At some point, I stopped getting bills from my energy company. I called them every month asking for them, and each time I was told that they would fix it and I should get a bill the next month. I was paying every month, so I wasn’t too bothered.

Then, I ended up moving, so I called to get my final bill.

Employee: “It looks like you haven’t been paying enough monthly and have accrued a balance of [amount over £500].”

This was a balance nobody had told me about for the ten months I had been calling to get a bill.

Employee: “If you don’t pay this balance now, it will be sent to debt collectors, which will affect your credit score.”

Me: “I had no idea I owed anything!”

Employee: “Well, didn’t you notice you weren’t getting bills?”

Me: “Yes. Yes, I was, which is why I called you, emailed you, and wrote you countless letters, and everyone promised they’d sort it.”

Still, somehow, it was my fault.

Employee: “I can see no such records on your account.”

Me: “I have kept thorough records of who I spoke to and when. I had the letters signed, and I have read receipts for the emails, so if you have no record, that’s your problem.”

Well, they sent it to collections when I couldn’t magically pay them over £500 right away — complete with a tonne of fees for non-payment. It wrecked my credit score, and at the time, I worked for a financial company. Such a thing could jeopardise my job.

I went straight to the Ombudsman, who ruled in my favour. I did still have to pay some of the bill since I had used the energy, but I was awarded some damages for the time I had spent contacting them to fix the issue and for them putting me in a position where I might lose my job.

This is one of many reasons I will never go with that company again. If I moved somewhere they supplied, I would switch.

In 1979, I got a call one afternoon at my accounting office from a medical clinic thirty miles west of me.

Clerk #1: “We need a payment on your bill. It is ninety days past due and will be turned over to collections soon if you don’t make a payment.”

Me: “Who was treated at your clinic?”

Clerk #1: “Your wife had an appointment with our OBGYN.”

Me: “And when was this appointment?”

Clerk #1: “In February.”

Me: “Well, that is not my responsibility.”

Clerk #1: “Your wife gave us your name as the responsible party.”

Me: “Well, you see, our divorce was final last December, and I don’t believe I am responsible.”

Clerk #1: “You will need to send us a copy of your divorce decree to clear this up.”

And I complied.

In May, I got a call from a clothing store in a town about fifty miles southwest of me.

Clerk #2: “Sir, you must make a payment on your account.”

Me: “Who are you?”

Clerk #2: “We are [Women’s Clothing Store], and you have an account that is gravely past due.”

Me: “Where are you located?”

Clerk #2: “[Town].”

Me: “And when were these clothes put on my account?”

Clerk #2: “Your wife charged over $500 in clothes in March and listed you, her husband, as the responsible person.”

Me: “Well, gee! I don’t think that is the case since we were divorced last December.”

Clerk #2: “You will need to send us a copy of your divorce decree.”

Me: “Not going to happen. This is not the first time she has done this. It is not my fault you did not check with me before you set this up and let her leave with the clothes. If you want a copy of my divorce, then you call the clerk of the district court in my county and pay for your own copy. That is your responsibility, not mine.”

I am calling a customer because he is several months overdue on their credit card payments and has ignored our letters and emails. I have surprised him by calling from an alternative number, and since I have him on the phone, he’s agreed to go through the security questions.

Me: “Okay. Now, sir, you are almost four months behind on your credit card payments. Would you be in a position to make a payment today, or is there a financing plan that would—”

Customer: “I’m not in a position! I’m in the hospital!”

I can hear the TV in the background and a dog barking fairly close by, but I give him the benefit of the doubt.

Me: “Oh, I am sorry to hear that, sir. In that case, I was about to talk about our financing that—”

Customer: “I’ll be in the hospital for months! I’ll call you back when I am out!”

Me: “Again, I am sorry to hear that you’re in the hospital, sir, but I do need to resolve this issue with you. Could I call you back later today, or tomorrow if that’s more convenient?”

Customer: “I won’t be able to pick up later! I won’t have any arms!”

Me: “Uh…”

Customer: “They’re being amputated! And I’ll also be in a coma! For months!”

Me: “Sir, I… will put a note of that on your account. I will try again tomorrow, just in case.”

Customer: “I can’t come to the phone tomorrow! They’re amputating my legs!”

Me: “…as well as your arms?”

