TalkTalk TalkTalk customers left without internet pursued over cancelled contracts
Debt collectors were set on a couple who cancelled their contract with TalkTalk after the firm failed to provide them with a connection to the internet. Despite numerous appeals to the company, Jennifer and Bernard Algar still had no internet connection a month after signing up with TalkTalk and switched to Sky. TalkTalk then claimed the Algars owed the company £353 and passed the sum to debt collectors when the couple refused to pay. Jennifer Algar, a retired teaching assistant, described TalkTalk's behaviour as disgusting.

When Stuart and Carol Corkett received a £525 bill from British Gas they immediately knew something was wrong.

The reading for their gas meter was wildly off, and it didn't take long to work out what had happened: British Gas had used the meter for their neighbour's house, which is 6ft away.

Yet what seemed like a simple misunderstanding turned into a nine-month ordeal, with the retired couple forced to fend off debt collectors.

Initially the Corketts, from Taunton in Somerset, received a stream of letters from British Gas demanding urgent payment. They wrote to the energy company twice and made numerous phone calls to explain about the meter confusion.

Unwelcome: Figures show that gripes about debt collection practices at big firms and government bodies have more than doubled over the past year, rising from 830 to 2,006

But the demands continued, and soon they started to get letters and phone calls from Moorcroft Debt Recovery, a debt collection agency.

Each time Stuart, 65, rang British Gas to call off the agents, he got a different customer services representative and had to explain the whole saga again.

Nothing seemed to work and the stress got so much that he had to see his doctor.

'I kept appealing to British Gas, but they weren't listening,' Stuart says. 'It felt like I was at a dead end and the next thing I knew they'd put debt collectors on to us.

'I don't understand how companies can be allowed to do this, as a lot of elderly people would be so intimidated they would probably pay up.'

The Corketts' ordeal at the hands of one of Britain's biggest companies is far from an isolated incident. Money Mail readers report similar bullying tactics from a range of energy and telecoms firms, as well as government bodies such as councils, HM Revenue & Customs and BBC licence fee collectors.

Customers are routinely chased for debts they do not owe, often due to a billing blunder or a case of mistaken identity.

Innocent: Retired couple Stuart and Carol Corkett had to fight off debt collectors after a meter reader read the meter for their neighbour's house by mistake

Then, with no warning, they start getting terrifying letters and calls from debt collectors who threaten court action.

It can prove almost impossible to get the debt collectors called off. Victims say they have suffered sleepless nights and been afraid to open their doors in case bailiffs turn up.

Figures from complaints service Resolver show that gripes about debt collection practices at big firms and government bodies have more than doubled over the past year, rising from 830 to 2,006.

Complaints about the tactics used by debt collection agencies and bailiffs themselves soared 77 per cent from 864 to 1,529.

'I WAS TREATED LIKE A CRIMINAL'

Linda and Brian Dowse have faced a battle with Ovo Energy since June, when they downsized to a one-bed flat in sheltered housing.

Linda, 75, a retired carer, and Brian, 73, a former painter and decorator, asked Ovo to take final meter readings and transfer their account to their new home.

Two weeks after the move, a letter from Ovo arrived saying the couple were £18.97 in credit.

Just a fortnight later, they received a letter from a debt collection agency, LCS, demanding £233.61.

Linda called Ovo and was told to ignore the letter as it was an error. But two further demands from LCS arrived in August.

'I was appalled — my rule is I never lend money and I never borrow it,' Linda says. 'I've never even owned a credit card. It's been murder trying to clear this up.'

One firm that is mentioned regularly in Money Mail's inbox is Extra Energy.

We exposed the company earlier this year for using debt collectors to chase customers for money they didn't owe. It is under investigation by the energy regulator Ofgem. A spokesman for Extra Energy says it has apologised to 'the small number' of customers affected and also compensated them.

Narendra and Sarla Shah, 77 and 57, from Crawley, were chased by First Utility's debt collectors for £170 in September — nearly a year and a half after they had closed their account.

The couple thought they had paid all outstanding charges and say they were given no warning before the debt was passed to MIL Collections. Narendra, a retired electrical engineer, says: 'It was very intimidating. I felt like I was being treated like a criminal.'

First Utility says it emailed the Shahs about the debt in June 2016, but has apologised for not contacting them again before passing it to MIL. It has waived part of the bill as a goodwill gesture.

British Gas apologised to the Corketts and says it has called off the debt collectors and sent a goodwill payment of £250.

A spokeswoman says: 'Mr Corkett alerted us to a meter number mix-up on his account after we sent him his final bill. We reviewed this and then sent him a corrected bill confirming that he had nothing to pay.'

Ovo says it is sorry the Dowses were incorrectly billed and has cleared the debt.

HARASSED OVER PHONE SWITCH

Energy suppliers aren't the only firms to have been guilty of harassing customers. Jennifer and Bernard Algar, 69 and 72, from March in Cambridgeshire, were left without an internet connection for a month after they switched to TalkTalk. The couple say they asked TalkTalk time and again to fix the line.

After endless excuses and delays, they told the firm they'd had enough and were switching to Sky. But that just prompted TalkTalk to send letters and emails demanding £353 for cancelling the contract early. The Algars refused to pay.

