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a HUGE rANT ABOUT BRITISH GAS AND HAVING MOVED HOUSE
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Emmysmum_2
Posts: 95 Forumite
oops.caps lock on....sorry!
Anyway....
We bought a house and began moving the day we got hte keys.28 july 06. We had an overlap in the dates we moved and our last day we had already paid rent for, so took our time moving. moved, then went on holiday. The very day we gave up our keys on the rental, we contacted BG homemaovers and gave them all the details, as they would not accept them before as we had not formally moved in before that date, and still had an open account. A month passed and we noticed we had not had a final bill for anything, our old acct had been paid by standing order and a direct debit set up for the new.....yet a DD came out for the old accts.....and a red bill arrived at the new house addressed to the the occupier.
rang them up again. OOps, they had ot closed the old accounts, they were still updating billing as tey had a new billingsystem blah blah blah. Also got told to not pay the occupier addressed bill s it was an old style act number, they were changing it right that moment to a new one and putting our name on it and withing a week we should get a new bill and could reaarange thte direct debit info again. Uh huh.
A week passed...got another red letter..to the occupier...same old style account number. Rang them again. Got the same story, and told a refund was being sent for the amounts they put on the old, def closed accounts.Nothing.
A fortnight pases and we call enquiring when we will get the information on our new accounts and a final bill. They tell us the new accounts are still in pending and hung there for some reason. We are beginning to get more than slightly frustrated.They tell us they are pushing it through again.
This continued every fortnight clear through the middle of October, when I rang and was told they could not speak to me, as somehow, they lost my name off the account and only had my husband. ARGHHHHHH
He rings them up, asks for me to put on the account. They say they are di doing so, and that the old accounts are NOT closed hence why o final bills. They also say def sending a refund now, and final bills. We DO get a final gas bill, and the refund by cheque. We do NOT get confirmation of our new account, nor do we get a final electric bill for the old property. I ring again as that same day..guess what...a DD goes out and i want to be certain it is to the correct account. It is not. ARGHHHHHHH. They had closed the account but not the DD. Our bank snatches it back as we had been in credit for that account and nothing was due any longer. I also ask about the electric account. That is closed, and a bill sent.
We did not get said bill. Apparently sent to the OLD address.
Ask them to rectify the situation and send it to the correct address.I also enquire about why we have not received a gas bill. Theya sk for a reading. I point out the meter reader had been a week before, but provide one anyway. I also ask why the DD has not happened....uuuuuummmmmmm....none ever set up. :mad: i give the details for this again! 8 days later, I get not a confirmation of the account, but a bill for the month of July to August for the gas. We owed 0.00 which was correct as we did not actually turn the boiler on until we were completely out of the old house and back from holiday. I ring to ensure the DD is going to put us in some credit s it is now nove, and the next bill due soon. Nope....not set up. I give the details again.I also ask when we willg et the final electricity bill for te old property as it still has not arrived, and a bill in our name for the electricity. The electricity accout is till pending.:rolleyes:
This keeps on until yesterday. they ask me for a meter reading, despite the act I have also given one each and every phonecall!And the meter reader has been TWICE as well. She tells me that there seems to be an issue with the billing (no kidding!) and it won't accept the meter readings to beinputted, and she suspects this is why we have not received a bill. She tells me someone will ring me today. I verify the phone number.
This morning I get out of the shower and see a slip in my mail slot. it is from british gas. they were here earier to shut offmy electricity and give an account number. i look at the statement addressed to theoccupier. not the same. I ring up, they tell me it is not anything to do with our name and the house, adn for the rest, someone more senior will ring me to help with teh mter reading and billing debacle. i wait til 5 pm. No one rings. I ring teh customer services complaints deptment as I am now beyond fed up, but still VERY polite. They refuse to talk to me....they have lost me off the account agaon. I ask for a manager, who verifies this. I tell him I undertand he cannot therefore give me information until my husband is home to add me back on...AGAIN, but could he please verify this bizzarre number is nothing to do with my property. guess what! IT is the new number to the occupier account, they changed it but failed to put our name on it, and nver sent us a bil for teh amount now owed :mad: :mad: :mad: he tells me they will fix this now and it takes 24 hours. I told him I think this whole mess is unforgivable and extrmeley bad service. Ha! he tells me as we were not properly billed, he is sorry, and takes off the £10 non payment fee and won't disconnectour electric.
I am beyond fuming now and trying to figure out our next step as hubby will have to ring them when he gets home on the Friday, get me added back on, verify the billing is sorted (or not) and reset up the DD AGAIN. I personally think they owe us something for all teh agro and the cost of the long frequent phone calls their incompetance has inflicted on us.
