npower complaint... havent collected payment in nearly a yr

ljs87

Will try to cut long story short!

Been with npower 7 yr.

Previously had problems with them when they didnt set up direct debits... Due to system error and kept putting me on a quarterly bill 4 times... Getting me into debt. That finally got paid off.

Just in october i rang to give new bank details. And they informed me that they hadnt collected any monthly payments since december 2012. I was furious. Had no idea... Not even a masty reminder to tell me they couldnt collect payments! Ive been informed by 3 advisors that this is down to new system error.

Ive emailed a major complaint... As i now have £1,500 debt gathered from last yr. They finally returned my complaint offerining an unaffordable repayment plan and 40 quid compensation!

Not happy so persued complaint further last week. They try to say it was my fault as i should keep an eye on direct debits.... Yes, but isnt that the whole point of setting up a direct debit... Convenience and faith in the company have set up the request. My argument to that was if there was a problem with a direct debit with anyone else- mortgage, insurance they would inform me with a letter!!!!!!! Not let me get into debt!

I was offered another 40quid compensation and another unaffordable payment plan. I refused this so now its going to executive complaints.

Where do i stand? Theyve admited to system errors... Ive been a victim to their system errors in the past. And why did they not inform me that they hadnt recieved any payment in a YEAR!!!

Has anyone else had similar probs with npower, should i not give up with my complaint?

Andy_WSM

Although nPower appear to be pretty shoddy when it comes to billing, to try and lay the blame solely with them is not right imo. It's your Bank account, YES, you should have been checking the Direct Debits - and if they haven't taken the money, why isn't £1500 sat in the bank account waiting for them to take? I'd certainly notice if someone stopped collecting £100 a month, especially for a year.

The best hope here is to ask them to set up an arrangement whereby the debt is settled over the same amount of time it was accrued. So if your expected payment was £100 a month, going forward you would have to pay £200 a month to cover consumption + previous years non payments.

sithmaster

andy is correct, you are both at fault, you should have been checking both your bank account and your online account with npower and you will have noticed the bill going up and up.


also as andy said get a payment plan to repay the debt with the same length of time it was made


as you have not done that I assume you have not given an up to date meter reading. I suggest you do this asap


I check every d/d I have and know if one does not go out even if its just for a few pound


you need to put this down to experience as they have compensated you and try to organise your bills so you know what's what.


I personally you a spread sheet with all my incoming and all the bills as a bill is paid it is deleted and do the every month without fail

ljs87

Thanks for your replies.

I was miffed they hadnt sent me a red headed letter saying 'problem with direct debit, no payments been recieved' im sure any other company would do so.

Never had to keep track of direct debits as once they have been set up i presume the go ou, thats the whole point of them... Comvenience in this day in age... Otherwise i get a letter.

Yes i can put it down to experience...But now because of npowers incompetance i will be purely making sure they take payment from my account.

Still annoyed with them!

[Deleted User]

Whats so bad about paying with the quarterly bill.? That`s the standard repayment method for millions. Because a direct debit payment was not set up properly, I can`t see how that is any cause of you ending up so much in debt. You lost the approx 6 % discount and I would expect some reduction because of that

[Deleted User]

Just vote Labour as I believe they are setting up a special fund for this exact problem...

yangptangkipperbang

jeepjunkie wrote: »

Just vote Labour as I believe they are setting up a special fund for this exact problem...

.................wow ! I thought it was just a price freeze - not free electricity if you didn't want to pay for it..................

Cardew

ljs87 wrote: »

Just in october i rang to give new bank details. And they informed me that they hadnt collected any monthly payments since december 2012. I was furious. Had no idea...

Had no idea?


As mentioned above, most people(Nigella excepted!) would have noticed if £100+ a month was not being taken from their bank account. As you had trouble with your account previously, that should have made you especially alert.


In addition your NPower bills - either on-line/paper or both - would have shown an increasing balance each quarter.


Many of us will try and turn a situation to our financial advantage when a company have fouled up. However it would be disingenuous for most of us to pretend that we were completely unaware of a £1,500 debt building up.


You have had an interest free loan for a year.


You will get time to pay back the accrued debt.


As it is within 12 months the back-billing rule doesn't apply.


You will get a goodwill payment.


What is it you seek?

matelodave

Sympathy for being lazy and not checking either bank accounts or bills?.

I'm sure that most of us would notice an extra £100 a month in the bank and wonder where it came from, unless of course there's so much floating around in the account that £100 doesn't even make a ripple.

It should still be there in the account (unless it's been spent) so it should be easy to pay off the arrears.

ljs87

matelodave wrote: »

Sympathy for being lazy and not checking either bank accounts or bills?.

I'm sure that most of us would notice an extra £100 a month in the bank and wonder where it came from, unless of course there's so much floating around in the account that £100 doesn't even make a ripple.

It should still be there in the account (unless it's been spent) so it should be easy to pay off the arrears.

I see your point of i should of noticed spare money in my account, but my argument is... Ive recieved NO bills NO reminders and NO letters informing me of lack of payment.

The whole point in a direct debit is convenience... You set it up with faith that the biller will collect monies as instructed... If theres a problem your informed! Im sure santander would og informed me if they hadnt recieved payment straight away... Or any other biller!!! Thats the norm... Probs with direct debit, your informed!!!

In this day in age you shouldnt have to be hovering over the computer, tediously checking every bloody direct debit... Who has time?!! If theres problems with direct debits you are usually informed!


All my direct debits go out before the 3rd of every month... What evers left over is money to live off etc... I dont have the exact amount left over every month... I get commission.... And that money is always spent.

Andy_WSM

ljs87 wrote: »

Who has time?!!

You didn't have a few minutes in the last year? Really?

Bet you'd have noticed had they taken, say double the amount they should have - or would you just have had less left to live on?

Bottom line, it's as much your fault as theirs. You've had a years interest free loan and now get another years interest free loan to pay back what you owe. How is that a bad deal?