Billed despite no contract

FourHorsemen

Hello everyone. I photographed the meter clearly showing (amid the cobwebs and spiders) the Southern Electric Seals all still intact plus the missing fuse which still has the red Southern Electric tape over it and sent it to their customer complaints dept. The person dealing with it said she has received it but needs to discuss it with someone more senior. I have heard nothing back yet, but their website promises resolution within 5 days. I promise to let the forum know the outcome as you have all been very supportive.:T

FourHorsemen

Reply to Lstar 337 - Many thanks for your reply. I have done as you said (see previous reply). The barn is locked so access can only be gained by breaking and entering or with our permission, of course, the photo is digitally dated. I have also emailed their Complaints person asking why we have been allocated an account number, when we've never had an account with them, and explaining in simple terms the situation. They have sent a meter reader to check on it from the very day we moved in 18 years ago, so can go back over their records and prove we've not had any electricity from them.
Some people have said we should just pay up, but everyone's replies here make us feel we do have right on our side. Thank you everyone.

footyguy

FourHorsemen wrote: »

Dear Footyguy.
We usually wouldn't open mail addressed to previous occupant, but this clearly referred to 'The Yard' and was from SSE so assumed he wouldn't have wanted it. A previous letter to change the meter came addressed to The Occupier at our house address. We did think about sending it back, but being terrified by the words "Statutory Notice - you MUST ACT NOW" thought we had to face the problem. Particularly as they said they charge £40 just to turn up on your door and the debt will increase daily plus Legal Fees. I can tell you I haven't slept properly since, as we are honest folk who owe nobody anything, and pay all our bills promptly by Direct Debit.

Dear FourHorsemen,
I am so sorry to hear that you are not sleeping properly since you have received this letter.

If you had followed my advice, you would not have known the contents of the said letter and so presumably would have been untroubled by it, allowing you to sleep in perfect harmony.

But you cannot change the past. You have opened the letter and you have read the contents.
However, as you say, the letter is not addressed to you, and so presumably anything you have read that is troubling you is not intended to do so, as it it not addressed to you.

Nothing you have read suggests you do owe anything (as it is not addressed to you)

So please, don't have nightmares; do sleep well!:)

naedanger

footyguy wrote: »

Dear FourHorsemen,
I am so sorry to hear that you are not sleeping properly since you have received this letter.

If you had followed my advice, you would not have known the contents of the said letter and so presumably would have been untroubled by it, allowing you to sleep in perfect harmony.

But you cannot change the past. You have opened the letter and you have read the contents.
However, as you say, the letter is not addressed to you, and so presumably anything you have read that is troubling you is not intended to do so, as it it not addressed to you.

Nothing you have read suggests you do owe anything (as it is not addressed to you)

So please, don't have nightmares; do sleep well!:)

Your original advice was to post the letters back as not known at this address. Do you really think that would have been the end of the matter, when the supplier is actually trying to extract payment in respect of a period when the OP did own the premises?

As it happens the OP has an extremely strong case and good evidence so hopefully the supplier will come to their senses quickly.

(It may just be me, but the tone of your last post came across as rather insincere, I hope that wasn't your intention.)

lisa110rry

Chin up fourhorsemen! And please do keep us informed.:A

FourHorsemen

Hello everyone. SSE rang me and 'for security' wanted to know my name and address and date of birth - I refused to give dob as they don't know it so it couldn't have been a security question, and I am now thoroughly suspicious of giving anything like that away. Anyway, I will still apparently get some more threatening letters and bills, but they 'have to do this to cancel out the account'. (A bizarre way to deal with a complaint if you ask me.) They promised to send me a nil bill next week. I then asked for a full written apology for the distress caused by their demand, and I was also promised this. I asked because the buyer's solicitor may want sight of it in the future, and I wasn't going to let them get away with all the upset it has caused me. I think we are off the hook, but won't rest easy until I have the letter in my hands, just in case the bailiffs turn up I will have all the proof I need to send them away. I will post again next week. In the meantime, may I just say how grateful I am to all the people who have bothered to reply to me, it restores my faith in people. Thank you.

FourHorsemen

Thank you naedanger,:D I thought it was just me who thought the post by footyguy was a tad sharp, considering the envelope was already opened (by my other half along with our other mail) I did consider just forwarding it to previous occupant, but envelope was too torn, and it would have been obviously nothing to do with him. Posting it back sellotaped up Not Known at This Address would I suspect have just delayed the inevitable. Amazing we didn't get a bill or any prior notification of this before the 'final demand' one. Apparently the cause of all this was down to them wanting to change the meter to a digital one last year, yet they wrote directly to 'The Occupier' at our house address, not 'The Yard' to request this. A total c**k up on their part. Thanks.:T

undaunted

Whilst I understand your concern try not to worry about things like "bailiffs", credit reference agencies etc unduly.




They cannot send baliffs in without legally proving the debt


They cannot send in disconnection agents if they can't access the meter and you wont let them in unless they apply for a court order. If they do you will have the opportunity to go and defend it.


They will probably not however even waste such time trying to go to court for an order to be able to send their agents in to disconnect as it's already a disconnected supply!


They cannot charge you legal fees etc if you aren't prepared to pay them unless they go for a County Court Judgement


They cannot issue a County Court claim against the yard, 'the occupier' nor 'previous occupier' etc - they would have to name you and then prove that you had a valid deemed contract with them. In my - and Ofgems opinion - you do not. Assuming that the Judge also agrees then any legal costs incurred would fall upon the supplier and not you!


Similarly with credit reference agencies it would need to be a bill in your name. If incorrect information were posted you could post a notice of correction, seek to have the supplier correct it etc etc

FourHorsemen

Still waiting for my Nil Bill and Apology from SSE. I was told I would get it beginning of this week (Thurs now).
I will continue with my complaint if nothing received by tomorrow. I will post update when I know more.
Thanks guys

Biscuit_Tin

How can you get a bill, let alone a revised nil one, if you don't even have an account? :huh:

Or have you given them enough rope to now hang you??? :eek: