HELP!! - Being harrassed by a debt collector...

Elric

Hi All

Anyone had any dealings with Buchana Clark + Wells ???!!

My partner received a formal demand for a gas bill which she is not liable to pay.
- she wasn't living in the property at the period of the gas bill. (British Gas card meter)

When we rang we were assured that if we send the tenancy agreement for the property she was actually living in at the time they would close the account.

After sending in the tenancy agreement by recorded delivery, they are still demanding the money and threatening to take further action.

The last call I made (today), they said they wanted the tenancy agreement for the property where the bill is from, but this IS NOT what they originally asked for! - and besides which she only lived their for a matter of weeks with her friend - she doesn't have a tenancy agreement for that address.

The bill was finished in September 2006 - my partner has lived with me at another address (the one we sent the tenancy agreement for) between Jan 05 and Mar 07.

Because the bill is in her name I'm concerned about her rights - the bill is only for £42 but she wasn't their at the time. She'd not changed the name when she moved out.

Buchanan Clark + Wells insist now that we have to pay so I've arranged for one of the managers to call me back - what should we do ? - go to Citizens Advice maybe - seems a lot of fuss over such a small amount of money.

Can anyone offer some words of advice?

Elric

GirlRacer_2

Bump..... ANyone able to help here?

DesG

There is not a lot she can do if she never closed her account when she moved out.

Did she take a meter reading?

If whoever used the gas doesn't want to pay for it, there is not a lot you can do but pay up and put it down as one of lifes little lessons.

Cheers, Des.

teecee152

shameless bump

joeblack066

Think that DesG is right, as she didn't close the account at the time. New tenants must have been lovin it, I'm thinking! I would advise pay up or it might affect future credit rating. I have dealings with BC+W, and have found them to be okay. If you genuinely can't afford to pay the amount straightawy, then they will go through an SOA on the phone, and accept an offer. Just be thankful it wasn't a bill into the hundreds that was run up in your g'f's name!

atypicalblonde

Hi Elric, I agree with the above, unfortunately if she didnt close the account when she moved out and give them final readings she is still techinically liable for the debt. May be worth asking them to accept token payments for a short period of time until she can afford to pay it off. Best of luck x

Elric

Thanx Guys

I thought as much - I'm gonna pay it for her today.

What's annoying is that they agreed to drop the account if we could prove where she lived, which we did.

Ah well, companies lie don't they?

Elric