British Gas/debt collector PROBLEMS!

natalieandmonkey

Basicaly, Sep 2008-June 2009 lived in a student house with 4 other girls- obviously paid all bills we got which we obviosuly needed to do to get our deposits back from the letting agent. We got our deposits back from letting agent before Christmas and thought everything was sorted. However, we have just received a letter from a debt collection agency threatening legal action over an unpaid bill for £748 for gas with British Gas. We phoned British Gas twice and each time they said a different thing about the debt varying from we only paid an estimated price which was wrong, we didn't pay any bills at all for the year and we missed two bills. Our letting agent has backed off and isn't saying how she got proof we paid all our bills, and the lead tenant who was responsible for paying the bills hasnt kept receipts. Any advice would be really welcome!!!!!!!

Premier_2

The letting agent won't give two hoots whether you paid the utility bills.
The letting agent wouldn't be allowed to withhold your security deposit for failing to pay those bills no more than failing to pay your dentists bill over the tenancy period. They are your bills and your sole responsibility to pay.

If you dispute the new bill from BG, raise a formal complaint (details on the bill) detailing your reasons. Proof of paying the FINAL BILL (those words would be on the last bill) would be a great start.
Combine this with the agreed start and finish meter readings as signed for by both you and the LL/agent on the inventory/statement of condition should nail it.
If you've not got receipts regarding payments made, look for other transaction proof e.g. cheques written, direct debits, standing orders, bacs payments etc. ... all available from the bank.

savemoney

The person responsible for the bills are those named on the bill, the provider doesn't care its you and your mates, they only care that they get there money and they will chase the bill payer

We get these sort of threads all the time on here because unfortunately there is no easy way for people who share a house/flat to pay equal share as some people always use more than others, then there is the fact bills come after one leaves by that time its often too late to chase everyone else for the rest of the bill

natalieandmonkey

I did read tho that if we put a complaint in2 British Gas it might stop the debt company for the moment while they investigate it- is this true????

DVardysShadow

natalieandmonkey wrote: »

I did read tho that if we put a complaint in2 British Gas it might stop the debt company for the moment while they investigate it- is this true????

yes. If you actually have a substantive complaint or disagreement.

specialsparky

BG will only chase the name on the bill, the lead debtor. If they paid then you must tell BG and ask them for a copy of all the payments made to your account. If your name is not on the account they are not allowed to discuss it with you as it breaks DPA (Data Protection Act), be careful though if your name is second on the account ,say smith and jones, and you are jones they will send the debt collection agencies to your door.
Are you sure the payment was made and didn't go on booze...........?

natalieandmonkey

Basicaly, bills were quarterly and she paid 3 at post office with cash but she went with another girl who backs her up and final bill paid by card over the phone. We have an email from the letting agent saying at Christmas time that she has confirmation that the bills have been paid but thats about it!
We have sent off a letter complaining to British Gas so hopefully might slow down debt company!

specialsparky

Im confused how the letting agent has any say in this.If your account was in your names, who did this confirming to the letting agent. If BG did then they have broken DPA.
Ask BG for a coppy of the payments made and if your payment are not shown then give them the amounts, the name of the PO it may have a code and the dates the payments were made,if you know at least a month will help and ask then to check their unallocated payments to see if they can find the amounts that match and then they can credit them to your account.
Tell them that they must infom the debt collection company that the debt is in Dispute and that will stop all action. It may be worth phoning the Debt company as well and give them the information.
Let me know how you get on, oh and I was only joking about the booze !!

ilovebanksMCMLXXXI

Hi

I won't bore you with the details but I had a massive issue with Powergen (now e-on) a few years ago surrounding estimated bills.

My advice would be to contact British Gas again and request a full breakdown of the bill; before you do anything else make sure the dates are correct.

For example; you could be paying part of somebody else's final bill or for energy used by others after and prior to you living there??

If you send all letters recorded delivery and keep copies it will show you are being cooperative and that will stop any further action for the time being.

The most important thing to remember is this : If it's not in writing, it didn't happen. You can call British Gas as much as you like but if you can't prove you phoned then the situation will escalated at a dramatic rate and all you'll have is "he said, she said" and that will cut no ice with a utility bill of that size.

Going a stage futher, if you and the girls believe you are responsible then offer to pay £50 per month (£10 each between 5) until the debt has gone. Providing you are offering to pay and actually providing the money it is extremely unlikely the matter will be taken further.

All the best and good luck

Premier_2

natalieandmonkey wrote: »

Basicaly, bills were quarterly and she paid 3 at post office with cash but she went with another girl who backs her up and final bill paid by card over the phone. We have an email from the letting agent saying at Christmas time that she has confirmation that the bills have been paid but thats about it!
We have sent off a letter complaining to British Gas so hopefully might slow down debt company!

As I indicated earlier, it doesn't matter about the intervening payments, as long as you have prorof of paying the FINAL BILL which you can get as you paid by card; any previous unpaid amounts would have been included on that bill.

All else that needs to be checked is that the start & end readings on the bills (the first and last) relate to the readings taken and agreed at the start and end of the tenancy.

natalieandmonkey

OK, we've sent a compaint letter off and asked British Gas for all statements and payments made so waitin for that!
What complicates things is that we lived above a hairdressers and our electricity/gas meter was actualy in the hairdressers so we found it hard to check it and were also having problems getting meter readings from the letting agent- should she have them or would it have been our responsibility to get them?