Honestly, you would have thought they would want to accept money!ARGHHHHHHHHHHHH
Anyway....
We bought a house and began moving the day we got hte keys.28 july 06. We had an overlap in the dates we moved and our last day we had already paid rent for, so took our time moving. moved, then went on holiday. The very day we gave up our keys on the rental, we contacted BG homemaovers and gave them all the details, as they would not accept them before as we had not formally moved in before that date, and still had an open account. A month passed and we noticed we had not had a final bill for anything, our old acct had been paid by standing order and a direct debit set up for the new.....yet a DD came out for the old accts.....and a red bill arrived at the new house addressed to the the occupier.
rang them up again. OOps, they had ot closed the old accounts, they were still updating billing as tey had a new billingsystem blah blah blah. Also got told to not pay the occupier addressed bill s it was an old style act number, they were changing it right that moment to a new one and putting our name on it and withing a week we should get a new bill and could reaarange thte direct debit info again. Uh huh.
A week passed...got another red letter..to the occupier...same old style account number. Rang them again. Got the same story, and told a refund was being sent for the amounts they put on the old, def closed accounts.Nothing.
A fortnight pases and we call enquiring when we will get the information on our new accounts and a final bill. They tell us the new accounts are still in pending and hung there for some reason. We are beginning to get more than slightly frustrated.They tell us they are pushing it through again.
This continued every fortnight clear through the middle of October, when I rang and was told they could not speak to me, as somehow, they lost my name off the account and only had my husband. ARGHHHHHH
He rings them up, asks for me to put on the account. They say they are di doing so, and that the old accounts are NOT closed hence why o final bills. They also say def sending a refund now, and final bills. We DO get a final gas bill, and the refund by cheque. We do NOT get confirmation of our new account, nor do we get a final electric bill for the old property. I ring again as that same day..guess what...a DD goes out and i want to be certain it is to the correct account. It is not. ARGHHHHHHH. They had closed the account but not the DD. Our bank snatches it back as we had been in credit for that account and nothing was due any longer. I also ask about the electric account. That is closed, and a bill sent.
We did not get said bill. Apparently sent to the OLD address.
Ask them to rectify the situation and send it to the correct address.I also enquire about why we have not received a gas bill. Theya sk for a reading. I point out the meter reader had been a week before, but provide one anyway. I also ask why the DD has not happened....uuuuuummmmmmm....none ever set up. :mad: i give the details for this again! 8 days later, I get not a confirmation of the account, but a bill for the month of July to August for the gas. We owed 0.00 which was correct as we did not actually turn the boiler on until we were completely out of the old house and back from holiday. I ring to ensure the DD is going to put us in some credit s it is now nove, and the next bill due soon. Nope....not set up. I give the details again.I also ask when we willg et the final electricity bill for te old property as it still has not arrived, and a bill in our name for the electricity. The electricity accout is till pending.:rolleyes:This keeps on until yesterday. they ask me for a meter reading, despite the act I have also given one each and every phonecall!And the meter reader has been TWICE as well. She tells me that there seems to be an issue with the billing (no kidding!) and it won't accept the meter readings to beinputted, and she suspects this is why we have not received a bill. She tells me someone will ring me today. I verify the phone number.
This morning I get out of the shower and see a slip in my mail slot. it is from british gas. they were here earier to shut offmy electricity and give an account number. i look at the statement addressed to theoccupier. not the same. I ring up, they tell me it is not anything to do with our name and the house, adn for the rest, someone more senior will ring me to help with teh mter reading and billing debacle. i wait til 5 pm. No one rings. I ring teh customer services complaints deptment as I am now beyond fed up, but still VERY polite. They refuse to talk to me....they have lost me off the account agaon. I ask for a manager, who verifies this. I tell him I undertand he cannot therefore give me information until my husband is home to add me back on...AGAIN, but could he please verify this bizzarre number is nothing to do with my property. guess what! IT is the new number to the occupier account, they changed it but failed to put our name on it, and nver sent us a bil for teh amount now owed :mad: :mad: :mad: he tells me they will fix this now and it takes 24 hours. I told him I think this whole mess is unforgivable and extrmeley bad service. Ha! he tells me as we were not properly billed, he is sorry, and takes off the £10 non payment fee and won't disconnectour electric.
I am beyond fuming now and trying to figure out our next step as hubby will have to ring them when he gets home on the Friday, get me added back on, verify the billing is sorted (or not) and reset up the DD AGAIN. I personally think they owe us something for all teh agro and the cost of the long frequent phone calls their incompetance has inflicted on us.
