Question on data protection
Discussion
to cut a long story short basicly 2 big gas companies are trying to bill for the same period for a house i lived in about a year ago and gas company A has given my details without my premision to gas company B. I know 100% it must have been gas company A becuse they have spelt my name stangely wrong and so has gas company B
I was just wondering if this was legal ?
>>> Edited by mattd on Monday 10th January 00:45
I was just wondering if this was legal ?
>>> Edited by mattd on Monday 10th January 00:45
seeing as how, They can't.To be honest, I think more information is needed here. In answer to your post, it is legal to send out a bill if the company believes it is owed cash for the gas, but then there should be a signed contract of supply to the address, hence there can be only one supplier. Ask them to furnish you with the contract of supply for the address; as you are being billed for it you have every right under the Data Protection Act (as repealed, blah, blah) to see the evidence of supply.
Also ask for all bills to be sent (as a courtesy to you to identify whether you are liable), but they can charge for this if they see fit.
At least you'll know if you signed the contract.
Still, need more information...
Also ask for all bills to be sent (as a courtesy to you to identify whether you are liable), but they can charge for this if they see fit.
At least you'll know if you signed the contract.
Still, need more information...
If I may step in there to say that it has been known for those "selling" new contracts to falsify application forms. They are usually low paid and on a "bonus" system. Nuff said. But as Double Play said: You will know if you signed it, if you did, the other company must be wrong. It could just be bad communication on their parts, in which case, help all you can but sit back and watch.
>> Edited by 8Pack on Monday 10th January 02:30
>> Edited by 8Pack on Monday 10th January 02:30
its quite hard to explain but i lived in a place about a year ago (student place) and it seems some one forgot to get the final gas bill
now out of the blue about a month ago i get a bill for £250 for a quarter from gas co A (quartly bills at this place where about 30-40 quid)This bill was also about a year old. I've been trying to reason with this company about the bill but as i don't have the meter readings they are going on some estimate but i can't see how that is right. As this company never bothered to contact us while we where actualy in the house i'm pretty certain they where paid off and are claiming for the months that we where with the other company but i'm waiting for the guy that has the bills to get back to me on that
We changed suppliers during the tenancy to gas co B and i assumed gas co A was paid off (as we never heard from them.
then i get a mail from gas co b about 2 weeks after dealing with gas co A for about 300 quid with the same wrong address/name on it (coincidence i think not)lucky tho i had the final reading from the letting company and they have reduced the bill to the correct £33 amount
So i'm really pissed off with these two companies who both seem to be trying to rip me off and i would love any oppertunity to have a dig at them.
>> Edited by mattd on Monday 10th January 02:41
now out of the blue about a month ago i get a bill for £250 for a quarter from gas co A (quartly bills at this place where about 30-40 quid)This bill was also about a year old. I've been trying to reason with this company about the bill but as i don't have the meter readings they are going on some estimate but i can't see how that is right. As this company never bothered to contact us while we where actualy in the house i'm pretty certain they where paid off and are claiming for the months that we where with the other company but i'm waiting for the guy that has the bills to get back to me on that
We changed suppliers during the tenancy to gas co B and i assumed gas co A was paid off (as we never heard from them.
then i get a mail from gas co b about 2 weeks after dealing with gas co A for about 300 quid with the same wrong address/name on it (coincidence i think not)lucky tho i had the final reading from the letting company and they have reduced the bill to the correct £33 amount
So i'm really pissed off with these two companies who both seem to be trying to rip me off and i would love any oppertunity to have a dig at them.
>> Edited by mattd on Monday 10th January 02:41
MMmmh! So, no-one arranged a final reading for company "A", or a "Start" reading for company "B" is that right?
Dodgy!
It's not something I've ever done personally, changed companies that is, I don't agree with it on principle.
But, if I did I would make sure that each company knew (in writing) and phone, a date for the transferal. Did anyone do this?
Dodgy!
It's not something I've ever done personally, changed companies that is, I don't agree with it on principle.
But, if I did I would make sure that each company knew (in writing) and phone, a date for the transferal. Did anyone do this?
8Pack said:
MMmmh! So, no-one arranged a final reading for company "A", or a "Start" reading for company "B" is that right?
Dodgy!
It's not something I've ever done personally, changed companies that is, I don't agree with it on principle.
But, if I did I would make sure that each company knew (in writing) and phone, a date for the transferal. Did anyone do this?
yes somthing along those lines but i'm trying to get the reading from company B to give to company A, which you think they would have done seen as the feckers shared my personal data they could at least share fecking readings
i'm waiting for the guy that has the contract to check the reading for it if he can find it then it should be easy to sort out but they don't seem to realise why i'm mad even tho they are trying to bill for about 2 years worth of gas at that place!
I see. You should have really arranged for compy "A" to read it as well, and had both reps there on the same day, even time, if possible.
Remember that YOU and not the companies, are ending and starting each contract, if you did not do this then you bear some responsibility. They won't talk to each other and I think "A" is "stalling" because you did not end the contract in person.
If you are presently a customer of "B". All I can see is for you to threaten "B" that you will return to "A" if they do not give them the reading to "A". and failing all else you are prepared to let a court decide.
But expect some critisism in the descision.
Remember that YOU and not the companies, are ending and starting each contract, if you did not do this then you bear some responsibility. They won't talk to each other and I think "A" is "stalling" because you did not end the contract in person.
If you are presently a customer of "B". All I can see is for you to threaten "B" that you will return to "A" if they do not give them the reading to "A". and failing all else you are prepared to let a court decide.
But expect some critisism in the descision.
Interesting.
I had a very similar situation, which turned out to be quite comic once it was resolved.
We moved in to a new place, and started getting gas bills from one supplier, electricity from another, then 6 months down the line, the electricity company starts sending us bills for gas.
We didn't notice for a few months (how many people actaully check their bill and meter reading before posing the cheque?) then got into an a whole series of calls trying to work out what had happened.
After speaking to Transco, it turned out we were actually on the new supplier for gas, as this had been requested...by the house opposite!
Seems their records weren't all they could be...
It took 6 months to get a rebate cheque from the first supplier, and I still wonder if the house opposite will ever receive a bill.
Wish I'd thought of the data protection act bit; might have sped the process up slightly.
I had a very similar situation, which turned out to be quite comic once it was resolved.
We moved in to a new place, and started getting gas bills from one supplier, electricity from another, then 6 months down the line, the electricity company starts sending us bills for gas.
We didn't notice for a few months (how many people actaully check their bill and meter reading before posing the cheque?) then got into an a whole series of calls trying to work out what had happened.
After speaking to Transco, it turned out we were actually on the new supplier for gas, as this had been requested...by the house opposite!
Seems their records weren't all they could be...
It took 6 months to get a rebate cheque from the first supplier, and I still wonder if the house opposite will ever receive a bill.
Wish I'd thought of the data protection act bit; might have sped the process up slightly.
same here - nearly the same as Jimmys issue...except that Southern Electricity 'stole' the gas account from British Gas when we moved in...and according to Transco and S.E, this is pretty common practice.
Worked out rather well though....Transco told me that S.E were supplying us with Gas, so British Gas had to accept I wasn't going to pay them. However...they could prove they supplied that house with Gas for the previous twenty years. So I asked SE for a copy of my signature on a form requesting the transfer (which I'd never done). They went away too!
Worked out rather well though....Transco told me that S.E were supplying us with Gas, so British Gas had to accept I wasn't going to pay them. However...they could prove they supplied that house with Gas for the previous twenty years. So I asked SE for a copy of my signature on a form requesting the transfer (which I'd never done). They went away too!
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