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Atlantic Electric&Gas Retrospective Price Increase - SURELY ILLEGAL?
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I have been a customer of Atlantic for a several years (gas only) and they have been consistently very good - cheap that is.
However, today I received a letter informing me that prices would increase from 25 August by 29.2%.
Naturally I telephoned them to suggest that this is unreasonable/illegal - increasing the price of a product I have already consumed after purchasing at an agreed price. I was told that the price increase had been anounced 'in the media', and that customers had therefore been informed. The letter was just confirmation and the delay was reasonable due to the large number of customers the letter had to be sent to.
The lady (who was very pleasant) was adamant that all customers should have been aware of the increase before the letters were received. I pointed out that I had not been directly informed until today, and that this was therefore a retrospective increase and unacceptable.
Eventually she offered to 'put a note on my file' to the effect that I had complained.
She then asked me for a meter reading so that 'as a gesture of good will' Atlantic could delay my increase until after that reading.
Presumably customers who do not complain just get slyly shafted.
This is something, but surely the whole thing has to be wrong. Is there not a period of notice they need to give before a price increase?
Comments anyone??
Oops - I've just spotted the other post about Atlantic.
Never mind - I think my point still is relevant. The must be making a huge amount of money from people not complaining.
However, today I received a letter informing me that prices would increase from 25 August by 29.2%.
Naturally I telephoned them to suggest that this is unreasonable/illegal - increasing the price of a product I have already consumed after purchasing at an agreed price. I was told that the price increase had been anounced 'in the media', and that customers had therefore been informed. The letter was just confirmation and the delay was reasonable due to the large number of customers the letter had to be sent to.
The lady (who was very pleasant) was adamant that all customers should have been aware of the increase before the letters were received. I pointed out that I had not been directly informed until today, and that this was therefore a retrospective increase and unacceptable.
Eventually she offered to 'put a note on my file' to the effect that I had complained.
She then asked me for a meter reading so that 'as a gesture of good will' Atlantic could delay my increase until after that reading.
Presumably customers who do not complain just get slyly shafted.
This is something, but surely the whole thing has to be wrong. Is there not a period of notice they need to give before a price increase?
Comments anyone??
Oops - I've just spotted the other post about Atlantic.
Never mind - I think my point still is relevant. The must be making a huge amount of money from people not complaining.
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I too had the same letter...... not chuffed at all and will ring them in the morning. I have been looking out for Atlantic to put the prices up. I haven't seen anything but will trawl through to see when they "supposed" to have informed us in August0
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The problem with the Atlantic brand is not many people realise it is under the parent company of Scottish and Southern Energy which was noted in the media, however most people didn't realise this included Atlantic.i_like_shoes wrote: »I too had the same letter...... not chuffed at all and will ring them in the morning. I have been looking out for Atlantic to put the prices up. I haven't seen anything but will trawl through to see when they "supposed" to have informed us in August0 -
I have just seen something in the Energy Shop.....
But surely we should have been informed at the time of the announcement, not have the gas and electric then say its going up. We could have had the option of looking around for a more competitive supplier. They gave us a rebate a couple of months ago to say "thanks for being with us". Why didn't they say at the same time " we also gonna take that off you in a couple of months"0 -
She then asked me for a meter reading so that 'as a gesture of good will' Atlantic could delay my increase until after that reading.
I would have asked them what meter reading they were basing the increase on in the first place!Missing Tesco R&R since Feb '07 :A & now a "Tesco veteran" apparently!
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The problem with the Atlantic brand is not many people realise it is under the parent company of Scottish and Southern Energy which was noted in the media, however most people didn't realise this included Atlantic.
That may be the case - but not my problem. It is not up to me to scour the media to find out if the terms of a contract I have with a company are being changed. They should contract me doirectly before making tthe change.0 -
I'm not making excuses for them as I don't know when they started sending out the letters however sending out 8.5 millions letters doesn't happen overnight so I think that is why they are given 65 days to give notice to their customers.That may be the case - but not my problem. It is not up to me to scour the media to find out if the terms of a contract I have with a company are being changed. They should contract me doirectly before making tthe change.0 -
Plushchris wrote: »I would have asked them what meter reading they were basing the increase on in the first place!
Good point - my last meter reading was in May.
I said I would phone back tomorrow with a current reading. As I am not a qualified meter reader - who knows how accurate it might be? 0 -
Rian...... If someone changes the terms and its price it is up to the supplier to notify me.0
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Atlantic, Scottish, Southern it matters not the burdon is not on the customer to seek out information but on the supplier to directly inform them and not rely on the press to do the job.The problem with the Atlantic brand is not many people realise it is under the parent company of Scottish and Southern Energy which was noted in the media, however most people didn't realise this included Atlantic.
I doubt very much they would have a leg to stand on if trying to pursue debt for outstanding amounts on this basis and yes I'm fairly certain that those not complaining or savvy enough to realise what has happened will take it right up the rear end.Four guns yet only one trigger prepare for a volley.Together we can make a difference.0 -
I'm not making excuses for them as I don't know when they started sending out the letters however sending out 8.5 millions letters doesn't happen overnight so I think that is why they are given 65 days to give notice to their customers.
Sorry - you are way off the mark here.
If you went to Tescos to do your shopping, and the person at the till totalled your trolley, but then said - by the way, our prices increased 2 months ago by 29%, but we have too many customers to inform in that time, and not enough staff to change the labels, so pay me the extra for those 2 months now please - would you not be slightly displeased???0
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