Isupply - Can't get my refund back!

As1

I am wondering if anyone else is having trouble getting a credit balance refunded from iSupply? I started a second contract with iSupply in December & had a large credit balance carried forward from the old contract to the new contract. They then took a direct debit payment straight away despite this opening credit balance.


I asked for a refund at the end of January. They wanted to just lower the direct debits but I insisted on a refund of the opening credit balance and they eventually agreed to this on 7th Feb. I chased them up on 24th Feb as I hadn't received the refund and they told me on 3rd Mar that it takes up to 28 days to reach my bank account but they would contact the finance team and see if they could make it a matter of urgency.


Well, it's now been 32 days since they first said they were going to process a refund and I still haven't received it so I rang them today and they are now saying they have a technical hitch which came to light on 7th March and they are unable to do any refunds by BACS or by cheque until it's fixed and they don't know the timescale! Has this happened to anyone else or am I being fobbed off? It seems very convenient that the technical problem happened on the 28th day when they said it takes up to 28 days to do a refund. I did ask them if they were simply keeping my money for as long as possible so that they could earn extra interest on it! It would be interesting though to know if this has happened to anyone else with iSupply and are they telling the truth?

tracey3596

Ah yes, iSupply ..... recently started MY second year too.
Also requested a refund, had monthly DD reduced and STILL going to be in increased credit on first bill since renewal.

Are iSupply being truthful?
Who knows; personally I would be sceptical and proceed accordingly.
To be fair, I knew the difficulties in getting refunds (from this forum and others) so I have a plan:

1/ Having requested refund online, await answer OR 14 days (whichever comes first).
2/ If no refund agreed, complaint by letter PLUS copy by online system. Advise in letter of intent to pursue refund via Ofgem should prompt refund not be forthcoming.
3/ As per Ofgem guidelines, 8 weeks from complaint IF NO REFUND RECEIVED then complain to Ofgem.

It seems that Ofgem are aware of companies witholding funds owed to customers and take a dim view of the practise, see the ofgem website: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk

I

tracey3596

Continued .... format anomalies in above post! :eek:

Anyway, iSupply owe me a considerable sum too. :mad:
I would much rather I earn the interest (granted, not much BUT the principle!) than give it to my energy company.

So, watch out iSupply! :cool:

HTH

As1

Thank you tracy3596. Isupply Energy agreed to refund me on 7th February but I haven't received it yet. I chased them up on 24th Feb via the online message system and they said it takes up to 28 days to reach my bank but they would contact the finance team and hurry things along. The 28 days was up on 7th March but I still hadn't received the refund.


I messaged them on 10th March but got no reply so rang them yesterday. That was when they said that "due to a technical hitch which came to light on 7th March, they are unable to refund any customers, either by BACS or by cheque and don't know when it will be fixed". This is the latest date by which I should have received my refund though and they supposedly tried to hurry things along a few days earlier. I am really cross with them as I feel that they are giving me the run around.


When I rang yesterday I went through to the "Complaints Department" and I will ring them again tomorrow to see if they have fixed the problem. It just seems rather convenient to me that just as the 28 days are up, there is a technical problem.


I am prepared to take this complaint to the Ombudsman if I have to but I am not sure what date is the start date for this complaint. Is it yesterday when I rang, or is it much earlier, i.e 24th Feb when I first chased them about missing refund?


When I ring tomorrow if I am not satisfied with their response, I will ask for an Internal Independent Review in accordance with the next step in their complaints procedure.


Good luck with getting your refund back too. Please keep me posted on how you get on.

As1

Update


I rang Isupply Complaints Dept. today and the technical problem was fixed on 11th March. However, as they have had an increase in the volume of refunds, they now have a backlog of refunds to get through and they don't have an automated facility to do these. They cannot give me a timescale as to when I will get my refund - they just don't know!


As they have had such an increase in volume of refunds, they have obviously been overcharging a lot of people!


I find this further delay totally unacceptable and have escalated my complaint. Further updates in due course.


I hope this post helps anyone else who is trying to get a refund out of iSupply.

tracey3596

Hmm, I just had a message via their online system saying the same; an increased number requesting refunds etc.

My gut reaction: sorry, not MY problem. Maybe my reaction would have been different if the various stories of other iSupply customers seeking refunds had been better.

So, Plan A still in situ and due to commence Monday.

BTW .... iSupply asked AGAIN if I would consider instead a reduction in payments, i.e. my Direct Debits being reduced.
Ha, you TRIED that and I am STILL increasing my ammount in credit! :mad:
Realistically I should make NO PAYMENTS AT ALL for .... oh, about six months! :rotfl:
Yes, really that long!
Out of (now) 15 months with iSupply .... with regular readings ..... * sigh * why bother?

I too will update when I hear more.

tracey3596

Quick update:
Letter sent as per Plan A, advising iSupply of intent to pursue via Ofgem if my refund is not received within 8 weeks.
Also said that this 8 weeks should be time enough for iSupply to sort out their "problems" and refund me.

Rixx_W

I'm in the same position almost as I actually moved to a new dual fuel supplier on the 5th Feb and had the run around getting my refund.

First they had to had to confirm my closing reading (sent someone around to read the meter while I was at work) who put a card through the door, so I gave a reading online to these people. Then they said that the new supplier had delayed in giving them the end readings (my old gas supplier had already refunded my overpayment by this time, so my new supplier only gave the gas company my readings :huh:) and finally I got the 28 days till you get it in your bank however they have now amended my final bill with a £10 "Direct Debit Cancellation" fee added, I don't know why (final direct debit of more cash for the overpayment to them was on 1st Feb) and after that I cancelled it a few days later).

I'm still awaiting the refund and the 28 days is due up on Tue, so I'll see what happens then.

digp

Issue a moneyclaim; will resolve the problem quickly once they start getting court orders against them.

Pagett

digp wrote: »

Issue a moneyclaim; will resolve the problem quickly once they start getting court orders against them.

It would be cheaper (i.e. free) and probably quicker, to follow the suppliers own complaint procedure, and if necessary, then ask the ombudsman to intervene

As1

I received a message from iSupply to let me know that they have a large backlog and are bringing in extra resources. They don't have an automated system for refunds, only manual. I was also told that my refund had been checked and authorised by the finance team on 18th Feb.


The following day I then received another message saying that my refund will be one of the accounts which use the automated system and not the manual one!


Last Thursday, another message: "We are experiencing a significant increase in refund requests at the moment which has caused a backlog situation. Unfortunately, we have no automated facility for refunds, which we are looking into and we are asking customers to please be patient with us."


Confused by the conflicting messages, I gave them a call. They said that they had been putting in an automated system over the last month which had caused problems with their server and they still didn't know how long it would be before I had the refund. I said it has been 6 weeks now! He said he would check with the finance team and it turns out that my refund should have gone onto to a systems list mid March but for some reason hadn't. He agreed that the refund shouldn't have taken this long and said he would get it signed off by a director.


I received my refund the following day! It took exactly 6 weeks.


Anyone having trouble getting a refund, it is worth ringing them & going through on Option 4 "Complaints". I then followed up phone calls with online messages.