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Long story short
Three and a half years of telling British Gas that the customer and the meter that generated the bill they were chasing were not at my address and that I was an existing British Gas card meter customer came to a head a fortnight ago when they enforced a warrant and entered my property while I was at work.
Longer version....
Each time I rang British Gas to try and get their data up to date I was assured by their operators that the problem was fixed and still the bills and threatening letters came. I received a warrant notification letter on a Saturday afternoon. After an extremely stressed weekend I spoke to them first thing Monday morning providing them bopth with my meter number and the customer reference number for the customer wrongly registered at my address. As usual the operator quickly grasped that the database was wrong and told me that it had been fixed (again!) I asked what the best mechanism was for letting the bailiff know that their warrant was bogus. I was given a number to pass on to the bailiff where he could get confirmation that I was not in debt. I rang the bailiff and explained the situation and passed on the number. I thought no more about it.
My neighbour informed me in passing that she had witnessed BG staff breaking into my house and had got a first name and mobile number from one of them. It was saterday again by this time and I had another stressful weekend before I coudl contact BG.
I rang the mobile number I had for the bailiffs and advised their machine that I was about to ring the police becouse they had inforced an illegal warrant.
I rang the police and asked for a crime reference number in the hope that this would force BG to take the matter seriousely. I was told that although they had broken into my house they had used a locksmith and as there was no damage it was a customer service issue rather than a criminal matter.
A bailiff returned my call and was at pains to impress upon me that he had not enforced the warrant, though he had been present.
Monday morning I rang and after being passed through a gazillion departments spoke to a BG operator in their credit control unit who assured me that the data was now amended both on my account and on the account of the customer they had registered at my address.
I rattled off a letter to the head of complaints (which I will stick at the end of this epic post.) In it I asked for an explanation and some information that I thought might explain the confidence of the bailiffs in persuing the warrant they had been warned was not legal.
I received a reply from someone else entirely saying that he had tried to ring me at work (don't know where they got the number from I must have given it in one of my many conversations with BG, it wasn't in the letter) and that as I had not been in that day could I give him a call to discuss things. I rang and got through to a call centre after a few minutes faff I was put through to my replyer.
He was totally useless. He eventually paid lip service to the inconvenience I had experienced and told me that the bialiffs had rung the number I gave him but that the system had confirmed that the debt was registered at my address. I pointed out that the issue I brought to his attention was the existance of a card meter at the address and that if he had checked that it would have been confirmed as my data has never been the issue. He patently had not asked for confirmation of what I told him. I also brought up the dodgeyness of enforcing the warrant discovering that I had told them the truth and then not leaving any notification of what had happened. But for my nosey neighbour I would be oblivious!
My replyer didn't know any of the answers to the questions in my letter. I asked for them to be addressed by letter. He asked me what would make the situation right and I told him that I would like to feel confident that this would not happen to anyone else. He told me that their procedures had recently been overhauled and that he was confident that this wouldn't happen again. I sugested that I would have to be an idiot to be satisfied with that given BG's track record. I explained that in my experience the only way to get anything to change is by generating a shed load of paperwork for someone important. As I was speaking to him not the head of commplaints this tactic had failed and that I would have to look into getting some legal advice.
The next day I received a bunch of flowers!!!!!
I have toyed with ringing them and asking for the bloke present because the woman present is rubbish, but I don't think they would get the point.
It's only been a week since the phone call but I'm waiting on the reply to my letter. I've already been round the regulator and ombudsman as well as consumer advocacy groups but the consensus is that I have to give BG a chance to put matters right.... I'm not holding my breath.
So my questions.
:beagle
o I try and persue them in court? I could never afford professional legal advice but I'm a bright woman, is it realistic to represent myself?
:beagle:Is their enforcement of the warrant a case of breaking and entering?
:beagle:Is there a mechanism within the court system for penalising those who generate warrants on false information?
:beagle:How do I get them?? I really feel that these days more and more credit departments will be having pressure heaped upon them to bring in debt revenue. If we don't push back the financial climate will only embolden bailiffs and other debt collectors to play fast and loose with peoples rights.
Thank you to anyone who has had the time for my mamoth post and/or has a clue about how to proceed.
The Letter to BG's Head of Complaints
Andy Eley,
Head of Complaints,
British Gas,
PO BOX 1577,
Southampton.
SO18 9EX
Dear Mr Eley,
I have been a card meter customer of British Gas for eleven years, three and a half at my current address. For the past three and a half years or so I have been bringing the mis-billing of (Name of Customer they are chasing) to the attention of British Gas telephone staff after receiving notification of his debts at my address. This has been done as a courtesy as I have always been confident that my fully paid British Gas card meter would prevent the situation escalating. Each time I have received apologies and assurances that the data had been amended and would be correct in the future.
