Dealing with companies

When my sister died I informed Virgin media and arranged to send equipment back to them. I later got a letter to " The late Miss J" asking about why the direct debit had been stopped!

When my husband passed unexpectedly in 2018 I didn't gave any issues. Tell Us Once went smoothly as did all other services.

When my mom passed in 2010, that was a different story. I put in a formal upheld complaint against the DWP. The way the man spoke to me was unbelievable. I ended up hanging up and throwing the phone down I was so upset.

Then I had companies coming after me cos of unpaid bills. I'm like you have been told my mom has passed and the bills have been settled.

I had to send in proof again of her death as they hadn't closed down accounts. The worst was the council tax

Tell Us Once was excellent. Premium Bonds no problem. Care Home took a little bit of reminding that we had overpaid but soon sorted. Life Insurance was really good.

Solicitors were hopeless and I complained about their poor service and they then did not charge me for one job which would have been about £300.

Barclays Bank also messed us about a lot and there was a lot of unnecessary travel involved for me. I complained and got £25 from them.

The death of a loved one is bad enough without incompetent and insensitive people on your case.

ParlorGames

The "Tell Us Once" scheme that the Registrar recommended when we registered my Mums death was a total joke. Supposedly, once submitted, the DWP, DVLA, Passport Office, and several other establishments were informed of the death.................No, there weren't! And the DWP had the nerve to accuse us of fraud because Mums pension was paid after her death. Not what people need when they're grieving is it?

I don't know whether the scheme still operates now though as it has been over ten years.

It does still operate. My mum died in November 2021 and everything had to be done on the phone/online because of Covid. The Tell Us Once system was very efficient and the registrar of deaths told me on the phone that they all wanted to whole system to stay online/phone as it was working much better than when people actually had to go and physically register a death.

When DH died last year, we found “Tell us once” worked well for us, and the other agencies’ bereavement services very helpful. The only company we found to be a complete nightmare was Prudential who administered one of his occupational pensions. We sent them all the paperwork they asked for, including an original of his death certificate, by registered post and then they said we hadn’t sent it. It turns out they did get it - then they lost it before it could be logged into their system and they lied consistently to me about it. I wrote a detailed letter to their Chief Executive in the end and received a very apologetic letter from his office - and compensation, which I hadn’t expected.

When mil died two years ago we phoned a national charity to cancel her monthly direct debit donation, they asked for a copy of her death certificate and proof that she hadn’t included them in her will! I told them I would let them have the paperwork once I had posted on SM and contacted the press. They cancelled the dd without proof.

I found most companies helpful in February 2021. The worst for me was a very small savings ISA with Nationwide. He had closed his current account with them but still had the ISA. Also the shares were a bit of a nightmare. We had to get probate so once I had told everyone he was deceased they were just waiting for that. Took about six months as there was a Trust in place. Sky was happy to change things to my name, it helped that I knew his password. All in all I was pleasantly surprised that it was fairly smooth. Its strange how some people have had different experiences with the same organisations.

My husband is in home with Alzheimer’s….. trying to change names in ‘stuff’ is enough to make you want to shoot your self in the head …..SO I just don’t do it ! All is joint names apart from EDF and nice lady there said “ don’t bother” …nobody cares until you stop l
paying them!!! The worst is Virgin …OMG…trying to get them to stop my husbands football and films subscription was a 3 hour online ‘brow-beating ‘ session….until I ‘threw in the towel’ and settled for a reduction in cost which is now creeping back up again! My son just said “ stop the D/D mum”…but that includes broadband and I can’t be without that!

In the last 12 mths since losing DH it has been a constant battle for me trying to sort out financial matters with various banks and institutions to the extent that unless 2 different people tell me the same thing I no longer have any confidence in what I've been told. I have had so many different things said to me by people who sound as if they know what they're talking about only to later discover they have been talking absolute rubbish. There have been less that a handful of people who have leaned over backwards to be of assistance and sort out the mess their colleagues have made of things and I have been eternally grateful to them. 2 banks only got off their backsides and sorted things out once I had sent a letter to their CEO's complete with an account of all the different excuses and conflicting tales I had been told by various of their officers.

After my husband passed away 26 years I went into the bank (Barclays) to take his name off the joint account 1st thing they said was they would cancel the mortgage - I told them no that was also in joint names so automatically went to me.

My father, and a friend of mine passed away within 6 months of each other in 2017 - Dad's HSBC bank were a total pain, my friend's Lloyds bank were the complete opposite and excellent - I was executor for both. Welsh Water was a real hassle, even though I sent in the death certificate they didn't want to send the balance owing (he had a pre-payment meter and had paid more than what he needed) - in the end I had to get a solicitor's letter to them.

01Cabbie21 I know just how you feel. Gone through similar sibce last year when DH died. Amazon the wirst even though they have a bereavement service. Very difficult to get them to change anything. When asked to delete DHs name from photos you'd have thought I'd asked them to stop breathing. All diwn to data protection apparently. The simple solution was to just change DHs email on account to mine, that way I'm notified fir payments, changes but DHs is really still tge a/c holder. Most online companies are a nightmare, I gave up eventually with tge view if they want money they will send a letter. Banks were definitely the best to deal with. Energy okay and of course anything to do with income tax, well they are in touch before you can wink!

