The game has changed - Again !

dogshome

As regulars will know, from April 2013 Consumer Focus were to relinquish responsibility for Utility customer complaints, and baton was to be passed to the Citizens Advice Bureau.

Yesterday I happened to check the Consumer Focus web-site and found that the change had already taken place with a small notice that re-directed Energy enquirers to the CAB.

A visit to CAB's web-site shows that their involvement amounts to advice on following the Suppliers complaint procedure, what a 'Deadlock' letter is and that the consumer should take it to the Ombudsman

With the demise of Energywatch and now Consumer Focus, it seems the only protection the consumer now has is the Energy Ombudsman - Heaven Help Us All

undaunted

Absolutely disgraceful. It is questionable whether Consumer Focus had the expertise and resources to deal with more complex complaints previously but the CAB certainly don't.

With this and other actions not found / clearly stated in the manifesto Cameron & Co should be ashamed of themselves.

If the Tories & Lib Dems are messing things up this term, Labour did so last term what next - anyone for giving UKIP a go?

dogshome

I have great respect for the CAB as they try to assist the public with almost every problem imaginable - BUT they are largely manned by volunteers who are not Nine to Fivers, and who's knowlege and experience is very variable.

I recall advising a poster on this site who was in severe difficulties, to take all her Energy Bills to her local CAB office, she reported back she had done so, only to be told that the person she should talk to wasn't in and that the staff didn't know when he would be.

To my mind the loss of Energywatch & Consumer Focus, who both gave suppliers a severe mauling from time to time, is an indicator of just how powerfull the Industry lobby is at Westminster, so powerfull in fact, it's frightening

chanz4

CAB are just volounteers and have no experience in the field, most suppliers infact laugh at their poor advice