Help With British Gas PLEASE!!

FeelHardDoneBy

Hi all -

This is my first post here and I hope to get as much advise as possible please!!

I bought a property in 2003, moved in and called all the relevant utility companies to set up new accounts like you would.

One of them being British Gas. I calls them for a gas account only. The next day I realised there is actually no gas supply at the property with electric heating/hob/cooker and so forth!

The account remained £10 in credit with no usage whatsoever until I moved out and closed it in 2005. I received a cheque for £10 and was back to square one naturally.

I noticed in 2010 they were still on my credit report but as "0"s (paid on time/no arrears) markings each month and stupidly left it thinking well - that can never change and maybe it's another good addition to my credit profile.

Checked my credit profiles again yesterday and to my horror, a debt started accruing in my name on my credit profile from June 2012 to current day up to £413 in debt, with no sign of repayment or reduction at any month. The maximum late payment number they have was "6" for the last few months.

I have nothing to do with that property since 2005. I closed my account in credit.
I have never been back to the property whatsoever.

I also noticed that the account number shown on my credit report for this account is DIFFERENT to my original account.

Other information I know of:
I have made one call to British Gas for further information before I set up documents and letters to start getting this sorted...

> THE ACCOUNT WAS RE-OPENED IN 2006.

> THEY STATE A METER HAS BEEN IN PLACE SINCE 1995 AT THE PROPERTY.

> APPARANTLY £100 OF GAS WAS USED, THE OTHER £313 ON CHARGES/DEBT COLLECTION VISITS.

>THERE ARE NOTES ON THIS ACCOUNT THAT SOMETIMES THEY WERE NOT SURE IF THEY WERE SPEAKING TO ME OR SOMEONE ELSE WHEN IN COMMUNICATION TO WHOEVER WAS THERE AFTER I HAD LEFT (LAST TELEPHONE CONVERSATION WITH WHOEVER IS LIVING THERE NOW WAS AUGUST 2013)

> I HAVE, OF COURSE NEVER HAD ANY DOCUMENTATION TO WARN ME OF THIS AND HAVE ONLY STUMBLED UPON THIS DUE TO LOOKING AT MY CREDIT REPORT.


Please, please help. All advice appreciated!

This has destroyed my credit profile/rating - one and a half years of debt that isn't mine!!


Thank you all - Andy (FeelHardDoneBy)

dancingfairy

I would write a complaint letter to British gas and tell them to remove all the incorrect information from your credit file and go from there.
Do you have any proof of the house being sold that would help you case at all?
Has this mistake caused you any issues? Have you been turned down for any credit or anything?
I believe you can also dispute the information with the various agencies - experian, equifax and callcredit but they will probably tell you that they only report the information they are given and to take it up with British gas. You can add your own notice of correction to the account but I'm not sure how useful this would be (it would slow down any applications for credit you'd want to make as it would have to go to a human and wouldn't actually solve the problem of the incorrect info. being on there).

df

tgroom57

1. Start as you mean to go on - all future communication with British Gas to be by Royal Mail Recorded Delivery.

2. I would write to British gas firstly, to get them to confirm the information they gave you in the phone call. You wouldn't believe how much it will hurt them to admit they might have been talking to the wrong person about your account.

3. Simultaneously, I would get @BritishGas on twitter and ask for a copy of their complaints procedure. This should provide you with a link to an online form, and anything you write in there should include the below "I am also sending a formal written complaint by recorded delivery. "

4. If your credit report is online, take a hardcopy of it. In case you are able to show that their incorrect reporting has caused you loss.

Good luck! I've had experience of British Gas' complaints procedure before, and although it was frustrating it came out ok in the end.
But it's a different matter when an adverse credit report can prevent someone getting a job.

Experian_company_representative

If you send us details we can raise a query with them for you as well.

James

ladybabe

follow there complaints proceedure and explain should it not be resolved you will go to ofgem, also register it with the credit report company as this will then show on your file you are trying to get it resolved

FeelHardDoneBy

Thanks to everyone's speedy replies - most appreciated!!

In answer to some questions;

I doubt what documentation I still have of the sale of the property in 2005 - I, of course, have plenty of verifiable material for my current residence (council tax, driving licence, utilities, tenancy agreement, electoral roll registration etc...)
Hopefully this at least shows I live at my address only and wholly!

Apart from the obvious impact this now has since 2012 to my credit profiles, I do not believe I have been inconvenienced by it up until now -HOWEVER- I am getting married this year and was looking to invest in a car. The wedding I have enough money for apart from the honeymoon, so was looking to apply for a credit card with a generous 0% purchase period for the honeymoon to payback before interest begins and also finance for the car.
I could now kiss those ideas goodbye unless I end up paying a ridiculous APR% with some money-making people with zero added benefits.

I know for a fact that if this only went as far as being "settled" instead of being removed from these reports, it would still stuff my credit rating. I am absolutely not willing for this to magically drop off my profiles in six years when this was never my debt!!!

I am also wondering if identity fraud/theft has some part to play.

Why would this account be magically reopened under my name a while after I was 100% finished with the property and dealings of it!

I would definitely seek compensation for this, but appreciate this May be futile or minimal as it hasn't had a detrimental effect on my finances or credit as I have applied for no credit since this started behind my back!
I also appreciate I can make a note of correction, but that is to me a minor aid and not a solution!

I have made a small note to Noddle via the automated online reporting system to let them know this is not my account. I am waiting to hear back "within 28 days". I will purchase a statutory £2 report from Experian. Equifax shows NO SIGN of this debt, so at least one out of three is safe - not that that's acceptable!

It's just ironic that BG is the only energy supplier that continually updates your credit record, and for an account that NEVER EVER HAD ANY DEBT, NOT EVEN A PENNY, this has happened!!!

Again thank you for advice so far, please feel free to carry on helping - the more advice/suggestions/experience, the better prepared to fight this I'll be!!!

FeelHardDoneBy

...Also I am intending to include in my (first) letter to them about passing this to Ofgem & Energywatch should I need to; not as a threat, but for further support in a speedy resolution!

Any other services/institutions that I should also prepare to report to? ICO for example? Trading Standards?!?

tgroom57

Complaints page here

British Gas twitter peeps live & listening on @BritishGasHelp account ...most useful for finding out about process, expediting same.

I agree with the above comment about identity fraud.

melj16

Send an email to the chief executive Ian Livingston, and someone will contact you within 24 hours. The same happened to me, it was resolved and I was compensated but most importantly it was sorted quickly. I imagine writing a letter to complaints department will not be the quickest!

Good luck

rizla_king

FeelHardDoneBy wrote: »

Any other services/institutions that I should also prepare to report to? ICO for example? Trading Standards?!?

http://www.ombudsman-services.org/complain-now-energy.html

JessicAhh

I agree with melj - I had a similar (although much shorter term) issue with BG, and it was rectified totally in a week or so...

I was given false information by their Customer Services originally, hence why I went down the CEO route.