British Gas have literally destroying my life

smcg8

I have been a customer for 13 years and I have been let down tremendously by British Gas. 2 years ago my husband and I separated I needed to change the direct debit to the 1st of the month to keep an eye on bills by myself. I work full time and get no help from him at all so I needed everything in check. It took them 4 months to put this in place after numerous phone calls. Move forward to June.23’ I was having a little financial difficulty so I reached out to them I lowered my bill by £40 I called back in July to put it back to normal as I could then afford the full amount again. No problem whatsoever. Roll onto this month where my divorce was coming to an end and I was getting ready to go to court. I had a mortgage in place in July but it took a while to go to court. So I had to raise funds to get a mortgage to buy my husband out after Christmas. Mortgage broker said I’m really sorry but basically “computer says no” I paid Checkmyfile only to find British Gas have an agreement to pay on my file. Because of a £40 discount for 1 month they didn’t take it off even though I been paying the full amount every month even on my statement it says “your on target with your bills” now I have 7 months worth of agreement to pay on my file that they won’t take off.I have now lost my home and have to sell because I couldn’t get my mortgage. I have rang British Gas 7 times the week I went to court I have been passed around from pillar to post even cut off 3 times and NOBODY can give me an answer. I spoke to someone Friday who has cancelled this invisible agreement to pay but she can’t take the previous 7 months off I have to be thankful it wasn’t a years worth apparently! I have 3 children relying on me to buy them a new home but I can’t because my credit file has this agreement to pay on it. Nobody in British Gas will give me an answer or even cares as to how or why this has happened……moving onto today 26/1 after believing things were moving forward and my bills were being sorted and the complaints team have been forwarded my complaint I get an email saying I owe x amount and I need to pay! I was so wrong to believe that they were helping me they’ve now thrown in my bill is now £150 more than what it should be and if I don’t pay it more marks will go against me after being told I was on target blah blah blah I’m have now currently been on hold 20 minutes waiting to start the whole conversation again after being cut off I have been passed to 4 departments who couldn’t help me so far just cut me off……moral of the story DONT USE THEM!

JGB1955

I'm sorry - nobody is going to be able to read that huge wall of text and make sense of it.  If you break it up into paragraphs someone may be able to help you...

MultiFuelBurner

JGB1955 said:

I'm sorry - nobody is going to be able to read that huge wall of text and make sense of it.  If you break it up into paragraphs someone may be able to help you...

I read it just fine, what I did was looked at it and then read it.

It is emotionally charged but then many people that come here are emotionally charged when they ask for help.

My response to it though will take some time.


To the OP

There are some great people on the debt free wannabe section of the forum (mentioned below in other posts) It may be worth posting there as this can be the best place to start to list out all your income and outgoings and it often helps to be realistic.

I know you are focused particularly on BG here but that may or may not be the underlying problem as that is not clear that it's the only thing affecting your mortgage offer/options.

However to cover the BG issue did you get acknowledgement of any agreements with them in writing (email etc) or was this done over the phone?

If you have not done so raise this as a complaint with BG, you are unlikely to be offered a lot but there is a process for complaints and an ombudsman would BG refuse that they have performed badly and customer service was poor.

Some simply steps to make sure you are being billed correctly

1) Read your meter regularly and take photos (one a month will do ideally when a bill arrives or you can actually give your energy company this monthly reading yourself)

2) Check the bill you receive is comparable to the bill readings and does not have the letter E or Estimate on the bill. If it does contact your supplier immediately

3) If in rented accommodation always document through your landlord/letting agent the start and end meter readings (by email will be fine and keep your copy)

It sounds like you have been through a lot so get back to us here or on the debt free wannabe board when you can

Hoenir

smcg8 said:

 Mortgage broker said I’m really sorry but basically “computer says no” 

Have you consdered the fact that BG isn't the cause behind an outright no.  By mortgage in place do you mean that you had an agreement or decision in principle in place rather than an actual mortgage offer. 

Not unusual for the familiy member with responsibility for the children to remain in the family home with the existing mortgage continuing. The other party only receiving their share of the equity once the children have left full time education. 

dunstonh

Mortgage broker said I’m really sorry but basically “computer says no” 

A mortgage broker is unlikely to be so generic in their response.   They will know the issues and be able to explain them.    However, a mortgage adviser (as in tied representative or bank worker) will be restricted by what they can say.

I read it just fine, what I did was looked at it and then read it.

I think it largely depends on screen size and type.  i.e. phone, tablet, HD, UHD etc.  On my screen, it does hurt my eyes a bit and a bit of spacing.  Age will have an impact as well.    The older you get, the harder the walls of text are to read.   The grammar is there so hopefully, the OP will edit the post and add a few line spaces between points.

EssexHebridean

JGB1955 said:

I'm sorry - nobody is going to be able to read that huge wall of text and make sense of it.  If you break it up into paragraphs someone may be able to help you...

