First:Utility switching problems

MillionBillionty

Hey

The question:

Should I just cancel my application while I'm in my cooling off period or jump through First:Utility's time-consuming and infuriating hoops on the off-chance that they might turn out all right?

The preamble:

I used Cheap Energy Club yesterday to find a better dual fuel deal and went with a fixed tariff until April next year with First:Utility. CEC said it also had £70 cash back after 3 months.

Great.

As it turned out they only offered £40 cash back once I clicked through. Still, something for nothing ain't bad...

Today I got an e-mail from F:U saying, "We need more information..."

Hmmf.

I clicked their link, entered my (correct!) e-mail address and postcode and was taken to a details page. Everything was correct and I know that they're pulling the details from my account rather than the e-mail and postcode I'd just entered because it already has my house number in the address. So I know I'm in their system at least.

The Ts&Cs/Privacy Policy box that I checked yesterday is unchecked. Maybe I'm suspicious but it makes me wonder if they've changed the terms and conditions in the meantime. I check the box and hit Continue.

I've done this several times now and every time it gives me the message, "Sorry, the page you requested cannot be displayed" and suggests I attempt a fresh registration.

I don't want to do that because I'll lose the deal I originally signed up for that came as part of the click-through from CEC.

It won't let me login using the details I entered yesterday and it won't allow me to change my (Correct!) password either just to access my existing account. Again I get, "Sorry, the page you requested cannot be displayed".

Grrrr...

Basically I feel that they're up to something and if they can't operate a functional website they probably can't operate acceptable levels of customer service as a utility provider.

So... should I just cancel while I'm in my cooling off period or jump through First:Utility's time-consuming and infuriating hoops on the off-chance that they might turn out all right? Has anyone heard of similar problems?

Thanks in advance,

MB

angelsmomma

If you put first utility in the search box at the top it will give you threads about what people think

MillionBillionty

Yeah, I tried that before posting. It's not so much what people think of the company in general, although that's obviously useful, it's more that I was looking for advice regarding this situation and if anyone was having similar CEC-switching-related problems/website problems with them. I'm wondering if F:U were seeing CEC as a regular referrer and then decided to move the goalposts.

vieyrad

I joined FU last year when my last fixed rate deal ended and the new deal offered was pulled before I could sign up. FU offered the best price and monthly billing which I liked. I had no problem with the switch or with providing the monthly readings and only decided to leave when they pulled the tariff I was on and raised prices. I found a much better deal and started the switch process which seems to have gone fine because FU prevented me from providing and more readings because I was no longer a customer. I had provided the opening readings to my new supplier as required and expected to get a final bill from FU. Instead FU sent an estimated bill when the actual usage made my account in credit and a refund due. I contacted FU customer services and provided the correct readings before the bill was raised but they have ignored the reading and refuse to provide a correct bill for actual energy used. This appears to be fraud to me as they are demanding money when knowingly issuing incorrect bills. Reading the complaints on the internet FU will be a company that disappears before long as people will rightly not trust them. Fortunately I had cancelled my direct debit so the refund due is only a small amount. Having complained to FU I fail to understand how a final bill can be estimated. Clearly they have expanded too fast and have employed a lot of low grade staff which will be their eventual downfall. They will never regain my confidence even if they were the lowest price provider.