Billed for previous address (British Gas)

Member Name: threaders

Product:	British Gas
Date:	27/02/04 (653 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Brilliant eventually, Management very effective, Issue now resolved

Disadvantages: Call Centre Culture

To start with, BG have been excellent all the time I've been a customer - except for this one episode.

My wife and I moved from a flat to a house just over two years ago. When we left the flat, I phoned through the meter reading of our flat and we were billed accordingly.

Then in October 2002 (11 months after moving out the flat) we received a bill for about £500 for gas used in our old home. We'd just got back from holiday (one taken because we were both under a lot of pressure at work and ill as a result) and so I phoned BG, obviously very worried, and they said they would look into the matter.

We heard nothing, but then received a letter saying that unless we paid up within 28 days we would be taken to court.

I phoned again, hung around on hold for 30 minutes or so and then spoke to someone different from before, who said they'd look into the matter.

We heard nothing, but the received a letter saying that unless we paid up within 21 days we would be taken to court.

I wrote to them, called them a number of times, always spoke to someone different and was always told that the matter would be looked into.

We heard nothing, but the received a letter saying that unless we paid up within 14 days we would be taken to court.

You get the picture? It went on, with numerous phone calls. I pleaded and begged for them to look into the matter. I even had a verbal bet with one of the staff, telling him I KNEW he would not phone me back "first thing tomorrow".
I won the bet, needless to say.

What, basically, had happened, is that we had been billed because the new occupants of the flat had phoned in an alternative reading (10 months later!), so we were billed automatically for the difference. I suggested that perhaps the meter was faulty. A further problem was that the meter was actually in the downstairs flat - I had tried to have it moved when we lived there but wa
s quoted about £1000 for the job by, yes, British Gas. So when we moved out I had to rely on our neighbours reading.

So the letter came saying that unless we paid the sum we would be taken to court. I phoned again. Same response - "We'll call you tomorrow!". So I emailed their customer service complaints section via their website, and copied the email/letter to the head of customer services and BBC Watchdog. I threatened to sue BG for harassment, fraud etc. - went a bit over the top I admit... but it worked.

First thing the next day, the nicest guy I have ever spoken to called (head of customer services), told me not to worry, of course we were not accountable for the missing sum and offered profuse apologies for our treatment. He put it in writing and the matter is now closed - and I'm a happy customer again.

So what's the moral of the story: complain via email, only deal with people with the authority to deal with issues - and never give up! I wonder how many people would just pay sums like this - figures generated by a computer and churned out by the system with threatening letters?

Summary: