Gas

[Svejk]

as mentioned before, I've been getting charged by 2 suppliers for my gas. I warned them, beginning of April, I was sick of dealing with them/it and if they didn't sort it out by 1st of May I'd contact the ombudsman. They didn't so I did, lol.
Just now (bank holiday and all) one of them contacted me and, to précis, admitted they'd made a mistake, would reimburse the money they've charged me and make a 'goodwill' payment of £30.00. Do you think I should accept this?

[Tilly2]

Ask them to add another '0' to the goodwill payment and accept it with good grace.

[redman41]

How much time and money have you spent trying to sort things out with these two incompetent suppliers ? More than £30.00 I'm sure !
Both of these suppliers need to compensate you

[Svejk]

the £30.00 is neither here nor there. I'm a bit annoyed that they're making out they've arrived at this conclusion independently. And if I don't accept by return e-mail they'll consider us 'deadlocked'. (and I would have to go to the Ombudsman/sent me details of how to contact him)
I'm not a litigious sort of person but while I haven't been particularly worried by the threatening letters etc. this sort of thing could have been dreadful for other people.

[Svejk]

I've been paying this one by DD since Feb2013 but only trying to sort this out since Sept. As I say, it hasn't bothered me but they've threatened to send police, locksmiths, ruin my credit-rating. I could imagine if old or 'nervous' sort of people received these letters they'd be very upset. Expect I've sent about 50 e-mails and spent 3 hours on the phone.

[losgigs]

If you've spent 3 hours on the phone, unless it was a free-phone number, £30 might just about cover it, but I'd be hoping for a bit more to compensate for the time wasted, particularly as they have admitted fault. Good luck!

[Tilly2]

In light of what you are saying Svejk, perhaps you should let the Ombudsman deal with them. That sounds like really aggressive behaviour from a gas supplier.

[Svejk]

yeah, it's not about money to me. But they need to sort themselves out, imo. I quite like a row but some people don't.

[Tilly2]

What about contacting your local paper and asking them if they are interested in publishing an account of your fight?

[redman41]

Contact the Ombudsman Svejk !
If he can rap a few knuckles and award you fair Compensation, then it's worth it.

[DTCwordfan]

shoot for three months free gas........

[Peter Pedant]

take the munnay !

forget about trying to sort out all the problems the gas suppliers generate for themselves with orphaned children, the disabled, one legged bikers and so on.

by taking it further will you get a better deal ?

[Svejk]

I've no wish to be famous, till. lol.
I contacted the ombudsman on the 1st. I imagine if I accept this £30.00 that would stop the investigation in its tracks. Of course, I'd also get the £400 I've paid them back.

[Svejk]

^2 days in the pub ;-)

[Tilly2]

Oh, go on, svejk. It might make it to the Daily Mail!

[Svejk]

you'd go right off me, tilly, if you saw my ugly mug in the paper. lol.

[Trishy]

Carry on with the Ombudsman. We've recently had a problem with our power supplier and we were awarded £125 for bad customer service :)

[Svejk]

yeah, think I will, trish.

[Peter Pedant]

well if you are gonna cost it

30 mins for each email ( preparation and typing )
45 mins for each letter

After you ahve tooted up all the hours
the upper limit is £200 / h ( solicitor )
and the lower limit is £ 6.89 - minimum wage

and choose something in between say £10-£20 per hr

and make a punt at that

[Canary42]

I had a dispute with British Gas and amongst the threatening letters etc they did also put a blot on my credit record. When I took it up with them they did eventually rescind it, but the "goodwill payment" was a paltry £20.

I took it up with the Regulator but (as has happened to me before) they disclaimed all responsibility (one wonders how this expensive quango justifies its existence).