e.co took money from us without authorisation.

Mark_Hewitt

We just moved our gas account from e.on to npower. We were somewhat in debit, around £300, which we knew we'd need to clear, but assumed that they would contact us with a view to paying that off when they issued their final bill.

We were intending to put it on a 0% credit card and pay it off bit by bit.

Instead they've decided to take £314 directly out out of our bank account!! Leaving us overdrawn and with no money just before Christmas, which was nice of them.

The reason I'm leaving in the first place is because they quadrupled our payments without notice and now this.

I really cannot afford to just write off over £300 like this, I don't suppose I can get them to refund it either?

E.ON_Company_Representative:_Helena

Hi Mark,

If you pay your bills by Direct Debit the final balance would have been claimed from your bank account to clear the amount owed. Or a refund if in credit.

If you look at your final bill from E.ON it should say that the balance will be claimed from your bank account (and a date given). Did you receive this either online or through the post?

If there is a dispute over the final bill, then there may be grounds to request for this to be refunded.

The payments would have been increased due to the account being in debt, therefore, your payments will not have been covering the amount of energy that you were using. Also coming in to the winter months, you would have used more.

Helena

Mark_Hewitt

E.ON_Company_Representative:_Helena wrote: »

Hi Mark,

If you pay your bills by Direct Debit the final balance would have been claimed from your bank account to clear the amount owed. Or a refund if in credit.

If you look at your final bill from E.ON it should say that the balance will be claimed from your bank account (and a date given). Did you receive this either online or through the post?

If there is a dispute over the final bill, then there may be grounds to request for this to be refunded.

The payments would have been increased due to the account being in debt, therefore, your payments will not have been covering the amount of energy that you were using. Also coming in to the winter months, you would have used more.

Helena

There is no dispute over the amount owed. It's the way you took it I have issue with. No option was given to clear the balance using a different method, you just took the money. Same as you just arbitrarily upped the amount without consultation.

A simple phone call would be all it would have taken, but no, you just go straight into the bank account and take the money out.

E.ON_Company_Representative:_Helena

Mark_Hewitt wrote: »

There is no dispute over the amount owed. It's the way you took it I have issue with. No option was given to clear the balance using a different method, you just took the money. Same as you just arbitrarily upped the amount without consultation.

You should have received a letter to advise you that your payment amount was changing, this is then the opportunity to contact us if you disagree or need to discuss this further.

A simple phone call would be all it would have taken, but no, you just go straight into the bank account and take the money out.

When a customer pays by Direct Debit the final balance will also be paid this way, this is advised on the final bill, some customers do contact us to request a payment arrangement of this balance.

Helena

SarahMoon

Slightly off topic couldn't you live off the "0% card" for the shopping you was going to do and pay that off slightly or an MBNA card where you can transfer the overdraft balance to the card?

Mark_Hewitt

SarahMoon wrote: »

Slightly off topic couldn't you live off the "0% card" for the shopping you was going to do and pay that off slightly or an MBNA card where you can transfer the overdraft balance to the card?

That's what we are going to have to do now. The only silver lining is that we are free from having to deal with e.on any more.

DVardysShadow

You could always claim on the DD guarantee as the DD was out with the authority you had given to eon

Premier_2

If you are sure that no proper Advance notice was given to you regarding the variations in the amount claimed you can claim this back from your bank under the terms of the DD Guarantee. Your bank would be required to repay you immediaitely.
Also be aware that if such DD payment results in consequential loss (e.g. bank charges), that loss can also be claimed via your bank but in that case the bank is not obliged to repay you the value of such consequential loss until they recocer that from the Originator. The Originator is obliged to settle such claims with 14 days of the date of the claim.

However, I do suspect you have missed the Advance Notices somewhow, as I was with E.On for many years and they always provided advance notice of any change in the amount to be collected.

Be aware that even if you are succesful in claiming any money back via your bank, the Originator is still entitled to the amount originally collected.
What's more, if the Originator can prove they did indeed provide the Advance Notice you deny they did, then they can counter claim for the conseqential loss too ... so make absolutely sure they didn't send those advance notices you claim not to have seen