Crash v British Gas

[crashbandicoot]

Hi all,

 

Long story, but basically I moved into a rented property 4 yrs ago, and in the first year as I didn't pay for any gas there was a debt of £306 on the account. Got a prepayment meter fitted in with the agreement of paying £5 per week towards the debt, remaining credit to be used for normal gas consumption.

 

About 6 mths passed and they said they'd made a mistake, debt hadn't been passed onto the meter, so we had to start all over again. Another 6 mths down the line they sent exactly the same letter saying they'd made a mistake AGAIN and that the debt still hadn't been passed to the meter. I believe (but have no proof and can't clearly remember) that I was paying towards this debt during that time. Anyway come Mar 2004 the debt is on the meter and 'starting AGAIN' to be paid off.

 

Mar 2006 comes and we're still paying towards this never-ending debt, which should have surely cleared by now? Called them up asking what's going on - they checked the meter which showed an outstanding debt of over £150 (still!!!!) and after a prickly discussion they decided to 'clear the debt and wipe it off the meter completely' there and then. Funny how they could do that then and not months earlier...only coz I chased up.

 

Months down the line I believe I've overpaid the debt by at least £200, several letters, discussions and thousands of 'give us a current meter reading' s later they sent me a letter recently saying 'after thorough investigations we've credited £5.71 back to your meter'. Just plain insulting. I've lost sleep and tears over this fiasco.

 

Am now sending them an SAR to reclaim my money. I want it back so give it to me BG!!

[kingliam]

Good Luck, BG were near the top of the worst companies poll on Martin's website yesterday, You can see why with stories like this.

[crashbandicoot]

Thanks King,

 

Wouldn't have thought about claiming if they'd bothered to resolve the query in an efficient manner...since my letter of complaint in March this year, it's taken them this long to respond!

 

Shambles is all I can say

[crashbandicoot]

Heard Jack $**t from them since DPA, so sent them a non-compliance letter on Friday. Checked account today and the £10 cheque has been cashed so I'm expecting something in the way of statements from them soon.

[ozzywizard]

Let us know when it comes through. It will be their revenue protection team that send it out probably.

[crashbandicoot]

Will do Ozzy, thanks

[ozzywizard]

British Gas will feature on Watchdog tonight (Tuesday).

 

Watchdog will report on British Gas customers who have been threatened with having their supply cut off, even though they have paid their bills. Also featured are customer complaints which have been ignored and long telephone wait times.

 

They will report on information released by energywatch on the number of complaints received about the big six power companies. This also features in today’s Guardian and Daily Mail.

[crashbandicoot]

I'm not surprised. I had the energy to keep on at them but how many would have fallen at the first hurdle? I can't believe how they can do this to people....actually, I can. Grrrrr!

[jannercobbler]

question all please, sorry OP if I have hijacked thread but this is the only thread I found,

 

Is BG regulated by CCA? as my GF moved about 6 months ago, she informed BG, changed her address with them etc. paid final bill when it came, we have a BG meter her, and we have just checked her credit file and they have defaulted her????

 

Many thanks in advance.

 

Paul

[crashbandicoot]

Don't know that one Paul, but I do know that I am severely fed up with them and intend to take them through the cleaners...just the thought puts a smile on my face

[gizmo111]

question all please, sorry OP if I have hijacked thread but this is the only thread I found,

 

Is BG regulated by CCA? as my GF moved about 6 months ago, she informed BG, changed her address with them etc. paid final bill when it came, we have a BG meter her, and we have just checked her credit file and they have defaulted her????

 

Many thanks in advance.

 

Paul

 

British GAs are not covered by CCA - I have just had 2 defaults removed by them - write and ask them to substantiate the default.

[ozzywizard]

They do however have to comply with a SAR. Also energywatch are the regulators.

[dax]

when I moved I asked British Gas for a bill up to the day, to have it cleared for the new owners moving in. I paid the amount due and thought that was that.

 

Then about three months later, I recieved a new bill for £200, which had been rediredeted to me. I phoned them explaining it must be a mistake, but they said it had not been added to the bill I paid when I left. It didnt sound right, as I had been assured previous to that when paying, that it was the correct total due and I would not need to be billed again.

