Eon taking my supply without consent

Tease_2

Hi
Please could anyone advise.
I have had my electric supply with SWALEC for many years and have always been happy with them.
At the start of the year I had a letter from them saying sorry I was leaving, and then a few weeks later a final bill from SWALEC.
I contacted them to say I had no intention of leaving, and to find out what was going on. I was informed by them that Eon were now supplying my electric. I said that I had not swapped and SWALEC said they would contact Eon to get it changed back as there must have been an error somewhere.
This morning I have received from SWALEC saying Eon will not swap me back, but I can rejoin SWALEC, but will be receiving a bill from Eon for the interim period.
I have phoned SWALEC again, who said Eon have a contract with me.
I have never spoken to anyone at Eon (or any other company) about switching. I have had no correspondance from Eon. I have tried to phone them this morning, having rang about 6 different numbers at least and no one wants to help.
Please can anyone offer any help or advise.
Also where is the best place to complain about this (please don't say Eon's complaint line-already tried them!).
Thanks in advance

E.ON_Company_Representative:_Helena

Hi Tease,

Sorry about this, it sounds like an erroneous transfer (supply taken in error), E.ON may be saying that they have a contract as someone may have requested a switch but have given the wrong details, resulting in the wrong supply being taken, but makes it look like you did agree to the switch.

I am thinking this, as you say you have not had any correspondence from E.ON, therefore, they have taken the supply via your meter number and the letters are probably going to the address of the customer that does want us to supply them, sorry if this sounds confusing.

You shouldn't have had to contact so many departments to get this sorted.

You can use my email address on the left under my name and I will see if I can get this sorted for you.

Helena

Tease_2

Amazing, the quickest response from Eon all day.
Have emailed the details to you.

keynet

I'd like to echo a similar experience.

I've just visited my elderly mother who was confused by various letters from EON, direct debits etc. She has never switched, no idea how to. But she was successfully switched in January from EDF to EON. Complete with direct debits. She has no Internet access being somewhat nearer 90 than 80.

Normally I would put this down to a touch of old age, loss of memory BUT... it happened to me a couple of months ago too, Slightly different in my case - a ficticious name was used, but nevertheless the switch was successful despite my existing supplier calling me to confirm I was leaving, to which I said no. EON were convinced it was an "authorised switch", I asked to see the evidence, and so came a rapid about-turn and the above mumbo jumbo about "erroneous transfers". In this case they somehow had the meter numbers, but no billing info, according to the mountain of letters, the DD was terminated shortly after the switch. This same fictitious name has also been used in an attempt to grab my BT phone line, join the RAC and to try to take out a mobile phone contract... pretty persistent eh?

I'd say the important questions are:
a) How do these companies get so much info without anyone's consent? (hacking web-based switching sites anyone?)

b) Why are some companies so slack as to complete a transaction without checks? I'm sure if I rocked up out of the blue with a false name and no credit record, I wouldn't get a utility connected!

c) How did EON get the direct debit info for my mother - from EDF? I thought data protection laws were in place to stop much less significant breaches of confidentiality...? I've even had operators from utilities refuse to give their names on the basis of data protection. Next time I'll ask for their sort code and account number instead, might get a response :rotfl:

d) Is this some kind of scam whereby people harvest names to get kickbacks from the switching process, the £30 or so?

spiro

keynet wrote: »

c) How did EON get the direct debit info for my mother - from EDF?

On change of supplier suppliers dont even exchange customer name let alone any bank details.

E.ON_Company_Representative:_Helena

Hi keynet,

spiro is spot on, When a change of supply happens the customer goes to the new suppler and requests this, it is all done through supply numbers electronically.

If the wrong supply number is used etc; then the supply for the wrong house can be taken over in error (erroneous transfer).

If this happens then the supply should be sent back to the correct supplier as if it never left.

Bank details are not passed between suppliers, this is something the customer provides if they have decided to pay via Direct Debit.

It may not have been a fictitious name it may have been the name of the person who wanted to change supplier, but then your meter numbers were used in error.

I am only speculating here as I can't see any specific details, but I would advise you to speak to both suppliers and see what has happened and ask where they got the bank details etc; from.

Helena:)

dogshome

Hi Tease - Forget the phone calls to the Customer Service Desks, PUT IT WRITING IN SNAIL A MAIL LETTER

As you have not had direct contact rom E.on you won't have their refence numbers, but what you do have is your Electricity Supply No. which is listed on your SWALEC bills
Write to E.on quoting this number and stating that it installed at your address, stating that you have never intitiated a Switch to them either directly or by doorstep caller or other agent, and that if E.on have any evidence contrary to this, that they supply you copies.

I suggest you do this a.s.a.p as Utilty bills are Prime documents when establishing a fraudulant identity and Eon would have sent a Welcome Pack to the address given by the Switcher, which would appear to have been posted to someone other than you.

eurmalian

dogshome wrote: »

I suggest you do this a.s.a.p as Utilty bills are Prime documents when establishing a fraudulant identity and Eon would have sent a Welcome Pack to the address given by the Switcher, which would appear to have been posted to someone other than you.

I'd say three months after E.On appear to have sorted it out is probably a bit late then

Forget to check the dates on a resurrected thread?

Irreverent_Eames

I have had the same problem. I'm on a British Gas Websaver account and I received an email saying that BG were sorry to see me go etc etc. When I phoned them up they told me that E-On were claiming I'd transferred to them (why would I do that on a Websaver account and get a £30 penalty?). Needless to say I've never spoken to anyone from E-On, let alone sign up with them. BG have been very helpful and told me they will process it as an erroneous transfer and immediately refunded the £30 penalty. They have also said they will phone me back in a couple of weeks to update me on the progress of getting my supply back.

givemebackmyaccount

In July, I received an unexpected email notification of a new bill from Scottish Gas, my dual fuel provider. When I checked, I discovered my gas account had been closed. I contacted Scottish Gas and was told that I had switched to E.ON - whereupon I told Scottish Gas in no uncertain terms that, no, I hadn't. I'd had no notification from either Scottish Gas or E.ON, and have received no good explanation as to why it's possible to hijack someone's account without their express permission, or why Scottish Gas didn't even send me a courtesy email to inform me of the switch and check that E.ON had my consent.

It's now been nearly three months since I notified Scottish Gas of the problem and the only thing that has happened is that I have had infrequent update emails to say they are still waiting for E.ON to acknowledge the error and release my account. Is there someone at E.ON I should contact directly to get things sorted out? From reading this and other forums, it seems the company has a track record of this sort of thing.

t0rt0ise

Have you spoken to Eon about it. I'd raise merry hell with them and tell them to get their finger out and move you back.