Just you try and leave us..we'll make your life hell for it! (British Gas)

Member Name: pinkspider

Product:	British Gas
Date:	02/09/08 (115 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: -

Disadvantages: rude and abusive staff, archaic systems, long waiting times, problem after problem

I am writing this review based purely on my recent dealings with British Gas and their bumbling inability to switch me successfully to my new provider.

I'll quickly outline what I was aiming to do that caused all the trouble:
I decided to move over to Eon for my gas and electricity supply as they offered a much more competitive and capped rate.

What happened?
I made the switch request via a comparison website - this process in itself was very simple and within 5 working days I received the confirmation from Eon that everything was on track and that I would soon move over to their service.

British Gas, though, weren't going to release me from their high prices and poor customer service without a fight.

The first hint of their reluctance came in the form of a phone call about two weeks after I made the switch request.
The chap on the phone began to plead with me, in a very unprofessional way, to stay with British Gas.
He quoted me a string of prices that seemed very much in my favour and said that if I stayed with them they would be able to cap my rates until 2011 at these lower rates.

'Great', was my initial thought but I informed the caller that I would have to have a read through the Eon figures first and would then call back with my decision.
This didn't seem to go down all that well as the next thing I know I'm being sworn at by the Representative and being called other various names.
It's fair to say, this made my mind up in an instant as to who I would be going with: Eon.
I managed to get the chaps name and said I would be making a complaint about his manner, after which he promptly hung up.

So, after being called various expletives and with the Representatives name in hand I tried to get through to them again to make a complaint to the relevant area.
I was passed around no less than eight times before finally getting through to someone who could possibly help - but was promptly told that unless I had his 'Calling ID' (?!?) a name would not be enough to make a complaint against.
This, as you can imagine, left me fuming. I should point out that since this call I have written a letter of complaint to British Gas and am still awaiting a reply.

I decided it would be best to call the next day to make sure that it had been recorded that I did not wish to remain a customer of British Gas; this time a more friendly voice informed me that the transfer to Eon was going ahead and that British Gas would be sad to see me go...

...ha.

I felt more confident now that I knew my transfer was going ahead and hoped this would be the last of my dealings with British Gas for the time being. Oh, how wrong I was.

Last week, a letter turned up from Eon asking me if I was sure that I wanted to go back to British Gas.
'WHAT?!?' was my response. Only two weeks earlier I had checked with British Gas, and as I early said, they had confirmed that my transfer was going ahead.
..or not, as it now seemed.

I got straight on the phone to both Eon and British Gas.
I informed Eon, first of all, that I had never given any permission for British Gas to regain my custom and that I wished to continue my transfer to Eon.
At all times, the Eon member of staff was friendly and helpful and made sure everything was in place to get it all sorted from their end and that the prices they initially quoted me would remain unchanged.
Eon was sorted. And I felt very confident that my gas and electricity would be safe with them.

And then, it was back to British Gas.
After sitting in a queue for 32 minutes I, finally, got through to a member of staff and I do not feel sorry for how I came across: I was angry and my words reflected it.
The Representative told me that there was no record of my previous calls and certainly no record of me confirming that I wished my switch to continue.
I told her that I categorically made sure that my switch was going ahead and that received confirmation from my new supplier and that they were, again, proceeding with the transfer.

...it took a while but I finally got it across to her that I wanted nothing to do with British Gas and that I expected full written confirmation that my contract with them no longer existed.

Phew.

After putting the phone down, with the assurance from the Representative still clear in my mind, I felt tired but satisfied that this was the end.

Happily, I am now a customer of Eon and everything so far is going along nicely.

British Gas on the other hand still seem to be desperate to get me back.

Since the last call to them I have received four letters all stressing how upset they are to be loosing me as a 'valued' customer.

Pfft. If only it were true.

Summary: I personally would never touch them again, even with a barge poll.