Southern Electric Salesman

jaylake

I read on the internet that watchdog looked in the above and suggested miselling back in 2004. Tactics included saying that they could cut out the middleman ie Germany in my case and that they owned the supply equipment and that Transco no longer existed. He looked at the meters which he said would be changed and showed some energy saving equipment that would be free to new customers. Free emergency cover and a £25 per year saving because I had the "best boiler". He also took my meter readings and then I thought why did he do that.
When I suggested that I had seen Southern Electric and been on USwitch he said that Southern only offered a few of their services on these as they did not want to pay the comparison site charges and that it was up to me if I did. My concern is that he is in an area with a large proportion of elderly, hence my concern. Sorry for the long e mail but the pitch being used is identical to that exposed some years before.
He had a number of bills proporting to show the charges of various companies and although I cannot be 100% sure I am sure they were not my current charges.

Plushchris

As a general rule of thumb NEVER believe a word they say!

Lies all lies.

anniecave

regional electric companies going under/ceasing trading is a common one

supplier x is cheaper as they don't have a standing charge is another

comparing their with DD discounts prices with other supplier's non DD prices

asking for a signature to just confirm they've been around to check the meter.... (and that's the contract you've just signed)

treat anything they say with a big dose of cynicism and you should be OK....

Coupon-mad

Quite right Plushchris, lies indeed! :T

The post reminded me that last year I chased after a Southern Electric Salesman to ask for his name so I could report him!

His crime was he spouted lies at my front door, I gave him short shrift...then I saw him next door trying the same rubbish with my neighbour who had a new baby. I just saw red, ran out of my front door and loudly told him not to bother anyone in my road and I would be reporting him to Trading Standards for some of the things he had said (which he then denied he had said, and couldn't get away quick enough :rolleyes: ).

I asked for his boss' phone number (he wouldn't give me a phone number so I just called Trading Standards & gave them his name and quoted exactly what he had said). I ended up being phoned back by a Consumer Direct officer who was specifically collecting such info 'to add to other complaints against SE'.

Plushchris

anniecave wrote: »

regional electric companies going under/ceasing trading is a common one

supplier x is cheaper as they don't have a standing charge is another

comparing their with DD discounts prices with other supplier's non DD prices

asking for a signature to just confirm they've been around to check the meter.... (and that's the contract you've just signed)

treat anything they say with a big dose of cynicism and you should be OK....

Spot on with all of those! :T

You forgot the classic - comparing their prices without VAT to their competitors including VAT, I love that one! :rotfl:

Premier_2

I got tugged by an EDF salesman in a shopping centre the other day; he guaranteed to beat my current energy provider on cost and offered to calculate the savings I would make by switching to his company.

Then he asked who I was currently with and what my consumption was.

When I explained that I was with ebico, was served by an IGT and would only be interested in paying on receipt of bills, he went very pale, simply wrote down the EDF unit costs and mobile number on a scrap of paper and told me to give him a call if I thought he could save me money.