switching problems with British Gas

richy_cool

I ran up a huge debt with BG because they failed to adjust my DD over 2 years, then they tripled the DD. I cancelled the DD and found that they had gone from being the cheapest to most expensive supplier, so I attempted to switch, but they objected. I complained, and this was upheld in January and I was assured by the BG complaints people that I would NOT be prevented from switching. However, someone else in BG kept on objecting, and it was another 6 months before I was allowed to switch, and a hell of a lot of hassle.

Should BG compensate me for holding on to my custom improperly, and making me pay extra? Should they compensate me for the hassle they caused? Am I obliged to pay anything from the time I should have been allowed to switch? Can I take them to arbitration if they won't negotiate?

Advice gratefully appreciated.

RC:(

KimYeovil

You don't pay your bill and you think they are in the wrong? The hassle they have caused? Why do you think they should have allowed you to switch? Good on the person who kept objecting. What was improper about them keeping your custom?

richy_cool

BG admit they are wrong in failing to make the correct adjustments to my DD, and upheld my complaint confirming they WILL NOT prevent from switching. DDs were paid until they tried to triple them, then I made individual payments, so I have been paying them. My beef is that after their complaint handler assured me that I would not be prevented from switching, someone else kept on objecting. I do not know why you would consider that to be right and reasonable? Please elaborate.

Cardew

richy_cool wrote: »

BG admit they are wrong in failing to make the correct adjustments to my DD, and upheld my complaint confirming they WILL NOT prevent from switching. DDs were paid until they tried to triple them, then I made individual payments, so I have been paying them. My beef is that after their complaint handler assured me that I would not be prevented from switching, someone else kept on objecting. I do not know why you would consider that to be right and reasonable? Please elaborate.

Do you have this admission in writing?

No company will ever let you switch if you have a substantial debit balance. If they did many customers would switch from company to company leaving a trail of debts that they had no intention of paying.

So BG have not 'improperly held onto your account'.

By cancelling your DD, and paying individual amounts, you lose the DD discount.

The point being made it is not just BG's fault for not increasing your DD. You should be checking your account, including checking if estimated meter readings were correct. For a DD to triple a debt must have slowly built up over those 2 years.

So it is difficult to see on what grounds would BG compensate an ex-customer.

richy_cool

Cardew wrote: »

Do you have this admission in writing?

No company will ever let you switch if you have a substantial debit balance. If they did many customers would switch from company to company leaving a trail of debts that they had no intention of paying.

So BG have not 'improperly held onto your account'.

By cancelling your DD, and paying individual amounts, you lose the DD discount.

The point being made it is not just BG's fault for not increasing your DD. You should be checking your account, including checking if estimated meter readings were correct. For a DD to triple a debt must have slowly built up over those 2 years.

So it is difficult to see on what grounds would BG compensate an ex-customer.

You couldn't be more wrong! I do have the admission in writing! I set up a variable DD, and it was for them to make the adjustments. They failed to do so, and have admitted they were wrong, in writing! From what I understood, they are supposed to reassess the DD amount every 6-12 months, but failed to so.

So, by admitting they were wrong, and confirming I would not be prevented from switching (in writing), BG continued to hold onto my custom improperly.

Those are the facts. It may be different from your experience, but they are the facts of my case nonetheless. I just want to know what sort of compensation I might reasonably expect.

smidgey

richy_cool wrote: »

You couldn't be more wrong! I do have the admission in writing! I set up a variable DD, and it was for them to make the adjustments. They failed to do so, and have admitted they were wrong, in writing! From what I understood, they are supposed to reassess the DD amount every 6-12 months, but failed to so.

So, by admitting they were wrong, and confirming I would not be prevented from switching (in writing), BG continued to hold onto my custom improperly.

Those are the facts. It may be different from your experience, but they are the facts of my case nonetheless. I just want to know what sort of compensation I might reasonably expect.

None? The fact you will be allowed an interest free loan to repay the balance should be enough. I would ensure you do have a proper payment arrangement in place though so prevent your credit rating from being affected now that BG report to experian.

You received a quarterly statement every three months? Did you see the balance increasing gradually and at any point think your DD wasn't covering what you were using?

richy_cool

smidgey wrote: »

None? The fact you will be allowed an interest free loan to repay the balance should be enough. I would ensure you do have a proper payment arrangement in place though so prevent your credit rating from being affected now that BG report to experian.

You received a quarterly statement every three months? Did you see the balance increasing gradually and at any point think your DD wasn't covering what you were using?

Thanks, but you are BG employee and not unbiased in this matter. If BG tell me they will make appropriate adjustments to my DD, then they should do it. Otherwise, what is the point of giving them that control other than to lead you into a false sense of security? The whole point a variable DD is that you shouldn't have to worry about it, and I didn't, until they tried to triple the DD payments. Now I have huge debt and the additional costs, so I am expecting compensation, and quite rightly too. Shame on you, BG employee!

smidgey

richy_cool wrote: »

Thanks, but you are BG employee and not unbiased in this matter. If BG tell me they will make appropriate adjustments to my DD, then they should do it. Otherwise, what is the point of giving them that control other than to lead you into a false sense of security? The whole point a variable DD is that you shouldn't have to worry about it, and I didn't, until they tried to triple the DD payments. Now I have huge debt and the additional costs, so I am expecting compensation, and quite rightly too. Shame on you, BG employee!

Were all your statements billed to actual meter reads or estimates? Did you correct any estimated statements with a customer own reading?

Did you check the statements that were sent to you? I'm not saying that your DD shouldn't have been re-assessed and obviously not knowing your account details I cannot look into your reassessment history.

However, you have consumed the energy and that energy should be paid for over an arranged period. That would be my opinion if you were with BG or any other utility supplier.

Oh and you are on a fixed monthly Direct Debit, not a variable one. If you were on a variable Direct Debit the full amount of energy consumed would be collected 14 days after your quarterly statement.

Shame on me!

richy_cool

smidgey wrote: »

Were all your statements billed to actual meter reads or estimates? Did you correct any estimated statements with a customer own reading?

Did you check the statements that were sent to you? I'm not saying that your DD shouldn't have been re-assessed and obviously not knowing your account details I cannot look into your reassessment history.

However, you have consumed the energy and that energy should be paid for over an arranged period. That would be my opinion if you were with BG or any other utility supplier.

Oh and you are on a fixed monthly Direct Debit, not a variable one. If you were on a variable Direct Debit the full amount of energy consumed would be collected 14 days after your quarterly statement.

Shame on me!

Moot points, Smidgey. BG have admitted their error, and the fact that I should have been allowed to switch 6 months ago. Therefore, they have been profiting improperly, and I have been charged more than I would have otherwise been. That's wrong, and I am in negotiations for an appropriate reduction to the final bill. I want advice on that, and not to continue debating whose fault it is, because BG have already acknowledged that.

smidgey

richy_cool wrote: »

Moot points, Smidgey. BG have admitted their error, and the fact that I should have been allowed to switch 6 months ago. Therefore, they have been profiting improperly, and I have been charged more than I would have otherwise been. That's wrong, and I am in negotiations for an appropriate reduction to the final bill. I want advice on that, and not to continue debating whose fault it is, because BG have already acknowledged that.

Good luck with that

richy_cool

smidgey wrote: »

Good luck with that

Don't need luck, just reasoned argument. BG have already offered to reduce, so its just a case of negotiating the amount. That's what I'm looking for advice on, perhaps if anybody has been in a similar situation?:beer: