British Gas default - sorry if this topic is getting boring, i am desperate for help

[HBW]

Hi,

I can see there British Gas experts on here and I have hit a brick wall with them where I am receiving incoherant answers from them. They are acting unlawfully and it is severly affecting my life

British Gas have placed 2 defaults on my Experian Credit report one for Gas one for Elec.
This relates to a property that I moved out of in December 2010. The defaults were applied without my knowledge in August 2011.

When I moved out I continued to be supplied by British Gas at my new address, I provided meter readings at the time of moving out.
However BG did not update my accout address, closed both accounts to a later date and a grossly higher read. I disputed this, I continued to dispute it with the numerous debt agencies that they passed it out too. I have always maintained I will pay a correct bill, no correct bil has ever been created.

I have checked my credit file as I am in the process of applying for a mortgate, I have a clear file apart from 2 defaults from British Gas.
As a loss I contact them, raise a level 3 complaint and ask 2 things from them.
To provide a full statement showing what the make up of the balances
A rebill to the correct dates and reads
Immediate removal of the 2 defaults as they have been aplied without my knowledge, they have been applied against 2 accouts that are disputed and incorrect.

After 4 weeks of back and forth they have advised that
> They cannot provide any proof that they notified me of the defaults and just applied them due to debt
> they will not remove the defaults dispite all of the above
>they cannot provide a full statement of account

They do not directly address my points, they reply with a general paragraph. The lady in the complaints team couldn't even see that a default had been applied, and doesnt even seem to understand what one is or the implications it has.
Following my latest email I chased up yesterday, I was told that the person dealing with my complaint is on holiday and it will not be actioned until she is back - OK I will just wait to apply for my mortgage until she is back from 1/2 term!!!

I have spoken with the credit agency who have contacted british gas twice with no response.

This is going to prevent my from buying a house/getting a mortgage, it is unlawful and I need your help. I am ata loss

Thanks,
HBW

[Undercover Elsa]

Re: British Gas default - sorry if this topic is getting boring, i am desperate for help

Hi HBW and welcome to AAD

I will flag your thread up in the experts section, so help will be forthcoming very shortly.
Clearly there are two aspects to this, the bill dispute and the CRA entries. Did you perchance take photos of the meter readings when you left the properties?

Elsa x

[Never-In-Doubt]

Re: British Gas default - sorry if this topic is getting boring, i am desperate for help

Do you dispute there was a debt owed? If not and you knew there was a debt then odds are the defaults are staying.

you might be best just going to ICO & FOS on this one now as you'll not get far with the goons at BG!

[PlanB]

Re: British Gas default - sorry if this topic is getting boring, i am desperate for help

British Gas have placed 2 defaults on my Experian Credit report one for Gas one for Elec.
This relates to a property that I moved out of in December 2010. The defaults were applied without my knowledge in August 2011.

When I moved out I continued to be supplied by British Gas at my new address, I provided meter readings at the time of moving out.
However BG did not update my accout address, closed both accounts to a later date and a grossly higher read. I disputed this, I continued to dispute it with the numerous debt agencies that they passed it out too. I have always maintained I will pay a correct bill, no correct bil has ever been created.


. . . . This is going to prevent my from buying a house/getting a mortgage, it is unlawful and I need your help.

We had someone on here with an almost identical situation. They emailed the CEO and got the defaults removed from their CRA file within seven days. I'll see if I can find that thread because it contained a letter to send to BG which worked

In the meantime are you saying you didn't pay BG any money at all when the account was closed? You say they have never produced a correct bill which implies you withheld all payment for over two years while waiting for the dispute to be resolved. I think you have a better chance of getting those defaults removed if you have previously paid something to BG however incorrect the amount.

Was your previous property a rented property? If so then maybe the Landlord or the letting agent had a duty to deal with the end of tenancy matters which would include dealing with the utility readings etc. Can you get in touch with them for help to prove your case such as a copy of the tenancy agreement end date or confirmation of the next tenant's meter read etc? There should have been an Inventory taken when you left the property documenting all this with digital photos of the meters.

Any defaults less than three years old may have a negative impact on your mortgage application unless you can prove to the lender that these were disputed accounts. You can have a Notice of Correction put on your CRA file so that anyone searching it (such as a mortgage providor) will see there was/is a dispute, but don't do that until we've had a look at all your options.

[Never-In-Doubt]

Re: British Gas default - sorry if this topic is getting boring, i am desperate for help

We had someone on here with an almost identical situation. They emailed the CEO and got the defaults removed from their CRA file within seven days. I'll see if I can find that thread because it contained a letter to send to BG which worked

Here is one similar, where they refuse to remove it --> http://forums.all-about-debt.co.uk/s...itish-gas-help!

Any defaults less than three years old may have a negative impact on your mortgage application unless you can prove to the lender that these were disputed accounts. You can have a Notice of Correction put on your CRA file so that anyone searching it (such as a mortgage providor) will see there was/is a dispute, but don't do that until we've had a look at all your options.

Mortgages search a full 6 years as standard sadly and almost anything will be picked up.

[Never-In-Doubt]

Re: British Gas default - sorry if this topic is getting boring, i am desperate for help

Here's another one, that we got removed --> http://forums.all-about-debt.co.uk/s...sh-Gas-Default

[PlanB]

Re: British Gas default - sorry if this topic is getting boring, i am desperate for help

Here's another one, that we got removed --> http://forums.all-about-debt.co.uk/s...sh-Gas-Default

That's the one I was looking for. How did you find that? I put British Gas into the search box and got nowhere Or do you just have an astounding memory

[Never-In-Doubt]

Re: British Gas default - sorry if this topic is getting boring, i am desperate for help

That's the one I was looking for. How did you find that? I put British Gas into the search box and got nowhere Or do you just have an astounding memory

I went to the right sections

Utilities, Defaults and then CRA's

[HBW]

Re: British Gas default - sorry if this topic is getting boring, i am desperate for help

Hi Guys,
Thank you for all of your responses and your help.
I have managed to move the situation on but it is still not reached a satisfactory conclusion.
British Gas are in agreement that the billing was wrong and have agreed to rebill the accounts - halving the balances. I am happy to pay the correct balances as it is what I owe.
The complaints team have agreed to "put my case" to the debt team requesting removal of defaults however she will not promise this will happen and they may uphold them anyway.

Below I have listed the issues and why the defaults are incorrect. Please can you advise of the best way forwards? The complaints team refuse to allow me to talk to the "debt team" but will put my case for me. I intend to put together a timeline of events to demonstrate they have been unlawfully applied and need to be removed and not just settled. Is this the best way forwards?

> I can prove that I raised a complaint relating to debt collection activity and inaccuracy of my final bills 1 month prior to the defaults being applied. The complaint was not satisfactorally resolved at the time.
> I then disputed debt activity with every debt collection agency that contacted me.
> I was never notified that defaults had been applied
> No statement of account or breakdown of what was owed was ever provided until last week
> The defaults were applied against incorrect balances, that (as far as I am concerned) were in query at the time of the defaults being applied).
> No notification of defaults was ever sent - confirmed in writing by complaints team.
> A forwarding address, meter reads and date of moving out were provided at this time but never acted upon. I was supplied by British Gas at the new address also, no correspondence was ever sent to the correct address
> The accounts historically were inaccurate, no meter readings were ever taken apart from what I provided.

Thanks agai,
any help gratefully recieved.
Harry

[Never-In-Doubt]

Re: British Gas default - sorry if this topic is getting boring, i am desperate for help

With what you've said you'll have a good case against the CRA's, ICO & FOS (if necessary) so write in and see what they say but don't be nice. Tell them that as a result of all the carry on which started at the time of the incorrect bill, you've been awaiting them resolving your issues. It's not your fault and neither are you expected to pay a high bill when you're disputing it.

I think it may well be the regulatory bodies that resolve this. If you can wait till Thursday I'll sort you a nice response to send

[HBW]

Re: British Gas default - sorry if this topic is getting boring, i am desperate for help

Hey Never in doubt.

I can wait for Thursday for that. That would be amazing and much appreciated.

The complaints persons rebilled the account, I have now settled the correct balance in full. She is compiling a case to the "debt team" requesting the removal of the defaults, however she cannot guarentee this. Talk about jumping throuhg hoops.

[HBW]

Re: British Gas default - sorry if this topic is getting boring, i am desperate for help

So British Gas complaints team called me to say that the "debt team" have agreed to remove the defaults and late payment markers. Result but I will believe it when I see it.
They have also sent me an email saying this so it is in writing from them....

[Never-In-Doubt]

Re: British Gas default - sorry if this topic is getting boring, i am desperate for help

Brilliant. Result