The almost constant flow of bogus gas inspectors, particularly during the holiday periods, makes one generally very suspicious, to say the least. We get these inspectors’ calling almost on a monthly basis, and some of them are quite aggressive.
So, the phone rang and it was the gas inspector, asking if he could come round in about 15 minutes to do the five-yearly inspection. The cost would be €50 all-in. I agreed and round he came.
I wasn’t sure if it had been five years since the last inspection, but could very well have been. Having been quoted €50 all-in, and the ‘inspector’ saying he was from the appropriate company, I was probably at this stage about 90% sure it was the genuine article.
Why only 90%? Well, such are the numbers of these ‘inspectors’, the fact they called me and the recent revelation that some ‘inspectors’ had been masquerading as being from the appropriate company, has made me extremely cautious. Perhaps overly so, but better safe than sorry.
The inspector changed the rubber hosing for the gas system (they needed it, date-wise) and checked for dangerous gases and it was all done within about fifteen minutes. He then wrote out the bill.
With the previous inspection, it had been ‘pop down to the office (nearby) and pay the bill’, I was surprised when he then asked for the cash. And when he then added that it had to be cash because he had to return to Vélez-Málaga, my level of confidence dropped quite considerably from the 90%. Not from the local office?
I said I would pop the money into the office ‘as usual’ and rejected his idea of nipping out to a cashpoint – I had the money but had become suspicious and wanted to make sure it was a genuine inspection certificate.
Thirty minutes later we paid the bill at the local office and all was in order. The staff in the local office were perfectly happy and understood the need to be very cautious these days.
So, a successful and genuine gas inspection.
I do find it sad that the sheer numbers of con artists these days – gas, water, charity collectors, petition collators for special cases…the list seems to be endless…makes one so suspicious, but that is the modern world I suppose. And one has to feel sorry for the genuine inspectors, charity workers, petition collectors etc who suffer as a result.
Overly suspicious, probably, but when you have been conned in the past….