Sainsburys Switch 4 months later....

GrahamsHill

Hi all,

In November last year I switched from British Gas to EDF following the BG rip off of putting my monthly bill up to £106 pm for gas. Not long before I switched to EDF, I looked into Sainsbury’s Energy because they seemed cheaper and my mother-in-law had just switched to them.

I went through the motions of the switch but got a letter at the last minute from BG stating that, because I had an outstanding debit on my account they had blocked the switch to Sainsbury’s. I then received a letter from Sainsbury’s Energy saying that it had been blocked and if I didn’t contact them within 10 days they would cancel the switch. I didn’t contact them.

After I found out Sainsbury’s Energy was part of the BG group, I decided to move to EDF instead. Fast forward 4 months to March and, upon returning from a work trip I found that Sainsbury were going through the process of switching my energy from EDF to them. By the time I’d realised this it was too late and the contract couldn’t be cancelled. I’ve got a few questions on this:

1. Can Sainsbury’s act on an energy switch request, that was supposedly cancelled 4 months after the original request?
2. Has anyone else ever experienced this and what was the outcome of a complaint, if any?

I’m not too sure how to go about the complaint, but they will be getting one. Partly for the massive inconvenience of having to switch back from the. Partly because it cost me £27+ in phonecalls (I don’t have a landline) sorting it out between Sainsburys and EDF. But mainly the fact I now have to pay my winter bill with EDF on top of my current monthly DD because of this switch I didn’t want to happen which is costing me an extra £30 per month!!!

Any advice would be great, cheers.
Graham

Biscuit_Tin

GrahamsHill wrote: »

Hi all,

In November last year I switched from British Gas to EDF following the BG rip off of putting my monthly bill up to £106 pm for gas. Not long before I switched to EDF, I looked into Sainsbury’s Energy because they seemed cheaper and my mother-in-law had just switched to them.

I went through the motions of the switch but got a letter at the last minute from BG stating that, because I had an outstanding debit on my account they had blocked the switch to Sainsbury’s. I then received a letter from Sainsbury’s Energy saying that it had been blocked and if I didn’t contact them within 10 days they would cancel the switch. I didn’t contact them.

After I found out Sainsbury’s Energy was part of the BG group, I decided to move to EDF instead. Fast forward 4 months to March and, upon returning from a work trip I found that Sainsbury were going through the process of switching my energy from EDF to them. By the time I’d realised this it was too late and the contract couldn’t be cancelled. I’ve got a few questions on this:

1. Can Sainsbury’s act on an energy switch request, that was supposedly cancelled 4 months after the original request?
2. Has anyone else ever experienced this and what was the outcome of a complaint, if any?

I’m not too sure how to go about the complaint, but they will be getting one. Partly for the massive inconvenience of having to switch back from the. Partly because it cost me £27+ in phonecalls (I don’t have a landline) sorting it out between Sainsburys and EDF. But mainly the fact I now have to pay my winter bill with EDF on top of my current monthly DD because of this switch I didn’t want to happen which is costing me an extra £30 per month!!!

Any advice would be great, cheers.
Graham

Why have you left it 4 months since applying to switch to EDF to question how the switch is progressing?

You applied to EDF and the switch is progressing, albeit very slowly it appears. What's the issue? (other than the delay, which any other person would have chased their new supplier to ask without leaving it 4 months)

There should have been no issue with you transferring to the Sainsburys tariff even if you did have a debt with your supplier, British Gas. Sainsburys is just a tariff supplied by British Gas and a transfer of tariffs within the same supplier is not barred simply because you are in debt to them.

GrahamsHill

Biscuit_Tin wrote: »

Why have you left it 4 months since applying to switch to EDF to question how the switch is progressing?

You applied to EDF and the switch is progressing, albeit very slowly it appears. What's the issue? (other than the delay, which any other person would have chased their new supplier to ask without leaving it 4 months)

There should have been no issue with you transferring to the Sainsburys tariff even if you did have a debt with your supplier, British Gas. Sainsburys is just a tariff supplied by British Gas and a transfer of tariffs within the same supplier is not barred simply because you are in debt to them.

Sorry Biscuit Tin, either I've not explained it correctly or you've mis-read it.

I paid my bill to BG and switched to EDF, which was complete within a month. Then 4 months after that, Sainsburys switched me from EDF energy to them, which is what I want to complain about.

The original bill with BG was £639 and they wouldn't allow me to move until it was paid. I have it in writing from BG that the move had been blocked and from Sainsburys that there was a problem with the order.

I've switched back from Sainsburys back to EDF again (for the second time) and want to complain to Sainsburys about why they felt the need to switch me over to the after I'd already moved to EDF.

Biscuit_Tin

GrahamsHill wrote: »

Sorry Biscuit Tin, either I've not explained it correctly or you've mis-read it.

I paid my bill to BG and switched to EDF, which was complete within a month. Then 4 months after that, Sainsburys switched me from EDF energy to them, which is what I want to complain about.

The original bill with BG was £639 and they wouldn't allow me to move until it was paid. I have it in writing from BG that the move had been blocked and from Sainsburys that there was a problem with the order.

I've switched back from Sainsburys back to EDF again (for the second time) and want to complain to Sainsburys about why they felt the need to switch me over to the after I'd already moved to EDF.

Sorry, I may have misubderstood.

When did you pay the British Gas bill?

Two weeks ago you claimed to owe BG £681 which you would repay over 12 months (in addition to the DMP you are in)
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4972126

:huh:

Surely EDF contacted you with a 'Sorry you are leaving message'? At that point did you contact EDF to say you had not authorised the switch to Sainsburys?

:huh:

Presumably not if you have now applied to switch again. I suspect Sainsburys/British Gas will prevent you switching until you pay their debts.