No refund of deposit from British Gas for cancelled boiler installation

jazzdiva

Is anyone else having difficulty in getting their deposit back from British Gas for a cancelled boiler installation?

£500 was taken from our account on 13 May for a boiler that we subsequently decided against ordering. British Gas assured us that the deposit would be returned within 7 days but here we are on 26 May and no sign of it, despite phone calls to the installation team and messages via the British Gas website. All they could tell us was that it was "in the system for payment".

Am I wrong in thinking that if they are hanging on to hundreds of people's £500 deposit, they are earning a huge amount of interest on this total sum at our expense? I would like to claim the interest back, especially as I have had to shift funds around to keep going overdrawn!

Any tips on getting our deposit back immediately?

jazzdiva

Just to let everyone know, even though nobody replied to my thread, that by looking back at previous threads about British Gas, I came up with the email address customernews@britishgas.co.uk, who were very helpful and they will be refunding my deposit plus £50 for the inconvenience, so thanks Money Saving Expert.com:beer:

mrstiggywinklesmum

I am also having difficulty getting my cancellation of a boiler installation acknowledged and my deposit cheque returned.
I gave notice the day after I signed my agreement, by post and by e-mail. I was reassured by the telephone assistant and the sales rep. that my contract had been cancelled and that my deposit would be returned. In my 'wisdom' I thought they would return my cheque but no, it was cashed 10 days later. What a fool I was not to cancel it. I spoke to a different telephone adviser this morning and she advised that they do not send out letters acknowledging cancellations. They are unable to cancel cheques because they need to have received the money in order to return it - British Gas logic! I am newly widowed and learning fast about money matters especially when BG are involved.:mad:

macman

Technically you are in a binding contract after you sign and pay a deposit, so it's at BG's discretion to allow you to then cancel without penalty.
Logically, they do need cleared funds from your cheque before they can reimburse you.
However, since BG typically charge about 40% more than an independent local RGI for a boiler install, I'm glad that you have seen the light.