British Gas Complaint

laural90

Hi

Just wondered if anyone can help, we had a problem with British Gas which spanned over around a month, I have sent them a complaint but wondered roughly what amount of compensation we should accept?

Basically… our PAYG gas meter stopped working on New Years eve, we called and were told an engineer would be with us within 4 hours. He replaced the meter and said a new card would be sent. When it came a few days later it didn’t work, they sent another which we topped up and tried to use but this also didn’t work! So they sent another engineer (another 4 hour wait, during which our gas went off and we had to throw out a meal that was half cooked and also pay for a take-away for 5 of us) who re-set the meter, and had another card sent.

When this card came, we were told the money we had paid onto the cards that hadn’t worked so far was lost, so they had put on a credit, but to receive this we would have to walk to the shop, top the card up with £1, come home and try it and there should be the other £20 on there too, if it didn’t work we would have to do that every day for 7 days until it did! Obviously we weren’t happy, and as you can prob guess, it didn’t work! So after the 7 days, another card was sent, we get home from work, walk to shop, top it up, try it… and it didn’t work at all! So another engineer was sent (another 4 hour wait, no gas, take-away ordered) he re-sets it, sends another card, which were asked again to go through the ridiculous rigmarole of going to the shop every day for 7 days! Only this time we were told to go to a different shop further away as that first shop ‘arent trained’!

Obviously again this didn’t work, another engineer, another ruined meal, another new card! Finally we had had enough, eventually got a really helpful man on the phone who sent an engineer straight away, he re-set the meter, the new card came the next day, we went and topped it up and he called us straight away to sort out the credit! Why this couldn’t have been done the first time I don’t know!

So eventually after over a month including 4 engineers, 6 new cards, ruined meals, take-aways paid for, hours wasted waiting for engineers, hours wasted on the phone, hours off work waiting in, not to mention the stress caused, it eventually is sorted!

Also, this all came at the worst possible time, as my father in law became ill at the time and sadly passed away at the end of January when this was all still going on which was a lot to deal with for my family. We didn’t need this added stress on top, which I did explain to someone on the phone early on but there was no compassion at all and they didn’t seem to want to help, until that final man who seemed to understand and do everything he could.

So if anyone can help I’d appreciate it

undaunted

Firstly, I'm sorry to read of your Father in laws loss. If I then read / understand your post correctly

You've had problems with the meter / cards but were only without gas for 8 hours at most?

You chose to buy takeaways and have your meal rather than wait the four or five hours to cook it & enjoyed those meals on these occasions? (Personally I don't think you can reasonably expect BG to pay for these)

The engineers always turned up when they said they would - within 4 hours even on New years eve and any top ups paid for have been credited to your account ?

There was however the inconvenience of needlessly walking to a shop over 14 days, the cost of phone calls and possibly lost wages or holiday on some occasions?

You have yet to receive BG response to your complaint or any offer of compensation?

In short I would say you may have grounds for a goodwill gesture / compensation but that this is likely to be a relatively nominal offer.

How much do you think that you have actually lost in cash terms and what figure did you have in your mind?

chanz4

My money is on the card issued by bg had the old meters details attached, most compo £20. You chose to get a takeaway

Nada666

In the olden days we had this thing called 'salad'. Now I know that nowadays you privileged hipsters always insist on freshly seared meats and dressings to be warmed before drizzling over your cold platters but it is possible to slum it now and again. Of course it is a horrifying hardship having to use salad cream rather than a fresh egg dressing. The trauma of this humiliation alone should add a few ponies to your compensation claim.

If you are not happy travelling to a shop to top-up the card then you should not be using a prepayment meter in the first place - don't quite see where the compensation claim comes from there - it is your choice to pay by prepayment meter.

How much monetary reward are you hoping to claim? What actual losses or costs have you accumulated?

laural90

The point with the meals was the fact that twice food was wasted as the gas ran out. The closest supermarket is about a half hour walk away and we do not drive, therefore at 6.30pm when you’ve all been at work all day, and have no way of cooking a meal, the best option seemed to be a take-away.

Yes the engineers came within the four hours, but the fact is this could have been sorted in the first phone call after the first engineer, as the final person did that quite easily. However this was dragged on for a month for no reason.

Costs incurred were two lost meals, an afternoon taken off work and phone calls.

The closest corner shop available to top up the card is 20mins walk away, which yes – we choose to do, but only once a week when we are shopping there anyway – but doing this every day for 7 days, then to a further shop half an hour each way for the next seven days, when in the end we were told by the last person this had been completely unnessesary what what annoyed us though. As I say when you have been at work 10 hours then have to do that evey night for no reason it gets a bit tiresome!