Last August we had a boiler fitted by British Gas. In the quote it promised a year’s free HomeCare insurance worth around £450, which was one of the reasons we went ahead.
We already had HomeCare with British Gas, so were assured our payments would stop for 12 months. But this did not happen and British Gas continued to take £36.49 a month by direct debit.
It accepts the mistake but claims a software error is at fault. Nine months later it is still taking the monthly payment and because of the computer fault says it is unable to rectify matters. Its complaints department admits that we are not the only customers in this situation. DB, Havant, Hampshire
We were surprised that you did not take steps to cancel the direct debit arrangements yourself. When we contacted British Gas it acted quickly, apologised and halted these payments. As well as issuing a full refund, it is in the process of adding some further benefits to your cover. It said in a statement: “A processing error meant we continued to charge DB for duplicate HomeCare cover. We have apologised for the inconvenience and offered a £100 gesture of goodwill.”
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