British Gas Business: final demand to pay £0 !!!

[zzz]

Just received a letter from British Gas Business today (to my home address):

"Notice of intention to commence court proceedings

You have not responded to our letters and the balance of £0 has not been paid

Details of your overdue bill

Outstanding balance: £0"


Should I just ignore it or should I write back to tell them the account was closed in April 2006?

The account was for a shop, the business was closed more than 2 years ago. Naturally when I closed the shop, I contacted them to close the account and send me the final bill, which I have paid.

That should have been the end of it. But they continued to send me bills, demanding to pay this and that. I suspect it's because after I moved out, the shop's been empty. But anyway, I thought it was all sorted out when I phoned them just after Christmas last year. I asked them to send me a letter to confirm the account's been closed, but didn't get one.

If I write back, I'm worried that it'll remind them and they'll just invent some charge. But if I don't, and they go to court to to demand £0, they'll say that sum was a mistake and invent £££s.
Further info: I'll probably have to go bankrupt in the near future.


Just found this: British gas: the joke isn't funny anymore | Money | guardian.co.uk
Just about sums up, they think if they harass people with threats of court action and bailiffs enough times, some will just pay up. Seems like they have a deliberate policy not to actually close accounts, even when they say they will, thus leaving them with more option to demand payments.

[Conniff]

Send them a cheque for £0 with a copy of the bill.

[noggsy]

Just a little word of warning, Business accounts normally carry a standing charge for supply, so just watch out they dont try to add these on if they try to go to court. I would contact them again and confirm the details with them, also I would get the name of the person you speak to, to confirm the conversation

[sinkinfast]

"Send them a cheque for £0 with a copy of the Bill"
l know this is a little late, but no doubt the bank charged you for the cheque!!

[Rooster-UK]

Originally Posted by sinkinfast

"Send them a cheque for £0 with a copy of the Bill"
l know this is a little late, but no doubt the bank charged you for the cheque!!

Insist that they send you a receipt.

[maroondevo52]

Take them to court, and re-claim it

[zzz]

Thanks everyone .

I phoned them today, they said "oh it's just a letter to tell you the account's closed and there's no outstanding balance, so everything's OK." !!!???

So I told them "but it's a Notice of intention to commence court proceedings", they just kept on repeating the above , so I just gave up, it's not worth wasting any more of my time on this.