British Gas Debt Collection Emails - Looking For Advice: Debt Is NOT Mine

[Jinxxabelle]

Hi there,

 

I got a couple of emails from British Gas earlier today regarding 2 different account numbers. There were no names in the email. The email looks legitimate and when I called the phone number I also got through to British Gas. Here is the email:

 

*************************************

 

 

Dear British Gas Services Customer

 

We are writing to request that you contact us today on 0800 316 8845 to discuss your British Gas Services account. It is important that we speak with you immediately. Our opening hours are Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 5.00pm. Please quote bill reference number XXXXXXXXXXX

 

If you have made this payment in the last few days please disregard this email

 

We look forward to speaking with you

 

Regards

 

British Gas Services Payments Team

 

 

 

 

_____________________________________________________________________

The information contained in or attached to this email is intended only for the use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed. If you are not the intended recipient, or a person responsible for delivering it to the intended recipient, you are not authorised to and must not disclose, copy,distribute, or retain this message or any part of it. It may contain information which is confidential and/or covered by legal professional or other privilege (or other rules or laws with similar effect in jurisdictions outside England and Wales).

 

The views expressed in this email are not necessarily the views of Centrica plc, and the company, its directors, officers or employees make no representation or accept any liability for its accuracy or completeness unless expressly stated to the contrary.

 

British Gas Services Limited and Centrica Energy (Trading) Limited, both wholly owned subsidiaries of Centrica PLC, are authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.

 

Registered office: Millstream, Maidenhead Road, Windsor, Berkshire SL4 5GD

 

Registered in England No 3141243.

 

Centrica plc

 

Registered office: Millstream, Maidenhead Road, Windsor, Berkshire SL4 5GD

 

Registered in England and Wales No 3033654

 

 

 

*********************************************************

 

 

So I called the number asking what it was about, the bill is in someone's name I've never even heard of and was pertaining to an address I lived at 10 years ago. Is emailing regarding overdue gas bills common practice? How did they get my email address? Is this even legal? I feel like my privacy has been invaded.

 

Any help/advice would be appreciated.

[Minkiesmum]

My advice would be to take no notice and save the emails someplace but ignore them. That's what I'd do with 'em.

 

Lynda~

[dx100uk]

thats an unpublised scottish gas number

 

dx

[Jinxxabelle]

Are they one and the same?

[dx100uk]

in a way yes but they always sign themselves scottish gas.

 

i take it you know nothing about this bill...never yours?

 

dx

[Jinxxabelle]

No, it's not mine. They asked if I was Mr XXXX and it was a name I've never even heard of. I did live at the address that they gave me but years ago. I asked how they got my email address, they said they send emails to any emails associated with that address.

[dx100uk]

urm...

 

wonder where they got that info from?

 

anyhow

 

not your debt so time to ignore them.

 

dx

[Jinxxabelle]

I asked them to remove my email address from their systems. I'm just concerned that they got my private email address like that. But I'm sure they have their ways. If I get anymore, I'm just gonna change my email address and complain to British Gas.