First Utility, trying again

[slainte caragh]

Here we go AGAIN!

They have now contacted me, 13 months after the last correspondence with this!

You recently closed your First Utility account, which had an outstanding issue on it. We’d like to let you know that we’ve completed our investigation and can confirm that the balance of £141.52 is now due.

Due to the time it’s taken us to resolve this, we’d like to offer you a one-off 5% discount on the above balance if you pay in full by 10/12/2018. This means that you will need to make a payment of £134.44.

Click here to pay now and benefit from the 5% discount, please note you’ll need your account details to hand.

If you can’t pay the full amount by 10/12/2018 and need to discuss other repayment options, please call 01789 405060 straight away and we’ll be happy to discuss this further with you.

If we don’t receive any form of payment from you, we may share your details with a credit reference agency. We would prefer to not take this course of action as your future ability to obtain credit or mortgages could be adversely affected.

We urge you to take action as soon as possible and look forward to receiving your payment.

Thanks,

The First Utility team


Yep. They are chasing me for a bill that they have still to prove is correct!

Quick back story.

They messed my account up so much it ended up costing them over £400, cost me going to my beloved Aiden's memorial service in Ireland, and I left them in June 2017. They put a deemed read on my bill, then changed it to an actual read (same meter reading) They then put £60 of termination fees on my account, which they admitted 4 days later had been incorrectly added, 5 months later they STILL hadn't refunded the charges so I sent them the attached (more to hurry them along!).

In August I made a f&f payment of £50 to rectify the situation, with the instruction that if this was not acceptable, to refund me within 7 working days. They accepted the payment, however I stupidly deleted the email in error!

I have heard nothing from them since last October, I have at least 30 emails back and forth to them arguing and disputing the balance.

I am thinking of a LBA.

Any ideas?


Callie

PLEASE NOTE; the red writing was added today as part of my complaint

[slainte caragh]

Another Ombudsman case raised.
Watch this space

[slainte caragh]

First Utility have now queried the Ombudsman accepting the case (?)
I didn't think they could as the Ombudsman is (so called) impartial, but who knows?? Maybe they are scared they will lose and it will cost them a bit, I am hoping this is the case, and that the checks the Ombudsman make will mean that the bits I was fighting for (i.e deemed read put through as an actual read) will come to light, as will the lies and mis information I received.. and they fact they refused to discuss this and told me to go to the Ombudsman

Methinks they didn't think I WOULD!!

[slainte caragh]

ARGH!

Ombudsman has closed the case due to it being "out of timescale and a duplicate!"

How can I contact them in timescale when the buggers don't contact me for 12 months and I am complaining about something that happened 2 weeks ago.. at the company's insistence that I go to them in the first place?!?!?

I'm on the phone to the Ombudsman about my consumer rights and where I go from here!! Livid mad!!

[slainte caragh]

Ombudsman have said that this is a new complaint due to it being a backbilling and customer services issue.

I have to get a deadlock letter and start again!

[slainte caragh]

Now using this as a log to keep my complaint fresh.
This shower, cos they definately re not a company, have initially refused me an 8 week letter as they need to investigate but they have also sent me to a DCA to pay the balance I dispute, despite the account having "I DISPUTE THIS" written all over it.

The person who decides if I can have a deadlock letter (remembering that it is their idea I go back to the Ombudsman and raise a new complaint about this), apparently said they have to try and work this out ("He says you need to give us a chance to solve it!") now "SHE" works from home!!!

Then when I query how "she" can be in 2 places at the same time, and change sex, I'm told "she" is my case handler! But a case handler needs to speak to someone about wether or not I can have the letter in the first place!!

I'M SURROUNDED BY IDIOTS!!!

[slainte caragh]

It will probably be contested again

[Amethyst]

What a bloody palava still having to sort this out, I know you've been trying to get them to sort it for ages, but I'm not really sure what grounds you're invoicing them on. Or is that just to give them a kick up the bum?

Basically they did 'correct' the bill after the ombudsman's decision ? You made a F&F offer of £50 and they accepted ( by default as they didn't reply to say they hadn't ) - and they're saying you have £141 outstanding still ?

So probably need to know what the ombudsman decision was, what was done to comply with that decision, and what happened since that's raised a new complaint. ( just as I might have got a bit lost )

[slainte caragh]

Basically they did nothing.
the Ombudsman stated I was to have a full account breakdown with every payment and charge. I got a spreadsheet that I didn’t understand but accepted in the understanding I would have a correct bill.

I was also supposed to have an explanation and evidence of the deemed read being correct. Never got this, instead I got the same bill
with the deemed read changed to actual.

I sent the invoice in October as a kick up the arse to get a corrected bill and the exit fees removed. I got the exit fees removed but still not had a correct read or evidence of the read being right!

I paid the f&f payment which the accepted by default as you said, 14 months later they sent me that email.
now we play ring o roses with the Ombudsman!!

[slainte caragh]

Ombudsman service have closed the complaint due to 1U querying it again despite the fact they told me to do it!!

I dunno what to do now!!

[Amethyst]

Ring a ring of roses indeed...

I'm so happy to be on a prepayment meter

[Kati]

Ring a ring of roses indeed...

I'm so happy to be on a prepayment meter

I'm actually glad I DON'T have one now lol ... it's so much cheaper for us without a PP meter

[slainte caragh]

1U official answer,
take it to the ombudsman, we don't have to tell you why we are blocking investigation, only the Ombudsman can help
I'm now in the market for a solicitor that doesn't cost the earth!

[slainte caragh]

Ombudsman have again accepted 1U blocking the complaint. No word as to what to do now apart from "speak to 1U!"

1U are refusing to deal with this in the slightest so I have applied for a SAR, including photographic evidence of the meter reading at point of exchange (which they asked me for when I initally queried the reading). Their official answer was "Ask your new provider!"

How can Ovo have this when the meter was exchanged 2 months before I switched???

I am seriously considering a LBA, but am nervous of how much this will end up costing me as finances are short!

[Kati]

Any idea pt2537 ?