Re claim against them for distress

lyttlem1

Hi
I am interested to know if anyone can advise me on claiming against a company for distress I am particularly interested in the Consumer Rights Article on moneysavingexpert were it refers to stating to a company that you will claim against them for distress caused by their actions. I applied and paid for a water connection back in February 07 for a mobile home I was moving into in March 2007. I was advised this process would take between four and six weeks. I did not receive a connection until the beginning of July 07 despite 38 sole destroying phone calls to the company along with two visits to their head office (on the second visit I refused to leave until they progressed my application but was talked into leaving with sincere promises of my complaint being dealt with) I also wrote a letter of complaint which the water company have had for over four weeks without advising me of why we have been treated so poorly.
Spending time with three kids in a mobile home without water for over three months has been a stressful time. I had to bring every drop of water for toilets, washing dishes and general washing every day for over three months with no word of when we would have water. Sounds like I'm having a good moan here but I'm just trying to paint the picture of the distress and frustration of being without water and not knowing when the situation would be resolved.
I feel quite angry at the company and would like some regress. I have considered taking the water company to the small claims for the extra cost of getting water connected relating to my 38 phone calls, two visits and all the water I had to buy and carry. If anyone has any advice on claiming against a company for distress caused or how I would put a cost on this (several million is what my angry head would say )-: ) I would really appreciate any advice given. Thanks

PS On a positive note I do have a new found appreciation for water and having it come out of a tap!

Butlers1982

What is their reason for taking so long to connect the water?

lyttlem1

Butlers1982 wrote: »

What is their reason for taking so long to connect the water?

As yet they have not given me a reason for taking so long to connect. Each time I phone them I was advised that an email would be forwarded to the new connections team and they would phone me. customers are not allowed to contact this team directly. The message was never returned and I continued to call with the same complaint, each time being advised that this time they would definately deal with the situation, which they never did, this became very frustrating as you may imagine. I cant wait to here their reason which they have promised to give over four weeks ago.

Blacksheep1979

I think you'll find its hard to quantify just how much distress is worth.

lyttlem1

Blacksheep1979 wrote: »

I think you'll find its hard to quantify just how much distress is worth.

Yes I think so. I wonder how I could find info on similar cases and claims were distress has been an issue?

taxi97w

I'd like to do this with the Tax Credits Office.
I'm damn near on the road to depression again, but they're a law unto themselves apparently.

nikkimaclean

I don't really know anything about claims for distress.

But if it's the water company I work for I probably know exactly why you haven't got a reponse, which is because no one knows why!

My only suggestion would be to try and bypass the whole customer services, complaints area and write to the chairman or head of customer services directly which are presumably based at their head office (don't write to the normal customer services address). Also have you contacted OFWAT? Letters from them generally get a quicker response.

I hope you manage to get some resolution.