On 7th March, 2009 (a Saturday) I received a hand delivered notice from British Gas informing me that ‘We have now been granted a warrant of entry to gain access to your premises to disconnect your supply.’ After spending a very worried weekend I had to wait until Monday morning to take this up again with British Gas. I spoke to a very helpful operator who assured me that she understood that the warrant was generated from false records held on computer by British Gas and that she could confirm this to the British Gas Debt Officers who intended to enforce the warrant. I asked her the best mechanism to get this information to the British Gas Debt Officers and she gave me a number to give to them where they could get confirmation that the warrant was illegal. I rang the hand written number on the warrant notice (Peter's tel. no.) and explained the circumstances to the officer who said that he would ring the number that British Gas had provided in order to confirm the details. I thought no more about it.
On 14th March, 2009, my neighbour informed me that she had witnessed British Gas enter my property on 11th March, 2009. When she challenged them they gave her a first name and mobile telephone number for her to pass on to me. Peter tel. no. She said that they opened the door and entered my home and were in there for some time. No notification was left that the warrant had been enforced. They did nothing to my gas supply as I already have a British Gas card meter.
While no visible damage was done my home has been violated. My normal feeling of security on closing my front door has been shattered and I have been left wondering, as British Gas have served other notices of a warrant, whether this has already happened before, unobserved. I am going to have to improve the locks on my doors. I have spent a whole working day on getting the information that British Gas holds on my address correct (although that remains to be seen) and complaining to different agencies and lost the normal composure and relaxation of two weekends with my children.
Ø I would like to know what advice British Gas can offer their customers of good standing to avoid having their homes broken into illegally by British Gas staff? Having drawn the data anomaly to British Gas’ notice on many occasions, and in this instance in connection with the warrant that had been generated from incorrect records, I am at a loss to understand what I can do to protect my home from invasion other than become someone else’s customer.
Ø I would like an explanation for the warrant being enforced in the face of information that it was incorrect and that the meter for that debt did not exist at the property on the warrant.
I am shocked and angry and feel that the Bailiffs’ confidence in enforcing the warrant after being told that it was incorrect is terrifying.
Ø I would like to know who is responsible for making sure that the warrants for access that British Gas obtain are based on correct information.
Ø What disciplinary processes are in place to hold field officers who knowingly enforce warrants based on incorrect information accountable?
Ø Are there quotas or commission associated with the activities of British Gas field debt officers?
Ø Are the bailiffs acting for British Gas bonded and do police officers attend the enforcement of access warrants?
Ø I would also like a complete copy of my customer file under the Data Protection Act.
I am astonished that, despite paying the highest tariff for gas and always being in credit, British Gas have shown the highest contempt possible for my personal privacy, dignity and security. I would be interested to hear your thoughts on this matter.
Yours truly
Three and a half years of telling British Gas that the customer and the meter that generated the bill they were chasing were not at my address and that I was an existing British Gas card meter customer came to a head a fortnight ago when they enforced a warrant and entered my property while I was at work.
Longer version....
Each time I rang British Gas to try and get their data up to date I was assured by their operators that the problem was fixed and still the bills and threatening letters came. I received a warrant notification letter on a Saturday afternoon. After an extremely stressed weekend I spoke to them first thing Monday morning providing them bopth with my meter number and the customer reference number for the customer wrongly registered at my address. As usual the operator quickly grasped that the database was wrong and told me that it had been fixed (again!) I asked what the best mechanism was for letting the bailiff know that their warrant was bogus. I was given a number to pass on to the bailiff where he could get confirmation that I was not in debt. I rang the bailiff and explained the situation and passed on the number. I thought no more about it.
My neighbour informed me in passing that she had witnessed BG staff breaking into my house and had got a first name and mobile number from one of them. It was saterday again by this time and I had another stressful weekend before I coudl contact BG.
I rang the mobile number I had for the bailiffs and advised their machine that I was about to ring the police becouse they had inforced an illegal warrant.
I rang the police and asked for a crime reference number in the hope that this would force BG to take the matter seriousely. I was told that although they had broken into my house they had used a locksmith and as there was no damage it was a customer service issue rather than a criminal matter.
A bailiff returned my call and was at pains to impress upon me that he had not enforced the warrant, though he had been present.
Monday morning I rang and after being passed through a gazillion departments spoke to a BG operator in their credit control unit who assured me that the data was now amended both on my account and on the account of the customer they had registered at my address.
I rattled off a letter to the head of complaints (which I will stick at the end of this epic post.) In it I asked for an explanation and some information that I thought might explain the confidence of the bailiffs in persuing the warrant they had been warned was not legal.
I received a reply from someone else entirely saying that he had tried to ring me at work (don't know where they got the number from I must have given it in one of my many conversations with BG, it wasn't in the letter) and that as I had not been in that day could I give him a call to discuss things. I rang and got through to a call centre after a few minutes faff I was put through to my replyer.
He was totally useless. He eventually paid lip service to the inconvenience I had experienced and told me that the bialiffs had rung the number I gave him but that the system had confirmed that the debt was registered at my address. I pointed out that the issue I brought to his attention was the existance of a card meter at the address and that if he had checked that it would have been confirmed as my data has never been the issue. He patently had not asked for confirmation of what I told him. I also brought up the dodgeyness of enforcing the warrant discovering that I had told them the truth and then not leaving any notification of what had happened. But for my nosey neighbour I would be oblivious!
