Warning about Npower cold calling

maurbwn

Below is an email I sent to Npower just now and I wanted to warn consumers
that this is happening!

'I have just been cold called upon by one of your members of staff.

Whilst the salesman was nice and polite, at no time during the conversation did I give any indication that I wanted to switch to your company. In fact, I stated on numerous occasions that I did not want to make a decision on the doorstep, but I would be happy to read some literature at my own leisure and then if I felt it was worth it I would switch suppliers.

Your salesman indicated that I would not be switching but would receive the next bill from my current supplier and the one after that would be from Npower. When I invited him into my house in order to provide me with some literature, he then proceeded to complete a form which I realised after a while was in fact a contract!

With all the bad publicity surrounding Door to Door Salesman and their methods, I am at a loss to understand why companies like yours are still trying to get consumers to change their supplier in such a discreet and covert way!

For these reasons, I have decided that I won't even consider switching to your company, however I would be interested in your explanation behind this and would be grateful if you don't try to insult my intelligence by telling me that the salesmen are not part of your company because if they are selling your product then they are!

I will also be forwarding a copy of this email to a nationally known consumer champion in the hope that people are warned about this.

Regards,
Mrs M Bowen.'

saxonrosecliff

I have a similar problem with npower which should also serve as a warning. My sister was one of those people who was switched to npower without her knowing some years ago. This has always made me somewhat wary of them.

I regularly get cold callers from npower calling on me. Each time they give me their speil and then say "we need your supply number for our records". My other sister currently works for British Gas and I asked her what they could possibly want my supply number for and she said that the only reason would be if they were going to transfer you to npower. So if anyone else gets this kind of call DO NOT GIVE THEM YOUR SUPPLY NUMBER!

Like the original poster there is now no way that I would ever consider converting to npower.

maurbwn

It's funny you should say that, saxonrosecliff, as I actually told the salesman that the words he was using were 'Spiel.' Another thing I've just remembered him saying is that because some no.s that were on my bills matched up with some that he had with him on his notes, it meant that I 'qualified' to switch to Npower.

I had to laugh at that one, I mean, if I 'phoned them up and said I wanted to switch, they would hardly turn me away, would they

pfpf

npower sales woman in morrisons "can i interest you in npower for your gas and electricty"

pfpf "no, i am already with them for both but wish i wasnt"

npower "oh sorry about that"

pfpf "wouldnt you like to know why seeing as you were interested in me about 20 seconds ago?"

npower "no sorry, im just finishing"


lol, i wonder if she would have been "just finishing" if i wanted to sign up?

oh, heres why i am not happy with them.
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=2875689&postcount=5

Spark

My electricity was switched without my knowledge to N Power a few days after I switched from British gas to Ebico, earlier this year. When I got the letter from Ebico/Southern Electric telling me how sorry they were that I was leaving, that's when I remembered two kids trying to entice me to switch my electricity to NPower.
I have a notice on my door saying that cold callers are not welcome here, but it didn't stop them. They probably sign the application for me, which is disgusting as it created a bit of a problem with my switching, but Southern Electric has dealt with the problem very well.
I start to get fed up with cold callers, on the principle that if I shouldn't be pestered by pushy salesmen to buy a product, if I need something I go and get it where it is.
It is getting more and more difficult to stay polite with them, and sometimes I really have to bite my tongue to not to tell them to fxxxk off, their attitude just get on your nerves.

pulliptears

I also had a similar problem a few years ago with Swalec. This guy was good though. He told me that our electricity supplier (I forget who it was at the time) were discounting the next bill and he needed to read the meter. Of course I let him do it. He then said I needed to sign a sheet stating he had read the meter so he didnt get into trouble.

What I didnt know at the time was that the paper I signed was a concealed contract......cleverly hidden so that just the signature strip was on display.
needless to say I didnt switch..

nenya

I actually had a similar experiance happen to me with EDf - the sales agent called at my house and started selling me the electrcity. He gave all the speil and tell me how much cheaper EDF are to Scottish Power. But i started correcting the guy everytime he said something to me. This was hilarious - for me - I work for EDF and i know darn well that EDF is not the cheapest supplier for me so why do they even bother.

Anyway, I took the guys name and reported him straight to his manager the next morning at work.

I know loads of you can't do this, but i tell you it was satisfying. I haven't been bothered by EDF door to door men for a while now - just goes to show what a well placed email can do.

anniecave

What I want to know is why npower are running radio ads in the birmingham area saying "the avererage customer will get their electricity cheaper from us than from British Gas". Yes, on average accross the UK perhaps, but not in the Birmingham area, so why do they bother? I suppose a few people will sign up not realising..... I think that's misleading advertising. Almost as bad as pushy salesman. I got rid of the last salesperson selling npower at my local Asda by telling her I'd just left npower as they were too expensive (which was the truth).

twirlyd

I had npower salesman in Morrisons last week telling me how cheap they where against Staywarm! I signed up when he reassured me that the price tarriff he gave me was up to date - it was early August prices and the leaflet was out of date when I checked this site. Ive had to phone and cancel npower contract.

Just got my new contract with Staywarm up from £58 to £77.18 but the worrying problem is Consumption summary for the past year has been vastly overestimated - electric by 737 kwh and gas 10671 kwh by changing I will now save over £300 per year I have been with Staywarm for about 5 years I wonder how long my consumption of gas and electric have been overestimated... Staywarm users beware!!!!!

hurrah

Latest Direct selling complaints league tables for the top 6 can be found here.British Gas way out in front.

http://www.energywatch.org.uk/uploads/All_direct_selling_complaints_May_July_2006.pdf