 

I paid the extra amount though, because I thought, well maybe a mistake, had been made. Now I think I must have paid too much. Im going to write to them again and see what they say now about it.

[crashbandicoot]

when I moved I asked British Gas for a bill up to the day, to have it cleared for the new owners moving in. I paid the amount due and thought that was that.

 

Then about three months later, I recieved a new bill for £200, which had been rediredeted to me. I phoned them explaining it must be a mistake, but they said it had not been added to the bill I paid when I left. It didnt sound right, as I had been assured previous to that when paying, that it was the correct total due and I would not need to be billed again.

 

I paid the extra amount though, because I thought, well maybe a mistake, had been made. Now I think I must have paid too much. Im going to write to them again and see what they say now about it.

 

I wouldn't be surprised if they've shafted you Dax...probably passed someone else's debt onto you and made you pay up using pressure tactics. Get it back.

[crashbandicoot]

Right, not had a chance to update so nothing came out of the SAR, so I've filed a claim with the court for non-compliance, and for £30 as I needed a figure in there of some sort.

 

I've then received a letter from them dated 01 Dec saying:

 

'I understand you wish to make a legal Data SAR. Accordingly, to satisfy our own Privacy Unit procedure, blah blah we would be grateful if you could fill in this pile of tosh form for no particular reason just so that we can waste your time and find a way out of the court claim. We require some ID from you even though we know who you are, but just want to p*$s you off by asking for it, and the form requires a £10 fee, so give us another cheque even though we've cashed the first one. On receipt of the form, payment and ID we will have forty days to fart about and provide you with some sort of useless info that probably won't help you anyway.

 

Thanks and sod off,

 

Some non-entity at the BG Privacy Unit'

 

I just despair.

[ozzywizard]

Keep going with it Crash, they have broke the law and should be reported to the information commisioner. The SAR is a legal document, cant believe they cashed the cheque and still contend it.

[hagenuk]

Crash, you have issued a claim against them, continue with that - your cheque had been cashed when you checked on 31st October, had they had any doubts as to your identity they have had over a month to verify it. This is blatant time wasting or ineptitude, either way it is purely academic now, let them answer to the Court.

[gizmo111]

You can continue through court as hagen says and in addition contact this guy direct. Once I got through to him he was very efficient and after a bit of stallin he sorted my accounts out and removed 2 defaults within 21 days of contact (once he agreed to remove they were gone in 24 hours)

Phone 020 8734 8000, Fax 020 8734 8920

 

Ian AT White

Privacy Unit

British Gas Data Protection

3 The Square

Stockley Park

Uxbridge

Middlesex

UB11 1BN

Good Luck

[ozzywizard]

Very usefull Gizmo

[crashbandicoot]

Thanks folks, will sit tight and wait for the court claim to unfold. Thanks for the contact at BG Gizmo, I'll keep that for laters...

[crashbandicoot]

Date of serving judgment has passed and nothing from BG. I've left a message for Ian White to call me tomorrow to discuss, and if he doesn't get back to me, they'll be getting an extremely snotty letter from me.

[crashbandicoot]

Oh, lmao, I've just noticed it was Ian AT White who sent me the request for further ID and (another) tenner! Sigh....

[crashbandicoot]

I left a message for Ian White yesterday to call me this morn and he did. He said he received the DPA request late, and as it is, my enquiry is now with the legal team. He said if I had any more DPA requests he would be able to help if I provided the ID and sent the form back. I said I'm not prepared to do that, because you've had plenty of time, this is now just time-wasting, AND that they cashed my cheque pretty much straight after my SAR, so now I'm expecting to receive my statements without any further delay. He said well ok, 'we'll take your word for it that you've paid the tenner' (ffs) but he'd still need the ID and form to comply. I said no, then he said well it's with the legal team now anyway (as in he won't send the statements/won't help). I said fine, and that I look forward to hearing from them.

 

He sounded nervous....that's the only satisfying bit of the whole convo.

[ozzywizard]

Unreal, keep us all posted.

[crashbandicoot]

Still nowt from BG, so sent Judgment papers to court today. In the meantime I've also sent them a prelim for about £393..which I believe to have overpaid them.

 

Is sure to rattle some cages.