Issue with forced pre-payment meter

chanz4

scaredofdebt wrote: »

Are the estimates accurate? If not you may owe a lot less than what they say.

You can have the prepayment meter removed once the debt has been paid but you may be charged for the privilege.[/QUOTE]

This is subject the to suppliers internal credit rating, which I believe they now are starting to use

atrixblue.-MFR-.

only advice I can give you is that even though the debt recovery team refuse your payment it doesn't stop you calling payment phone line and requesting a pay point payment card and putting what you can afford plus your current bill usage onto your account with the payment card.


by this stage I would say you've repeatedly ignored contact by them, and had a period of non payment of bills because of either failed DD due to insufficient funds or a fault they didn't set up a DD correctly.


I would say that you need to start being regular with your payment on a payment card like every week, for large amount of money you wish to contribute to the debt use the paypoint card at the post office and get a receipt.


theres nothing stopping you contributing to the debt so if you want you could call payments line and give your card number and pay £500 over phone then request a paypoint card and pay on a regular basis weekly to bring yourself current.

mattcanary

Obviously the first thing you need to check the meter reading in the actual meter, against the meter reading on your latest bill.

You don;t know much owe you really owe until that is done.

undercover_peon

"I was also offered no advice on different tariffs"

Not surprising, this is something advisers used to do which they were told specifically NOT to do.

Also regarding the system/data I believe there are issues based on my time there (too many customers insisting they had sent in a Power of Attorney or Death Certificate and it simply not being in the archive). This was also the case with my own account...

Anyway if there weren't letters this should strengthen your hand in terms of a complaint. It is a bit worrying that CAB are perpetuating the prepayment is more expensive myth. Seriously this changed YEARS ago.

If you aren't on DD now then you are paying the same rates as prepayment.

If there is no alternative to the prepayment meter then get some solid facts on how it works. As others have said they can set the debt recovery rate lower in certain circumstances.

Perversely the prepayment with debt recovery takes back the debt at a lot slower rate than the company.

If I had to guess I would say you were speaking to customer services when you should've been put through to collections or similar.

I could be wrong but I don't believe there is a legal obligation regarding tariffs though I think suppliers are supposed to take account of a persons ability to pay (or something similar).

The problem is people misinterpret this as they must take whatever I can afford. If you are using £50 per month and can only afford £20 this isn't going to work as the debt will increase.

I am no lover of the utility companies but it does seem reasonable to set payments for usage and balance over a given period of time.

Keep us posted.

jobdone1

Gemazarus wrote: »

Estimates.

No good get up to date reads yourself you may not owe what they are saying you may owe less fingers crossed.

undaunted

I suggest you stop talking to call centre numpties & put your issues in writing to their Executive complaints dept. Include an accurate meter read, request an accurate bill & make a sensible offer of payment, perhaps including a financial statement - before & after your change in circumstances to explain why you now say you can afford this / why you say you were previously unable to set aside the uncollected DDI sums. It is Npower & there are no guarantees this will produce a reasonable response either but ther's more chance than trying to deal with it by phone.

If a warrant of entry application is subsequently made you will be advised of the hearing date & need to attend court and explain to the Judge why he / she should refuse this.