An Open Letter To The Shareholders Of British Gas

So.........there's no chance of getting that £4.50 you borrowed of me two years ago then???

I've recently gone through something similar with my previous insurance company (Budget Insurance).

My tactic was to only communicate with them in writing and to copy every single letter to the Insurance Ombudsman.

Budget Insurance chose to ignore all my letters disputing the debt, and pass the alleged debt to a debt collector (CARS Ltd).

Whilst the ombudsman didn't react immediately, as Budget's (lack of) response became more and more unreasonable and the reasonableness of my own behaviour more and more apparent - the ombudsman stepped in.

Suddenly someone very intelligent and positively fawning at Budget wanted to talk to me, and couldn't be more eager to resolve matters.

Silly billies. Following their own code of conduct, or even their own terms of contract would have cost them far less.

It does not work like this. Utilities like British Gas AFAIK pass their debtors lists to debt collecting companies to see what they can do with them and the debt collectors either taske a commission from what is recovered or add their costs to what is owing. It would seem they have a certain period with the list then the utility will give the list to another firm etc.

The letters would not cost anything like 40 pounds to send out, as they simply have a standard series of dunning letters which are 'personalised' with the debtor's name, address and amount. This is why the letters do not refer to or answer the points made in any letters you send, they just run a robot operation.

====================================== I was about to post something along these lines.

I'm wondering is this a deliberate, organised racket by service providers and large retailers, to make money out of debt collection agencies by selling them fake, non-existent debts?

Three of them have issued fake bills to me, then gone through the usual seemingly endless series of letters, then a debt collection agency takes over, finally the debt collection agency phones me and I tell them it's a fake bill and they've been had, and if they take me to court they will not only lose but get a counterclaim for harrassment and fraud and have to pay me compensation and costs.

It is important to be sure of your ground, to know that the bill is a fake, then to record phone calls from them and to them (inform them at the outset that you are recording the call, to keep it legal), send them a letter (signed for) and make a copy of the confirmation of delivery on the Royal Mail website, and keep all relevant documents.

Then, when a debt collection agency finally connects with you by phone, you can tell them they've been had and that these firms are laughing at the debt collectors as they make money out of them by selling them non-existent debts.

======================================== The sad part is that, so far, this racket has probably been sustainable, because some people will pay a relatively small fake bill to keep their credit rating on track, and some others will be intimidated by the aggressive letters and doorstep harrassment, and some people are so feeble-minded that if you write to them often enough they will come to believe what you are saying to them.

It may also be that these firms are in league with New Labour's policy of crushing the spirit of freedom in England by passing endless laws to control every detail of our lives and make us afraid to open our mouths to speak for fear of 'offending' someone or other or of breaking one of these obscure 'laws' that nobody's ever heard of. Forcing us to doubt our own perceptions by telling us we owe money which we don't owe is an additonal way to wear us down and break the spirit of freedom and pave the way for the coming full-scale EU/NAFTA/ AU/ASEAN global dictatorship. All things are connected.

thedarkman gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

British Gas doesn't HAVE any shareholders, and hasn't had for eleven years.

By the way, did you see the final episode of "The Prisoner" on ITV4 a few days ago. It's worth keeping in mind as they try to wear you down with their fake "laws" and their fake "debts."

That's a shame. I was going to monitor it today to see it plummet.

Or rise.

I assume that if you wanted to show that you were a regular smart-arse with little to contribute in general, you may say:

"British Gas doesn't HAVE any shareholders, and hasn't had for eleven years."

If you were wanting to be genuinely helpful you could say something along the lines of:

"Actually - there are no shareholders in BG anymore - Centrica was formed in February 1997 following a demerger from British Gas plc and is now the parent company of British Gas."

Which category would you be in?

The category of those who wish to make Judith's arse smart.

"Norman Wells" gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

Really? Would you care to give me the LSE code for British Gas shares?

judith gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

The category that's also heard of BG Group PLC, thanks.

In all honesty I have lost count of the number of threatening letters I have received on behalf of British Gas from not one but two debt collectors. I know from personal experience that a solicitor's letter is likely to cost at least 40 at today's rates,

I bet you do if you use this tone with everyone who irritates you!

I once bought a property ,where the previous owner had died. There was an outstanding gas bill of 76. This was from an estimated reading. Went through BG's sequence of ever more threatening letters. I had phoned them, told them it wasn't my bill and it was estimated, but gave this up as it is a life consuming process.

Eventually they sold this debt to a debt collecting agency....got their letters. Then a second agency. After about two years of playing the game, got told if I didn't pay in 10 days they would take me to court. I phoned them and said " no need to wait 10 days, take me to court"... this left the guy a bit flustered..." no, it doesn't work like that". The letters kept arriving until I eventually moved.

mark

This is not a FAKE as such, there was a genuine dispute but they are in the wrong, and I have the correspondence to prove it. I was getting pissed off with these letters but now I will simply ignore them unless they are so stupid as to file for this imaginary debt, which I doubt.

As for the guy wh said British Gas does not have shareholders, if they are owned by Centrica, then Centrica are the shareholders; I've just checked the Companies House website, and this seems to be a public limited company.

This is not a FAKE as such, there was a genuine dispute but they are in the wrong, and I have the correspondence to prove it. I was getting pissed off with these letters but now I will simply ignore them unless they are so stupid as to file for this imaginary debt, which I doubt.

As for the guy wh said British Gas does not have shareholders, if they are owned by Centrica, then Centrica are the shareholders; I've just checked the Companies House website, and this seems to be a public limited company.

You ARE a busy little bee aren't you!

On the whole I think that these sort of bully-boy tactics from debt collectors are disgraceful.

However, in the case of someone as unpleasant as Alexander Baron I have to say it couldn't happen to a better person!

My word - I see that really are a smart-arse.

Just to clinch it - (the uncertainty - not your arse), perhaps you can now tell us what BG Group plc has to do with the supply of gas by British Gas to the OP - rather than Centrica as I suggested?

Well summed up, Anita!

Mary