Questions of Cash: British Gas said we owed nothing and called off the debt collectors. Then they came again

The company was chasing payment for a period when no gas or electricity was being used at the property

British Gas wasn’t adept at carrying out readings - and a phantom debt was the result (Getty Images)

Q. You helped me last year (Questions of Cash, 11 September 2015) when my 91-year-old father was receiving demands from a debt collector for £434.26 for British Gas bills – for a period when his house was unused and no gas or electricity was being used.

You told me this was resolved and British Gas also told me, categorically, that it had written off the debt. But now a different firm of debt collectors is demanding £260.56. AC, by email

A. We are sorry this was not resolved when we assured you it was – after British Gas has assured us the debt had been written off.

A spokesman for the company said: "I've double-checked on this and it looks like there was an issue with the debt collectors not properly reflecting the fact we'd written off the debt. We've spoken to them again to reiterate this and they have assured us they updated their records, so this should all be cleared up now."

Hopefully your father will not be troubled again.

A mass pursuit and the debt wasn't mine

Q. I was fascinated to read (Questions of Cash, 12 December) about a reader who had been contacted about the debt of another person with a similar name.

I have had the same experience. I was first contacted by debt-collection agency Transcom on behalf of eBay, and then by another debt collector, Akinika, eBay itself, PayPal, Transcom again and then eBay again. I have never used eBay, nor registered with it, nor with PayPal.

The debtor was someone with the same surname, but a different first name and a man (I am a woman).

I have never known anyone of that name and I have lived at my address, on my own, for more than 20 years. KG, London

A. We are told by eBay that the systems operated by it, PayPal and by the debt-collection agencies that it uses should have stopped this happening. It promises you will not hear again from eBay or PayPal.

We also contacted Transcom; it claimed that customer confidentiality issues prevented it from commenting.

Akinika is owned by Capita, which told us that it had arranged with eBay that it would provide an agreed response.

I just wanted a top-up: 3 put me through hell

Q. I tried to buy a top-up for my dongle from 3 in November 2014, but these were no longer available. I was under considerable stress at the time and did not understand what I was being sold. As a result, I have a contract for £7 a month signed only by me, with no staff counter-signature.

In April last year I realised for the first time that I was paying two monthly direct debits – one for £7 and the other for £7.50 for a mobile phone I have never had. After I contacted 3, it eventually agreed that it had mis-sold me an account and refunded £57.49 of the £70 that I had paid them through a direct debit. The balance was a cancellation fee for the account, which closed on 12 August last year.

Then, on 1 September 2015, two direct debits were taken from my bank account – again one for £7, the other for £7.50. I reported the mistake to the shop, cancelled both debits and wrote to inform the complaints department at 3.

On 10 January this year I received a statement from 3 saying I now owe it £45.04, plus a £57.62 cancellation fee for an account I have never had – quoting an account number that was not mine. I feel I am being bullied. MJ, by email

A. A spokesman for 3 responded: "We apologise for the problems experienced by [the reader] and for the inconvenience caused. We have written to the customer and explained that we have cleared the outstanding balance of the unwanted account and also waived the termination fee."

I ordered a tablet but Currys made it hard

Q. I went to a Cardiff store of Currys on 7 December to buy a black Samsung Galaxy Tab 4. As there were none in stock, I placed an order, paid £100 cash and asked for a business receipt, which I put in the name of the person the gift was intended for. I was told the tablet should be delivered the following day.

The next day I was kept waiting 10 minutes and then told it was not there and would be delivered on the Friday.

Over the next week I travelled to the store another three times, on each occasion waiting 10 minutes to be told it had not arrived.

On 15 December I was told the tablet had not actually been ordered and there were none in stock at the warehouse, so I could not order one. I was offered a white tablet, or a refund – or to I could go to the Bridgend store and collect one.

I opted for the refund, but then a staff member told me it would be hard to process this as I had been given a business receipt, so the store manager would collect a tablet from Bridgend. I eventually picked up the tablet on 18 December, but feel I have not been treated well. I have complained repeatedly but got nowhere, other than the promise of a £20 voucher. HC, Wales

A. A Curry's spokeswoman said: "Our customer service team has contacted [the reader] to apologise and we are picking this up with the store in question. We have provided her with the voucher number and advised her on how to redeem it, as well as giving her a direct line in case she has any further problems. We believe her to be happy with the resolution."