Just a Ploy?

[Deleted User]

I rang to switch to M&S for gas and electricity earlier this week and today I got a card telling me there's a problem, and to call them.

They told me that I couldn't pay by quarterly cheque because I'd failed a credit check. When I refused DD they told me that I could have a quarterly account, but only if I pay a £150 deposit, to be refunded in a year.

Now I've never owed money or been refused anything due to a bad reference, so I challenged them to tell me which reference agency they used so thet I can get my records and check they're correct.

That's when they started getting evasive and changing the story. First they said they didn't know, then they said it's an internal check, then finally they decided I hadn't failed a credit check at all, and it was because someone had entered my date of birth as 03.07.62 instead of 3.7.62.

At theat point I smelt a rat, I don't think there ever was a check or an error, it just looks to me like a ploy to try and prevent people from going on a quarterly tariff instead of DD.

Has anyone else had this happen?

penrhyn

No, but Scottish and Southern may not be the cheapest supplier so I'd suggest doing a comparison again.

Wywth

jack_pott wrote: »

I rang to switch to M&S for gas and electricity earlier this week and today I got a card telling me there's a problem, and to call them.

They told me that I couldn't pay by quarterly cheque because I'd failed a credit check. When I refused DD they told me that I could have a quarterly account, but only if I pay a £150 deposit, to be refunded in a year.

Now I've never owed money or been refused anything due to a bad reference, so I challenged them to tell me which reference agency they used so thet I can get my records and check they're correct.

That's when they started getting evasive and changing the story. First they said they didn't know, then they said it's an internal check, then finally they decided I hadn't failed a credit check at all, and it was because someone had entered my date of birth as 03.07.62 instead of 3.7.62.

At theat point I smelt a rat, I don't think there ever was a check or an error, it just looks to me like a ploy to try and prevent people from going on a quarterly tariff instead of DD.

Has anyone else had this happen?

My sister in law has her energy supplied by M&S energy.
She pays quarterly on receipt of bill.
(I've told her it's not the cheapest but she likes that style of payments and loves all things M&S ... oh and she's a woman! )

Sounds like you are considered just too high a risk to M&S to be granted that form of payment (unless you give them the requested security deposit)

Some folk do say "Never ask for credit as refusal often offends" and you appear to be living proof of that. :cool:

[Deleted User]

Wywth wrote: »

Sounds like you are considered just too high a risk to M&S to be granted that form of payment

Indeed, but the question is why did they think I'm a bad credit risk! When I challenged them to tell me, and threatened to make a request under the data protection act they backed down and stopped demanding the deposit.

Wywth

jack_pott wrote: »

Indeed, but the question is why did they think I'm a bad credit risk!

Who knows, but if you were that desperate to obtain credit from them, I would think you are a bad credit risk too

jalexa

jack_pott wrote: »

Indeed, but the question is why did they think I'm a bad credit risk!

The most likely reason is human error or system failure when attempting to do a CRA check. You should have asked which CRA(s) they searched and then checked your statutory report. My expectation is that there would be no record of a search, "proving" the human error/system failure theory.

Regardless of your M&S experience it is sensible practice to periodically check your credit file for errors. Especially if you are sensitive to paranoia.

macman

Wywth wrote: »

My sister in law has her energy supplied by M&S energy.
She pays quarterly on receipt of bill.
(I've told her it's not the cheapest but she likes that style of payments and loves all things M&S ... oh and she's a woman! )

Sounds like you are considered just too high a risk to M&S to be granted that form of payment (unless you give them the requested security deposit)

Some folk do say "Never ask for credit as refusal often offends" and you appear to be living proof of that. :cool:

Have you told her that M&S is no more an energy supplier than Waitrose is a broadband provider?

Wywth

macman wrote: »

Have you told her that M&S is no more an energy supplier than Waitrose is a broadband provider?

Really?
http://www.mandsenergy.com/about/

Now where's this Waitrose BB you speak of? :cool:

macman

The clue is 'we're partnered with SSE'-at last they're upfront about it.
http://www.waitrose.com/content/waitrose/en/home/about_waitrose/web_access_broadband.html
AKA Plusnet.

Wywth

macman wrote: »

The clue is 'we're partnered with SSE'-at last they're upfront about it.
http://www.waitrose.com/content/waitrose/en/home/about_waitrose/web_access_broadband.html
AKA Plusnet.

Thanks. My SIL won't be interested, but I know someone who's mad for all things John Lewis. I'll have to see if she gets her BB from them

macman

The power of branding...