Kids on the back Bill

Steph says...

I'm much the same. It was after 6 months that I noticed that my car
insurance had been renewed, although I'd not been sent any
documentation after I phoned up so decline their renewal offer.

When I noticed this I rang up and they told me to send a letter and
copies of my bank statements showing the money being taken and then
they would refund it. Three months later they still hadn't. I wrote
again and received no response. So I wrote to my bank, enclosing
copies of the letters I had sent and asked if they had any
suggestions before I took it to the police. They said that even
though the transactions had been done on my debit card they would
treat them as direct debits and refund the money under the direct
debit guarantee, then they would chase the ins co for the money.

About a month later I got a cheque for all the outstanding money,
which was nice.

 

A friend of mine was telling me yesterday that she's sussed the fastest
way of getting money returned. I need to find out the exact details and
web address, but apparently you can file for a small claims court letter
over the internet.

These letters are posted out direct to the company in question, and of
course they pay more attention to a letter from the court than they pay
to some poor sod ranting on the phone. The majority of smaller claims
are apparently paid very quickly, as it's cheaper for the companies to
pay out rather than have both the negative publicity and the legal costs.

N.B. This doesn't work where countrywide surveyors are concerned though -
I had a 6 year battle with them before they eventually offered me an out
of court settlement.

 

https://www.moneyclaim.gov.uk/csmco2/index.jsp

 

It was somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember Steph

https://www.moneyclaim.gov.uk/csmco2/index.jsp

--

Dave

GS 850 x2 / SE 6a
SbS#6 DIAABTCOD#16 APOSTLE#6 FUB#3
FUB KotL OSOS#12? UKRMMA#19 COSOC#10

 

Bear says...

When I moved into the house in Huntingdon I phoned them to tell them
I'd moved in and could they bill me for the electric and the gas.
The electric was no problem, the gas was on a prepayment meter. They
should have issued a new card for this in my name, which they never
did. This wasn't a problem, until I moved. They started sending
letters to 'the occupier' say that I owed them over three hundred
quid. It took a barrage of letters to get through to them, I will
admit to getting a /little/ curt towards the end.

Still, I've done alright from them over the past few years. When the
battery went in the meter I had to have a call out to get it fixed,
which should have cost over a ton - never been billed. When I had my
flat in Worcester I never once received a bill for the electric,
they thought there was a prepay meter there, but there wasn't. I
told them several times, both over the phone and by letter. No bill
arrived. Never mind, I viewed it as the cost of incompetence.

Sure. If I get one, which I'll admit is unlikely (as much as I would
like one), you have an open invitation.

 

platypus wrote

Interesting.


I have been having a battle with the Electric for three years now over
money I don't owe that they agree I don't owe but nevertheless insist on
sending me letters threatening to send people round to sort me out about
every six months or so.

I have warned them that I will not tolerate any more and they have
apologised again and then sent threatening letters again.

Next time I sue for expenses.

 

<snip>

I used my secret weapon which I very rarely use - I burst into loud
sobbing hysterical tears! I told them I was worried that the bailiffs
were going to come round and kick the door down if I was out. I sobbed
and snorted that I thought they were going to take all the childrens toys
away, and that NU had had more money than I could afford out of the
account, and that if they didn't pay me back I was going to get more and
more in debt and then everyone would be sending bailiffs around, and that
I didn't know what to do or who to turn to, and that my husband worked
away so I couldn't even ask him to help etc. etc. etc. - and I said all
of the above in one breath so the poor girl couldn't get a word in
edgeways. As you may have gathered it was general bollocks, but it did
the trick (It worked at Orlando Airport too, but thats another story)

I then said that I had faxed the certificate a few times and that I had
also posted a copy of it, and no matter how many times the company had
been sent the certificate it didn't seem to make any difference and then
I repeated pretty much the first paragraph all over again. The young lady
on the phone then asked me to fax her yet another copy of the MQ
certificate - you can imagine my reaction, but she assured me she would
put me on hold, and stand by the fax machine till it came through.

I faxed her the copy, she came back on the phone and confirmed my bank
details with me. She then did the CHAPS payment - I can't remember what
the initials stand for, but it's a payment which goes directly into the
account without taking the usual 3 or 4 days to clear.

I persuaded her to contact the debt collection agency for me - I had
already phoned them, but they said they could not stop their proceedings
without NU's permission. I also asked her for confirmation in writing
that there was no money outstanding on our behalf as I was not convinced
we wouldn't have a visit from the bailiff anyway.

The girl who finally sorted it all out was in a UK call centre.

It happens.

When you spoke to the staff last time, they clarified that your account
was up to date didn't they? If so, phone them again, and ask them to fax
you an up to date account statement - you can offer to hold the line
whilst they check this is ok with their supervisor. Most supervisors
can't resist knowing why a customer wants something faxed, and they
generally come on the phone to ask why you want it - result! your call
has just been escalated, wheras if you asked to speak to a supervisor
you could wait for days before one even considered phoning you back.

If that doesn't work, eithrer chat the telephonist up or try pretending
to burst into tears (but only if it's a girl on the other end of the
line) - male telephonists, as a rule, hang up if someone bursts into
tears on them.

Escalating calls BTW just means moving it slightly up the CS ladder.
e.g. Argos had 5 stages: 1st stage - order taking, 2nd stage - call
management 1, 3rd stage - call management 2, 4th stage - supervisor, 5th
stage - recovery dept - it can take months for a call to be escalated to
recovery.

As for investigating the investigation it generally means that the person
who has just taken your call will check the computer to see who you last
spoke to, then walk across the room, tap another member of staff on the
shoulder and ask them why the hell they haven't sorted or done whatever
they were supposed to do.

In the meantime I'll get a web address for you tommorrow which has Small
Claims Court processing on - from what I've gathered it's free to issue
the first letter, so if you send them one about the credit they owe you
for the gas, with a bit of luck they'll get their arses into gear and
sort the rest out.

I know I sound really manipulative by throwing hysterics, I'm not honest,
but I find I do cry anyway if I'm REALLY angry - so I just make the most
of it and AFAICR I've only done it twice in my life - Chris may disagree.

 

And Boots.

Easily sorted.

"Mr G is fed up with you, as I know you require his authorisation
before you speak to me, here he is... Now you're dealing with me..."

Cue grovelling. I rock.

Cost you.

CIHAGM? <like I'd dare>

 

Lady Nina says...

And the crap credit card company.

That was NTL. Boots were waving the white flag before you got on the
phone.

Most of the rocking is the ear infection. Although you do have your
moments.

I'm sure I can think of something.

Not a hope. You can go pillion though.

 

I don't get these problems. Honestly.

If I do have something that doesn't work or if I think I've been
overcharged I write a letter. It's quicker and I don't have to listen to
Greensleeves.

Brighton Council non-domestic rates people, very nice no bother; NTL,
bit of an infrastructure problem not of their making, very nice no
bother; NTL computer support people (my problem), very nice no bother;
Orange, the poor lad in the shop didn't know - phone support cracked it;
I can't think of any others worth mentioning from over the last three or
four years.

 

I just write a letter, 28p and 10 minutes.

Although I do miss getting a hard on when I beat some under trained part
time tele sales type with my quick wittedness and cunning departure from
their script. I rock.

 

A friend of mine got sent an electricity bill for about £8000 the other
day, and yes, he had to take time out of his busy day to chase the one
person that could help. Unfortunately, he spoke to 5 different people
all of which didn't help very much.

 

This is *exactly* why every time I change providers, I nip onto the online
banking site and cancel the direct debit.

I'd guess about a half a dozen times in the last five years, I've had a
phone call from Telewest, CIS or some other bunch of fuckwits asking why the
direct debit hasn't been authorised.

"Because you don't work for me any more."

 

Curses. Turning the water works on is something I can't do, even less so
with a utilities company. I did have a record of every phone call, every
payment made, what was said etc etc but since about 6 weeks ago when the
finally did "fix" it I stopped recording everything. It's only since
I've tried to change companies that this has come to light.

I've had the same thing from bailiffs; nothing to do with me but I've
phoned them saying the person they're after doesn't live here and I've
never heard of them but still the letters come.

That's a good idea, but WTF to send a fax to? I don't have one and I
don't know anyone that has.

My experience of escalated calls is "we won't do anything more than we
normally do, but we'll say it's escalated so you get off our back for a
while"

I can't do that. I'm more likely to blurt out a string of obscenities.
This has been going on for far too long.

So should I just ask to speak to the recovery department next time?

At least six weeks ago they were investigating this, the investigation
takes 21 days apparently and I've still not heard. That's why they're
investigating the investigation.

They've sent (still remains to be seen) the credit they owe down the
line to be picked up by my card next time I top up with gas. This takes
48 hours though so I won't know for sure until tomorrow or Saturday.
What I want is something official and scary looking to get this whole
thing sorted out once and for all.


<snip>

 

Much too reactionary!

 

sweller says...

So do I. Usually works, in the cases mentioned it hadn't worked so I
asked herself to speak to them.

I'm sure you do.

 

Ive done this too. five times. the last time I got an answering
machine so I ranted for ten minutes.

when I got home from work the next day there was a message on my
answering machine asking that the person who left them the abuse not
call again.

worked though.

--
Adie
(replace spam with nickname to reply)

UKRM FAQ: http://www.ukrm.net/faq/

Triumph 955iSS / GSF1200 bandit / CG125
MRO#11 BOTAFOF#7 BOTAFOT#130 DIAABTCOD#17 MIB#24 YTC#16 BOB#15 ex-UKRMMA#22 BOMB#11

 

And if repeated letter writing has got you no where?

Really? I was chatting to a PhD student last time. Lovely chap.

Oh do **** off sweller.

 

Can you sort out changing my name on my credit card then?

I sent them a letter with a copy of the marriage certificate asking
them to change my name, signed with my new name.

they wrote asking for both signatures. so I replied, quoting their
reference.

I then got a letter saying that they couldn't reference this as I
hadn't put the card number on and could I call 0800 etc.

I phone 0800 etc and they say I need to send both signatures. I say I
have and if they cross reference their letter 2 they'll have them.

I spent an hour on the phone getting more and more frustrated. they
cant cross reference letters they've sent out with accounts.

Ive left it that the supervisor would email both reference numbers and
account numbers to customer service and ask if they'd take a look.

I'm still waiting....

--
Adie
(replace spam with nickname to reply)

UKRM FAQ: http://www.ukrm.net/faq/

Triumph 955iSS / GSF1200 bandit / CG125
MRO#11 BOTAFOF#7 BOTAFOT#130 DIAABTCOD#17 MIB#24 YTC#16 BOB#15 ex-UKRMMA#22 BOMB#11

 

Can't you just tell them to cancel it because you're going elsewhere?

That might get their attention.