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Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To want to write a very sarcastic letter to British Gas

31 replies

dilemma456 · 09/09/2009 14:24

Message withdrawn

OP posts:
Tidey · 09/09/2009 14:25

I think sometimes letters and emails are ignored by companies. Maybe phoning them would be better, and still keeping a record of when you've spoken to them?

Original poster
dilemma456 · 09/09/2009 14:27

Message withdrawn

OP posts:
Original poster
dilemma456 · 09/09/2009 14:27

Message withdrawn

OP posts:
RustyBear · 09/09/2009 14:29

They probably won't know what a 'reception class' is....

Possibly 'a four-year-old' would be better.

claricebeansmum · 09/09/2009 14:29

Although it is always very tempting to be sarcastic it is always useful to keep the upper hand with good manners. Keep cool and calm and don't become one of the "green ink" brigade.

PandaG · 09/09/2009 14:32

when a student trying to sort out his poll tax (he didn't owe any) DH eventually resorted to writing in as many different languages as his friends at uni could translate his letter into (including latin iirc) and broad Norfolk dialect, as the people at the other end did not understand plain English!

piprabbit · 09/09/2009 14:34

I like the first paragraph and would definitely use it, but probably wouldn't go on to use the second paragraph.

I loathe companies that just...do.....not......listen.

claricebeansmum · 09/09/2009 14:34

LOL at writing to council in Latin!

piprabbit · 09/09/2009 14:35

P.S. Try copying the letter to their CEO, might get a bit more of a response?

PeedOffWithNits · 09/09/2009 14:39

write to their CEO, marked "private and confidential"

someone will get a bollocking then!

ObsidianBlackbirdMcNight · 09/09/2009 14:53

Send it. It's amazing how useless some companies can be.

My brother used to work at EDF. While he was actually good at his job, they are one of the main employers here and get a lot of casual staff, they employ bottom level staff through agencies and they are very transient. So you may get someone who is committed to actually helping you, or you may get someone who is only there because his JSA will be stopped if he doesn't get a job for a couple off weeks who won't give a shit.

It needs to go to a manager, and in writing. In fact, send it in multiple to as many people as you can think of.

ObsidianBlackbirdMcNight · 09/09/2009 14:54

And have you contacted ofgen?

Nancy66 · 09/09/2009 15:12

This is the best complaint letter ever (to NTL):

www.derbygripe.co.uk/ntl.htm

claricebeansmum · 09/09/2009 18:12

I think this is also an excellent letter of complains [http://www.anorak.co.uk/money/2009/01/dear-richard-branson-the-virgin-airlines-complaint-letter/]]

ObsidianBlackbirdMcNight · 09/09/2009 20:55

here you go!

suecy · 09/09/2009 22:18

I used to work for an energy company, managing their customer services dept. Believe me, the only complaints we really cared about were the OFGEN ones - we had strict deadlines and monitors for those as they were externally managed for us - hate to say it but the dear mr x letters found their way to the bottom of a very big pile! I haven't worked there for 4 years! OFGEN every time!

tethersend · 09/09/2009 22:34

British Gas are idiots.

They phoned me to ask if I had a forwarding address for the previous tenant- I explained that she had died (she was very old).

Silence.

"Do you have a forwarding address for her?"

"No, she's dead"

"Do you have any contact details at all?"

"She's dead"

"So you don't have a forwarding address?"

"Yes. Number 22, Heaven"

"Thanks for your time"

"No problem"

I kid you not.

SleepingLion · 09/09/2009 22:34

OMG, DH and I have just cried with laughter reading those two links. That letter to NTL is the funniest thing I've read for ages.

milknosugarplease · 09/09/2009 22:46

"Yes. Number 22, Heaven"

o god thats made me laugh!!
xx

Linnet · 09/09/2009 22:57

I would put in the first line with the dates.
I actually did this once in a complaints letter as they obviously hadn't read the first letter properly so I wrote back saying you obviously didn't read my letter dated xyz.

I wouldn't put in the second line though.

Best of luck.

curiositykilled · 09/09/2009 23:09

I would send the first paragraph too. The letters get read if they are sent to the right person. You just have to find out who the right person is.

curiositykilled · 09/09/2009 23:10

well all apart from the 'reception class' line.

AntdamnTheDM · 09/09/2009 23:15

My SIL and her hubby bought a flat that had previously been a buy to let flat. The previous tenants had run up a couple of massive gas bills with British Gas. Before they moved in, the gas meter was removed, so there is NO gas going into their flat.

They have had about two letters a month for the past two years from British Gas!! SIL's hubby phones them every so often to ask them to stop hassling etc etc. They can't seem to get it through their heads that the previous tenants have moved out and - more importantly- that there is no gas in that flat!!

British Gas have threatened them repeatedly with a 'man' who will come up and CUT OFF the gas supply and SIL's hubby keeps telling them - you go right ahead, because then maybe you will discover that there is NO gas in that flat.

2Years this has been goin on, and it seems like it wont stop anytime soon.

ohnelly · 10/09/2009 11:12

Dont waste your time - I wrote them a 6 page rant, and all I got was a £30 cheque. I told them to shove it & changed to another company. Grrr

Original poster
dilemma456 · 10/09/2009 14:09

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