British Gas haven't taken direct debit for 18 months

MWT

45002 said:

Talking of usernames https://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/topic/430103-british-gas-havent-taken-direct-debit-for-18-months/

Good evening .

I particularly liked this bit...

"I have received no bills , I have email statements which I didn't really bother with..."

That at least clears up any possibility of the back-billing rules being an option for him...

PennineAcute

tim_p said:

PennineAcute said:

Neil_Jones said:

thrifty247 said:

I don't dispute that I have used the energy, but tis situation is not my fault, they have not sent me any communications by mail, only robotic emails - why have they not noticed that payments have not been received? I never check my spam folder, I don't know anyone who does. I will ring them tomorrow as been in the chat Q for ages now

Genuine emails get flagged as spam on occasion.  That's how most energy companies communicate with the customers now.  Letters are effectively old hat communication wise now, unless there is a need to highlight to your attention something really really important.

As for checking spam folders... if you'd spotted the issue in the first place you would have highlighted it as not spam and future ones would have gone to the right place

And they probably have noticed, that's probably what the emails were about.

I would have thought that 18-months of no payment was really really important!

It’s not the sender who decides whether something goes in a recipients spam folder.  The few seconds per day it takes to check your spam / junk folder would have been time well spent in the OPs case.  OP needs to accept some responsibility here. 

Of course the OP is not without blame.
Other people on here are not without blame either.

[Deleted User]

I don’t see the issue. If you transfer the money each month the money will still be there so ring them up and pay the 18 months and start a new DD. 

MWT

MarkN88 said:

I don’t see the issue. If you transfer the money each month the money will still be there so ring them up and pay the 18 months and start a new DD. 

I'd guess he doesn't actually transfer in what should be going out, he just tops up what is used.

If anyone feels like the OP is being given a hard time, just consider that most people who help here will freely spend hours of their time helping those with real problems to find solutions and where possible to help them reduce whatever excessive bills they may have inadvertently incurred ...

So when you get someone posting who simply can't be bothered to spend the tiny amount of time it takes to look at a statement that is being received, to check that their email system isn't junking warnings they should have been reading, to notice that payments they should have been making were actually being made, it isn't going to get the same level of sympathy...

MACKEM99

PennineAcute said:

Neil_Jones said:

thrifty247 said:

I don't dispute that I have used the energy, but tis situation is not my fault, they have not sent me any communications by mail, only robotic emails - why have they not noticed that payments have not been received? I never check my spam folder, I don't know anyone who does. I will ring them tomorrow as been in the chat Q for ages now

Genuine emails get flagged as spam on occasion.  That's how most energy companies communicate with the customers now.  Letters are effectively old hat communication wise now, unless there is a need to highlight to your attention something really really important.

As for checking spam folders... if you'd spotted the issue in the first place you would have highlighted it as not spam and future ones would have gone to the right place

And they probably have noticed, that's probably what the emails were about.

I would have thought that 18-months of no payment was really really important!

No they had better things to do with their time - like spend the money they owed BG?

MACKEM99

Robin9 said:

Not quite enough as the fix will have ended and the DD gone up . Assuming  he checks his bank statements as often as his bills, reads his meters             ............................

Probably has better things to do.

MothballsWallet

thrifty247 said:

greyteam1959 said:

I would notice immediately if any of my DD were not paid out on the due date.
I also check my spam / junk mail folder every day.
No sympathy from me I am afraid.

Well I have better things to do with my time

I wonder what a judge would say if the supplier chose to took you to court and you trotted out that line in your defence?