British Gas Debt Collection Issues

gazakstan

Hi Guys, just looking for a little advice on an ongoing issue with British Gas and their debt collection agencies.

I was first contacted in February 2011 by S.R.J. Debt Recoveries regarding an unpaid gas bill of £237.56.

Letters and phone calls went between myself and this company, including sending them bank statements to prove that I had paid the bill at the time.

The bill, according to the debt collection agency is as stated above. I paid British Gas, on 14/04/09 a total of £230.48, in two separate payments (I believe this was from waiting on a housemate to pay me their share).

The last I heard from S.R.J. was in April 2011; it was a letter that stated that they were 'taking instruction from [their] client and will revert to [me] shortly. In the meantime we have placed the account on hold.'

Fast forward to November 2013 and I receive a letter from Advantis, who are working on behalf of British Gas, in search of their missing £237.56.

I go through the motions again, I explain that this was supposed to have been sorted 2 years ago by a different debt collection agency. Advantis tell me they'll look in to it, and place the account on hold.

I have only now, six months later, heard from them again stating that British Gas never received any evidence and are still after the money. I told them I wanted to speak to a manager, so I'm still awaiting a call back.

In the mean time I have phoned S.R.J. today and been told that the debt was handed over to Advantis in January 2013, and that there were notes on their system from British Gas stating that they have confirmed one of the two payments, but needed a date for the second payment (they were both made on the same day). S.R.J. never contacted me to ask for this confirmation, and have said that if I want the notes I need to send a letter with £10 to them.

I would prefer not to pay £10, but I could clearly benefit from this evidence.

Can someone please advise me on what the best way to proceed would be, as it's practically been going on for five years now, and there doesn't appear to be an end in sight.

Thanks!

spiro

Ignore the DCAs and speak directly to the supplier.

dogshome

As spiro has posted take the matter up with BG directly, and a letter headed Complaint will get quicker results than a phone call

The DCA's are only in it to collect the money, and with a 5 year debt may well have 'bought' the debt at a discount - Once they have realised it's all due to a problem at BG's end and them getting paid is unlikely, there is no way they will waste further time and money sorting it out with BG on your behalf