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British Gas phantom account
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Mikayala
Posts: 2 Newbie
I moved out of my previous address in November 2022 and closed my British Gas account. I sent date stamped pictures of the meter readings when I moved out and received confirmation it was closed and a refund of the credit I had with them. My new address has Octopus as a supplier and British Gas has never been the supplier here.
Fast forward to May 2024 when I suddenly get a huge pile of mail addressed to me at my old address from British Gas and a debt collection agency claiming I owe nearly £1k. The account number was not my old account number and my British Gas online account, which I can still access, still says my account is closed and settled. I immediately contacted the debt collection agency and inform them I moved out and that this account has a start date AFTER I moved out and closed my account. I had to prove to them I had moved out and closed my account by supplying the paperwork British Gas had sent as well as my council tax statements. They said they would sort it out so I waited to hear from them.
I then receive an email from British Gas saying I owe them money and I've missed payments. They then reported this on my credit record plunging my credit score right down. I went back and forth with them and once again had to prove I had moved out and resend the pictures of the meter reading from when I moved out. Eventually I made it a formal complaint and threatened to sue them and they finally said they had opened the account in error and so would close it. I checked my credit record and this account had been removed completely. Weirdly they then sent me a £3 cheque which I haven't cashed with a letter telling me the account had been closed.
I have just checked my credit score today, which I do regularly, and the account is back on there with missed payments plunging my score again!!
I have complained again.
My question is can I claim compensation from them through the ombudsman?
Should I at least report this to the ombudsman?
It is causing me a lot of stress having to sort all of this out again. Their internal processes are obviously so bad its like banging my head against a brick wall.
Fast forward to May 2024 when I suddenly get a huge pile of mail addressed to me at my old address from British Gas and a debt collection agency claiming I owe nearly £1k. The account number was not my old account number and my British Gas online account, which I can still access, still says my account is closed and settled. I immediately contacted the debt collection agency and inform them I moved out and that this account has a start date AFTER I moved out and closed my account. I had to prove to them I had moved out and closed my account by supplying the paperwork British Gas had sent as well as my council tax statements. They said they would sort it out so I waited to hear from them.
I then receive an email from British Gas saying I owe them money and I've missed payments. They then reported this on my credit record plunging my credit score right down. I went back and forth with them and once again had to prove I had moved out and resend the pictures of the meter reading from when I moved out. Eventually I made it a formal complaint and threatened to sue them and they finally said they had opened the account in error and so would close it. I checked my credit record and this account had been removed completely. Weirdly they then sent me a £3 cheque which I haven't cashed with a letter telling me the account had been closed.
I have just checked my credit score today, which I do regularly, and the account is back on there with missed payments plunging my score again!!
I have complained again.
My question is can I claim compensation from them through the ombudsman?
Should I at least report this to the ombudsman?
It is causing me a lot of stress having to sort all of this out again. Their internal processes are obviously so bad its like banging my head against a brick wall.
1
Comments
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Did the new occupants put the new account into your name? As BG was the existing supplier the account may well be fraudulent rather phantom. As the energy was used.1
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Ignore the fake score
Complain to BG again and go to the ombudsman as needed. Don't threaten to sue, that will trigger their legal team and they may stop talking to youSam Vimes' Boots Theory of Socioeconomic Unfairness:
People are rich because they spend less money. A poor man buys $10 boots that last a season or two before he's walking in wet shoes and has to buy another pair. A rich man buys $50 boots that are made better and give him 10 years of dry feet. The poor man has spent $100 over those 10 years and still has wet feet.
1
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