Energy Supplier Discussion

One of the big six suppliers only offers cheap tariffs to those with smart meters or those unable to have one, I believe.

I actually cancelled my switch in the end. The meter details didnt look right, and “Wattbot” had no idea what I was trying to say. Eventually got a call from someone who sounded like a toddler, and had no idea either, so I cancelled.

A good friend of mine joined Eon and wanted smart meters fitted. Some weeks after requesting the meters, a fitter arrived and on inspecting the electric meter, refused to fit a smart meter unless my friend had the meter resited and the supply cable upgraded to ‘modern standards’. Effectively it would have cost my friend a lot of money getting in an independent electrician in to do the work. The gas meter wasn’t replaced either. Not sure why though.

EON had two goes at fitting mine, they never worked.

I got 3 months free energy too with the amount of times they failed to turn up.

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In the last 17 years, my interaction with anyone working within any energy provider customer services has been so rare, that I’m quite happy to go with the cheapest provider I can find…within reason. I use MSE Cheap Energy Club and I do avoid the providers that appear to be causing some customers concern.

What I don’t understand, are customers who cannot be bothered at all, to read their meters and rely on estimated bills only or until a meter reader actually comes to the house. To me, this is just barmy. It takes me just 5 minutes to read my meters monthly and submit the readings to my energy provider. I’ve never had an estimated bill so I’ve never had ‘bill shock’. What does please me, is that my current energy provider bills me monthly, not quarterly or half yearly, something Npower used to do when I was with them.

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I went with Outfox the Market last year this was when they were ranked high 8s on TrustPilot and no issues. I thought I never need to contact them so it doesn’t matter as long as they are cheap.

Well the company raised its prices 4 times consecutively, giving the min 10 days notice just before Xmas and then forcing everyone into a 70/30 split. So £60 monthly turned into nearly £200 a month. They then started are whole host of really bad behaviour like rejecting credit refunds, blocking customers switch even in credit, setting up DD on ex-customers, reinstating
DD without permission, changing T&C’s without notice and things like blocking customers on twitter/Facebook and reporting their one star reviews on TrustPilot.

Well they are now 4.5 on TrustPilot and Citizens Advice have just ranked them the worst with 1.3

Just had the first of three cases, awarded in my favour by Ombudsman Services. The others later this month.

Ofgem have failed so far at protecting new customers, as ex-customers still trying to get refunds from final bills.

I’m now with People’s Energy. :crossed_fingers:

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I have to admit, I’m on a fixed 15 month dual fuel tariff so I’ve not been subject to any increases. I haven’t actually been on a variable tariff for years. When I was with Npower, I frequently switched ‘in house’ to cheaper tariffs. When my current tariff finishes, (certainly within the last 49 days of my tariff), I’ll most likely switch to a different supplier, probably one of the big six, maybe even Bulb, so I can actually have smart meters fitted, something my current supplier isn’t offering at this juncture.

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Did you get a discount for Gas I did with Bulb :slight_smile:

And they do Homewarm that gives £140 a year towards Electricity so for me still cheapest :wink:

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Yeah, 4% drop in gas prices :+1:t2:

I did exactly the same. No issues at all then all of a sudden price increase emails kept coming, followed by them continually changing their mind about raising my direct debits so that I was covered for Winter.

I’ve never been so frustrated that a company is “allowed” to quadruple your direct debit agreement without asking for permission. Purely because they think it will benefit you and despite the fact that my account was in hundreds of pounds worth of credit to cover just that.

I switched from them to Octopus through Monzo a few months ago and I’m still waiting for the money in my Outfox The Market account to be credited back to me.

Was it all of this that you complained to the Ombudsman about? Can you give me more details about what you said and what the outcome was please?

Random question but are you in England?
Just been reading through OUTFOXTHEMARKET T&Cs and some of them an unbelievably specific… In their t&cs it says their T&Cs are only enforceable in the courts of England…

That is random :laughing: Yes I am in England :slight_smile:

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No just as your comments sparked my interest into the company(I have never heard of them((or used them))) and their T&Cs are odd… With that being my main point of interest so far.

I hadn’t heard of them before either but they came up as the cheapest quote on moneysavingexpert and just like @phildawson said, their reviews at the time were really good.

I’ve just left a trustpilot review so I feel a bit better now :laughing: . Will be interesting to hear how @phildawson got on with the Energy Ombudsman because I’ve only skimmed the surface with the issues that I had with them.

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Behind a free trial I found this: OFGEM are aware of the lack of customer service so hopefully you’ll get your money back in due course

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Wow, I’m surprised they’re still allowed to operate although they’ll probably just setup a new company under a different name once the regulators are off their backs.

