Water Bill For Property Not Lived In For 3-5 Years passed to collection ageny

James_L_3

Hi,

I would like some advice please. It’s a bit of a long story. Basically my wife and I moved from a property I would estimate 3-5 years ago. At the time we informed our water supplier "southern water".
I had an email over the Christmas Period. I know it was then as I was recovering from a very nasty chest infection. I was literally coughing every other word I spoke. Despite this I called the number and discussed the amount of money they were seeking, around £1,000. I recall the person I spoke to mentioning how bad my cough was.

I went on to ask why they were seeking such a sum of money from me when I hadn’t lived in this property for so long and during the time they say the bill was incurred. I pointed out I had in fact notified them I had moved.

The lady said they had made every possible effort to contact me....She explained "they sent letters" - I replied surely for a company registered with data protection and iso 9000 they made more checks than simply sending letters for 3 years, and the fact I hadn’t replied should have been enough for them to do more. Not to mention I HAD INFORMED THEM I HAD MOVED.

She said they considered a letter "given it’s delivered" enough!

I said I refused to accept the bill and wasn’t going to pay, especially as given no replies to letters, such a large amount of money adding up and they simply continued to allow this to happen.

She asked me for proof I had moved, to which (again still coughing like mad) I said I was willing to do, BUT:

1: If it cost me any money I wanted it fully refunded
2: They would need to send me a written request for whatever proof they wanted

I also pointed out had they looked on the electoral roll they would have found me easily and seen I had moved

I also said any more action on my part to clear my name for their failures I would charge them £25 per hour for my time.

The lady I spoke to said she would send a written request for information to me to enable me to approach my council - yes I live in a council property - so getting proof of my change of address is easy, but I wanted a letter from southern water to give to the council to explain why I wanted this information from the council. Anyway this letter never came (I had given them my new address, I’m also a registered customer of theirs at the new address) so they did know the correct address to send this information request to.

Now Some 6 months later and still not having received the letter I requested, and being informed the phone call was being recorded. I have a letter from "Moor Croft" saying they are going to pursue the matter etc etc mentioning my credit file, door step collection etc etc.

Can anyone advise me - how on earth can I get moor croft to !!!!!! off and get southern water to sort this mess out. I don’t want a debt in my name for a !!!! up southern water have made and I am sick of wasting my time sorting this out. I feel I want compensation for the stress time I’m spending on this issue.

Thanks in advance
J

sourcrates

Ignore Moorcrap, or if you must deal with them, send them a letter advising the account was in dispute before they became involved and you are dealing with the original creditor so !!!! off !!
Next send a written complaint to southern water detailing what you have told us, if you still have no joy, they complain to OFWAT about them, link here :


http://www.ofwat.gov.uk/consumerissues/

James_L_3

sourcrates wrote: »

Ignore Moorcrap, or if you must deal with them, send them a letter advising the account was in dispute before they became involved and you are dealing with the original creditor so !!!! off !!
Next send a written complaint to southern water detailing what you have told us, if you still have no joy, they complain to OFWAT about them, link here :

Thanks for the above, can more carp:rotfl: add information to your credit file for such things. It all feels a bit one sided. Guilty first, wack it on your file, prove innocence later, till then "WE GOT YAH!" how bad is that!

J

redcard

You moved from the property 3-5 years ago? That's giving yourself quite a large margin for error.

How did you inform them of your change of address?

sourcrates

James_L wrote: »

Thanks for the above, can more carp:rotfl: add information to your credit file for such things. It all feels a bit one sided. Guilty first, wack it on your file, prove innocence later, till then "WE GOT YAH!" how bad is that!

J

Not for a utility debt no, usually only consumer debt such as creditcards, loans etc.

James_L_3

Hi,

I say to 3-5 years ago because after we moved we lived at another address then moved again about a year or so later. However on each occasion after we had moved we notified southern water and became customers of theirs in the new properties.
I say 3 - 5 years ago as a guide, I honestly cant remember the exact dates without digging the paperwork out (its certainly more than 3 years though).

My family had to move due to our neighbours Crack and Canibis dealing . Customers kept knocking on our door all hours, and that police advised us to move after someone threw a brick through our patio doors because this dealer owed them money and the idiot throwing the brick got the wrong house. Theres a lot more to this, social services being involved with the neighbour, court case the lot, but its not relavent to my main question. A stressfull time Id rather forget hence the exact dates are not 100% in my mind.

Southern Water were informed over the phone and in writing and by creating a new account at new address quoting old address each time :-)

J

[Deleted User]

If you have been a customer of theirs, in each of the properties, then they will know when you moved.

So long as you have been paying them continuously, you cannot owe them anything.

James_L_3

Bedsit_Bob wrote: »

If you have been a customer of theirs, in each of the properties, then they will know when you moved.

So long as you have been paying them continuously, you cannot owe them anything.

Yup that was the point I raised when I spoke to them back in December, They say the bill in the property they claim the bill is for was still in my name. I replied then its their error and I can prove it, and why didnt they look this up in the first place or send someone round the the new property. I also said I wanted something in writing as this could be identity theft from the new person in the old property as something similair came up a while back, thats what i also wanted their letter for to help me incase this had happened. But like I say no letter and now a DCA writing to me. Not to mention in both the recent properties I owe them nothing!

[Deleted User]

Do you not have the bills, together with the receipts?

James_L_3

Bedsit_Bob wrote: »

Do you not have the bills, together with the receipts?

Sadly not going back a minimum of 3 years no :-(

I've always been one for shredding every thing, especially as its mentioned so much in the press about destroying old documents.

Again this is why I wanted a written request from Southern Water, because if I ask the bank for old bank statements, then Im going to be charged and I will pass the charges to Southern Water.

J

double_mummy

you could always do a SARS request will cost you a tenner but might be worth it

also if you were paying via a DD or similar can you get hold of old bank statements online or anything?