A local customer in Ashford got in touch because the front-door multipoint locking system had developed intermittent problems.
When I tested it, the fault was real but I could not reliably isolate it to one small component, so I recommended replacing the complete strip rather than gambling on a partial repair.
I ordered a genuine replacement and expected a straightforward like-for-like swap. Everything appeared to match the old system almost perfectly, except the new faceplate did not have the holes needed to reuse the original latch arrangement.
I explained the difference to the customer and she was happy to proceed without that feature.
Once the new strip was installed, another problem appeared. The gearbox latch was sticking and operating more roughly than I was comfortable with. At first I considered whether the new part was simply tight around the fixings, so because it was still operating I agreed with the customer that we would monitor it and replace the unit if it did not settle.
A week later she called to say it was getting worse.
I returned, removed the strip again and found that the latch bolt was rubbing against the case and had not been sitting correctly from the start.
I ordered another new mechanism and returned the faulty one to the manufacturer. The customer was not charged anything extra.
The second replacement arrived, was fitted and worked exactly as it should.
Whether the first replacement had left the factory faulty or had been damaged in storage or transport was impossible to know, but that was not the customer’s problem. Once I had supplied the part, sorting the faulty replacement was my responsibility, and that is what I did.
