They've robbed me!

Xii_2

I've just worked out that SSE have conned me into paying someone else bill by just putting it in my name after not being able to find the previous tenant.

I moved into my flat and signed my tenancy agreement on the 21st of March 2013. In June I got my first two letters from SEE stating notice of electricity disconnection and notice of gas disconnection. This was on the 3rd of June 2013 and the first time SEE had sent me a bill ever.

The gas they said was £70.95
The electricity was £108.26

I thought it was very strange to be getting a threatening letter as it was the first bill they sent to me. I paid the bills, and have the payment codes. On the 26th of June I then receive another letter from them titled DEBT COLLECTION for an unpaid bill of £124.59 saying they're sending a debt collector round. In the letter it also says I have not responded to any attempts to contact them. This was all complete news to me as I paid the bills they sent on the 3rd of June, 23 days earlier. To add to this, I then found two letters in flat addressed to the letting agency from SEE

These two letters were 13th and 14th of March 2013, before I moved in. These letters are

Gas Reminder Bill - £70.95 :mad:
Electricity Reminder bill £108.26 :mad:

When I moved in I gave them the meter readings and the date that I moved in. They obviously completely ignored this, billed me someone else bill, which I paid as soon as I got the bill in my name, and now they reckon I owe them a £124.59 gas bill that i've run up, ignored all their attempts to contacts me all in 23 days?!

To say I'm angry is an understatement. Do I have a chance of getting the £179.21 they robbed me of, and what can I do about these letters as I'm seriously unhappy about this threatening letter. I've never been set a normal bill... just two threatening letters to force me to pay someone else bill that has nothing to do with me, and now 23 days later a debt collector visit letter.

Seriously unhappy with SEE

Cardew

Get the letting agent to sort it out - including corresponding with the Debt Collection Agency. He is paid to do just that!

Make sure you put it in writing!!!

matelodave

Don't try and sort it out over the phone - write letters and send them recorded delivery and make sure you keep the counterfoils. Its the only evidence that you've got

As you read the meters when you moved in, did you phone it through or write to them. You should be reading the meters regularly (ideally weekly) and sending the info to the supplier on a monthly basis.

Xii_2

matelodave wrote: »

Don't try and sort it out over the phone - write letters and send them recorded delivery and make sure you keep the counterfoils. Its the only evidence that you've got

As you read the meters when you moved in, did you phone it through or write to them. You should be reading the meters regularly (ideally weekly) and sending the info to the supplier on a monthly basis.

When I moved in there was a letter from SEE asking for who is responsible for the property and when they moved in. The meter readings are also on my tenancy agreement. I emailed the address on the letter stating the date I moved in (the day i was reading the letter) and the meter readings. So I have it in writing in terms of an email and my tenancy agreement that I gave them the date I moved in and meter readings. I've emailed the email address on this £124 debt letter that I got on the 26th stating that they have clearly ripped me off and that I have all supporting paperwork that they owe me £179.29. I also stated that I am aware they were fined £10m in April for ripping people off in a similar manner and that I would start proceedings with the energy ombudsman if it wasn't sorted ASAP

Nada666

Xii wrote: »

I've just worked out that SSE have conned me into paying someone else bill by just putting it in my name after not being able to find the previous tenant.

[...]

Seriously unhappy with SEE

They have not conned you. Why are you unhappy with SEE?

Xii_2

How haven't they conned me? Previous tenanted owned them 179.29 and they chased them for it. I moved in and gave them the date I moved in and the meter readings, they completely ignored this and just billed me 179.29 in terms of a treating disconnection letter after sending reminders to the previous tenant for the same amount all dated before I moved in which I only found after paying.

is that your idea of a good deal and service!?

Cardew

Nada666 wrote: »

They have not conned you. Why are you unhappy with SEE?

As I read it, the OP sent his name and meter readings to SEE on the day in March when he moved in.

SEE then put his name on the bills for the outstanding gas and electricity bills belonging to the previous tenant:

I then found two letters in flat addressed to the letting agency from SEE

These two letters were 13th and 14th of March 2013, before I moved in. These letters are

Gas Reminder Bill - £70.95 :mad:
Electricity
Reminder bill £108.26 :mad:

To compound this, the OP's name has been given to the Debt Collection Agency - which could affect his credit rating.

So the OP has paid the debts of a previous tenant by dint of them incorrectly putting his name on those outstanding bills.

Xii_2

also this £124 is the first time they've ever contacted me about it and it's a collections letter. If they had my details to give to collectors, they had my details to send me a bill first like any normal company. The fact this letter is dated the 26th, when the only letters they have ever sent me were two bills on the 3rd. I paid these over the phone as well as paying the balance on my account which was an extra 200 in total when i phoned up, completely clearing both accounts.

23 days later I get a letter saying I have ignored all their recent attempts to contact me for £124, even though it was only 15 working days since I paid the bills....

dogshome

To sort this out you must WRITE a letter headed Complaint, the address for this letter will be on the back of the bill
With the word Complaint in writing, SSE must deal with this in a fixed time frame and cease demands for payment

With the letter enclose a copy of your tenancy agreement which shows the date you moved, and fortunately for you, it also shows the meter readings on that day.
Demand that SSE read the meters and bill you for the use between your move-in date and the reading date, and credit all payments you have made to them against this bill

Xii_2

Got it sorted today. I sent an email last night to the address on the letter and got a phone call from them this morning. It was the guy who made the mistake confirming not only did I get conned into paying the £179.29 that was someone else's debt, but I've actually over paid on the bills that were for me. He spoke to the collections office about the £124 and got that sorted for me as apparently no one knows why I've been sent that.

So i'm getting 179.29 back, plus what I've been over charged, plus some compensation. The thing that I was impressed with was that the guy phoned up and said "yep, it was my fault, I personally screwed it up" The fact he didn't try to worm out of it and they just came clean about it was top stuff. Plus he said I'll have everything in writing in the post tomorrow morning too.

Mistakes happen and i'm impressed they sorted it straight away. Most situations like this drag on as one side denies screwing up. SO thumbs up to the bloke who made the error, phoned me personally and sorted it. :beer:

Cardew

Just ensure that your name isn't on a 'black list' of any Debt Collection Agency.