United Utilities !!!!!!!!!!!

firrybabe

Brief Summary of my issues with United Utilities.

Moved into my house and registered with them in December 2004. Everything gets set up. I pay them for 2004/05 by direct debit.

I receive my bill in March 2005 for 2005/06 year, I look at the amount and think my bill for December 04 - March 05 was half this amount. I check my first bill and realise I'd been overcharged !

Several phone calls, letters, incorrect direct debits and finally in July 2005 I receive my refund via cheque as they kept failing to apply the discount to my account.

I think everythings sorted, as the letter confirms that everything is in order and my account will be correct from then onwards.

I get my bill in February for the upcoming year, and the amount they refunded me has been added onto my bill and they want me to pay it !

So far I've rang them up 4 times about this matter. I made a stage 1 complaint, and was assured that I'd not have to pay the amount and it was a computer error. I would receive a correct bill, and we ran through the payment amounts over the phone.

I've received a letter this morning in response to my stage 1 complaint. With the response letter they sent a summary of the payments and charges so far. Guess what ? My bill is still incorrect ! They've also reset the direct debit to reflect the incorrect bill and taken payment this week !!

Besides me ringing them back up and cancelling the direct debit, what can I do to ensure I get a correct bill ? This has dragged on for over a year now and it is stressing me out as I don't want to be seen as owing money.

I have all my letters and bills that I received from them. I've a record of when I rang up and names of who I spoke to.

I spoke to watervoice and they said they cannot help me until I've gone through the full united utilities complaints procedure.

Anyone else had problems with united utilities ? I am so frustrated and feel like screaming !

scheming_gypsy

i quite like them.
when i moved into my house in december 04 i got a bill off them. I phoned them and told them that i'd only just moved in and didn't want to pay the bills from when the house was built (august to december on the bill). They told me they'd credit it...
They did credit it but only after resetting my bill to £0 so i was about -£46 and then had about £60 added to it for water used.

magoogy

even the name makes me cringe - had to sort out my daughters gas/electric supply - she was moving off them onto british gas or summat cant remember now - but, they were supposed to come and take a meter out and it took about 10 missed appointments and loads of phone calls for them to come out - started asking in october and finally got it done on christmas eve - then, after christmas they began phoning saying they wanted to make an appointment to change the meter - aaaarghghg - told them already done and they still turned up??????? then, they began saying it was sister who missed the appointments - she took days off work for them - they said they didnt have the right type of engineer available - ??????

finally - she got compensation off them for their shoddiness so perservere with them and keep notes........

good luck

squoog

firrybabe wrote: »

.Anyone else had problems with united utilities ? I am so frustrated and feel like screaming !

Yes!! I am at my wits end after talking to numerous people in New Delhi who keep asking me to slow down so they can understand me!:mad:
We moved house in 2005, had redirection for 6months during which time I changed our address with everyone .UU included. Our phone number remained the same.
We had horrid people buy our house who would not forward any mail when our redirection failed for 1 month over christmas and obviously just binned everything, rather than post it on.
However in Jan 2007 the owner of our old house rang my husband, berated him for not changing our address and said there was a court summons for us. Would not say who from and refused to send it to us. :mad:
I worked out that we had not had a bill from UU for sometime so phoned them and found that they had sent 3 bills/letters to our previous address, had no response , therefore were taking us to court. I immediately paid the bill owing but there were £70 court costs which I have refused to pay.
I feel that as they had our phone number and our payment history had been good, they could have tried to reach us by phone.
As I changed address over the phone I have no evidence that I did this and they deny receiving such a call.
I sent in my defence, but now they have filed a small claims court case against me for the 1st £70 court costs. They will not mediate on this I have tried.
I am worried that if I go to court and lose I may have to pay the small claims costs and any other expenses they put in, but at the same time I feel that UU are just like a faceless machine and couldn't give a **** about their customers. I want to go to court to show I won't be bullied. But have I got any chance, or should I just pay the £70 and put it down to experience.
Funnily enough, I got a tax rebate today for £72... Is someone trying to tell me something..
I would really appreciate your comments, I have to make my decision by tomorrow.

squoog

squoog wrote: »

Funnily enough, I got a tax rebate today for £72... Is someone trying to tell me something..
.

I think I was thinking of 'the taxman giveth and the water company taketh away'...:rotfl:

scheming_gypsy

i've chance my mind. they suck big time. Water bill, red bill and solicitors letter all in under a month.

Markyt

Heh. They are useless! When I moved into my house and notified them, the property was not on their system (new house? nope, 120 years old). We got that sorted, set up a DD and they took the money. For a year. then they stopped taking it. I rang to tell them, and they had stopped as the property wasn't on their system. They couldn't find my details either, despite giving them even the dd reference. So I haven't paid since, and they haven't asked. I've offered the money, they have refused it - what am I to do, eh? :-)