British Gas - anyone else finding fixed prices weren't

Dowds210

Hi all

I contacted British Gas a few weeks ago to confirm that the 5 year fixed price deal I signed up to in 2005 was still holding and they told me to my, well somehow not great surprise, that they had nothing on my account to that effect and unless I could find written evidence of it, I would be subject to the ongoing price hikes. Indeed my gas bills had already gone up in January.

I called back today to say I couldn't find any paperwork and they are refusing to hold my prices at the agreed deal.

Interestingly the customer support officer I spoke to revealed inadvertedly that he had already dealt with a number of other people (he refused to say how many) in that situation who were in exactly the same situation as me - i.e. they had been offered the deal but because it hadn;t been put on BG's system, the deal would not been honoured unless they could prove it.

Now it might just be that I happen to be one of the few people that have this problem and that he was the only BG representative that has come across people in this position. Something however tells me not.

Has anyone else experienced this and does anyone have great advice on what to do?

Brian

amcluesent

Can't see you've got much chance, with nothing in the way of written confirmation.

Did you not notice that the KWh price on the bills has been changing for 5 years?

Dowds210

Thanks for the response

To be perfectly honest I haven't been looking at it closely. Since I knew (or assumed I knew) it was fixed I didn't bother looking.

It's not ultimately a financial problem (I'm actually in credit) but I suspect there are many people who might be experiencing difficutlies now or in the future whom this will affect far worse and on that principle I'd like to do something about it

notbritishgas

Dowds210 wrote: »

Hi all

I contacted British Gas a few weeks ago to confirm that the 5 year fixed price deal I signed up to in 2005 was still holding and they told me to my, well somehow not great surprise, that they had nothing on my account to that effect and unless I could find written evidence of it, I would be subject to the ongoing price hikes. Indeed my gas bills had already gone up in January.

I called back today to say I couldn't find any paperwork and they are refusing to hold my prices at the agreed deal.

Interestingly the customer support officer I spoke to revealed inadvertedly that he had already dealt with a number of other people (he refused to say how many) in that situation who were in exactly the same situation as me - i.e. they had been offered the deal but because it hadn;t been put on BG's system, the deal would not been honoured unless they could prove it.

Now it might just be that I happen to be one of the few people that have this problem and that he was the only BG representative that has come across people in this position. Something however tells me not.

Has anyone else experienced this and does anyone have great advice on what to do?

Brian

Normally it states on the bills what tariff you are on (not the price but the name of the tariff) can you sort out past bills, especially the 2005 ones, to see what they say.

AMILLIONDOLLARS

I'm fixed with BG until 2010 and everytime they send me my bill it always states that my tariff is fixed for the stated period. Did you not get this message on your bills. Even correspondence informing me of the prices rises state my fixed status at the top of the letter. If these are not coming through you have no hope of proving your fixed rate.

AMD

Dowds210

Folks

Pleased to report I got £450 back on Friday

The very helpful Customer Services manager looked at my original notes on the system and saw that it had indeed been fixed for 5 years

If anyone else is in the same position suggest they ask to speak to a manager and then get them to look back on the original billing on the computer

Splendid

notbritishgas

Dowds210 wrote: »

Folks

Pleased to report I got £450 back on Friday

The very helpful Customer Services manager looked at my original notes on the system and saw that it had indeed been fixed for 5 years

If anyone else is in the same position suggest they ask to speak to a manager and then get them to look back on the original billing on the computer

Splendid

Well done. Dowds 1 BG Nil. Result. (also well done to Bg for admitting it)