British Gas

Wyndham

My father in law died at the start of March, and we've been sorting out the estate. Most firms have been brilliant - understanding, helpful, considerate....

Then there is British Gas.

Several calls. Several letters. Several rounds of incompetence.

The last one has particularly annoyed me. While we've finally got the account into the name of 'Estate of Mr XX YY' (and that took some doing!) the letter then begins with a cheery 'Hello XX'.

I sort of want to ask if anyone else has had issues. But after saying that, I actually think what I want do is rant

I may well be writing the the CEO. The amount of effort this has taken to get even this far is just not acceptable when someone has died.

OK, I'm done now Thank you for reading, and any pointers appreciated!

KxMx

Early 2021 they sent a bill reminder for my late Nan.
Looking at the dates it crossed with a payment sent by the administrator (as happened with another account).
Next thing was a debt collection letter from solicitor. 
First solicitor struggled to find the case. 
Then when proof of payment was produced by the administrator, zero apologies from British Gas. 

Sad to see they haven't improved! 

Mark_d

Sorry to hear of your loss.

I've heard that lately a lot of companies have been upping their game when it comes to bereavement.  I see that BG have a page - not sure if this is where you've already been https://www.britishgas.co.uk/help-and-support/probate

Wyndham

Mark_d said:

Sorry to hear of your loss.

I've heard that lately a lot of companies have been upping their game when it comes to bereavement.  I see that BG have a page - not sure if this is where you've already been https://www.britishgas.co.uk/help-and-support/probate

Thanks. We've tried everything! Starting with naively thinking that the berevement team may have at least half an idea... but no!

swingaloo

Im going back quite a few years now, 1999, but I rang BT to get the phone disconnected when my father in law died.
I was told that as I was not the account holder they could not help and that he would have to call them himself.

SimonWebs

British Gas breavement team were a total disaster when I dealt with, they  switched the account over to british gas energy, Sent out a refund cheque I could not cash, passed the amount on the cheque they said we owed onto a debt collector so I paid them the money we did not owe them. Then cancelled the cheque, reissued it. I sent the cheque back....& asked for the amount in my name.

After amount 10 months the ombudsman told them to pay me £125.00 compensation & refund the amount owed.

ButterCheese

Feel free to rant.  It can be very upsetting, annoying and downright heart breaking.  I tar every company like British Gas with the same brush.  highly incompetent and seemingly run by an outdated computer system that needed updating in 1987, and staff that were trained by a dead slug.

My partner had to phone them at least 4 times in the last year because they were sending her bills and information about her ex's account, who she hadn't lived with for 8 years.  They confirmed they had de-linked her to the account 4 times, and each time it "hadn't worked".

I also know a lady who went into a bank to sort out the account after her husband suddenly passed away at 42; and they said they needed his signature.  No joke.

And Virgin Media, after my sister's husband left her.  Everything else was sorted out in a matter of 7 - 14 days.  Virgin Media strung it out for 3 weeks, resulting in her and her ex having to meet up with a VM representative in a car park to sign some letters, as she couldn't bear to be in the same room as him.

poppystar

swingaloo said:

Im going back quite a few years now, 1999, but I rang BT to get the phone disconnected when my father in law died.
I was told that as I was not the account holder they could not help and that he would have to call them himself.

I raised a complaint with Lloyds on their handling of my father’s account after death.  They sent a letter to me, addressed correctly, totally fessing up to their mistake in how they had dealt with the account after the bereavement. The last paragraph said if their conclusion and compensation offered were in any way not acceptable they would only deal with the matter further if contacted by my father himself!! Ouija board anyone? 

Having been through this a few times OP I’d say there is always one awful organisation, it’s like it’s some unwritten law that one will act like a completely insensitive b&*#@ no matter how compassionate and aware their website suggests they are! 

Brie

swingaloo said:

Im going back quite a few years now, 1999, but I rang BT to get the phone disconnected when my father in law died.
I was told that as I was not the account holder they could not help and that he would have to call them himself.

Much more recent than that I needed to ring Barclaycard to advise of my FiL's death.  No I couldn't close his account.  If he'd died he would have to go to a branch of Barclays and show them his death certificate.

JGB1955

poppystar said:

swingaloo said:

Im going back quite a few years now, 1999, but I rang BT to get the phone disconnected when my father in law died.
I was told that as I was not the account holder they could not help and that he would have to call them himself.

I raised a complaint with Lloyds on their handling of my father’s account after death.  They sent a letter to me, addressed correctly, totally fessing up to their mistake in how they had dealt with the account after the bereavement. The last paragraph said if their conclusion and compensation offered were in any way not acceptable they would only deal with the matter further if contacted by my father himself!! Ouija board anyone? 

Having been through this a few times OP I’d say there is always one awful organisation, it’s like it’s some unwritten law that one will act like a completely insensitive b&*#@ no matter how compassionate and aware their website suggests they are! 

Mine was Equiniti, registrar for shares that my father held in Shell.  I eventually got a £25 's*d off' payment but, 5 years later, still getting notifications from them for an account that doesn't exist.  Sigh.......

poppystar

JGB1955 said:

poppystar said:

swingaloo said:

Im going back quite a few years now, 1999, but I rang BT to get the phone disconnected when my father in law died.
I was told that as I was not the account holder they could not help and that he would have to call them himself.

I raised a complaint with Lloyds on their handling of my father’s account after death.  They sent a letter to me, addressed correctly, totally fessing up to their mistake in how they had dealt with the account after the bereavement. The last paragraph said if their conclusion and compensation offered were in any way not acceptable they would only deal with the matter further if contacted by my father himself!! Ouija board anyone? 

Having been through this a few times OP I’d say there is always one awful organisation, it’s like it’s some unwritten law that one will act like a completely insensitive b&*#@ no matter how compassionate and aware their website suggests they are! 

Mine was Equiniti, registrar for shares that my father held in Shell.  I eventually got a £25 's*d off' payment but, 5 years later, still getting notifications from them for an account that doesn't exist.  Sigh.......

I sympathise. I gave up on Equiniti. There were just a few shares of my mother’s and it was too much to deal with - they went from chasing me every few weeks before I had probate to completely ignoring me after I had it and hence when I could actually deal with the shares. I know it’s not very money saving but it was sanity saving at the time! I’m not sure now when all the dust has settled whether I the shares are still there or whether something happens to them after a few years? One day I might have the strength to take up that battle again.