Reclaiming Standing Water Charges - Utilities Cost Savers Ltd

CityTiger

Just had a call from a Welsh lady who says she is from a company called Utilities Cost Savers.

She said that basically water companies should not be charging surface water charges since the rain water is an act of god and drains away naturally - they do not need to do anything to carry it away.

She reckons they have a 100% success rate at reclaiming all surface water charges you have paid for the last 6 years (approx £900) and getting it removed from all of your future bills.

However, as it incurs solicitor fees, etc they need an up-front payment of £99 - but this is refundable if they do succeed in getting your standing water charges refunded.

Has anyone heard of these people or this type of claim before?

A few things put me on alert:

1. She made a point of explaining the chargeback process in detail to me to 'put my mind at rest' even though I hadn't risen any concerns about it.
2. Most PPI claims work on payment after success so why do they need it upfront? She claimed this was because the payout money is sent straight to you and so they need the fee up-front t6o make sure you pay!
3. Having checked Companies House I see the company was only registered in January of this year
4. Their website is hardly the most professional looking (address is their company name - UtilitiesCostSavers - followed by dot com.

CityTiger

From what I have read, you can get the surface water charge removed from your water bills if none of your drainpipes, etc drain off in to the public sewers and if your driveway is sloped away from the road.

Otherwise it doesn't look like you can so not sure why they think they can get 100% success rate if they haven't even asked about the drainage arrangement up-front.

I will be giving their service a miss but I may look in to this surface drainage charge stuff in more detail as Severn Trent have a form you can fill in yourself to get it knocked off your bill if you shouldn't be paying it.

I just need to try and figure out if the drainage for my property goes in to the public sewer or in to a soakaway....... which is probably easier said than done!

CityTiger

just dug out the water board report from when we moved in to the property and their plans do show that there is a gravity fed public surface water drain running straight through our property and so my guess is there is no chance we would be successful at reclaiming anything as the charge IS one we should be paying!

Oh well!

CityTiger

McKneff wrote: »

Its all in the trickery of their wording too.

They tell you that you get your 99 quid if back if they are successful.

They don't tell you what happens when they are not successful. ie
you don't get it back.

They have a way with words, these people......

No sorry that was my wording!!! It was meant to say "You get your money back if they do NOT succeed" :rotfl:

HappyMJ

CityTiger wrote: »

No sorry that was my wording!!! It was meant to say "You get your money back if they do NOT succeed" :rotfl:

Read the fine print....it's really small...you don't get your money back.

treacle1_2

[TEXT DELETED BY FORUM TEAM]

I was cold called in September and I have been trying to claim my £49.99 back after I found out from my water board that I was already in receipt of a waste water rebate since 2011.

I have tried repeatedly to email you and you have totally ignored my request for my money back - you stated in the letter you sent to me that if you were unsuccessful - which you have been as there is no rebate to claim, I was entitled to a refund.

I tried to talk to your admin manager yesterday and was assured he would ring me back - again he didn't have the courtesy to return my call.

Your actions have been totally unprofessional - even your website has numerous spelling errors and you can't even spell your address correctly on your letter heads!

As for the "package" I was told would be sent to me (only after I paid upfront), it turned out to be a photocopied A4 sheet with boxes drawn.

PLEASE DO NOT BELIEVE ANYTHING THIS COMPANY TRY AND SELL YOU.