Nuisance Caller

[tamaranth]

At the end of last week I started receiving calls on my mobile from an 0845 number. If I answered, there was no response from the other end; if I didn't answer, they never left a message; if I tried to call back on that number, I got a 'wrong number' message as soon as I dialled.

Having been phoned twice while going round an exhibition at the Tate Modern on Saturday, I ended up blocking the number. But they're still calling.

A quick Google reveals that it's British Gas's Debt Collection department, and I am furious. This is still the saga of their failure to subtract $GasBillOwed from $ElectricityBillCredit and send me the balance. I have phoned them 5 or 6 times and each time been assured that they were sorting it out. And today, I've just had another bill forwarded from old address, even though I've given them the new address repeatedly.

I am not going to pay them any money. I owe them for gas supply ending 14/10, they owe me more (due to their insistence on a whopping monthly direct debit payment based on other people's usage) for electricity supply ending 14/10.

And I'm pretty disinclined to waste another 30 mins listening to their ghastly ads while they leave me on hold and prepare a new set of patronising comments and misinformation.

What's the worst they can do? Is there anything I can do to shut them up?

Comments

[childeric.livejournal.com]

They're useless bastards. I rang them and they admitted that they'd made an error, but that didn't mean that they actually called off their debt collector thugs. So I sent them a very cross letter indeed promising them hellfire, damnation and a visit from the police, not to mention the OFT, if they didn't pull their socks up: http://childeric.livejournal.com/166208.html

And that did actually work: I got letters of apology from both British Gas and the debt collectors within a fortnight.

[ladymoonray.livejournal.com]

The worst they can do is set a debt collecting company on you, as Simon notes. They may also try to cut off the gas and/or electricity at your old property, which isn't your problem.

I suggest you let The Energy Ombudsman (http://www.energy-ombudsman.org.uk/links/5-15-making_a_complaint.php) know what's going on.

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

You could try writing them one, very firm letter, and if this fails, ask a solicitor to do likewise.

[ladymoonray.livejournal.com]

Oh, the Energy Ombudsman won't intervene til you've been following the company complaints procedure for 3 months. I can see why, but it's not very helpful for you. The British Gas one is here (https://www.britishgas.co.uk/complaint). You can write in, which might be best anyway.

[incy.livejournal.com]

Technically it is harassment inging you up and nobody being at the other end of the line, however you are probably not going to get anywhere.

Secondly it is not beyond belief there electricity and gas billing systems are completely different, but if they said they could net them out they should. If your am is to get it sorted as quickly as possible then pay the gas and get them to send you the electricity money.

However I would also avoid doing this by phone and start putting things in writing (paper or email) much easier for you to follow up, much harder to be ignored.

[ajshepherd.livejournal.com]

There was one time where British Gas called on my mobile and my work number simultaneously, and hung up on both as soon as the calls were answered.
They're bastards for doing that kind of thing.

[marypcb.livejournal.com]

letter of complaint referring them to the complaint you're making against them to OFCOM. silent calls are getting a lot of complaints and Ofcom has been investigating and fining companies - it must be BG's turn.
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consumeradvice/landline/privacy/silent/
has walkthoughs for reporting them on the Web

[the-gardener.livejournal.com]

Have you tried involving someone like The Guardian's Anna Tims? She seems to have a good track record in sorting out companies with recalcitrant billing departments, perhaps because they don't like the negative publicity she gives them.

[shirazpetra.livejournal.com]

contact consumer columns on national papers or on radio stations or newspapers locally, that gets it sorted quickly.

[the-magician.livejournal.com]

I'd be tempted to take them to court for the money they owe you, get them declared bankrupt and then be forced to run the company ... no, wait, that's a terrible idea! :-)

Good luck, and I hope it sorts itself out.