Advice needed on harassment from debt collection companies

eastendbee

Hi,


I've just joined the forum in order to seek some advice. I have read many threads over the years and have always found advice given to others helpful and interesting.


I currently have an on-going dispute with British Gas.


I lived at my previous address for around 2 and a half years. During my first 6 months of living there I found it odd that I hadn't received any bills for my electric (no gas as I had storage heaters and electric cooker). I asked my concierge for details on who the previous tenants had their electric with and he informed me that it was through EDF. At this point I made two attempts to contact EDF to find out why I wasn't receiving any bills. After sometime they confirmed to me that they were not my electricity supplier.


Naively, I left the matter at that, knowing that I would probably be hit with a massive bill further down the line.


After 2 years of being at the property I finally received a bill from British Gas, but this was just for the previous quarter, not the previous 2 years. Again, naively I never approached British Gas saying that I hadn't paid any electric bills for the past 2 years, I hoped that I had got away with not having to pay for it.


So for my last 6 months at the property I paid for my electric and I then bought my first home and moved. With in a couple of months of moving into my new home I then received bills from British Gas asking for around £2,500 for the time that I was at the flat.


The first problem that I have is that I had calculated the outstanding amount to be around half of what they were asking for so I disputed the amount owed. Without going into minute detail and without exaggerating the invoices and statements that they have sent me are a complete mess and their own information doesn't tally up and there is no recognition for the 6 months worth of bills that I did pay. So naturally I have complained and have asked for an entire breakdown of energy usage, any correspondence that they have sent out, payments received etc.


In the meantime, because I have refused to pay anything until they are prepared to put together the requested paperwork so that the matter can be made crystal clear of how much I actually owe, they have moved my debt on to a debt collection agency.


In short I have received around 50 letters from various debt collection agencies over the past 2 years. This might not seem excessive, but I have requested that British Gas put whoever they have assigned this debt over to on hold until they can supply me the accurate information that I have been waiting for for 2 years. They had agreed to this 6 months ago in writing that whilst they sort this matter out there will be no attempts to collect the debt. However I am still getting threatening letters from debt collection agencies.


My partner in particular is getting very stressed about this and I am not sure what I can do about it.


So....
Do I have any rights about the persistence from the debt collection agencies despite assurance from British Gas that this shouldn't be happening?
and...
British Gas have took over 2 years and they still haven't honoured my request for the relevant information that they have agreed to produce. I think that they have made a complete mess of my account and they are not sure what the actual amounts owed are themselves. What can I do about this as I don't want this hanging over our heads any more?


Thanks for any help and advice given.


Danny

sourcrates

Hi,
First of all you can ignore all letters from DCA`s on this matter, just chuck them in the recycle bin, the DCA`s do not own the debt, British gas do, there is nothing the DCA`s can do to you, its all just automated bull**it.
Write to BG telling them your concerns, detail what you want them to do, and how you want them to do it, tell them 2 years is far too long to waiting for this matter to be sorted.
Give them 28 days to resolve the matter or you will take it further.
Follow the link below for the next steps you should take to resolve this to your satisfaction.


https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/information-consumers/domestic-consumers/making-enquiry-or-complaint

eastendbee

Thanks for your advice. I have read the link that you have supplied and I shall push this matter on to the financial ombudsman for energy.