Left British Gas and now owe over £300!

brewerdave

BLK wrote: »

Although I was disappointed with the negative replies to my original post, can I thank all those who were helpful with their advice. On Friday I received an email from BG apologising for the service provided and that the debt had been written off! Can I encourage anyone who switches to a new energy provider from BG and then has a dispute over charges not previously notified of by BG to complain and persevere with it. I may be just fortunate in this instance but I genuinely believed that BG were wrong and through their own negligence of not following the right procedures in managing and reviewing the energy account, the customer, for a change, was right.

May be good news - but keep everything in writing/email that you have received from BG ...because it is not unknown for the left hand to apologise and the right hand to sell the debt on to recovery!!:(

modsandmockers

BLK wrote: »

Although I was disappointed with the negative replies to my original post, can I thank all those who were helpful with their advice. On Friday I received an email from BG apologising for the service provided and that the debt had been written off! Can I encourage anyone who switches to a new energy provider from BG and then has a dispute over charges not previously notified of by BG to complain and persevere with it. I may be just fortunate in this instance but I genuinely believed that BG were wrong and through their own negligence of not following the right procedures in managing and reviewing the energy account, the customer, for a change, was right.

I am delighted by the successful outcome of your complaint - well done you! But BG's behaviour is quite disgraceful. Like most of the energy suppliers, their accounting procedures and customer services seem to include a significant element of 'chance'. They seem to casually fire off random demands for payment of a fluctuating amount of money, and then they frequently either write the 'debt' off completely or sell it to a debt collector for next to nothing. I'm not sure who eventually picks up the tab...

FOREVER21

modsandmockers wrote: »

I am delighted by the successful outcome of your complaint - well done you! But BG's behaviour is quite disgraceful. Like most of the energy suppliers, their accounting procedures and customer services seem to include a significant element of 'chance'. They seem to casually fire off random demands for payment of a fluctuating amount of money, and then they frequently either write the 'debt' off completely or sell it to a debt collector for next to nothing. I'm not sure who eventually picks up the tab...

Other BG customers who have carefully and efficiently handled their fuel usage and payments, will be the people who pay for this.

Whilst BG undoubtedly were wrong in not alerting the OP when the arrears were building up or just increasing the DDs, the OP was also at fault , did they never look at their bills? and realise that the debt was increasing.

I think they have been very lucky with the treatment they have received excuse me for being cynical about the whole post, but in my experience BG. does not usually give in so easily.

Cardew

BLK wrote: »

I may be just fortunate in this instance but I genuinely believed that BG were wrong and through their own negligence of not following the right procedures in managing and reviewing the energy account the customer, for a change, was right.

Agree about being fortunate, but do you not feel that you had some responsibility for 'managing and reviewing the energy account,'?

modsandmockers

FOREVER21 wrote: »

Other BG customers who have carefully and efficiently handled their fuel usage and payments, will be the people who pay for this.

Whilst BG undoubtedly were wrong in not alerting the OP when the arrears were building up or just increasing the DDs, the OP was also at fault , did they never look at their bills? and realise that the debt was increasing.

I think they have been very lucky with the treatment they have received excuse me for being cynical about the whole post, but in my experience BG. does not usually give in so easily.

All the energy suppliers clearly promote the monthly direct debit scheme as a labour-saving device for the customer because the supplier will do all the sums on the customer's behalf. They sometimes casually mention the idea of customer meter reads, but they don't very often emphasise the fact that the monthly DD scheme can only possibly work properly if the customer submits regular readings. And, when they produce an estimated bill, they don't print in large letters on the front of the bill that it would be to the customer's advantage to submit actual meter readings immediately in order to have the estimated bill corrected and allow the customer to avoid building up a possibly significant debit or credit figure on the account.

I agree that BG do not usually give in so easily - that's what I mean by an element of chance. And, yes, the debt will be passed on to the likes of you and me - that's why the suppliers have no problem with deliberately keeping the majority of their customers 'in the dark' about how to manage their energy costs effectively.