British Gas chasing me, but I am not a BG customer

smokeyjofencing

Hi,

I am being chased by BG for unpaid bills. The problem is is that I am not and have never been a BG customer!

This has been going on since 2014! We are Green Energy customers and have been long before BG started to chase us.

BG have finally admitted to us that we are correct and that they should not be chasing us. But they somehow keep giving our details to debt collectors.

This has made my Partner a recluse as he daren't go out of the house as he's worried that Bailiffs will break into our home.

BG have taken us to court three times, and we turned up each time, only to find that BG had withdrawn the case each time.

BG then told us to go to the Ombudsman, which we did. The Ombudsman got in touch with us and said that BG had told them that we definitely owe BG the money, despite all of the evidence that we sent to the Ombudsman. After this, BG told us that they couldn't talk to us because we had gone to the Ombudsman! This kept happening until 17th December 2020, a person from BG finally agreed with

BG in 2020 finally admitted that we are not BG customers and never were. The complaints team have zeroed all bills to our address and names, but the billing team keep chasing us with debt collectors for £2214.58, it used to be over £9000 at one point.

And today it all started again! The billing team at BG have confirmed that their computer system keeps trying to resurrect the bill under new customer numbers. 

Can we sue British Gas for the last 10 years of hell trying to get this resolved?

Robin9

I would go back to the Ombudsman first 

Xbigman

I would go to the papers. Its the sort of thing they love. Send copies of any correspondence you have to one of the consumer champions and if they get involved you normally get it resolved.


Darren

MattMattMattUK

Send them a Cease and Desist letter, pointing out the previous conversations, intervention from the ombudsman and their admission that they are at fault, tell them that any further information constitutes harassment, make clear that harassment is a criminal offense. If they continue make an online complaint to your local police force (so as not to burden the police/waste their time), they will ne able to issue with a CRN, they may investigate, they may not, but it will make it easier to take BG to court and have an injunction served against them. 

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/law-and-courts/discrimination/taking-action-about-discrimination/taking-action-about-harassment/

Also send them a DSAR and request any details that they hold about you/your name(s). If they fail to comply report them to the ICO. If they hold incorrect information then you can require them to delete it (linking you/your name to the fictitious bill would be something you can demand they delete).
https://www.britishgas.co.uk/privacy-policy.html
privacy@centrica.com

la531983

smokeyjofencing said:

This has made my Partner a recluse as he daren't go out of the house as he's worried that Bailiffs will break into our home.

Sounds like there are more issues here, no bailiff can "break into" a home (OK, they could do forcibly change the meters if you were still their customer but not for a standard debt, which this is) so this is an irrational fear, maybe he needs to see his doctor.

EssexHebridean

la531983 said:

smokeyjofencing said:

This has made my Partner a recluse as he daren't go out of the house as he's worried that Bailiffs will break into our home.

Sounds like there are more issues here, no bailiff can "break into" a home (OK, they could do forcibly change the meters if you were still their customer but not for a standard debt, which this is) so this is an irrational fear, maybe he needs to see his doctor.

Goodness - that is quite a leap! As we well know over on the DFW boards, a huge proportion of the British public do indeed believe that bailiffs can break into their homes. Thankfully for the OP, that aspect of your post was correct - there is no possibility that bailiffs will break into a property any more than anyone else calling to speak with you might. They have literally as much right as the postman to force access - ie none. If you allow a bailiff in, that is a different matter.  Allowing for the proportion of the public who do hold incorrect beliefs on this matter though, simply setting the OP and their partners minds at rest would be more helpful than an amateur medical diagnosis.

OP - if you want more information on this I suspect that @fatbelly would be able to confirm the exact position - they are exceptionally knowledgeable in this area and that would give you something to show your partner. 

la531983

EssexHebridean said:

la531983 said:

smokeyjofencing said:

This has made my Partner a recluse as he daren't go out of the house as he's worried that Bailiffs will break into our home.

Sounds like there are more issues here, no bailiff can "break into" a home (OK, they could do forcibly change the meters if you were still their customer but not for a standard debt, which this is) so this is an irrational fear, maybe he needs to see his doctor.

  Allowing for the proportion of the public who do hold incorrect beliefs on this matter though, simply setting the OP and their partners minds at rest would be more helpful than an amateur medical diagnosis.

Perhaps. I suspect its probably beyond that though and seeing a GP regards his mental health is not a bad suggestion in the slightest, despite your attempts to make it sound like one

I wont argue the point any further as thread pruning will likely occur.