After reading about Southern Water overcharging for its rainwater damage service, I phoned the company to find out if I was eligible for the £18 rebate.

I was eventually informed a rebate would only be paid after an inspection of my drainage system had been carried out. A decision on my eligibility for the rebate would be based on the inspection.

It is clear, despite the success of the Argus' campaign, Southern Water is making it very difficult for customers to obtain a rebate by making payment conditional upon a drainage inspection.

No doubt it is quietly hoping the majority of customers will not apply for it, thereby saving itself hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Until Southern Water removes this condition and agrees to pay the rebate and/or arrange drainage inspections automatically, the Argus victory will be a hollow one.

-Richard Harris, Waterloo Street, Hove