Scottish Power bereavement issue

Rover7895

My Mother died in May and she was a Scottish Power customer.
I phoned their bereavement team the day after to inform them and change the account in to my name.
They gave me a couple of options... To pay each month the usage I'd use in the next few months whilst I was obtaining probate OR to receive a final bill once probate was granted. I chose the latter as I couldn't really afford another monthly debit.
From May to July I hadn't heard anything from them, but on the 4th July I received a final bill request, so I phoned customer service and explained that it had been arranged with bereavement to pay once probate had been granted. They were very unsympathetic and told me to go and sort it out with the bereavement team.
Again the team re-iterated that this agreement was still in place and would update all records so that I wouldn't receive any more bills or meter reading requests.
Since then, I have had three final bill requests, the latest being today to inform that if I didn't pay within the next seven days, they would arrange a debt collection agency to visit my house to collect payment and I would also be charged £27.16 for this.
Again, customer services are unsympathetic and tell me I have to pay as soon as possible.
The amount is £137.40 which isn't a massive amount, but until probate is granted I am on my backside financially as it's cost a fortune to pay for house clearances, valuations and funeral deposit etc.
Should I just pay the amount and anything thereafter or phone the bereavement team again after bank holiday?

dogshome

Not the first time SP's right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing

1) Contact the Bereavement Team, explain what is going on and INSIST they give you a written confirmation of the arrangement   

2) Also WRITE a letter headed Complaint and post it by Royal Mail with a Free certificate of postage .

Norman_Castle

Have you changed the account to your name? You shouldn't have. The debt needs to be paid from your mothers estate, its not your debt. As above, contact the bereavement team, revert the account to your mothers name if its been changed and ask them to stop contacting you about it.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/categories/deaths-funerals-probate

Angelars

I've been liaising with Scottish Power bereavement team for several weeks following the dealth of my father. It's terrible to say but the service they have provided is shocking at such a difficult time. There was a credit balance on the account and a cheque was supposed to have been issued but it didn't arrive. Now waiting for the replacement cheque but that hasn't arrived. So waited in a call queue for just over 1 hour 18 minutes, the cut without answer. If this is how a company treates customers when they really do need help and support then my only conclusion is that people should avoid this company. 

lucavigg

Be careful. When you sell the property belonging to someone who has died, make sure you take meter readings ON THE DAY of completion.
A friend of ours took the final reading the night before completion and submitted it. She was told that it should’ve been taken on the day and they would have to estimate the last eighteen hours of use.

They did. Two hundred pounds. For less than a days energy use.

Not only incompetent, but petty and argumentative. Our friend got so fed up arguing with them, she paid it.