quite as noisy as before.
It is all beginning to feel a bit surreal and we are struggling with what to do next.
Does any one have any suggestions? Is there a local trading standards body in France that deals with this kind of thing?