07 Mar 2014 11:13 PM:

I don't know if this has already been covered but ...... 

Today I recived an email as follows:

Hi
I would be interested in renting out your property,i will be willing to pay 6 months upfront.
can you let me know if the property is available.
Tel- 07030808838
thank you
Ben

 

I was suspicious because it's very non specific - always a sign to be wary of, so I googled it. It's a big scam. The telephone number is a premium rate mobile number (all 0703 numbers are) and cost £2 to connect and 50p/min. 

The reply email address is ben.ben457 at yahoo.co.uk.

I found hundreds of forum posts from all sorts of people had the same although some of te phone numbers were different - I think they keep pulling the plug but he just gets another number

 

This message was last edited by q-pilot on 08/03/2014.
Thread: Scam Alert

--------------------------------------

06 Feb 2014 9:56 PM:

Oops! email should be eos@chimneydoc dot co dot uk

 

Thread: Wood burning stoves

--------------------------------------

06 Feb 2014 12:27 AM:

@Barry222 - The way to find out if your chimney needs sweeping is to get it swept! If you read the trade association & solid fuel advisory service websites, their wording for the recommendation of sweeping solid fuel flues is once every three months of use (which is a bit vague). The certificates issued in the UK are valid for 6 months for insurance purposes, but most of my customers get chimneys swept annually. I am currently still wrapping up the busy season in the UK, but planning to be back in Spain soon. I don't man my Spanish mobile at home but email is spain at chimneydoc dot co dot uk (*) 

@chrisinspain, I am based in Fortuna, Murcia and happy to cover 25km for single jobs, but will travel further if there are a few in an area. In Spain, I exclusively use rotary power sweeping due to the nature of flues and the fact that they all seem to be heavily tarred — possibly due to the nature of the fuel. In the UK, I charge £48 for this service, so if I ever get to the point of moving to Spain, the cost will surely increase (but not by that much!)

*Sorry - cant post full email address as my account has not been 'aproaved' apparently. - I've been on here several years but no idea how to do do that!

Thread: Wood burning stoves

--------------------------------------

05 Feb 2014 12:23 AM:

Not sure what all the stoves are. They seem to have given the stoves their own names, mostly after Spanish cities. The more contemparay looking ones are FireBelly stoves, a british company, but I'm not sure what the ugly ones are. I am on a professional chimney sweep forum in the UK and have posted pictures there so I will get back to you. 

€130 for a sweep! I only charge €45 in Spain and that's for rotary power sweeping - and I'm Guild of master Sweeps registered in the UK! Guess I'll be spending more time here!

 

Thread: Wood burning stoves

--------------------------------------

20 Jun 2013 1:32 AM:

 During my Easter visit this year, my feelings about the flues here have only been strengthened, and I am now planning my next trip next week - from 30th June. I will be bringing my cctv kit with me, so if anyone has any concerns about their fireplaces, please feel free to get in touch. 

On the subject of regulation, since my last post, there has been a new 'safe sweep' standard adopted by the Guild of Master Chimney Sweeps and the National association of Chimney Sweeps (GMCS & NACS) in the UK, and I now work to these standards. Currently, there is no obligation to conform to the new standards, but as insurance companies pick up on this, they are the onne who will drive the market towards regulation. 

In Spain, I'm sure chimney fires are not such an issuee, but back home in the UK, you may or may not have read about the record number of thatch fires in the south of England, resulting in record payouts from insurance companies in the last few months. Already, some insurance companies have picked up on this, 

 

Thread: Chimney and flue sweeping in Spain

--------------------------------------