I then saw the article ended with this:

:clap:

i think that was for Economy Energy… But still ridiculous

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@Ordog @NeilM Well Ive had four complaints in total. :thinking:

Complaint #1 RESOLVED (£50)

Around being financially impacted by being told better rates in my chat that were never given, this also had two other concerns that included: failure to provide a refund when requested, and also incorrect balance, as my debits and bills didn’t add up. This was resolved on the 9th week, when I said I’ll take the concerns to Ombudsman Services if it isn’t dealt with, and I received a £50 from Joella that same day for compensation of not getting those stated rates and to not take it any further, and my balance was also correctly calculated to resolve that concern.

Complaints #2 RESOLVED (£100)

Failure to stop Direct Debit when requested, having a Direct Debit setup on an ex-customer, then re-instatement without permission (multiple times).

Complaints #3 (in progress)

Misinformation in being told a whole months membership cost would not be deducted from refund for the days waiting for switch to complete at the start of the month.

Complaints #4 (in progress)

Poor handling of GDPR request, and exceeding the ICOs one month deadline and omitting specific transcripts. Included in this complaint is a nonsensical attempt to suggest that I hadn’t originally given permission for my own request as the reason for not processing it.


The issues I’ve noted with this company:

  • Creating Direct Debits on ex-customers
  • Failing to cancel DD via bank
  • Reinstating DD without permission
  • Blocking customers on Twitter and Facebook
  • Revealing case details without identify check
  • Failing to comply with GDPR request ICO one month timescale and omitting evidentially valuable data.
  • Incorrectly calculating balance
  • Reporting 1 star reviews on TrustPilot
  • Blocking customers switching in credit or less than 28 days
  • Refusing refunds
  • Changing T&C/contract changes without informing or making clear as to what changed and when.
  • Consecutively raising prices four times with minimal notice and forcing a 70/30 split of payments putting people into financial hardship.
  • Constant lying about responding on chat and failing to respond to emails for months
  • Ignoring complaints until raised with Ombudsman Services after 8 weeks.
  • Promising better energy rates to existing customers than were never possible to get.
  • Terminating chats when asking about complaints and blocking communication
  • Exceeding Ofgem recommended timescales for producing final bill and refund.
  • Intentionally disputing Ombudsman Services cases to obstruct and delay.

If you want to read the outcome on Complaints #2

Decision

Issue 1

Issue type: CUSTOMER SERVICE - Incorrect action taken
Issue analysis:

Your first issue is that after completing a switch away from Outfox The Market, the company reactivated your direct debit several times without authority. Outfox The Market has not provided a response to this issue. As such I will consider your version of events accurate. Your supporting documents include evidence of emails and chats you have had with your bank that show your direct debit being reinstated without request. This was after the company confirmed to you on 7 December 2018 it would be able to complete a refund of any remaining credit balance on your account via a bank transfer and as such a direct debit would not be required to be in place. I note you have had to contact both the company and your bank several times each time this has happened. I acknowledge the inconvenience of this being needed and the concern this issue will have caused you. The Direct Debit website (www.directdebit.co.uk) confirms: “Money shouldn’t be collected from your account after you have cancelled and under the Scheme rules, an organisation would have to obtain your authority to reinstate a cancelled Instruction.” As the evidence supports that Outfox The Market did not obtain your authority to reinstate your Direct Debit several times, this is a shortfall in customer service. I have received no evidence to support that this issue has continued since December 2018 and as such I consider that the length time that has passed since supports that the issue has been resolved and that no further corrective action is required. I consider the customer service that you have experienced in relation to this issue has fallen short of the required standard. I will consider a remedy specifically regarding the shortfalls in customer service that you have experienced at the end of my report.

Outcome: Upheld

Issue 2

Issue type: CUSTOMER SERVICE - Quality of customer service
Issue analysis:

Your second issue is that you have experienced a poor level of customer service while your complaint has been ongoing. I have reviewed your supporting documents and the level of customer service while your complaint has been ongoing has fallen short of what I would expect to see. The people you spoke with at Outfox The Market provided you conflicting information about how it could manage your direct debit concerns and the subsequent refund process and once escalated the company did not act in line with the complaints handling procedure it has detailed on its own website. This led you to need to continue contacting the company yourself as it was not acting in line with its promises to contact you back in agreed timescales. In my opinion these issues made it very difficult for you to manage the complaint effectively.

Outcome: Upheld

Remedy 1

Remedy: Goodwill

Value £: 100.00

Comment:

Provide a £100 goodwill gesture as a direct payment for the shortfalls in customer service and inconvenience experienced.

Remedy 2

Remedy: Action

Comment:

Provide an apology in writing for the shortfalls in customer service and inconvenience experienced.

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I always find Goodwill gestures such a :angry::angry::angry::angry:
They should be refunding the full amount not some token gesture(My logic behind that is that they want you to be quiet((So keep kicking up a fuss :grinning:)