scottish power - lying and pushy salesman

Scottish_Power

Hi everyone.

Sorry that I have overlooked this thread and not responded whe it is clear that you would prefer to hear our side. Can I ask that if you are on a thread and it has been overlooked or you want a response from me, please do not hesitate to contact me directly and highlight the thread. I will respond to all threads that I am made aware off.

In reply to purr400 and the original post No. 5, this is shocking behaviour and in no way would we stand for this. This would certainly result in disiplinary action.

I fully appreciate peoples opinions regarding doorstep sales and the information that is provided sometimes. As stated in my original post (page 1), incorrect information is not something that we condone and I would advise anyone who has had a bad experience with an SP sale rep to report this to us so that action can be taken.

Kind Regards

Colin @ ScottishPower

MothballsWallet

Colin - it's now a bit more difficult to contact you directly since MSE removed the ability to send PMs to company reps on the forums, so is there another way to let you know about the threads we'd like your comments on?

pmduk

The disciplinary action probably amounts to telling them not to get caught again. If Scottish Power were interested in stopping this fraud, they'd get out of the doorstep selling game.

cally6008

MothballsWallet wrote: »

Colin - it's now a bit more difficult to contact you directly since MSE removed the ability to send PMs to company reps on the forums, so is there another way to let you know about the threads we'd like your comments on?

You should be able to PM Colin as normal as his profile still has the PM function showing and he doesnt have the "Has MSE’s permission to post for company" under his username and his username is not coloured

sciencegeek

i had an dodgy guy knock a few years ago (from npower i think), tried to convince me they were cheaper than edf. Like many others i had recently been MSEing so was quite clued up.
Having nothing better to do for half an hour i invited him in then grilled him really thouroughly about his numbers and claims - turns out they were not cheaper by some margin.
the funny thing was he kept saying....'but we are cheaper...look' and gesturing vaguely at his sheet at which point i would highlight the price per unit on my bill and the price per unit on his sheet (mine was of course cheaper).

so tail between his legs he finally tried one last dispicable tactic claiming that if i signed his sheet it would simply register my interest in cheaper bills - so i read through carefully after checking with him that it was DEFINATELY NOT a request to switch....'no, he said, its not' guess what folks... it was a legal contract to switch providers!! at that point i got rid of him before i lost my temper.

what a scumbag, im sure he must have convinced many in my area to switch by baffling them/lying to them.

On the plus side i did see that npower were in trouble for this type of activity in my area sometime later.

The really annoying thing was the git turned up again a few months later with some trainee in tow - i recognised him instantly and told him to clear off. :mad:

Dreamnine

I don't give them the time of day - I tell them to £uck off and ring a few neighbours to warn them.

rach29

Just had one of these numpties at my door explaining how just a month ago his "system" was showing I was being charged at the wrong rate by my provider.

Interesting since I changed provider in January. using all the information on here.

Pushy, nauseating & unable to listen without interrupting me to tell me he knew better. I'll pm Colin & maybe he'll come back to this thread & explain how his Representative (salesman) would have this information???

He also gave me the line about how he was in the area because people had been making complaints about being overcharged. Also told me he was an Area Manager for complaints & didn't work for Scottish power (even though his badge said he did & he was wearing one of their fetching grey fleece jackets)

Scottish_Power

Hi rach29

Thanks for your PM.

To the best of my knowledge, it is not possible for one supplier to know how another supplier is billing a customer without actually seeing a bill. This may be why sales reps ask to see current bills to check if they are being billed correctly and if by changing supplier they would make any savings.

If you are not interested in discussing your energy consumption and charges with the sales rep then you can send him on his merry way. If you are prepared to listen to what they have to say and maybe even allow them into your property to discuss this further, then make sure that you get their full name and ID number. Also, do not sign any paperwork if you are not interested in changing supplier or your not fully satisfied with the information that has been given to you. I have seen in the past sales reps asking customers to sign a form just to confirm that they have spoken with them. This is rubbish. Nothing should be signed if you are not agreeing to transfer supply.

I'll be able to get back to you regarding this specific agent when you confirm the requested information.

Kind Regards

Colin @ ScottishPower

trisontana

scottishpower company representative, I think I have asked you this question before, but you haven't answered it. What do you think of the call by both Help the Aged and the Trading Standards Institute for a complete ban on doorstep energy selling? Why do you think they are calling for this ban, if you reckon that you and your colleagues are so honourable?

To quote just three paragraphs from this Help the Aged article:-

Reports from trading standards across the country detail the damage done to vulnerable consumers' household budgets, the customers who have been tricked or pressured into signing a contract, complaints about higher bills after a switch and difficulties cancelling agreements.


It is often the elderly or vulnerable who are most at risk from dishonest doorstep callers. Consumers must not find themselves intimidated or misled into switching energy providers only to end up paying higher or duplicate bills for months on end.

It is clear that despite the wide range of tools and sanctions available, mis-selling remains a problem. Ofgem's energy probe found that 52 per cent of those who switched utility company as a result of a doorstep sale switched to a higher tariff.

BonnyBunny

I just had two men at the door (one was said to be a "trainee") holding official-looking clipboards, and wearing Scottish Power emblems on their shirts. My husband answered the door so I didn't hear the first part of their conversation but apparently they offered to let him phone a number to check they were really from Scottish Power (odd) - then I was called and they asked me if I'd received a letter saying the Scottish Power tarrifs were going up. I hadn't (this was designed to scare me I think) and they then said they'd come in response because many people were worried, and they would check to see if I was on the right tariff.

Up to then I was confused but listening. He kept flicking the paper on his clipboard back and forth but never wrote on it. He then started asking me all kinds of questions that he should have known IF he had my account details.

I got more and more suspicious and angry, and if I'd got a word in edgeways I would have asked him "what exactly are you selling". He asked the name of the tariff I was on, how long I'd been on it, whether I paid my bills monthly or direct debit (and so on) but I hardened up and said, "if there was anything cheaper I'd already be on it, I did all the research myself"...

My husband came outside and joined me, at which they looked a bit nervous. The salesman then said "may we perhaps come inside and look at one of your bills, then we can confirm you are on the cheapest tarrif" and by that time I was really furious. I said, NO, and they left.

I now feel almost violated, upset and angry. When do energy companies EVER care about reducing your bills, yet they send people like this round to harrass us and waste our time.