I would just stop all direct debits I’ve found they soon manage to contact you once they realise you’ve stopped paying.

Damart - awful! Chasing my deceased mother 3 years after her death for a payment she had already made!

Without telling the long and tedious tale, BT were appalling. I spent many hours on the phone that I won't get back.
And RBS, which handles our life savings, hasn't shone. Their probate team, no email address is provided, they don't answer the telephone, you have to request a callback (when? at a time convenient to whom?). Eventually I wrote a letter which produced an email correspondence and I am finally getting some answers. Not good enough.

Cabbie, my experience of Sadmin was grim. Tell me once worked with some, not with others. Lloyds bank arranged my appointment with the branch manager. I arrived to be told I was to be seen by an assistant who was ‘doing the bereavement training’. She was hopeless as well as insensitive.
I still had to spend hours going through direct debits and standing orders, it’s not always easy to find out what they’re for. I found cancelling effective, people soon responded to that.
DWP - beyond awful.
Amazon prime, excellent.
Virgin media mobile - the bereavement team said it was resolved account closed. Then I had letters and phone calls from debt collectors.
Best of luck - limit how much time you give it x

Another one that found tell us once less than brilliant and NitWits 'lost' the withdrawal of funds paperwork 3 times. Mum died 16 months ago and it's only just settled. Nationwide were amazing with me. Outfox Energy rang yesterday to book an appointment to fit a smart meter, wouldn't take no for an answer 😡 Eventually put #1 ds on who baffled them with science and they hung up

Mum died a long time ago but I'll never forget the way the bank and library treated me. I went into the bank and explained mum had died and I didn't know what to do with her cheque book. He tore it up in front on me and said "done". Then I returned some late books to the library telling them she had died. The librarian said there was a 10p fine on each of them. I was so shocked but paid up without a word.

When my father died in 1991, I looked at my parents' pension book to see if there were any instructions about what to do in the event of the death of one partner (this was pre-internet). Nothing. So I walked over to the post office, thinking there would be form to fill in. I found none. So I queued up, and when I got to the counter I said 'My father's just died, and ...'. Before I could finish the sentence, the main said 'Well you can't collect his pension then'. I was taken aback (if I'd wanted to defraud the Post Office by collecting the pension, I probably wouldn't have mentioned that my father had died ...), but in an odd way found this response rather bracing. Other people's kindness (including that of a young man who cleaned my mother's windows for nothing, 'in memory of your dad') had made me burst into tears, and this just had me hovering between amazement and laughter.

Saga (car and house) insurance were dreadful last year - I must have had to speak to them at least 4 times, each time there was a problem on their system so they couldn’t action things straightaway, and when I called back had to go through everything again, then the prices went up. It was awful, although most of people were lovely.

Swinton Insurance appalling- South West Water were so compassionate and helpful. It definitely varies..

My brother in law died 7 years ago. When my husband rang to close his contract they were so kind on the phone and even waived the £70 outstanding on his bill. Those little things mean so much at that time.

My husband died 16 years ago and British Gas were still sending correspondence to him for approximately 7 years. In the end I just cancelled heating contract with them and went elsewhere. I gave up trying to get them to change to my name.
I would suggest cancelling all D/Ds and S/Os at bank together with all debit and credit cards. This should stop any future subscriptions being paid. Particularly recurring transactions on any card. Especially if you’re not getting anywhere with individual companies. I was a Bank Manager before I retired. Please take care and maybe tackle one thing a day as there is so much to do. Sorry for your loss.

On the whole my experience was positive except for BT l rang to cancel my husband's phone, as he had a phone as well as a contract the person l spoke to said l had to keep paying it until the end of the contract, my daughter suggested selling the phone and using the money to pay off the contract, when l rang again l spoke to another person ans explained l would like to pay off the contract he was disgusted what l had been told and cancelled the contract there and then. The other call handler also talked me into amalgamating the products l had with them to save money which added another 12 months to my contract, my daughter was disgusted that he did this when l had just lost my husband, she is in the process of fighting my case

I found “Tell us once” extremely helpful. The two worst were National Savings and edf . The matter left me in tears, so obstructive. The chap at BT was absolutely lovely , I could have hugged him!
On the whole, a mixed bag. - DH had left everything in very good order, but not everyone was of the same standard, regarding help.

My DH died 16 years ago and at the time our bank were dreadful . I went in with his death certificate and the manager was very abrupt and unhelpful . I just wanted his name taken off our joint account. A few days later I tried to withdraw funds and wasn’t able to . Apparently the account was on hold until I opened a sole account. I was fuming that she hadn’t explained any of this so I wrote to head office . Within days I was given a personal manager who was very efficient and helped me deal with all insurance policies which were due .
The best company we’re O2 , when I phoned to cancel his mobile phone they put me through to their dedicated bereavement team who dealt with me in a kindly manner and cancelled his account with no further charges .
Also very kind were Everton Football Club who gave me a full refund on his season ticket .