Auld Reekie Ranter 1 Scottish Power 0 (after extra time)

Regular visitors to this blog may have read about my daughter Michaela and the tragic loss of her fiance barely three weeks ago. Her life has been turned upside down and everyone who loves her is rallying round at her time of need. So what she didn't need was a snippy letter from those bastions of tact and diplomacy, Scottish Power.

Just days after Billy's passing, Michaela received a final demand from Scottish Power for over £260 as payment due for when she and Billy shared a rented flat in the centre of Edinburgh. In obvious distress, Michaela told me she couldn't understand this as she had made sure all her bills - rent, council tax, phone and electric - were settled when she left and moved back home. As if she hadn't enough to do with funeral arrangements and coming to terms with her grief, she was at her wits end. 'Don't worry about this, dear' I said, 'Give the bill to me'

I e-mailed the customer services section of Scottish Power and explained there must be some mistake and that my daughter really didn't need this right now. A Customer Services Advisor replied yesterday that, while they were sorry to hear of Michaela's loss, the outstanding amount was for the period September 2006 until February 2008 - AND IT NEEDED PAYING. Just one not so minor flaw in their argument - Michaela left said property in March 2007...

Cue another e-mail from me late last night threatening legal action if this matter was not resolved. Lo and behold, at 7.00pm tonight Michaela received an e-mail from a Customer Services Representative - I'm assuming this is a supervisor - advising that, indeed, Scottish Power had made an error (although they are trying to blame the letting agent) and all money due for electricity during her time in the flat had, in fact, been paid.

As John Cleese says 'you've got to complain until you're blue in the face to get anything done in this country'. The bureaucrats at Scottish Power have cocked up and thought, 'she's only a teenager, she'll cough up the money. And we don't really care if she's suffered a personal tragedy very recently'.

But Michaela and I refused to be beaten by the bureaucrats. We've taken on Scottish Power, despite the difficult month we've had - and won. It may be a small victory for a small consumer.

But it's a victory nonetheless...