Water bill shocker!

gatita

I recently posted asking for help/advice concerning a large water bill caused through a neighbour watering the garden for us when we were away, he inadvertantly the tap on!! Obviously he didn't intend to. I was very very worried as to how I was going to pay this off £270odd ..........anyway, the response from most peope that replied on the forum was anything but helpful, in fact it upset me, as I have been a member of MSE from day one, and remember how kind and sympathetic most people were.

I so agree with rollon and capyboppy............ nice helpful replies!
In the end I wrote a LETTER, (one of those things in an envelope!!) to
the Director of Customer Services. I reeived a phone call 3 days later to say they had waived the sewerage charges £158!!!!! which left just the water charge to pay.......phew, what a relief.

I didn't bother letting people know on my original post, as they would probably be annoyed I had managed to sort things out on my own!

So pleased OP you also managed to sort things out

Capyboppy

It certainly is very upsetting gatita when it happens; especially when we are expecting support and sensible advice. I have just remembered that with my experience (my money off vouchers were refused in Aldi), I ended up asking the MSE mods to delete the whole thread as it was that upsetting. Something I never would have dreamed I would have to do. Maybe we and rollon should start our own forum :D. Pleased that you got the bill waived to some degree after your own efforts.

gatita

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSss I would be the first to join! go for it

Capyboppy

:(I really would love to set something alternative up. However at the moment I couldn't be 'sole admin' as not only have I just set my first FB group up, but I am a 'very mature' OU student coming to the end of 5 years study with 1 more to go. Add to that mix some health issues it is too much to take on at the moment :-(. However, if rollon or yourself would like to instigate something I would gladly come on board and do what I can, when I can.

rollon65

Hello both,


Fine and very worthy sentiments, however the constitution and upkeep of such an undertaking would be vastly more than any of us could manage, believe me.
It is all too easy to overlook the enormous contribution that the moneysavingexpert team makes. The platform of these forums is provided by them and we the contributors just add our two penn'orth.
Before we get a lecture about being too thin skinned for the bashing that a perfectly innocent request for assistance here can sometimes attract “out of the blue”, I suggest a previously prepared rebuke that can be copied and pasted into your posting can at least attempt to publicly shame those for whom rudeness is a way of life.
If other users see that you are having a rough ride, it will often encourage some more friendly contributions from the very many reasonable folk who use these forums and would not think of sinking to such a low level.


Hang on in there – kind regards, rollon65.

Capyboppy

Wise words rollon indeed :-)

rosalyn100

find the email address of the CEO of the company and outline your case clearly. This quite often has dramatic results as they can make decisions that company staff can not. Be polite though.

gatita

Yes Rosalyn, I did exactly that and I have to say I was delighted with the result. I would certainly urge anyone else with a genuine complaint/query to do this and as you say, keep it to the point and always polite.

rollon65

Hello rosalyn100 and gatita,

Whilst I am in accord with what you suggest, getting an e-mail address for the top man in the organisation is usually quite difficult, if not impossible, to achieve.
The top men tend to be ring-fenced and all their mail goes to sub-ordinates to deal with.
In my own case, communications sent to such a person in my own water authority never reached him and despite my protestations, I was told ". . . this is the way the organisation works".
Nothing ventured - nothing gained though!

Kind regards - rollon65.