My replyer didn't know any of the answers to the questions in my letter. I asked for them to be addressed by letter. He asked me what would make the situation right and I told him that I would like to feel confident that this would not happen to anyone else. He told me that their procedures had recently been overhauled and that he was confident that this wouldn't happen again. I sugested that I would have to be an idiot to be satisfied with that given BG's track record. I explained that in my experience the only way to get anything to change is by generating a shed load of paperwork for someone important. As I was speaking to him not the head of commplaints this tactic had failed and that I would have to look into getting some legal advice.
The next day I received a bunch of flowers!!!!!
I have toyed with ringing them and asking for the bloke present because the woman present is rubbish, but I don't think they would get the point.
It's only been a week since the phone call but I'm waiting on the reply to my letter. I've already been round the regulator and ombudsman as well as consumer advocacy groups but the consensus is that I have to give BG a chance to put matters right.... I'm not holding my breath.
So my questions.
:beagle
o I try and persue them in court? I could never afford professional legal advice but I'm a bright woman, is it realistic to represent myself?:beagle:Is their enforcement of the warrant a case of breaking and entering?
:beagle:Is there a mechanism within the court system for penalising those who generate warrants on false information?
:beagle:How do I get them?? I really feel that these days more and more credit departments will be having pressure heaped upon them to bring in debt revenue. If we don't push back the financial climate will only embolden bailiffs and other debt collectors to play fast and loose with peoples rights.
Thank you to anyone who has had the time for my mamoth post and/or has a clue about how to proceed.
The Letter to BG's Head of Complaints
Andy Eley,
Head of Complaints,
British Gas,
PO BOX 1577,
Southampton.
SO18 9EX
Dear Mr Eley,
I have been a card meter customer of British Gas for eleven years, three and a half at my current address. For the past three and a half years or so I have been bringing the mis-billing of (Name of Customer they are chasing) to the attention of British Gas telephone staff after receiving notification of his debts at my address. This has been done as a courtesy as I have always been confident that my fully paid British Gas card meter would prevent the situation escalating. Each time I have received apologies and assurances that the data had been amended and would be correct in the future.
On 7th March, 2009 (a Saturday) I received a hand delivered notice from British Gas informing me that ‘We have now been granted a warrant of entry to gain access to your premises to disconnect your supply.’ After spending a very worried weekend I had to wait until Monday morning to take this up again with British Gas. I spoke to a very helpful operator who assured me that she understood that the warrant was generated from false records held on computer by British Gas and that she could confirm this to the British Gas Debt Officers who intended to enforce the warrant. I asked her the best mechanism to get this information to the British Gas Debt Officers and she gave me a number to give to them where they could get confirmation that the warrant was illegal. I rang the hand written number on the warrant notice (Peter's tel. no.) and explained the circumstances to the officer who said that he would ring the number that British Gas had provided in order to confirm the details. I thought no more about it.
On 14th March, 2009, my neighbour informed me that she had witnessed British Gas enter my property on 11th March, 2009. When she challenged them they gave her a first name and mobile telephone number for her to pass on to me. Peter tel. no. She said that they opened the door and entered my home and were in there for some time. No notification was left that the warrant had been enforced. They did nothing to my gas supply as I already have a British Gas card meter.
While no visible damage was done my home has been violated. My normal feeling of security on closing my front door has been shattered and I have been left wondering, as British Gas have served other notices of a warrant, whether this has already happened before, unobserved. I am going to have to improve the locks on my doors. I have spent a whole working day on getting the information that British Gas holds on my address correct (although that remains to be seen) and complaining to different agencies and lost the normal composure and relaxation of two weekends with my children.
Ø I would like to know what advice British Gas can offer their customers of good standing to avoid having their homes broken into illegally by British Gas staff? Having drawn the data anomaly to British Gas’ notice on many occasions, and in this instance in connection with the warrant that had been generated from incorrect records, I am at a loss to understand what I can do to protect my home from invasion other than become someone else’s customer.
Ø I would like an explanation for the warrant being enforced in the face of information that it was incorrect and that the meter for that debt did not exist at the property on the warrant.
I am shocked and angry and feel that the Bailiffs’ confidence in enforcing the warrant after being told that it was incorrect is terrifying.
Ø I would like to know who is responsible for making sure that the warrants for access that British Gas obtain are based on correct information.
Ø What disciplinary processes are in place to hold field officers who knowingly enforce warrants based on incorrect information accountable?
Ø Are there quotas or commission associated with the activities of British Gas field debt officers?
Ø Are the bailiffs acting for British Gas bonded and do police officers attend the enforcement of access warrants?
Ø I would also like a complete copy of my customer file under the Data Protection Act.
I am astonished that, despite paying the highest tariff for gas and always being in credit, British Gas have shown the highest contempt possible for my personal privacy, dignity and security. I would be interested to hear your thoughts on this matter.
Yours truly
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