Npower door knocker - Is it a Good Deal?

jd87

madkitty wrote: »

whats to stop you doing that on more than one occasion? LOL

Nothing and plenty of people on here are making a lot of money from it. "LOL"

Plushchris

Although Npowers cashback isnt usually as much as it is at the moment (£90, its usually less than £40)

lunarjim

Hi All
thanks for all the replies. Just thought i would update you all on what happended when he came back.

He was meant to come back Friday but with the bad weather did not come back untill tonight, anyway in he came etc and we started the chat.

He asked how much i was paying by direct debit so i told him £104 for gas and electric per month. He had a chart and said our average 3 bed house should be something like £80 a month. I said anyone can say they can reduce my payments.

I then got my last years usage from the online account thing with British Gas, we used 19700 gas and nealy 8000 electric (i know i was shocked how much)
He put down on the from the same for gas 19700 and then said well you will use less electric as summer is coming so we will put down 4000, so i said ok just to go along with it.

He made a call and came back with a saving of £10 per month and only showed a cashback sum of £100 on the from not the £200 as stated.

Obviously i said well thats not right because i want a like for like comparison and you halved my electric usage, there was a slight pause!!. I then also said where is the other £100 cashback and he said it was already allowed for in the unit cost. At this point he was shown the door!!!

Thanks for all your posts, i appreciate all of your input.

Lunar

Plushchris

lol @ halving your annual usage "because summer is coming"

Now you know the type of rubbish these idiots come out with to try and make a sale!

ruolrap

you obviously came across a salesman who didn't know his facts. I used to sell npower door to door. The way the £100 discounts work are the first 100 is a direct debit discount the second is an additional energy bonus discount that is available through door to door representatives. The guy clearly didn't know how to work out the bill either. If you had given him your readings from the hole of last years bills there would be no need to alter at all. I admit there are dodgy sales people out there. I was not one of them and i don't feel the need for people like plushchris to call us all idiots as a lot of us were doing the job because the economy is that screwed there are no other jobs. I am educated to degree standard and have since moved to a much better job but during my time selling npower I was honest and if a sale did not work out better for the customer I always told them. Saying that I know for a fact I have benefited people through what i have sold as I often popped back to the same properties and they said how great it had been. The British Gas click 4 is known to be a good package and it depends on your usage not npower unit prices as to whether npower can compete with that package.

Plushchris

I suppose I used "Idiots" as a broad generalisation, certainly every salesman I've had knock on my door has been an idiot and not known what he/she was talking about.

I accept in some (rare) circumstances there are honest salesman like yourself, but these seem to be very few and far between, read any of the posts on here and you will see people that have been lied to, mis-sold and conned by these salesmen, there are very few posts from people saying they have been given the best deal by a door knocker. The usual reason for this is that door knockers cant offer the best deals, even from their own company. I'm sure while you were working for Npower you were signed everyone up to their Sign online tariff though didnt you?

undaunted

HowlinWolf wrote: »

My experience of Npower is of terrible customer service, rude and unhelpful staff and high bills.

My initial thought? Npower is very rarely (if ever) "a good deal". The above poster pretty much sums up why. Personally I'd get yourself on some comparison sites rather than jump out of the frying pan & into the fire. It's your decision of course but you have been warned!

ruolrap

To be fair I personally would do things online myself. It was a job for me to sell that product. Im not denying that the door offers were the best as there is always something better out there than most things. For instance you could buy something in a shop and I guarantee if you go and look online later on you would probs find the same thing for cheaper. That is just sales I am afraid. The product I sold was pretty good but I always checked it was beneficial to the person compared to what they already have. Obviously if I started promoting online deals then it would complicate things and I wouldn't make any money. Its the economies fault that these jobs are so prominent as they really are the only other option other than the dole. But if I can give a tip to anyone approached by a door to door gas and electricity salesman it would be this. How much you pay really doesn't depend all that much on unit price. It is the consumption that matters. If they cant explain the consumption break downs, do not sign with them. More than likely they are not idiots or scum, they are people desperate because the only other option of income than sales or the dole although there are crafty !!!!!!s out there. Also always ask to see their badge and take their reference numbers then if they do attempt anything dodgy you have the details you need to collar them. If they refuse to show you then call npower and tell them. They can do what is known as an agent trace and work out who it was. Oh and in regards to the npower online tariff, i used to tell my customers to upgrade to it once the they receive confirmation of the switch and to go paperless to save more money. That way both of us win. I got paid for my sale and they got a decent deal ;-)

dunloadin

Found this while browsing round t'internet, its the Association of Energy Providers code of practice for sales staff...

Below are some examples from the AES Code of Practice:

• Sales agents should only visit between 9.00am and 8.00pm
• Sales agents must say who they are and show a valid identity card
• Sales agents must be honest about the reason for their visit
• All consumer communications (sales support material) must be legal, decent, honest and truthful
• Sales agents must contact the warden before approaching residents of sheltered housing
• Sales agents must leave the premises the moment they are asked to.
• Sales agents will maintain records, including dates and times of all contacts made with consumers, which can
assist with any later complaint or query
• Sales agents must take appropriate steps to satisfy themselves that the consumer can take responsibility
for energy bills
• Once entered into a contract the sales agent must leave a copy of the contract, a copy of the tariff information, contact details, their name and ID number and a simple explanation of how the contract can be cancelled

How many doorknockers are following this I wonder?

Also doubt the Utility Warehouse wallahs and others of their ilk probably have to abide by this as they are not suppliers.

mattcanary

Thing is, it is not just the prices that should be considered. Customer service counts for a lot - and bad customer service can hit your pocket badly anyway by causing an excessive number of telephone calls for an excessively long period of time on each occasion. NPower have an appalling reputation for customer service and much of it is deserved.