The title of this post is an inversion of the slogan used when British Gas was privatised in November 1986.
I bought 1,000 shares and sold them in 1990 for a 50% gain. I re-invested in 1996 on a larger scale and made a lot of money. So I mustn’t complain, as us oldies say when about to start on a rant.
Many years ago I took out Five Star cover for the rather old boiler from British Gas. BG took anything up to two weeks to visit – and infuriatingly would not make a fixed appointment. Of course these days everything is different. Almost everything can be done swiftly online – oh no it can’t!
British Gas, unasked, have provided “free” Boiler and Controls Breakdown Cover. Not quite free as there is a £50 excess and it only covers the boiler not the elderly central heating system which spouts more leaks than The African Queen. I can cancel the policy within fourteen days, but I received it three weeks after the starting date. I thought an online chat with a Bot called Cosmo would let me cancel but Cosmo was too cunning for me. He was a polite and charming Bot until he saw the word “cancel” then he told me to go to the BG website to read Frequently Asked Questions or to wait an eternity for an operator.
After thirty-five minutes I spoke to Mishka who made a last ditch stand to keep me on board. Mishka is a real person; a Bot would spell cancellation correctly. She was unaware I was cancelling a free policy but interesting she is able to reduce the premiums for payers.
You wonder why I cancelled insurance that conceivably could have been of use? I would not have remembered to cancel it in December and I have a Direct Debit with BG. You wonder how I spend my mornings? Today is sunny and crisp; I was supposed to walk along the river with Bertie. Instead I have been tied up with BG and writing this post. Also I want to hear PMQs and catch up on some tasks. For what it’s worth I think Boris is a wounded beast. He will be put down by his own party but not just yet. It’s interesting to read, through Chips’s eyes, how unpopular Churchill and Eden were in 1941, so I’m probably wrong about Boris.
I also received BG’s very underhand “free” offer. I put it in a drawer and went for a walk in the sunshine. I hope Mishka won’t feel unloved. My intention is to send BG a handwritten letter declining their offer and threatening them with a complaint if they dare try to charge me in 12 months time. Bots will struggle to read my handwriting.
John, I don’t know your trade but I think you are not aware of the insurance business and its deplorable tactics. To put it simply, BG sells data to an insurance company. “British Gas Services Limited earns commission for selling insurance products on behalf of British Gas Insurance Limited … “ It is a disgrace and I suggest you call You and Yours, a BBC Radio 4 wireless programme, to tell your story.