QUICK OVERVIEW OF WHAT I HAVE HAD TO ENDURE IN THE LAST YEAR

Beginning of July 2003 - Moved out of rented accommodation after finishing university, forwarded on all addresses to relevant companies - British Gas, Water etc, etc. Called British Gas to get water and electricity cut off for summer, gave meter reading off gas and electricity to yourselves and landlady. Apparently you never received that phone call. Funny how you had my new contact details and the landlady has to ring to get gas re-connected????? I wonder how that could happen, but as your company insists that call was never made - makes you think really?

In the region of September - First received letters concerning unpaid bills for gas and electricity for amounts that were stupid - in their hundreds. After ringing to inform you guys I was told the mistakes will be altered and not too worry. I thought no more of it.

November - Received more bills for the address of 36 Stanley Street, Luton. Yet again called to be told we had to pay the full amount. I should point out that this bill varied in price by the amount of £20 from the first one I received and the dates had totally changed!

November - Spent most of the time on the phone trying to explain to a different operator each time my situation. Then told we had to send a tenancy agreement to clarify we were not in the house - myself and Dean Gray both did this. We heard nothing and presumed it had been sorted.

December - Same bill again through the post - demanding payment or they would forward to bailiffs etc, etc. This time we rang our ex landlady who kindly forwarded another one with a short letter. Yet again this entailed a lot of phone calling to yourselves and relevant parties. Was already very frustrated and annoyed - especially as it takes about a year to get through to anyone on the phone at British Gas.

January - Letters continued, different bills were forwarded and many phone calls were made. I even received a bill dated from September - we were not in the house! We had moved out ages before that, it was now living in a different county - I could not believe this.

February - Had now been told that no tenancy agreements had ever been received at all, and nothing could be done without them as far as they were concerned we owed all the money and had to pay. Our account was then forwarded to central recoveries. Many more phone calls and letters were made - as usual and many of your call operators were becoming familiar with me - not good really! Started to receive letters from central recoveries demanding payment and bailiff action, which for someone who has never been in trouble or even paid a bill late was a shock.

March - Started to realize that all my time and effort into trying to sort this out was not been helped at the other end. After speaking to my ex landlady again she forwarded a tenancy agreement and a letter with her details on to British Gas and Central Recoveries, stating how we were not in the property at this time. As you can imagine she is now extremely frustrated by the whole problem as well.

April - Still getting letters from British Gas and Central Recoveries - and yes they are not all the same. Not sure how that works as they have the same ref numbers, but is another one of those unexplainable things. Yet again got the account out on hold from central recoveries end, this meant that every two weeks I have been calling to make the hold last longer. Extremely time consuming, yet they were very supportive in that sense.

May - After speaking at least every week to your call centre operators I finally got one who was so rude I could not believe it. As usual I had to explain the whole story again and he gave me one of your text book answers, which after all this time is pretty pathetic. I am not sure how your system works but more attention should be logged regarding how many times customers call and write, because he told me I had not spoke to anyone for the first time until February. I mean please this is just insulting! He then said and I quote" you can tell me your little story all you want, I am not bothered and will just sit here and listen" Well that's just what you want to hear after 9 months. I put in a written complaint with his name and extension number - surprisingly I have still not heard anything back. I spoke to a manger that evening and put in a verbal complaint too. The manager was a Mr Robert Parry. Bearing in mind this was the first manager I was allowed to speak to in 9 months which is pretty appalling. He ensured me that he would look into my case. Although he needed tenancy agreements and none had ever been received!!!!!!!! Yet again spoke to ex landlady who forwarded them across - this time to 3 addresses - one being Robert Parry's. Unbelievable I am sure you would agree!

June - Received a new bill, very similar to the one we forwarded over in November - a prediction of what we owes. Also attached a cheque for £10.07 in credit/ We thought there was a possibility we has overpaid, although that was the last thing on our minds as we were suppose to pay £200 odd for time we were not there. Happy with the result although no apology after 10 months of trying to get this sorted. But u just left it.

Few weeks later I had a message left from Robert Parry informing me to rip up the cheque and there had been a miscalculation. He left a number to contact him back on = 01332153319. I have tried and tried but no answer and to this day he has not got back to me. I have just had bill after bill sent.

July - Pretty much the same, still apparently owing all that money, explaining after phone call and letter but never a reply or respond. I have now received a court letter and solicitor's letter demanding payment. Apparently I need to send a tenancy agreement!

I must stress this is my effort and does not included what Dean Gray had endure too. This is totally unacceptable and I have only touched on the top of what has also happen, I simply could carry on for days. Maybe one of your call operators and people who deal with billings would forward some of the many letters we have sent over the last year. This perhaps could fill you in properly on everything. To say I am stressed, annoyed and drained would be an understatement