BRITISH GAS/LOWELL PORTFOLIO

peanut83

Hello
Some advice needed here please.
So back in Jan 2015 I moved into a property supplied by british gas. I immediately switched to the supplier i was already with from previous property because i was already paying off a debt to them. That's all paid off now.
Anyway, there was a 6 week period that I was with BG reluctantly whilst the switch went through. 
There was a small debt from the final estimated bill from BG, which I deputed at the time because the amount was wrong as it was estimated. Eventually after months of disputing BG and I agreed on a payment plan. The amount owed was around £50. £10 a month for 5 months. I'm on a low income.  I paid this with standing orders.

Fast forward to now june 2020. I started to receive letters for Lowell from British gas who claim I owe £50 still.  Last time I spoke to british gas about the account was in 2015. I moved out of that property in 2016. I'm sure I've already paid the account off. I've looked at my credit report on "check my file" which I pay for that shows things from all the credit referencing agencies. It says the account was settled and closed in 2016!  No default, nothing on there from Lowell. 
I contacted British gas recently and asked them to send me all the info on the account. They're response was that they dont have it because the account has been "archieved"  what does that mean. I'm asking for proof the debt exists. I have the money to pay it, but that's not the point.  Why did it take them 4 years to contact me?  Lowell keep sending letters offering a discount. Should I just pay them to shut them up as it's only a small amount (£50.05) or keep asking British gas to prove it? 

I think they are trying to pull a fast one. I haven't responded to Lowell. I really dont want a ccj and I know Lowell are notorious for their tactics.

Talldave

I think they mean "archived", ie: put away in a cupboard which they can't be bothered to rummage through.

Can you get bank statements showing the 5 payments?

Talldave

I think they mean "archived", ie: put away in a cupboard which they can't be bothered to rummage through.

Can you get bank statements showing the 5 payments?

peanut83

Talldave said:

I think they mean "archived", ie: put away in a cupboard which they can't be bothered to rummage through.

Can you get bank statements showing the 5 payments?

Thanks for your reply
My bank account records dont go back that far! It was so long ago. Would going into the bank itself help? I've checked online banking and cant get hold of statements more than 3 years old.

Lowell call once a week and send me the usual letter with various discounts on. I file those in the bin. 

Like I say its £50, i told British gas to provide proof and then I'll pay it, no problem at all.  They're refusing to provide proof telling me the account is archived. They can unarchive it if they want the money

Gerry1

IANAL so don't rely on this, and the latter only refers to England and Wales, but I'd send a Subject Access Request via Royal Mail to both companies, getting a free Certificate of Postage or sending it Recorded Delivery.  For good measure, I'd add that in the absence of their proving evidence that payment was owed, any further demands or threats will be dealt with under the Malicious Communications Act 1988 which makes it an offence to send letters or other articles for the purpose of causing distress or anxiety.

It doesn't apply if that the threat was used to reinforce a demand made by them on reasonable grounds and that they believed, and had reasonable grounds for believing, that the use of the threat was a proper means of reinforcing the demand. Presumably they would have to demonstrate that they had such reasonable grounds.

MCA 1988 is worth trying: it works extremely well in the case of TV Licensing.  On principle, I ignored all their nastygrams threatening red hot coals and being hung drawn and quartered, but I decided that enough was enough when they started sending Registered items which necessitated a visit to the sorting office the next Saturday morning. I stated that having become a WOIRA they couldn't threaten to send the boys round, and as I was already fully aware of all the dire things that would result from breaching the Communications Act 2003, any further threats would be dealt with under MCA 1988.  That was about 10 years ago and they've never bothered me since !