[OT]Spam from Bargain Bobs

[Bob Eager]

Their 25 year history of paying on time, perhaps.

[Dave Plowman]

No. We're talking here about a couple in their '80s and it seems obviously confused. Hardly 'everybody'.

[Steve]

Would you not use a bit of common sense when dealing with aged pensioners. > how do front line utilities staff know the difference between this couple and the many

They use their common sense, instead of pretending that the DPA stops them doing anything. Jobsworths the lot of 'em.

Steve

[Alan]

In message , Steve wrote

You assume that the staff at the utility companies know the ages of their customers, their overall financial circumstances and their full medical history.

Have you ever had to provide this information in order to obtain gas, electricity or water?

Doesn't the DPA stop them having this unnecessary information?

[Bob Eager]

Somebody personally visited the (very confused) wife.

An unblemished 25 year payment record was something that they DID know.

[Peter Taylor]

IMO it should be illegal to cut off heating fuel to anyone over 65 _under any circumstances_. In our climate, and with so many old houses with inadequate heating, insulation and draught proofing, heating fuel for over 65's is just as vital as air and water, and I would say much more important than a free bus pass. There has to be another way of dealing with disputes.

And just what "data" did BG think they were protecting? This is a smokescreen. If BG feel they need to be callous and uncaring enough to cut old people off, then they should, by law, at least be compelled to ensure they are in safe hands.

Whatever the facts and whatever the rights and wrongs of the arguments in this thread, this couple died unnecessarily. We should be looking for ways to prevent it, not apportioning blame.

Peter

[Alan]

In message , Bob Eager wrote

So what? Millions of people that have had a 25 year record of payments have stopped paying BG in the last few years. Do BG then have to inform social services about all of these people?

[Steve]

Yes.

From credit reference agencies - freely available.

Not necessary,

Well yes actually I have.

No. Remember the main thrust of the DPA is that the data is accurate and not unsecure.

Steve

[Steve Firth]

Yup, completely agree (awaits sound of Dave fainting). And this case was even simpler. A person had visited the couple and spoken to one of them. It is not then a breach of the DPA to phone social services and say "I am extremely concerned about the well being of these people".

[Dave Plowman]

Hope you never get old and infirm, Alan.

[Alan]

In message , Dave Plowman wrote

This is nothing to with being old and infirm.

BG should be treating ALL their customers in the same way and they have a duty not to divulge our details to a third party that has bugger all to do with supplying our utilities.

Some people seem to think that BG staff should be trained social workers but I bet they would go elsewhere for their gas if the resulting price was too high.

I also bet the advice that large organisations have had about the DPA has been given by the legal profession. If this advice is unclear and incorrect then perhaps the original legislation was flawed.

[Steve]

No, just act like human beings, and not jobsworths.

Steve

[Dave Plowman]

But they *cut off* the gas supply. Not passively contributing to the deaths - but actively.

Absolutely nothing to do with the case in point.

It certainly suits them. Nothing like hiding behind a law - or the way you intemperate it.

[Alan]

When front line staff get abuse from customers on a daily basis would you care if someone told you to f**k o*f?

[Alan]

In message , Peter Taylor wrote

Do you live in the real world? This would mean that no-one over the age of 65 would be accepted as a customer of any utility service. Everyone would be cut-off at 64.

[geoff]

In message , Alan writes

When I get older cut off from my gas coz I ain't got the cash Will you still provide me with 'lectric fire when powergen have pulled out the wire If you hide behind the DPA I won't be alive It won't even turn ya If I've hypothermia when I'm 65

Ok, it doesn't scan very well, waddya expect today?

[Peter Taylor]

Alan

Alan, you are twisting things. You know what I meant. Anyone over 65 should by law have a right to heating fuel supply without the fear of being cut off. If there is any problem about paying for it then, as I said, another way needs to be found of dealing with this. Cutting people off and leaving them to die in the cold is NOT how a modern civilised society should be treating its senior citizens. Think of the outcry if animals were left to die through lack of warmth!!!!

You seem a very uncaring and callous person yourself - do you work for British Gas? I bet your home is nice and warm.

Peter

[Peter Taylor]

geoff wrote

LOL Geoff - brilliant!

[Lawrence]

So what happened to neighbours and family.

I feel the DPA and B G are getting an unwarranted level of abuse over this. The problem is with society as a whole and Maggies privatization of all the monopoly utilities. How many of you have pension schemes, write to them and complain about BGs actions if you feel like it. They are very likely to have some BG shares. So for most people if BG fail to collect payments then its your pension taht suffers.

usenet at lklyne dt co dt uk