BG direct debit increase when in credit!

Incisor

Cardew wrote: »

A DD agreement between a company(any company) and an individual. It is, as the name suggests, an agreement; both parties need to agree on the amount to be paid.

It is the supplier who gains your authority to get your bank to pay the money they consider necessary; you sign to that effect. So they stipulate the amount the bank pays, not you.

If you cannot reach an agreement, your only recourse is to cancel your Direct debit payments and pay by Standing Order, Quarterly or pre payment and in many cases suffer a financial penalty.

If I could stipulate the amount of my DDs(all 20 or so) I would pay 1p a month, and get the DD discount where applicable!

[I am becoming weary of this little tune] Is there any requirement for them to be reasonable in what they help themselves to from your bank account? Is it not reasonable to expect them to produce a calculation which does not look stupid?

Cardew

Incisor wrote: »

[I am becoming weary of this little tune] Is there any requirement for them to be reasonable in what they help themselves to from your bank account? Is it not reasonable to expect them to produce a calculation which does not look stupid?

Firstly, payment by Direct Debit ain't mandatory! You don't have to let anyone 'help themselves' to your bank account.

Secondly, it depends on the definition of reasonable I suppose; your definition, or their definition.

If both parties cannot reach agreement on a reasonable DD payment; you don't pay by DD.

If denial of DD facilities financially disadvantages the customer(as is the case with most utility companies) then there is the opportunity to make a complaint to the Regulator.

Incisor

Cardew wrote: »

Firstly, payment by Direct Debit ain't mandatory! You don't have to let anyone 'help themselves' to your bank account.

Secondly, it depends on the definition of reasonable I suppose; your definition, or their definition.

If both parties cannot reach agreement on a reasonable DD payment; you don't pay by DD.

If denial of DD facilities financially disadvantages the customer(as is the case with most utility companies) then there is the opportunity to make a complaint to the Regulator.

Regulator schmegulator. Of course, there is no need to debate with these companies what reasonable actually is, all they need to do is publish their direct debit calculation policy in sufficiently detailed terms that anyone with a halfpennyworth of sense could see whether it was fair or not and anyone with a calculator could work out the amount.

What is far more interesting is why BG and the rest do not publish their DD calculation policies.

backfoot

Cardew wrote: »

Secondly, it depends on the definition of reasonable I suppose; your definition, or their definition.

It's quite clear that BG are systematically over charging customers to gain significant cash flow advantage. I know you have followed my own case on another thread and I got them to finally concede the issue on the gas account.It's not a matter of definition,its a matter of principle.

If both parties cannot reach agreement on a reasonable DD payment; you don't pay by DD.
If denial of DD facilities financially disadvantages the customer(as is the case with most utility companies) then there is the opportunity to make a complaint to the Regulator.

Yeah but actually who? Ofgem used to get referals from Energywatch and now they've gone .Even if you do go down that route, it is hard work when it shouldn't be. Customers rightly use these forums to air their grievances which hopefully gets them out in the public.The press often pick up on stuff like this,especially if it's obvious abuse which affects a lot of people.It's quite interesting to watch the BG employees squirm in their responses to try and justify their 'wonderful company',when at the same time they are happy to follow their own crusade against wrongdoing when it affects them.

spiro

The other thing to bear in mind is that most companies will want their books to balance at the end of their financial year. Therefore any DD will be set such that all accounts are at £0 on that date, therefore it depends on were in the 12 month cycle they recalculate you DD as to how high/low they need to set it to achieve this.

KimYeovil

Cardew wrote: »

Firstly, payment by Direct Debit ain't mandatory!

When the surcharge ranges from 10% to 70% (for energy) or 27% (for BT) or 50% (Virgin) it IS, effectively, mandatory.

Kavanne

This is amusing as I am with Southern Electric and wanted to set up a DD. They asked ME how much *I* wanted it for!! I said, 'well I don't know because I've only just moved out of my family home and it was much bigger... What would you suggest for a 2 bedroom property inhabited by 2 people?'

'Oh, we're not allowed to suggest it maam'!!!!

backfoot

Quote from a BG letter to me.

'Our new billing system allows us to reassess your payments every six month as necessary. As a result if we can amend your payments sooner we will do so and advise you on your statement of the change. At reassessment, if there is a credit on your account of more than £110.00 this will be refunded to you. Credits of less than £110.00 will be carried forward to your next payment scheme year and your payment adjusted accordingly.'

Bear in mind that our credit balance was £98 on the gas account.The Click 5 plan was started in August and its also worth noting that they didn't take the August DD. (£38) Coincidence or planning? The annual gas bill is £360.

Yet on electricity with a £5 credit we were asked to up the payments from £20 to £35.:eek:

So where does the £110 come from and why if my 12 x £30 is sufficient to cover the next twelve months for gas can't I have my own money back?

Jokers.

Plushchris

Incisor wrote: »

Regulator schmegulator.

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

I lol'd!

Cardew

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