In Credit With British Gas, Refused Refund

beccabooboo

Hi Guys,

I am Soooooooo Angry with British Gas. In trying to save money where I can, and realising that if I don't put some money into the bank this week I will have payments that won't go out, I thought I would ring British Gas and see if there is a credit on my account (which I was sure that there was) and get it refunded.

They confirmed there is a credit on my account of £127.00, but, have said that they won't refund it until the anniversary of my direct debit payment plan which is in 6 months time!!!!! I was in credit last autum and they didn't send a refund but had said that I would get a refund after winter!!!!!

They also previously twice increased my monthly payment without writing to me and telling me!!!

i am so angry, they have got MY money, earning interest on it no doubt and they won't give it me back!!!

They said that the only way they will give me my money back is if I come off the direct debit scheme, but then they won't let me back on it as they rekon it has been cancelled 5 times!! (i have never cancelled the DD only when i switched banks!!)

Seriously thinking of ringing them back up this afternoon and telling them to refund and I will switch supplier.

Just really had to get that off my chest!!!!! Has anybody else had this problem??

Snow_Dog

As you are now £127 in credit and its now starting the warm season so usage will drop then you are likely to continue building up credit.

One way you could minimise this is by calling them and telling them that you will be reucing (rather than cancelling) the DD, based on previous usage and the fact that you are in credit by that much.

BG are a pain in the proverbial about this, their demands each year fluctuate up and down like a roller coaster. The only way to get it right with them is to monitor your usage over 12 months, calculate it up, and call them and tell them exactly what you will be paying by DD. Thats what I did and the payments were spot on for about 4 years then.

If they get arsy about you reducing the DD then demand to know the reasons why as you are so far in credit. If they dont give satisfactory answer then register a complaint with OFGEM.

nomoneytoday

Change suppliers. BG will then pay you the open balance and you will save a few pounds with a cheaper supplier.

Do it via uswitch.com/champagne and they will send you a bottle of bubbly 6 weeks after your first bill

olly300

1.Read the terms and conditions of your contract for direct debit to see if there are any clauses to that say BG can keep your money if you are in credit. (There shouldn't be any. If they are then report here and I give you another way to get the money back.)

2. Then write a letter to your bank cc to British Gas and ask them to refund the money you are in credit using the Direct Debit Guarantee saying you overpaid BG. (Don't speak to anyone at your bank do it all in writing.) Send the copy to BG by recorded delivery and keep the receipt.

3. If BG then hassle you (i..e try and take the money back, threaten you with court action) inform them in writing that you will inform the regulator if they don't leave you alone within 14 days and will take further action to gain compensation due to the stress they have caused. BG will leave you alone.

longforgotten

Very poor service with BG

I overpaid Npower and the refund hit my bank acccount before I even had the bill showing I'd overpaid! Makes me want to stay with them.

Stormy

Snow_Dog wrote: »

One way you could minimise this is by calling them and telling them that you will be reucing (rather than cancelling) the DD, based on previous usage and the fact that you are in credit by that much.

How do you do that? I don't believe customers have access to alter DD payment amounts (British Gas would have to do this at their end), you can only alter standing orders. If you know a way that I can change the amount with my bank I would be pleased to know it but I don't think DD works like that.

Mike

nej

BG are now supposed to be reassesing DD amounts very frequently. Call them with up-to-date meter readings and ask for it to be re-assessed to get a more realistic monthly amount to stop wasting more money.

Then, don't get off the phone until they agree to give back what they owe you!

tripled

Staff are discouraged from refunding credits as it is all supposed to be automated now and obviously the computer never gets it wrong :rolleyes:

Also the credit may not reflect the true balance on the account as payments may have been taken since you were last billed, meaning there is gas which has not been charged onto your account yet. Phone up with a current reading and insist any remaining credit is refunded and the payment reasessed, you will probably find the computer will increase your payment once more as you have asked for the credit back but there is nothing the staff can do to override it, you will have to accept it or come off dd. If they refuse to do this then ask to speak to a manager.

You won't get the money this week anyway, if it is refunded through the dd it will take 5-7 days (so next week some time), if it is sent by cheque which often happens then you are looking at 10 days or so for the cheque and another 3 days to clear, so at least two weeks, so it won't be in for this weeks payments and may not be back for next weeks payments either.

With regards to interest, I am fairly sure you will be saving more through your 10% dd discount than the couple of quid they may earn over a year from your money.

beccabooboo

Thanks for the responses!

I Have rung them up again this afternoon, and the story has changed! Firstly, the guy I spoke to this afternoon said that he couldn't release any info as my name is not on the account (my husbands is) which is fair enough. I told him I have credit on the account and I want it refunding, I said that I had spoken to someone this morning who confirmed this but who said that they won't refund it! he said that the person I spoke to was wrong and that I am due a reassesment next month and not in 6 months as the first person had said!

I said that I want the credit now! He took a meter reading and said that he would send a statement so i could see whether there is a credit or a debit. I said that I know that there is a credit and I WANT THE REFUND!!!!

He then proceeded to completly patronise me and explained how the DD system works!

No joy again.

They have such shoddy customer service, clearly their staff are not properly trainied either.

I think I will ring them again tomorrow, insist on some progress and then write a very heafty complaints letter to them!

BritishGasWorker

beccabooboo wrote: »

Thanks for the responses!

I Have rung them up again this afternoon, and the story has changed! Firstly, the guy I spoke to this afternoon said that he couldn't release any info as my name is not on the account (my husbands is) which is fair enough. I told him I have credit on the account and I want it refunding, I said that I had spoken to someone this morning who confirmed this but who said that they won't refund it! he said that the person I spoke to was wrong and that I am due a reassesment next month and not in 6 months as the first person had said!

I said that I want the credit now! He took a meter reading and said that he would send a statement so i could see whether there is a credit or a debit. I said that I know that there is a credit and I WANT THE REFUND!!!!

He then proceeded to completly patronise me and explained how the DD system works!

No joy again.

They have such shoddy customer service, clearly their staff are not properly trainied either.

I think I will ring them again tomorrow, insist on some progress and then write a very heafty complaints letter to them!

Hi there.....

There has been a new system introduce to British Gas recently which has meant that non of the front line agents are able to decrease a direct debit less that 10% and they have been told NOT to refund monies back....

However, in your case if you have a credit of such an amount and HAVE been billed within the last couple of weeks you should be able to ask for you monie back, this would be via cheque since they have to cancel your direct deibt to issue a mid term refund..

Hope this helps

Cardew

If you sign up for a DD scheme with any company you simply cannot expect to be refunded every time you go into credit; any more than they can expect you to pay them every time you go into debit.

£127 is not a large amount(in an annual bill) and as Tripled states your credit balance with BG is not a true indication of the state of your account. This is because your payments are shown as credits each month; but your bills for gas consumed are debited quarterly.

I pay £70 monthly and looking at my account today it might show a credit balance of, say, £200. However tomorrow I could have my quarterly bill of £250 debited and I will be £50 in debit.

If you can't wait until the end of the annual period, come off the DD scheme or leave the company.

To be quite honest I can't see the basis of your complaint.

P.S.

They don't write to you separately to tell you of a change in your DD as the new amount will be on your bill.