If you’re unable to read a post in this circumstance, then probably best just to move on and read a different post, rather than making a comment that has the potential to further upset an OP who is already very clearly upset - that much being apparent from the thread title, which presumably you could read as it’s just 7 words… 

EssexHebridean

@smcg8 You may do better posting on the DebtFreeWannabe board. For what it’s worth though, I suspect that a single AP marker isn’t on its own enough for you to get turned down for mortgages from mainstream providers en masse.

 For the future also, you don’t need to pay to look at your credit file - there are free options for all three CRAs - with the MSE credit club being one.

MWT

JGB1955 said:

I'm sorry - nobody is going to be able to read that huge wall of text and make sense of it.  If you break it up into paragraphs someone may be able to help you...

... 30 seconds later...

smcg8 said:

I have been a customer for 13 years and I have been let down tremendously by British Gas.

2 years ago my husband and I separated I needed to change the direct debit to the 1st of the month to keep an eye on bills by myself. I work full time and get no help from him at all so I needed everything in check. It took them 4 months to put this in place after numerous phone calls.

Move forward to June.23’ I was having a little financial difficulty so I reached out to them I lowered my bill by £40 I called back in July to put it back to normal as I could then afford the full amount again. No problem whatsoever.

Roll onto this month where my divorce was coming to an end and I was getting ready to go to court. I had a mortgage in place in July but it took a while to go to court. So I had to raise funds to get a mortgage to buy my husband out after Christmas.

Mortgage broker said I’m really sorry but basically “computer says no” I paid Checkmyfile only to find British Gas have an agreement to pay on my file. Because of a £40 discount for 1 month they didn’t take it off even though I been paying the full amount every month even on my statement it says “your on target with your bills” now I have 7 months worth of agreement to pay on my file that they won’t take off.

I have now lost my home and have to sell because I couldn’t get my mortgage.

I have rang British Gas 7 times the week I went to court I have been passed around from pillar to post even cut off 3 times and NOBODY can give me an answer. I spoke to someone Friday who has cancelled this invisible agreement to pay but she can’t take the previous 7 months off I have to be thankful it wasn’t a years worth apparently!

I have 3 children relying on me to buy them a new home but I can’t because my credit file has this agreement to pay on it. Nobody in British Gas will give me an answer or even cares as to how or why this has happened……

moving onto today 26/1 after believing things were moving forward and my bills were being sorted and the complaints team have been forwarded my complaint I get an email saying I owe x amount and I need to pay!

I was so wrong to believe that they were helping me they’ve now thrown in my bill is now £150 more than what it should be and if I don’t pay it more marks will go against me after being told I was on target blah blah blah I’m have now currently been on hold 20 minutes waiting to start the whole conversation again after being cut off I have been passed to 4 departments who couldn’t help me so far just cut me off……moral of the story DONT USE THEM!

markin

The number 1 question is, Is it an independent Mortgage broker? And look for another Mortgage broker.

Scot_39

It is I suspect entirely possible that it was not made clear enough to the OP the consequences of what was discussed and then agreed. 

Which I fear perhaps the only genuine grievance against them worthy of complaint.  (But honestly not 100% convinced from post OP would have at time necessarily picked up given general tone in post)

As the op clearly admits reporting to their supllier was struggling to pay the normal billing amount and the utility responded and set up a lower payment.  Assuming that was in fact the trigger event for marker.


So - playing devils advocate - and taking the emotion out

The OP at that stage was arguably self reporting herself as a clear credit risk - accepted a lower payment offer of some sort - possibly including a debt offset via debt repayment plan on file for 7 months  -  and perhaps without explicitly being told it could or would - has ended up with a marker on her file as a result. 

To me that marker seems a not unreasonable or unexpected outcome.
The utility co didn't realky know it was only going to be one month.

And as much as it seems harsh that dropping payment for 1 month has had the consequences re mortgage - if OP cannot afford £40 on utility bill - how realistically are they likely to afford say £100s monthly on a mortgage to buy out Ex (why? given children present is another issue to be resolved by her divorce lawyer)

Another unclear is the issue of the new £150 - which the OP complains about - but again blames the company - without any rational interpretation of potential justification.  Was she then only on track for current usage but not including debt written over to a debt repayment plan.

So re bills
Think may be useful to talk to an agency like Citizens advice.  Who will then possibly deal with supplier less emotively.

So re mortgage / house
Re Ex
Firstly take issue up via your lawyer.  Financial obligations to support children - assuming his -  should not / does not end just because of split.

And consider realistically - if lack of financial support from Ex is going to continue - that makes living in same property viable anyway.  Or can realistically afford any home for 4 on a single salary at all.

Re bank
Many lenders have in past faced accusations of not paying enough attention to credit worthiness and borrowers ability to pay.
You cannot have it both ways. Either banks lend responsibly or they don't.
The OP sadly is not the first poster here to realise that credit - in particular at cheaper end of market) is not a right.
The only suggestion to OP I have is - if not too late - to try a mortgage broker instead.
To find a lender more willing to overlook possibly minor markers - but beware that in itself as others posting here in similar circumstances have reported --that may mean paying a higher rate.

RelievedSheff

I don't see that BG have done anything wrong here. 

The OP asked to make a reduced payment (arrangement to pay) themselves. BG have accurately reported that to the credit reference agencies as they should do.