british gas demanding money WHY???

clairelou1_2

:money:HI all i am new to this so hope i am doing this right? I recieved a text from experian credit file saying that i had 2 new accounts from british gas, that had been added 4 days ago for nearly £700, that had started in 2005 and i had missed 6 payments ???????????? also another debt that was started in 2003 and was settled in 2009 with a score of 8 (did not settle anything). i telephoned BG and they said after an hour, these are old debts and yes they have just been added, asked why they hadnt told me about these?. i have left BG on 2 occassions and have gone back and never once did anyone state this to me!!! they said they will wipe this off my file and give me 10% off the debt if i pay in full, so far i have said that i would never pay a bill without proof, please help not sure what to do now?????

Cardew

Welcome to the forum.

It would appear that you are not disputing that you had these 2 accounts, but simply disputing the amount you owe - if anything.

It does seem rather strange that BG still have these accounts on their files. The normally pass delinquent accounts to a DCA.

All you need to do is get BG to to produce bills and then settle them unless you have proof that the bills are incorrect.

Presumably you have kept your final bill for the twice you left BG?

I don't really see the problem???

clairelou1_2

thank you for replying. i never recieved any final bills as always paid by direct debit and yes i am disputing the amount i have no memory of ever oweing anything to BG, and you would think i would have been told when i telephoned them to come back etc..

Cardew

BG have many millions of customers and no utility company 'remembers' its previous customers; when you return you are a new customer.

If you just paid by DD it is a racing certainty that your account would have been in debit or credit when it was closed and you should have been sent a final bill.

If BG have you as a debtor for 2 accounts then a bill must have been raised, you are claiming that you didn't receive either of these final bills? You should be aware that BG don't have to prove you received the bill, merely that they sent a bill.

Simply ask BG to send you both bills.

However to repeat myself, the onus is on you to prove that those bills are invalid.

Morgan2010

It's probably worth baring in mind that if you were paying by Direct Debit (DD) with British Gas it's quite normal for them to send a final bill saying they will collect the balance owing on your next DD date.

As long as you didn't cancel the DD before they could collect final bill there would have been nothing to prevent them having collected it.

Also if you had your various contracts with British Gas for the same property there are unique numbers to represent your supply (for both gas and electric) while there system would not automatically pick up it was the same name etc it gives you a good point to argue that they could have made you aware of the debt.

Good luck sorting it.

Joyful

BG are now reporting Data to a Credit agency. I cant remember if it's Experian or Equifax. This means that if you pay your bills on time it will help build up a credit file. The downside is defaults will now show up also.

As has been said if you dispute the debts call BG and ask for a copy of the bills.

C_Mababejive

clairelou1 wrote: »

thank you for replying. i never recieved any final bills as always paid by direct debit and yes i am disputing the amount i have no memory of ever oweing anything to BG, and you would think i would have been told when i telephoned them to come back etc..

s it the case that when you had these accounts with BG,you paid by DD then either moved house or switched suppliers without either providing a final reading and finalising the account or telling them your new address if you moved?

clairelou1_2

yes still been at the same address and same name, starting to think that i will just have to except what they say and pay it, i do not want a bad credit file nor someone demanding money from me x

DVardysShadow

Cardew wrote: »

However to repeat myself, the onus is on you to prove that those bills are invalid.

The onus is on the creditor to prove the debt, not on the alleged debtor. Unless you care to point out something I am missing

Cardew

DVardysShadow wrote: »

The onus is on the creditor to prove the debt, not on the alleged debtor. Unless you care to point out something I am missing

Not certain I understand your point.

If you have an account with a company they send you a bill. That bill details the services you have received, the price of the goods and any monies you have paid.

That bill is the 'proof' of the debt; what other proof is there on any account?

For the OP(or anyone) to prove that bill is incorrect, they have to:

dispute what goods were delivered(energy calculated from the meter readings)

dispute the prices charged.

dispute the credited payments.