home top up problem british gas

niggyp

hi just a question as to how to proceed further with this

i do home top ups for gas (meter was already in when i moved) and have been working fine with the supplied reader from british gas....any way laptop went pop, purchased new laptop and did a top up....card corrupted (after loading £20 on it, email reciept arrived so i have been charged) turns out it was a driver issue which is now sorted

rang BG and informed them, told to get a new blank card activate it in meter and put some cash on...works fine
issue i have is i have lost £20 on old card, BG said they will instruct the online system to load this to my new card over my next 2 top ups (e.g load £5 get £10 until the £20 is refunded) trouble is it hasnt happened and ive been topping up over 3 weeks now, rang them twice to be told to wait 48 hours...both occasions have done but nothing
they wont refund to the debit card i use to pay

what can i do as if i ring them i know ill be told to wait 48 hours again

help!!!!

Wywth

niggyp wrote: »

hi just a question as to how to proceed further with this

i do home top ups for gas (meter was already in when i moved) and have been working fine with the supplied reader from british gas....any way laptop went pop, purchased new laptop and did a top up....card corrupted (after loading £20 on it, email reciept arrived so i have been charged) turns out it was a driver issue which is now sorted

rang BG and informed them, told to get a new blank card activate it in meter and put some cash on...works fine
issue i have is i have lost £20 on old card, BG said they will instruct the online system to load this to my new card over my next 2 top ups (e.g load £5 get £10 until the £20 is refunded) trouble is it hasnt happened and ive been topping up over 3 weeks now, rang them twice to be told to wait 48 hours...both occasions have done but nothing
they wont refund to the debit card i use to pay

what can i do as if i ring them i know ill be told to wait 48 hours again

help!!!!

http://www.britishgas.co.uk/complaints

SwanJon

That's odd - if you have been toppin up for the last 3 weeks it definately should have arrived (if it was sent).
When it arrives, it won't show up as extra credit on the card, it just changes the credit on the meter.
E.g. if you had £3.00 on the meter, bought £5.00 and picked up the message for £20.00, the meter would say £5.00 on card, but your credit would end up at £28.
It would also arrive in one go, not in £5 chunks - the agent should have made it clear.

If you have one of the newer meters (Either with a grey block on the front, or now block) you may be able to find if the message has arrived. I think it is screen 33 - from the normal credit remaining screen press and hold the red A button until the screen changes then each time you press the red A button the screen will change - but not in numerical order.

You can also contact them through their webpage if you don't want to call them, but a call might be quicker.
Edit - Thanks Wywth - forgot to include the link.

niggyp

hi, ill look into the messages when im home later but what would it say if theres been a message?, the meter is quite new its a very very light grey one, was replaced about 3 or so years ago

both advisors said it would come in dribs n drabs

each time ive inserted card its just said £5 on card but has definatley not jumped by £20, i usually keep £30-£50 on it and top up when it gets to about £30 but havent seen it go up by much

maybe a call to BG then

thanks for your help!

SwanJon

OK, they might do it differently with the top up device but I can't see why - surely it's more work to send 4x£5 than 1x£20?

When you call back in they can see if/when a message was sent and what has happened to it. If they need to send it again, ask for it to be sent in one go.

If this has been ongoing for 3 weeks and at least 2 phone calls it might be worth raising it as a complaint - get them to backdate the start to your first follow up call - they have 8 weeks to resolve it before you can take it to the Energy Ombudsman.