Honestly, you would have thought they would want to accept money!ARGHHHHHHHHHHHH
budget meals can be good meals
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Comments
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When you call back on Friday make sure your hubby says he has been having problems and wants to make a complaint, and that he wants to speak to the 'customer liason team'. They have the ability to update accounts faster than the front line staff and also authorise compensation.0
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Thanks, I will be certain to make him sk that and about a good will credit for all the aggro!I am so frustrated by the entire thing. I am so ready to to have him sort this and then switch companies as they have narked me of so much.budget meals can be good meals0
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Well, still not sorted out. Hubby rang and asked for the customer laison team, was told that managemetn would have to ring him back, it would be within 24 hours, and it has been over a week! Ho Hum. next I think is energy watchdog. This is way past ridiculous. Hubby says he is going to ring again tomorrow and ask them how they plan to make it up to us for all the crap service and sheer incompetence. I suggested if they ask what he would like, he ask for a years worth of Home Care for the boiler and pipes and what not! I am so steamed!budget meals can be good meals0
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No wonder they have lost loads of customers this year and are having to lay off staff. They are most expensive gas supplier anyway so switch now if I was you !0
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British Gas make me laugh ...... they ring me up because I switched away from them about 2 years ago (and saved a fortune by the way!).
They tell me how I can get 'Points' or 'Rewards' or some other fancy marketing trick ..... they should STOP all this malarky and JUST CUT PRICES!!
Then they send me scary letters about how my boiler manufacturer is no longer making spares for it and they may not be able to fix it if it goes wrong - thats nice of them you think, but NO!! They then go on to say how they can fit a NEW Boiler for you!! I can source all my Boiler Components online!
AND at TWICE the price you can get one fitted with your local fitter, anyway!!
They really are a shower of a company - a disgraceful, cheating, untrustworthy bunch of thieves!
LEAVE British Gas NOW!!Bringing Happiness where there is Gloom!0 -
Just to let you know the Cardiff callcentre (where the homemovers customer liason department is based) is closing at 8 tonight until next week Wednesday, so if you are planning to try to get hold of them again don't worry about it until after Christmas.
The general enquiries customer liason team is currently closed to inbound calls, so make sure you are through to homemovers if you call them again and refuse to come off the line until they connect you to a manager or the customer liason team. Make sure you get their name and extension before you refuse to end the call, they are not allowed to terminate calls except in exceptional circumstances so it makes sure no-one will hang up on you. A direct number for homemovers is 08458508275 which skips the 'press 1 for blah blah blah'.0 -
My daughter recently moved house, and the previous resident had a pre-pay meter. BG told my daughter that they couldn't fit in a quartlerly meter until January, but then turned up, took the payment card as they said the card had to be in her name, and said a new one had been sent the day before, in her name.
Nothing arrived - the gas ran out, and we all spent hours on the phone trying to get BG/Transco to go round and either deliver a card, or put some gas on - she has four young children, and had no cooking, water or heat.
They promised each phone call to come within 4 hours - and took 28 hours to arrive.
The card still didn't come after the gas had ran out again, so we did the whole thing again and as before the promise of 4 hours was fantasy and they took 15 hours to come.
This happened a 3rd time - still no card, and no gas. This time, took 9 hours to arrive. :mad:
As they can only put £5 of credit on at a time, this doesn't last long this weather. My daughter offered them the money to put more on, but "procedures" won't allow for this.
Finally, the card arrived - 10 days after they took the old one.:mad:
She's had enough - after Christmas, she's switching.:T
Not only are they inefficient, but having spoke to them myself on a few occasions over this, they are also liars. They say anything to get you off the phone - promises of phone calls back are fabrications:mad:
I cannot understand why they took the old card before they sent a new one - it's a no brainer to realise that the gas may run out, and this would involve them in more work having to send out an emergency team with the ability to put some credit on the meter.
Lin :rolleyes:You can tell a lot about a woman by her hands..........for instance, if they are placed around your throat, she's probably slightly upset.
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Still going round and round. Now they tell us they haveno idea about any customer liason team and insist a manager will call us back. yeah right. Accepted that last time and still no call!
We now have a gas bill in our name, and they took a direct debit without informing us of the amount or the date using our old acct details....I feel a huge rant going to happen!
Leccy bill arrived again For the Occupier but tied to the gas acct in our name as it gave us dual fuel discount. We will ring one final time tomorrow, then set up a SO of our chosen amount to pay off owed monies and switch to ecoricity for the elctric. We are beyond fed up!budget meals can be good meals0 -
I'm not surprised. My experiences with British Gas have been similar.Happy chappy0
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