 npower / buchanan clark & wells nightmare!
Hello all,
I'm looking for some guidance from anyone who's been through anything similar to me as I'm sick to death of it now!
It all started back in April this year when I moved out of my house to move abroad and closed my gas account with npower.
I'd been with British Gas for several years and then decided to move over to npower in early in 2005 to reduce my costs, at which point they put me on a budget scheme in accodance with the size of the house, the fact that i lived alone etc.
Shortly after I moved abroad, I received a letter from npower stating that the closing balance was £486.00. Due to the length of time I had been with them I can only assume that this had been accumilating at BG also and they had taken this on when I switched accounts. However, I was never made aware of this and not once was I ever informed that i was not making the correct monthly payments on my account.
With the move and everything else going on at the time, the letter went to the bottom of a pile and was forgotten about.
In July, I received my first communication from BCW, stating that they had taken on the debt and demanding payment in full, if I wanted to prevent court action. As there was no way I could make this payment in full, I therefore called npower to offer them a payment arrangement but was told it was too late and the debt was not theirs anymore, and that I needed to deal with BCW. I questioned why I only received one closing invoice and no reminders but the girl could not tell me.
So, I went back to BCW with a suggestion of payment over 12 months, and I tried to explain how this situation had occurred, and that I had never had any problems with npower or any other debts, but they of course were not interested in any of this. They refused my offer of 12 months and said they would take me to court and my credit file would be severely impacted if I did not pay in full.
As I simply did not have this money I went away to think things through. Then the phone calls started, every day i receive a call, being told I need to sell something or borrow some money from a friend or family member, and that I'm not doing enough to pay the debt. I honestly can not believe the way they speak to me sometimes, and as time has gone on I have started being as abrupt with them as they are with me.
However, none of this helps the debt situation. They recently called and offered a reduced debt of £370, but I simply do not have a lump some of money to pay them. I therefore recently sent them a cheque for £50 to try and ease the ongoing pressure but the phone keeps ringing asking for full remaining payment.
I'm now getting used to the fact that this will end up going to court, which although is a little scary, maybe the judge will look at this more fairly than they are!
It's interesting, that they have been now threatening court fro several months but have not yet followed this up. Maybe they dont want it to go to court?!
has anyone else been subject to the pressure of BCW, and how unreasonable they are to compromise on getting a debt paid off? (that I am completely willing to pay!!!)
Also, none of this would ever have occurred had npower put me on the correct budget scheme, and informed me what was happening with my account, or sent me a reminder about the debt. Is this standard practice with BG / npower???
Any guidance would be hugely appreciated.. | 
