@britishgashelp Help Needed

[Archiebongo]

We lived in a rental property for 18 months,

our supplier was British Gas,

we set up a DD payment plan with them which was paid each month

at the time we also opted for paperless bills,

the last three months in the property our business failed

and for three months we were unable to meet the full DD payments but British Gas was fully informed.

 

We then decided to downsize due to the business failing and submitted final meter read to Brish Gas,

what transpired fro this was that we received a bill in excess of £3500

which according to British Gas was due to the fact that for 18 months the bills had been estimated,

there was endless communication with British Gas and British Gas stated that correspondence had been sent to us via an email address that was closed.

Also they stated that they had sent meter readers but that they could not get access to gas meter even though the meter was outside the front door

 

To cut a long story short I complained but was also mindful that if they were saying this debt was ours we had to start reducing it.

 

We moved house and arranged with British Gas to make a monthly payment of £30.00 while my complaint was being dealt with,

they then sent a PO payment card which proved an inconvenient payment method and again I explained that this needed to be set up as a DD payment.

 

Since then British Gas is saying a payment card was the only option and because the payment has not been made by the date given they have sent to a debt collection agency, unbelievable.

The account is still in the complaints procedure, gradually being escalated to each stage, however we now have threatening letters from the DCA

 

I am just not sure where to go with this and would appreciate any advice

[i hate bailiffs]

There is a maximum amount of time they can back date the bill if they have been doing estimates all this time

 

deal with British gas the debt collectors have no powers and can do little at this point

 

The debt collectors letters will say MAY and IF

 

i MAY have a beer tonight IF i stay awake long enough

[dx100uk]

when were you at the property.

 

dx

[Archiebongo]

Hello there we were at the property early part of 20011 and we were there for 18 months we were paying monthly DD it was only at the end of the tenancy that they slapped the bill on us, we were paying £150.00 per month. The DCA IMFS are the ones who British Gas has passed this too even though we are at stage 2 with our complaint with them

[Archiebongo]

The DCA IMFS are threatening us with a visit too

[dx100uk]

what year 2011 or 2001?

 

a dca can threaten what they like

 

they are NOT BAILIFFS

 

they have NO LEGAL POWERS to anything as such.

 

if the pratt turns up, call the police and tell hin to LEAVE your private property.

 

me thinks this is a spoof debt.

 

if BG wanted or could get money out of yo, they would have gone for a warrant ages ago

 

dx

[Archiebongo]

We were at the property 2011 paying DD of £150.00 per month, it was at the end of the tenancy mid 2012 we were slapped with the large bill which BG is saying was because all our bills were previously estimated.

The DCA have sent five letters now

[Archiebongo]

This means that over the period we were there our consumption was nearly £7,000 even though the house was heated by LPG

[dx100uk]

god yes something not right.

 

imho i would write to IMFS

 

they seem rather tinpot low life t me

 

the account is in dispute with bg

 

i do not ack any debt to you or your client

 

dx

[Archiebongo]

I will try that but their letters are very threatening, I have emailed them today, telling them that the amount ect is in dispute with BG and being dealt with within their complaints procedure, but as i say they have threatened to pay us a visit and have also asked for a declaration of earnings

[dx100uk]

they are a DCA they have NO POWERS TO DO ANYTHING TO YOU.

 

ignore the threats.

 

dx

[Archiebongo]

Many Thanks

[Archiebongo]

Well the above saga continues

 

As a quick recap,

 

we were in a property for 18 months and BG was our supplier,

at the end of the tenancy what came to light was that although we were paying by DD monthly,

our bills had been estimated and we allegedly owe them in excess of £2700

 

I have been going backwards and forwards with BG and our bills have been escalating through the complaints procedure,

each time we are dealing with someone else, and worryingly the further the complaint progresses the more badly it gets handled,

 

the email responses I get now are barely legible, the grammar and format unbelievable,

the more they tell lies ie The meter could not find the meter ect.

 

They are still maintaining that we owe this amount,

however as a gesture of good will they have knocked a £100 off.

 

The last email though BG as they were outlining the complaint they highlighted that an outbound call was made on a specific date

that detailed our forwarding address different too the one we had supplied,

this address then turned out to be our Landlords address,

 

our Landlord who had been difficult all the way through our tenancy had told BG our forwarding address was theirs,

so all information relating to the alleged bill has been sent there,

BG supplied the address in the complaint which is how we were made aware.

 

Its amazing as when our account was previously just in my husbands name and I rang up getting through security was mad

however someone rings up on our behalf and gives an alternative forwarding address.

 

The complaint is still going on and we are just going backwards and forwards

[dx100uk]

stay with it

 

ignore IMFS

 

dx

[Archiebongo]

I hve today received another email, stating that they are being more than generous in their offer of knocking some money off and that they want to bring this to a swift conclusion, i have told them that I wish to continue disputing this and look forward to hearing from them

[Archiebongo]

Well the saga with British Gas goes on,

 

this week we received a letter in reply to a letter we sent eight months ago quoting our account number

 

the letter is from the pre-court department stating that the account is now closed

the balance is nil and we would not be hearing from them again.

 

However the complaints department say this is because they have had to generate a new account number as the account was sent to a DCA,

 

all our new correspondence still quotes the account number and we have not been informed of any change of account, does anyone know where we stand with this ?

[dx100uk]

from?

 

dx

[Archiebongo]

Sorry the letter is from British Gas from their pre-court division, stating the account no (which shows on all our correspondence, bills ect)is nil and they wont need to contact us again, however as our complaint is still in process the person I am dealing with is saying that because the account has gone to a DCA they have changed the account no and created a new account which shows £3669 in debit.

The letter I have received from the pre-court division of BG is in reply to a letter we sent eight months ago about the same account disputing the balance

[dx100uk]

gone or sold/

 

dx

[Archiebongo]

BG said as the account was transferred to the DCA BG created a new account as they recalled it ?? however all the bills BG have sent me correspond with the number that BG pre court division says is nil

[dx100uk]

left leg right arm

 

time your got ofgas involved me thinks

 

either you owe them or you dont

 

if they are farming it out to a DCA

 

that normally indicates there is an issue with the debt

 

else they'd go direct to court

or

disconnect you.

 

dx