Debt Collectors and EOn incompetence

unlocated

hello!
Here is my story.

I have been recently contacted by Advantis (debt collectors) asking me to give them my details so they could "check" my identity and continue talking to the person they meant to talk to.
After rejecting a couple of times to do so (I had no idea who they were so no point in giving details) one told me it was for a bill with Eon from the previous property I have been more than 1 year ago.

the situation:

- The house when I moved in December 2011 had Elec. bills on Eon. I had to use them for 1 month until I switched to another company.

- In the meanwhile they acknowledged that I was switching (5/12/2011) and then (8/12/2011) sent me a quarterly bill of hundreds of pounds.
I thought that was a mistake and waited for the final bill - that's what all the other companies generally do.

- I believe I forgot about this until I received this call the other day. I gave the debt collectors my previous address to start talking about this issue. They're charging me for £30 more than that bill was (unless I was paying on the day and they would allow me a discount). I didn't do so and asked them to send me the details and bill. Which I believe they did. In the meanwhile they keep calling me and left messages in my voicemail saying that there is an urgent message and to call them back - to a 0845 number of course!

- I have made contact with CAB but still had no answer.

I wanted to ask you:

- What is the best way to proceed? I read that I can ask them to not bother me anymore and that, as it's Eon I have an alleged debt with, I have to pay Eon and they can kindly sod off.

- I've read that Eon is not the most competent company and they have showed being unable to re-calculate the bills in previous cases. What is the procedure? Shall I write them asking to provide the final bill (based on true readings rather than estimates as they did in the past) and if they fail I get in touch with the Ombudsman? - how long do they have to amend the situation?

- Also, I don't know how those !!!!!!s of Advantis got my details. How can I make sure I don't get contacted by anybody who can buy my personal details out from anywhere?(my mobile, home address etc)?


Thank you very much,
Unlocated

dogshome

The key to this appears to be Meter Readings - The one you gave to Eon when you moved in, and the one your new supplier started their first bill with - The difference between these two is what you owe to Eon

I'm afraid that not challenging Eons 'Several £100's bill' when you recieved it isn't helping you ( and I don't suppose you still have it).
You need to WRITE to Eon requesting copies of all the bills they issued to you whilst you were their customer, and the FINAL bill they issued after you had switched
With £hundreds billed for about 5 weeks occupation, it shouldn't take too long to find the the error in meter reads and write again, heading the letter Complaint

Former_E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc

Hi unlocated

I agree with dogshome. This seems to be about the meter readings we've used. We'll be happy to re-bill your old account if we've used estimates and you've actual readings.

We'll also be pleased to send you copies of all relevant bills. Just let us know.

Did you give us an opening reading when you moved in? If you did, the bill should start from this and bill through to a closing reading provided by the new supplier.

When you change supplier, it's the responsibility of the incoming supplier to give the outgoing supplier the readings they intend to use to start their account. The outgoing supplier uses the same readings to close their account. This makes sure you're only charged once for the same energy.

Check your first bill with the new supplier. Are the opening readings the same as our closing readings? If not, let us know.

Ask for a complaint to be raised on the account. This will stop all debt follow up whilst the situation is investigated.

If, after 56 days, we've not been able to sort this out, you can refer the matter to the Ombudsman for an independent review.

Hope this points you in the right direction unlocated. Give me a shout if you need any more details as will be happy to help.

Malc

Fire_Fox

'Prove it' letter to the debt collectors, formal complaints procedure for Eon. https://www.eonenergy.com/~/media/ED96F94C8C14468DBD99304E45F867FE.pdf

undaunted

I wouldn't send a "prove it" letter personally - this implies yo intend discussing it with them, why should you do that?

If you owe money to Eon it's between you & them. You are quite within your rights to tell the so called debt collectors you wont discuss it with them.

A supplier has 8 weeks to resolve a complaint before the Ombudsman will take it up though given your apparent forgetfullness / lack of effort to resolve the problem you probably haven't helped yourself I'm afraid.

As above if you have meter reads for arrival & departure dates it shouldn't take a rocket scientist to calculate the sum due here.

unlocated

E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc wrote: »

Hi unlocated

Did you give us an opening reading when you moved in? If you did, the bill should start from this and bill through to a closing reading provided by the new supplier.
Malc

Hi Malc,

thank you for the reply.
I'll raise a complaint. I am not sure the readings were provided - this is something I've to check with the company.
When moved in I had no idea where the meters where and the landlord didn't help at all.

