Someone keeps switching my GAS account - Help!

steveconrad

Since March, I've now had four attempts to switch my Gas account to British Gas from EON. Each time, I get some letter from BG welcoming me (or in the last case an estimated bill!) On each letter, there's my address but a different name.
On each occasion, I've contacted EON, who put through an 'erroneous transaction' to BG to get the account switched back. However, neither EON nor BG claim they can do anything to stop this happening :mad:

I initially though this must be some company putting fraudulent claims and pocketing commission from BG, but from my last conversation with BG, it seems at least in the last two attempts (earlier records no longer available) the switch was done via one of the energy compare web sites, so there appears to be nothing to gain by doing this. An email and contact details have apparently been supplied with each switch but they obviously won't give them out to me - I did manage to find out that they were different each time though.

I'm awaiting a call from the BG fraud team on Monday, but I thought I'd post here to see if anyone else has come across this sort of thing and whether there's a way to stop it.

The property is just a normal house, not rented, no split into flats, no lodgers.

I'm getting frustrated that there apparently in nothing anyone can do

System

You could check with EON, but I would have assumed that a request to switch supplier should be rejected by your current supplier (EON) if the name on the request does not match the name of the account holder.

Hence, EON's suggestion that they

put through an 'erroneous transaction' to BG to get the account switched back

should not have been required, since the account switching process should have never been allowed to commence because of the invalid name on the request.

steveconrad

Well, in a sane world, you would think that. But I've been told on a couple of occasions that all they do is get a request for an address and put the wheels in motion.. They don't seem to care that someone else's name is on the request. This would happen like that if someone new has moved in I guess and was asking for a transfer then (which must happen a lot).

I'm more annoyed that they don't even bother to confirm with the original owner before starting the process - I suppose the associated cost of doing that must be more than the loss of an account.

System

I know where you are coming from.

But... suppliers are not supposed to allow an account to be switched to a new occupier's name until the old occupier has confirmed that they have moved out and given a meter reading, but as you say, these energy suppliers are far from perfect and will probably screw up that part of their processes fairly often too. :eek:

gazjoneswales

Suppliers do not share any personal information at all. This is due to data protection rules.

SwanJon

BAA1 wrote: »

I know where you are coming from.

But... suppliers are not supposed to allow an account to be switched to a new occupier's name until the old occupier has confirmed that they have moved out and given a meter reading, but as you say, these energy suppliers are far from perfect and will probably screw up that part of their processes fairly often too. :eek:

There's very little a losing supplier can do if a contract has been agreed with another supplier. They can object if there is an outstanding balance on the account, or if there is a time limited restriction (although only 28 days usually). They have no idea what name the contract with the new supplier has been agreed under, and as above the gaining supplier doesn't share that information.

If it is always the same supplier (BG in this case?) it's possible that they have duff information on their systems. This most commonly happens with new builds when they were initially set up as plot numbers, or flats. I've lived in a fat that was variously called 2FF, 1/4 and flat 8 - you can see why thing may go wrong.

I've seen a few where a house was split into 2, and the upstairs flat kept the house number, but had new meters installed. The old meters stayed exactly where they were, but they were now in (e.g.) 20A.

Does your house fit any of these? Check the details on any paperwork you have (things like Meter Serial Number, supply number).

If it is always the same supplier they've probably got the wrong information on their systems. If they keep getting it wrong after you have given them all the information have a look at the Ombudsman.

steveconrad

Mmm, nothing like that - the house isn't split in any way and has been here for many years. Indeed, we were a customer of BG for gas only up to about 5 years ago when we finally switched away.

cing0

You could contact the energy company (in this case BG, the gaining company) again and ask for the IP address and email address used on submission of the online web form. Advise them they have 14 days after which you will apply for a court order. I think you will find they will put some code in place on their systems internally to prevent any further transfers.
You'll have to deal with the other providers as they come up in the future. Do this by email, you won't get anywhere on the phone.

System

SwanJon wrote: »

There's very little a losing supplier can do if a contract has been agreed with another supplier.
......

They have no idea what name the contract with the new supplier has been agreed under, and as above the gaining supplier doesn't share that information.

SwanJon - what you have said is very interesting, but there must be some criteria that the suppliers use to ensure that the person requesting the switch is actually authorised i.e. is the account holder.

What minimum information does someone have to give to the new supplier to get the switch process started ?

P.S.
There could be a catch in my question

If the British Gas online switching form does not ask the correct questions to validate that the person requesting the switch is actually the account holder at the property and is therefore authorised to request a switch, then it would be the case that the British Gas online form is difficient and actually enables any mischievous person to start the switching process for anyone elses address.

Having looked at the online form, in my opinion, British Gas do not ask for sufficient information because everything they ask for is available to anyone - all you need is the property address :eek:

P.P.S. - A further thought :think:
Lots of people have started using the comparison sites to get an idea of how much they would have to pay under different conditions, they put in a false name etc. but many of these comparison sites force you to put in a Post Code too. So, if someone in the OPs area is doing this, they may have used the OPs Post Code and house number not realising that when they then clicked the button to start the switching process to British Gas, they would actually be doing it for real at the OPs address. What do others think - could this be what has been happening to the OP ?
If it is the case, then the comparison sites and/or the energy suppliers need to change their processes so that these false / example requests are not possible.

steveconrad

BAA1 wrote: »

P.P.S. - A further thought :think:
Lots of people have started using the comparison sites to get an idea of how much they would have to pay under different conditions, they put in a false name etc. but many of these comparison sites force you to put in a Post Code too. So, if someone in the OPs area is doing this, they may have used the OPs Post Code and house number not realising that when they then clicked the button to start the switching process to British Gas, they would actually be doing it for real at the OPs address. What do others think - could this be what has been happening to the OP ?
If it is the case, then the comparison sites and/or the energy suppliers need to change their processes so that these false / example requests are not possible.

It has crossed my mind that it's either intentionally being done by someone to cause us grief or that a lodger nearby (there are a few council houses/flats nearby) has been given the wrong info. That might explain it happening once... but three different names now? :undecided

Either way, I'll be speaking to the fraud department at BG, hopefully there's something they can suggest.

Joyful

When you speak to BG give them your meter serial number( taken from your meter) and also your meter point reference number which should be on your bills. Request they check your address on Xoserve which is the industry database and make sure that there is no conflicting information. For it to have happened this many times I would guess there may be wrong information on this system.