Scottish Power Ongoing Problems

AMG762

Hi, just looking for advice on this one. I have had problems with Scottish Power for several weeks now, not being able to provide me with accurate bills and my online account showing the wrong balance.

Due to the above i changed supplier. EDF started to supply my electricity from the 11th June and Gas from the 17th June. I have been told by an advisor today that i dont have an outstanding balance to pay.

I had to cancel my direct debit with them as they started to say i owed them almost £100 which they later admitted was a computer error (caused by a credit refund). When i cancelled my direct debit they transferred my account onto a standard monthly cash plan.

The problem is i keep receiving payment requests towards this monthly cash plan. They are now asking for £47 to be paid by the 1st July. i received this letter today despite them no longer supplying either gas or electricity. I also dont have an outstanding balance.

When i call to query this (after waiting over 40 minutes on the phone) i am just told the only person who can deal with this is my complaints handler, who is off until next week.

I believe Scottish Power will record a late payment marker on my credit file after the 1st July should i not pay them the £47.

What should i do. My account with them is closed, i dont owe them anything, but i am still getting the bills? Should i pay it, then try to request its refunded. Or just accept the risk of a late payment marker?

Buzby

I was in the same scenario, and have had 8 happy years with EDF. That said, SP should not be trusted, as we are prevented from rescinding permission to access your credit file, you need to push them to confirm a zero balance, and if not, why not.

AMG762

Thank you for the reply, unfortunately they will only confirm a zero balance verbally over the phone. My online balance shows a debit of £95.58 (which is wrong).

They ignore all emails and messages sent through the website.

Bristoltaximan

I've had an ongoing problem with Scottish Power for the last 4 months & I can't believe I am alone in this. I would be delighted if someone had the email addresses of customer service directors or such like.
In feb I was asked for my meter readings & gave them as asked. The electric was I knew going to be huge in comparison to my previous years consumption due to an experiment with an on demand electric heater which went drastically wrong. Having given my actual readings & having received a confirmation email & even a phone call to yet again confirm my readings were correct I was concerned when they gave me an estimated bill because it was creating an underpayment of about £400. After seeing if anything would change I contacted SP & after being "bumped" to the back of the telephone queue by the first advisor spoke to someone who advised that my direct debit needed to be increased from £149 to £179 a month. I didn't disputed that I'd used the energy. At that time I did not realise that if a DD is to be increased by a company you're entitled to 10 working days notice in accordance with DD rules.
As it was so close to the payment date I cancelled the DD because I knew I was not going to be able to pay & to save bank charges.
I emailed SP & was told that I'd get a response in 5 days. It came 30 calendar days after I'd sent mine. It was in no way apologetic for estimating my bill & talked of as a gesture of good will it would return me from the standard tariff which I'd been put on by SP within days if the cancellation of the DD.
I asked in an email as to why my bill had been estimated & again told that they'd reply in 5 days but got it 20 calendar days later. It was a non answer blaming their system for the error. I rang up to try to get an explanation also & was told that the back office was dealing with it.
I was amazed that without authorisation or agreement from me SP then attempted to take £200 via a DD.
This was stopped by me & I tried to find out why this was done. I was trying to set up a DD with the 10 days notice but communicating with SP was very difficult. I'd made 3 phone calls in excess of an hour each & things were very frustrating.
Eventually I got a call from SP. We agreed a DD of £184 to commence on 1st July. We agreed that I would go back on the online tariff. I enquired about a goodwill payment & was offered £10. I refused this & said I would be taking my complaint to OFGEM. I was sent an email saying all the things we had agreed. It was also rather threatening in so far as it pointed out that OFGEM can't order any compensation. It also said that they were entitled to contact credit agencies to report my non payment even though I'd just agreed a payment plan with them.
I forwarded everything on to the ombudsman service & I'm awaiting a decision from them at the end of July.
A few days after the conversation with the advisor I received an email stating I was being put on the standard tariff AND I was now a cash customer & not DD.
I tried telephoning SP again & opted for a callback. I was told it would be 30-45 mins time. After an hour I'd still not had my callback. The irony of the repeated message saying "Scottish Power do not like keeping you waiting...."
Really? That's not my experience. This time the call back said 4-6 HOURS time. The website is no better. If you want a password reminder it says it can take up to 24 hours which I find incredible that SP think this is acceptable. I have sent emails to customer service & to a director but never have they responded within the times they have set themselves. SP have a customer service charter & they have failed to keep to that too.
So I'd be very interested to learn if I am the only one experiencing this standard of customer service.

Bluebirdman_of_Alcathays

You'll have to await the ombudsman decision and take it from there. If you've used the energy though, be prepared to pay for it.

Why is it every taxi I end up in in Bristol tries to take me the wrong way?!