Customer: “…” *Click*

I put a note on the system. I checked back on his account a few weeks later and someone had spoken to him again. This time, he couldn’t talk to us because he had been drafted and was about to go to war for “many months, maybe years.”

I wish our bank would stop giving everyone credit cards!

I have just moved into a new flat, and I get my first energy bill. It comes in at about twenty times what I expect — around £600 for one month’s electricity for a studio apartment — so I call the company.

Me: “Hi. I’m calling about my energy bill. I’ve been here for a month, and I’m still getting set up, so I haven’t used much electricity, and yet my bill seems to be enough to cover my whole building.”

Agent #1: “Oh, that’s weird. Do you have a smart meter fitted?”

I agree to the smart meter, and it’s installed a month later. In the meantime, I am billed another £600, but I have only a direct debit for £75 a month. As soon as the smart meter is fitted, it’s clear from the readings that my usage is more like £40 a month, but the back charge hasn’t been cleared. No worries; maybe I need to call again. 

I talk to [Agent #2] and clear the security questions.

Agent #2: “Hi there. I see you owe us £1,150. How would you like to pay for that?”

Me: “I would not, actually; I’m trying to resolve this. I had a smart meter fitted which shows that, since the date of that meter fitting, the readings have dropped all the way down. It’s clear that the original readings were wrong, and I’m trying to get that cleared.”

Agent #2: “Oh, I’m looking at your records and I see exactly what you mean. I’m going to forward all this to the correct department. You should see this removed by the next billing date.”

Brilliant, I think. Sorted. 

But three months later, I’m still getting emails about this overdue amount (which is steadily going down as I’m still overpaying for my actual energy usage). So, I call again. And I have the same conversation again. I’m now being redundant and I’m stressed out of my mind, but the agent assures me that it will be resolved by the next billing cycle. 

Three months pass, and the amount is still showing on my bills. I’m signed off work with chronic pain and anxiety (not helped by this bill), and I call again. This time, I am overwhelmed and not hiding it well when I get this awful agent. 

Agent #3: “Hi. I see you owe us [amount]. How would you like to pay?”

I repeat my spiel about the bills and go on to say:

Me: “This has been going on for six months now, and getting these constant emails is negatively impacting my mental health.” *Starting to cry* “Can you please just remove these overdue charges?”

Agent #3: “Yes, yes, I understand. It must be very hard for you, being a woman.”

I immediately sober up emotionally. 

Me: “Actually, you know what? Leave a note on my file. I’m taking this to the ombudsman.”

Agent #3: “Whatever, lady.”

And he hangs up. I’m livid, so I let myself calm down before quickly calling back. I get another agent. 

Agent #4: “Hi. I see you owe us [amount]. How would you like to pay?”

Me: “Actually, I would like to make a complaint. Can you see who accessed my file earlier today?”

Agent #4: “I can’t see any access today from anyone.”

Me: “So, he didn’t even access my account? That’s insane. I was talking about my bill. Can you see the notes?”

Agent #4: “Give me one moment.” *Pauses to check* “Okay, I see. So, you’ve been overcharged?”

Me: “With the last guy, I was explaining how this bill is affecting me, and he essentially said that I was emotional because I’m a woman, even after I explained my long-term health conditions. I don’t appreciate being belittled like that.”

Agent #4: “You’re right; that’s totally unacceptable.”

Me: “I know it’s not your fault, and you’ve been great, but at this point, I have to go to the ombudsman as I don’t feel like I’m getting any support from your company. Can you please leave a note on my file that that’s what I’m doing, as well as my complaint about the previous agent, whoever he was?” 

She was nice, and while it took another six months, my contact with the local ombudsman services had them reverse the charge, along with a suggested £100 credit. But it was the most exhausting year of my life.

I worked in customer service over the phone for a popular TV company. I went several rounds with one customer who was upset about his bill.

Customer: “I shouldn’t have been charged at all! I haven’t used my TV in nine months because I haven’t had any power!”

Me: “Sir, you should’ve called us to tell us to stop service. Since you didn’t do that, I can only get your service turned off now. I can’t reimburse you for nine months of non-use.”

Customer: “You can see that I haven’t used it! You’ve charged me illegally!”

Actually, we can’t see whether customers are using our service or not. I kept trying to reason with this guy, and he kept arguing. After forty-five minutes, I finally said:

Me: “Sir! We are not the government. We do not track your every move. Would you like to cancel or not?”

He chose to cancel.