MSE News: Warning: Npower's slapping ex-customers with huge bills

Cerissa

Don't pay. Go to the Citizen's Advice Bureau. They have a legal obligation to help you if you have mental health problems. Martin also did a great guide that might be useful, the "Mental Health and Debt Guide."

thermalboyz

Long story short.

With Npower April 2012 - Sept 2014 (Account closed and final bill settled), Today (05.04.16) I've been charge £1305 from my bank account without any reason. I have reverse the charges through my bank saying that’s not legit and how on earth they allow to setup a Direct Debit just by itself to take money from me? I’ve all the record regarding Meter Readings and Statement during the time I am with NPower.

Just to ask any advice or anyone have any similar tricks Npower is playing and how to deal with them (Filing complaint / reporting to Ofgem etc). Much Appreciated and hope someone expert can help.

footyguy

thermalboyz wrote: »

Long story short.

With Npower April 2012 - Sept 2014 (Account closed and final bill settled), Today (05.04.16) I've been charge £1305 from my bank account without any reason. I have reverse the charges through my bank saying that’s not legit and how on earth they allow to setup a Direct Debit just by itself to take money from me? I’ve all the record regarding Meter Readings and Statement during the time I am with NPower.

Just to ask any advice or anyone have any similar tricks Npower is playing and how to deal with them (Filing complaint / reporting to Ofgem etc). Much Appreciated and hope someone expert can help.

It sounds to me, based on the information you have provided, that you have already dealt with it in exactly the correct manner.

i.e. by making a claim direct to your bank under the terms of the Direct Debit Guarantee

Sook

Returned from honeymoon to recieve a bill dated from feb 2010 to oct 2013 for £2,193.38! What on Earth?! This was for a former address and I'd given final meter reading, paid final bill and closed the account. They even said I was in credit and have me a rebate!! Suddenly, 2 years after moving out of the property they send me this! Anyone else experienced this?!

thermalboyz

footyguy wrote: »

It sounds to me, based on the information you have provided, that you have already dealt with it in exactly the correct manner.

i.e. by making a claim direct to your bank under the terms of the Direct Debit Guarantee

Thanks for your comments, question is now what to stop them doing this to myself and others. I am sure this is part of their strategy to con ex-customer without notice and get the money. Report to Ofgem, compliant, watchdog, social media etc? Which one is the most effective way? and i will try my best to do it.

Sook wrote: »

Returned from honeymoon to recieve a bill dated from feb 2010 to oct 2013 for £2,193.38! What on Earth?! This was for a former address and I'd given final meter reading, paid final bill and closed the account. They even said I was in credit and have me a rebate!! Suddenly, 2 years after moving out of the property they send me this! Anyone else experienced this?!

I would say i am the same situation today but i've called the bank and reverse the charges + block any future direct debit been setup from NPower. Hope thats helps.

gilbert_and_sullivan

So, ontop of our £1297 final bill, they've now issued another final final bill for £30 ish.

I wonder if it's going to be like some messy divorce where a parasitical ex keeps coming back demanding ever more for ever?

footyguy

thermalboyz wrote: »

Thanks for your comments, question is now what to stop them doing this to myself and others. ...

The Direct Debit Guarantee
(not to mention most people don't have £000's sloshing about in a current account)

joncombe

footyguy wrote: »

The Direct Debit Guarantee
(not to mention most people don't have £000's sloshing about in a current account)

It doesn't stop them though does it? Only means you can get the money back quickly.

They did this "trick" to me as well, even after I cancelled the Direct Debit. I took it to the Omudsman and won and NPower had to pay me compensation for doing it too. I also complained to my bank (Barclays) for allowing them to put on a Direct Debit I had not agreed to after I had previouslly cancelled it. But they were basically useless saying it is all done electronically and there is nothing they can do over and above refunding the money if it happens (which to be fair, they did). I no longer bank with Barclays.

However the Direct Debit system does seem a bit flawed to me in that once you have provided your bank details to an organisation the system does not stop them from being able to take whatever money they want from your account whenever they want - all you can do is invoke the gurantee and get a refund - but after the event.

whosyourbuddy08

I used NPower briefly during a 6 month period in 2012 in a rented property. I settled my final account and went travelling. I returned in summer 2014 and was surprised to receive a letter in January 2016 from a debt collection agency for over £600. They advised the sums were in relation to an Npower account from 2013 to 2015. Confirmed I did not reside at the property for that period. They refused to check the records or do any investigation and instead requested that I provide evidence of this.

I managed to contact the letting agents who luckily were able to provide a copy of the lease however I have still not received a satisfactory response from the debt collection company. I raised the matter with N Power over a month ago and received an email today advising they attempted to call me which I have no record of on my phone.

Do you think this may impact my credit rating (I have asked NPower this and have yet to receive a response) any help as to how I can resolve the matter would be much appreciated.

eda

I did not leave nPower- I was so naive and I stayed with them at my new address. I closed my old account in December 2014 - the CORRECT ISSUED BILL was paid by me.
To my surprise after almost one year and a half I received letters from npower asking me to pay 2 new bills.
Firstly I thought it was a mistake and the bills belonged to the present tenants so I contacted the customer service advising to address the bills to the current tenants but after some time I was warned that if I do not pay, my account will be sent to a Debt Collection Agent and a County Court Summons may be issued against me.
I really do not understand why my account was reopen after it had been closed for almost 1.5 year with a new bill with FAKE figures. I checked the new bill and the figures for the electric are 1676 kWh greater than the real ones.
I paid the “outstanding amount” because I did not want to have unnecessary notes in my credit history but this is a fraud and it must be justified.
I really don't know where npower got those numbers from, taking into account that I was using 100-150 kWh monthly and 1676 kWh is a whole year of electric for my household.
Of course I made a complaint to npower but I think it is a case for the court- why should I pay for what I did not use?

AVOID