Sister scared after HUGE bill arrived

adorabubble

Sorry I posted this in the wrong catergory. Thanks for all your help.

black-saturn

I had that when I moved it here. It was 6 months before I got a bill as they said they had a backlog of work and as I moved in in the august I went through all the winter without receiving one bill. I cant remember how much the bill was when I got it but I remember it was a lot. I was on benefit with 2 children at the time and told them there was no way I could pay it all at once so they set up a monthly direct debit taking more than they needed until the debt was paid off (which was about 2 years later).

adorabubble

Thanks for your response. It's a wonder that these big companies can put the frighteners up families. It's disgusting behaviour. Let's hope there's some turn around in the rules if the fault is there own. Sorry to hear they got you too.

loobyloose

The same here except i just got a bill for £800 which i cannot afford to pay in 14 days, 14 years maybe! guess i wont be on the computer much as i will have electricity cut, with everything that has gone wrong quite frankly im passed caring, they dont listen to me so whats a person to do.

westernpromise

adorabubble wrote:

Thanks for your response. It's a wonder that these big companies can put the frighteners up families. It's disgusting behaviour. Let's hope there's some turn around in the rules if the fault is there own. Sorry to hear they got you too.

Your sister should offer them a fiver a week or whatever she can reasonably afford, and if that's no good, invite them to take her to court so the court can decide what's a fair way for her to catch up.

The money is owed and will have to be paid, but they won't dare.

The judge will make absolute mincemeat of them. They failed to bill her for 9 months, they provide no indication of what the bill might be so she could plan ahead, then they demand the whole lot in 14 days and send the heavies round, who refuse her offered payment arrangement out of hand? And she's on disability benefits with a diabetic kid?

She's done nothing wrong and is trying to make amends as best she can. Courts take a bl00dy dim view of debt collectors dragging people like that into court. They have the problem, not your sister.

webmasterpolo

I had the same when i moved into my new house I switched the engery provider in adv moved in then 3 months later got a bill ofr over £750 out of the blue. After a phone call and a rant at a manager got it confirmed they had f****d up and the actual bill was £58. Got £15 comp. (it was powergen btw)

b3lly

This happened to me when I switched to Virgin, everything was going ok for about 6 months, my dd was being taken etc. Then I received a bill for over £500 when I rang them they said that they had changed their system which meant my DD for gas was not being taken, only the electic one. When I checked through my bank statements this was the case. I said I couldnt afford to pay it all at once and the customer services rep said that as it had taken them 9 months to send me the bill legally I had 9 months to pay it so I paid it off monthly. They also knocked 25% off the bill because it was their error.

I am not sure which company you are with but it is worth arguing. Maybe worthwhile checking with your local CAB

HTH

adorabubble

Thanks. I'm not sure which company she is with...I think BG. I'll tell her to go to the CAB. Infact I'll go with her (it's a 450 mile round trip but I'm there next month anyway).

adorabubble

Just seems they can't see the woods for the trees. Grrrrrrrr.

losgiganteskid

adorabubble wrote:

Hi, first of all let me explain my sisters situation:

Disabled with Muscular Dystrophy and therefore unable to work.
Husband is her full time carer.
They have 6 children (13, 9, 8, 7, 5 and 2, the 13 yr old is diabetic).
They live (and struggle) on benefits.

They moved into a new council property in Feb 2001. And informed all relevant utility companies at the time. After not recieving any paperwork from the gas company within 3 months my sister phoned them and they said they will sort out her account and put a bill in the post. This continued every month or so for the majority of the time between then and now. Only now have they got around to sending a bill for £600 and demanding payment within 14 days. Phonecalls were made explaining their situation and the gas company threatened to switch off the gas (this has not happened). The balance has now been transfered to a debt agency who are demanding that at least £50.00 a month is payed to them. My sister already lives below the bread line and is so devastatingly worried. Money is more than tight and the frightening tactics have her ill. Can anybody advise what she should do, please?

Do you mean she moved in in Feb 2001 or 2005 ??? - can't believe she moved in 2001 and her bill for 4yrs is only £500 !! - if I hadn't had a bill for sometime I would know one will show up sooner or later and be putting some dosh aside to pay when it does turn up

cosmile

losgiganteskid wrote:

Do you mean she moved in in Feb 2001 or 2005 ??? - can't believe she moved in 2001 and her bill for 4yrs is only £500 !! - if I hadn't had a bill for sometime I would know one will show up sooner or later and be putting some dosh aside to pay when it does turn up

just what i was thinking,powergen did not bill me for a year,but i put money away each week as i new i would have to pay sooner or later...no gas or electric is free.