Switch, gone wrong/failed? what do I do next?

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Katy17
Katy17 Posts: 3 Newbie
in Energy
I had a one year deal with Sainsbury's Energy, via MSE cheap energy club which finished early December 2017. Got reminders from cheap energy club and went on the site to check best deals mid December and the second best deal was a deal from Sainsbury energy so picked that. I got an email on 20th December from cheap energy club to say the switch was in progress. No further emails from cheap energy club, nor from Sainsbury's Energy.
This morning I phoned Sainsbury Energy and asked them when I would hear from them. Was told they had no record of request for switch + the deal I had selected was no longer available.
There is nothing on the FAQs on the site which deals with this situation. My details on cheap energy club show I have a switch in progress.
What should I do now?
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Comments

  • System
    System Posts: 178,094 Community Admin
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    Hi - welcome to the forum. I would contact MSE CEC for help/advice:

    If you have any queries or concerns, you can email us at energyclub@moneysavingexpert.com. Please include your full name, the email address you joined with and your postcode.
  • Former_MSE_Laura_B
    Former_MSE_Laura_B Posts: 114 Forumite
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    Hi Katy17,

    I'm sorry to hear that Sainsbury's Energy has no record of your switch application. We have an FAQ on Cheap Energy Club called I've called the supplier and it knows nothing about the switch. You can find our FAQs here: https://clubs.moneysavingexpert.com/cheapenergyclub/faq

    Frustratingly we often hear that users are told by supplier call agents that there's no record of a switch, however this doesn't mean your switch isn't in progress. We're finding more and more that suppliers' call centres don't have up-to-date information about switches (or they say they don't). Also if your switch has been rejected or needs to be manually processed, we find that call agents can't then see the application.

    As Hengus has mentioned above, drop us an email and we'll be able to look into this and chase this up for you.

    I hope this helps.
    MSE Laura
  • Katy17
    Katy17 Posts: 3 Newbie
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    Many thanks to Hengus and MSE Laura. I have sent an email as requested. +Found the FAQ.


    Call me cynical but, whereas the switchover to Sainsbury's Energy went through very quickly over 12 months ago, now that I'm changing from their expensive standard tariff to a much cheaper one they had available last month AND its in the middle of winter, have they have built in a delay in their computer programmes to retain the standard tariff for longer?


    I will report back when this progresses so that others who have similar issues see the outcome.
  • System
    System Posts: 178,094 Community Admin
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    Katy17 wrote: »
    Many thanks to Hengus and MSE Laura. I have sent an email as requested. +Found the FAQ.


    Call me cynical but, whereas the switchover to Sainsbury's Energy went through very quickly over 12 months ago, now that I'm changing from their expensive standard tariff to a much cheaper one they had available last month AND its in the middle of winter, have they have built in a delay in their computer programmes to retain the standard tariff for longer?

    I will report back when this progresses so that others who have similar issues see the outcome.

    You are being a little harsh. If a supplier agrees to a change of tariff then this is not treated as a switch. It is regarded as a mutual variation of a contract. No 'cooling off' period applies and the change of tariff should be actioned by the supplier within 5 days. This is a Standard Licence Condition in every supplier's Licence to Supply.
  • House_Martin
    House_Martin Posts: 1,462 Forumite
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    Why not just phone Sainsburys up and transfer to the new (higher tariff ).There are no exit fees for a transfer within the same supplier.
    Maybe you are after the £30 cashback from a switch with a comp site.
    I did the same myself, but this was a BG/Sainsburys switch, same supplier but I got the £40 cashback on that
    I am surprised that Sainsburys have come up the second best. They were way down the list when I last checked a couple of months ago, on a par with BG rates.
    Are you ticking the box which says "show all suppliers " ?
  • Katy17
    Katy17 Posts: 3 Newbie
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    House Martin.
    I think Sainsbury's had a very short term offer in December. I knew that I was due to switch and had checked what was around a few times, and Sainsbury's didn't feature at all. I was away on holiday, then when I got back mid December and got down to switching, Sainsbury's were second on the list behind - IIRC Ebico.
    Will now wait, per Laura, and follow up again next week. If I understand what Hengus says, then it seems as if my switch should be dated 5 days after the application, which would mean wef 25 December (or maybe a bit later if that is "working days").
  • brewerdave
    brewerdave Posts: 8,509 Forumite
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    Not sure you can actually use CEC to switch tariffs with the same supplier ???
  • System
    System Posts: 178,094 Community Admin
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    brewerdave wrote: »
    Not sure you can actually use CEC to switch tariffs with the same supplier ???

    I agree that this is a grey area given that referral fees are usually paid for a referral. Collective switches tend to operate to different rules but, as we know, they are becoming very few and far between.

    The relevant Licence Condition is 23A:

    23A.3 Where a Domestic Customer has agreed to a mutual variation, the licensee must provide that Domestic Customer with a Notice containing the following information in a prominent position within 5 Working Days as from (and including) the date the mutual variation was agreed (or must provide that information as soon as reasonably practicable thereafter):


    (a) a statement to the effect that the Domestic Customer has agreed to a mutual variation; and
    (b) an explanation of the effect of that mutual variation.

    FWiW, I had an issue when I returned to an old supplier. Their system latched on to the fact that there had been a supply to my property in the past, and took this to mean that there was an existing contract in place. The computer therefore cancelled the switch.

    It makes me wonder whether the effect of applying via a PCW has led the computer to conclude that as the property is already on contract there is nothing to switch. As said above, these things are better dealt with via customer services.
  • Kittenofhope
    Kittenofhope Posts: 1 Newbie
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    I've been trying to send a message to this email today. Is there any other way of getting in touch?
  • antteepee
    antteepee Posts: 9 Forumite
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    Exactly the same thing happened to us. We were with Sainsburys & went to another Sainsburys deal & again they had no record of the change! Just like you. Fortunately I have still got a new deal but nowhere near as good as last years. deal. Almost double, in fact. This all happened in November 2017.
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