Jennifer and Bernard Algar, 69 and 72, from March in Cambridgeshire, were left without an internet connection for a month after they switched to TalkTalk

Then, out of the blue, their case was passed to Debt & Revenue Services — a debt collector — which sent more demands. Jennifer, a retired teaching assistant, says: 'It's disgusting, threatening behaviour to blame us after all TalkTalk's own failings.

'When we get a bill we always pay it the next day, but why should we pay for a service we haven't received? Now we are being treated like delinquents.'

Terry and Barbara Bowen, 74 and 71, from Cardiff, were chased for £243 when they moved house and were told they couldn't take their Virgin Media internet, TV and phone line with them.

They moved to nearby Porth in March to be closer to family after the death of their son Darran last year from multiple sclerosis. Virgin said it couldn't supply their new address, so they had to break their contract early. They were threatened with debt collectors if they didn't pay.

Terry, a retired Royal Mint supervisor, felt he had no option but to relent. 'I told Virgin about the reasons we were having to move and they said they were sorry but it was all in the contract.'

Ofcom is investigating the exit penalties Virgin imposes when it can't supply a customer's new address.

Virgin says it will give the Bowens a refund as it can review charges in 'unforeseeable and unfortunate circumstances'. A Virgin Media spokeswoman says: 'We urge all of our customers to consider the length of contracts before entering into them. We advise our customers that the details of early disconnection fees are on our website.'

TalkTalk apologises for the Algars' experience and has cleared the debt.

BITTEN OVER £204 DENTIST BILL

Another reader, a 69-year-old former pharmacy dispenser from Cambridgeshire, was chased for debts by the NHS.

The pensioner received a 'letter before action' demanding payment of £204 from NHS Dental Services after mistakenly believing she was still entitled to free check-ups.

The bill included a late payment charge of £146, and she was threatened with debt collectors if she didn't pay.

One reader received a 'letter before action' from NHS Dental Services after mistakenly believing she was still entitled to free check-ups

The pensioner says the receptionist had handed her a pre-filled form to sign, saying she qualified for free treatment. She didn't realise she didn't because her husband had gone back to work and their joint income had increased.

'It was an honest mistake and I would have been happy to settle the original £58 charge for the appointment, but I wasn't given the chance,' she says. The NHS says she can appeal using its website.

The Mail has also revealed that customers are being hauled to court over unpaid BBC licence fees — only to have their cases thrown out because they were vulnerable or unwell. HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has also been caught setting debt collectors on unsuspecting taxpayers.

James Walker, founder of Resolver, says: 'Collection agencies work by piling on the pressure to intimidate you into coughing up the cash. Many people are afraid to make complaints in case it makes things worse, but they should fight back.'

HOW YOU CAN FIGHT BACK

If you're chased for money you don't owe, the last thing you should do is ignore it.

The sooner you act the better. Contact the company immediately and let it know why you are disputing the bill.

Keep copies of letters and emails you send, and keep a log of phone calls you make, including who you spoke to and what was discussed.

Provide evidence to support your case — such as meter readings or details of your attempts to resolve the matter.

If the company doesn't put the situation right within eight weeks, ask for a 'deadlock letter'. Then you can take your complaint to the relevant ombudsman.

For energy firms, this is the Energy Ombudsman (ombudsman-services.org; 0330 440 1624).

For telecoms companies, use either Ombudsman Services: Communications (ombudsman-services.org; 0330 440 1614) or the Communications and Internet Services Adjudication Scheme (cedr.com/cisas; 020 7520 3827). Your supplier must tell you which to use.

If your complaint is about a credit card firm or another lender, go to the Financial Ombudsman Service (financial-ombudsman.org.uk; 0300 123 9 123).

If a bill is passed to a debt collector, contact the agency to say you are challenging the demand.

Under an industry code of conduct, debt collectors must halt any action against you until they have gone back to the company concerned and investigated.

The Credit Services Association, which administers the code, requires members to offer 30 days 'breathing space' if customers say they are seeking debt advice. It also says that agencies must only contact you at 'reasonable times and intervals'.

If you believe a debt collector has treated you unfairly, after eight weeks you can complain to the relevant ombudsman for the company it is representing.

New guidelines that came in at the start of this month set out the steps a company or its debt collectors must follow before taking you to court. Firms must set out a full breakdown of charges and other details of the original contract in a Letter of Claim.

You will have 30 days from the date on the top of the letter to return a reply form before the company can start court proceedings.Once you return the form, you and the business then have a further 30 days to discuss the debt. During that time you should attempt to resolve the matter amicably.

If you request more information about the debt and proceedings in the reply form, the business must wait another 30 days after supplying the answers before dragging you to court.

If a company fails to follow the new rules — called Pre-Action Protocol for Debt Claims — a court may reduce the amount you have to pay. A judge could also put the proceedings on hold until the company complies.

The rules do not apply to HMRC. If you disagree with a bill or penalty from HMRC, contact the tax office mentioned in your letter straight away, as you may be able to delay payment while you are appealing the decision. You can also call the tax tribunal helpline on 0300 123 1024.

Peter Wallwork, chief executive of the Credit Services Association, which represents debt collectors, says complaints are falling.

'If you receive a letter from one of our members, and particularly if you think it is a mistake, contact the agency straight away and they will help you resolve it.'

l.milner@dailymail.co.uk