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n-power and direct debit

Posts: 7 Forumite
Hi
having changed utility suppliers in the past i did not hesitate when n-power lady knocked on door and said that i would get a sum of money off after 12 months if i switched and paid by direct debit.
This was in aug it is now jan 09.
The lady copied my bank details incorrectly by adding an extra digit, thus the direct debit did not set up.
I did not get informed this had happened, the last words the lady said was " just leave it up to us"
I belived her as i had had easy transfers between suppliers in the past.
Only going thru my account did i notice it yesterday. I must owe in region of £500, but as i was under the impression that the money was being taken, i spent what was overflow in the account as i often do. especially being christmas and all. The 1st guy on the phone was not very helpfull and just wanted me to set up the debit now, which i did, but he will not backdate start date to get the money back benifit in 7 mnths time.

i have lodged a complaint with a 2nd guy whoverified that i should have instantly been informed when it would not set up and had a copy of the paperwork that was filled in, BUT where should i go from here, WHAT should i expect from them?
Thanks for any help.

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Comments

  • Posts: 4,229 Forumite
    I can understand you not noticing for a month, but since August ... ?

    I understand you don't have the money you would have paid, but you have obviously used the energy so need to negotiate an increased DD to pay the debt back over the next few months.

    Not easy, but I can't see what else you can expect - I think the standard advice is that if it's five months' debt, you should have five months to repay. So you need to divide what you owe by five and add that on to your normal monthly DD. If they won't accept this, I'd suggest putting it all in writing.
  • Posts: 7 Forumite
    Hi magentasue,
    I too cannot believe i did not notice sooner, but i have had my bank accounts set up in such a way that has worked well for me for years that i suppose i just thought everything was paying my bill almost automatically as it reliably has for years.
    My position isnt dire as i have also been in the habit of putting any spare cash into other accounts, (to loose it), so i dont spend it recklessly.
    My consern is that when i signed the direct debit form i would have sworn that the extra box did not gave a digit in it (i would have scrutinsed it being an on the door agreement) but the sheet i was given back after the lady had torn her half off had it. This cannot be proven neither way, but are the sellers on a commision to sell non direct debit contracts as this would mean that n-power would not have to pay the cash after 12 months, although this was the enticement to get me to agree.
    There is surely a safeguard when entering a direct debit that if at any stage of the appliction the request fails then the customer should be informed, so why did it not apply to me this time?
    is there foul play afoot or am i being overly suspicious!!??!!
  • Posts: 4,229 Forumite
    You could be right but it could be human error. We have some DDs on an Alliance account and they have this weird way of having one account number for transactions and another with an extra digit on statements and on cheques. OH has set up a DD incorrectly twice now - the last time was a new mobile contract and after the first month didn't go through, he was disconnected! So, no we weren't informed.

    Can only suggest putting it in writing - the bank may be able to trace a failed DD set up.
  • I would say this would be a case of slipping through the net

    I wouldnt be suspicious, sounds like clerical error. someone should have informed you the direct debit was not set up, or you should of at least got a bill throught the post as surely if the DD wasnt set up, then you should have been billed as cash quarterly. then this would have alerted you that the direct debit wasnt set up sooner than you realised yourself
    Debt Free May 1st 2009
    Back to try and get debt free *again*
    HSBC - £280 to go. LLOYDS - £1831 to go. Tesco - £1300 to go. Very/Arrow? £418 to go.
    :(
  • Posts: 7 Forumite
    To add insult to injury,
    The woman on the doorstep with her calculator worked out i would be better off with npower and the direct debit 12 month money off offer made it cheaper compared to my previous EDF.
    Phone up today to get figures, turns out i was put on a tarrif that was far more than my edf, in fact i owe nearly £800 since august, npower said if i had been on another of there tariffs this would be nearer £500, which is near to edf figure allowing for expected increases.
    The door seller also managed to put my previous supplier as British gas on the form that was filled in.
    I still think she knew what she was doing.
    Also very hard to lodge complaints with npower as they think each problem is another deparments problem.
    ERGHHHH!!
  • Posts: 4,229 Forumite
    Lesson learned, pay up and move on.

    You can almost always get a better deal yourself than signing up over the phone or on the doorstep. They're trained and paid to sell - you won't get fooled again.
  • Posts: 150 Forumite
    Magentasue wrote: »
    You could be right but it could be human error. We have some DDs on an Alliance account and they have this weird way of having one account number for transactions and another with an extra digit on statements and on cheques.

    Yup you have to remove the first digit as they give 9 numbers not the normal 8 for DD's. Ive accidently done this when setting up DD's where there paper or the character length screen online isnt limited to 8 digits.

    Also the number you remove is the last digit in the sort-code number.
    "Self trained industry expert who has worked in Electricty Distribution, Electricity & Gas Supply and currently works as an independent consultant in industry processes to particapants in the industry" :eek:
  • Posts: 7 Forumite
    Magentasue,
    It may come to that, but i will not give up so easily. I do think miselling in any form should be accounted for, afterall the quality of the gas and elec i used was not any better was it!
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