Rampage":17d17mt5 said:
I would never use them again due to them phoning me three times everyday for a month about money that wasn't even owed.
I had a bit of a tussle, some years back, with them about this sort of thing - least I suspect it was about this sort of thing.
Ringing my mobile number, asking for the name of a previous occupant. I asked them why they'd be ringing my personal (contract) mobile number, asking for the name of the previous occupants (and given the previous occupants took their landline number with them, too). They got all flustered, said they'd merely got the number from the "system", and put the phone down on me.
As it had been the second time I'd had such a call, I rang back to complain - they confirmed the number the call originated from was a British Gas number, but wouldn't / couldn't explain why it had happened. I asked for them to find the recording of the call and explain themselves. After much ringing, which got me precisely nowhere, and they told me that there was no recording of the call available, I then submitted a subject access request, and they sent me all the screenshots, and a CD with the call on, which, when subject to data protection law, they could magically find and provide. Funny, that... they'd spent weeks telling me there was no recording available.
I then wrote to the CEO, with all the details, asking how all of this could have happened, my belief was that it was a fishing exercise, but I'd only ever allowed them to have my mobile number for the purposes of contacting me about
my account - not something that can go into the mix for any fishing exercise they want to carry out.
I got a token explanation (which I'm entirely unsure I buy - to do with marketing), and fumbling apology, and some money credited to my account.
On the plus side, they never rang me asking for the name of the previous occupant(s) after that, though...
And just to put this in context, the reason why I was keen to resolve all that, is when a utility is contacting me asking about a previous occupant, it makes me think there's some debt or other issue being chased. I'd rather that not be clouded or muddied as having anything to do with me / my house - which is why I didn't just let it go. A one-off, out of the blue - although I wouldn't have bought it as some weird accident - I probably would have let slide, but a second call, asking for the same name, sets off alarm bells.
I've also had times where they've been totally ineffectual at sorting out their own cock-ups, and call, after call, didn't get resolved. In the end, I just decided enough was enough, rang, said I didn't want to speak to the monkey (for once) but the organ grinder, and to put me through to somebody who was going to make something happen, right then. Taking names and asking for supervisors / managers, and complaints departments tends to demand a certain focus and clarity. You also have to keep your cool and not shout or get sweary, otherwise you just give them grounds for hanging up on you.
Ultimately, though, I'm having difficulties with some business, if dealing with them on the phone is fruitless, I just find out the CEO / MD details, and write to them. I'm not under any delusion that they ever personally read or deal with it, but the people who deal with such things on their behalf, tend to be a lot better at it, and seem to impose much more authority on the people who sort such things out, than the normal conduits you tend to get in customer services departments.