I'll write few letters and hopefully get something out of this.

What happens in case I have no actual meter reading or I can provide them now? (I am contacting the landlord trying to see whether he has the reading!)


Thank you very much,
Unlocated

unlocated

undaunted wrote: »

A supplier has 8 weeks to resolve a complaint before the Ombudsman will take it up though given your apparent forgetfullness / lack of effort to resolve the problem you probably haven't helped yourself I'm afraid.

Thanks for the message. I have moved from the property and it's not my job to send myself the final bill for the property, isn't it?
I am trying to resolve the issue, how am I been forgetful or lacking effort?
A company that provides electricity and a service should be able to do so and leave least possible to the users. If you go to your GP who is the one who should visit you? him or yourself?
It's not always easy to do all this bits and pieces when you're moving to another house, sorting out a switch, knowing where the heck the meters are, starting a 6AM-5PM new job and having other issues.. as said I'm not the professional in this case and with having to chase the landlord not telling me where the meters are it's not easy job either..

Cheers,
Unlocated.

unlocated

Also, if you can help. Do you know where I can find the document stating about responsibilities for users and service providers?
e.g. providing the final bill, who should do that? When? etc.

Thank you,
Unlocated

Fire_Fox

unlocated wrote: »

Thanks for the message. I have moved from the property and it's not my job to send myself the final bill for the property, isn't it?
I am trying to resolve the issue, how am I been forgetful or lacking effort?
A company that provides electricity and a service should be able to do so and leave least possible to the users. If you go to your GP who is the one who should visit you? him or yourself?
It's not always easy to do all this bits and pieces when you're moving to another house, sorting out a switch, knowing where the heck the meters are, starting a 6AM-5PM new job and having other issues.. as said I'm not the professional in this case and with having to chase the landlord not telling me where the meters are it's not easy job either..

Cheers,
Unlocated.

It's the suppliers job to read the meters at least every two years and they will do an area at a time, not every time someone new moves in or switches which would be hugely inefficient. It is there job to send you bills based on customer readings or on estimates, which in the OP you say they did but you elected to ignore it.

It is the bill payer's job to open and close accounts with meter readings, to ensure that the correct details are given for forwarding address and suchlike. It is your responsibility to pay for the service (in this case energy supply) you received not forget about it. If you believe there is a mistake with the final bill it is your responsibility to let them know, not passively wait for a new one to be raised.

Your personal issues are not the concern of the supplier, if you can't supply an incoming reading you will get a bill based on the final reading from the last tenant or based on an estimate.

Some of the responsibilities are basic contract law, some might be in EON's terms and conditions. You had a deemed contract simply by using the energy in the property even if you had not signed anything.

unlocated

Fire_Fox wrote: »

It's the suppliers job to read the meters at least every two years and they will do an area at a time, not every time someone new moves in or switches which would be hugely inefficient. It is there job to send you bills based on customer readings or on estimates, which in the OP you say they did but you elected to ignore it.

It is the bill payer's job to open and close accounts with meter readings, to ensure that the correct details are given for forwarding address and suchlike. It is your responsibility to pay for the service (in this case energy supply) you received not forget about it. If you believe there is a mistake with the final bill it is your responsibility to let them know, not passively wait for a new one to be raised.

Your personal issues are not the concern of the supplier, if you can't supply an incoming reading you will get a bill based on the final reading from the last tenant or based on an estimate.

Some of the responsibilities are basic contract law, some might be in EON's terms and conditions. You had a deemed contract simply by using the energy in the property even if you had not signed anything.

Just to make the point:


I'm not ignoring, waiting or whatsoever. I know I have to pay and will do. I just don't want to pay unfairly.

If they knew I was going to switch company in 1 month, why sending a quarter bill? That's silly!

Fire_Fox

unlocated wrote: »

Just to make the point:


I'm not ignoring, waiting or whatsoever. I know I have to pay and will do. I just don't want to pay unfairly.

If they knew I was going to switch company in 1 month, why sending a quarter bill? That's silly!

It's not silly at all. Quarterly bills come every quarter at fixed times of the year and are computer generated. The quarterly bill was for the previous quarter, perhaps based on estimates or on the previous tenant's readings since you did not supply an incoming reading.

They don't hold off billing in case you switch or look at every customer on a case-by-case basis, that really would be silly because there are millions of households. You seem to be expecting some sort of personal service when you are dealing with a huge, faceless organisation.