Help with Spark Energy

Lucile_park

Hello

I am after some advice about the best way to proceed withSpark Energy. From 2007-2010 we lived in rented accommodation and had no optionbut to be attached to Spark Energy. We moved out at the end of 2010 and afterchasing them it took a year for them to send us a final bill. We had a directdebit in place and the bill was about £500, so we challenged the bill and endedup writing to the Energy ombudsmen. In April 2012 they reached a final decisionand the outcome was the bill to be reduced by 20%, a repayment plan to be arrangedby Spark and a letter of apology. In September 2012 Spark finally sent ourmonthly payment schedule. The last payment was taken in 01/05/2013. I said tomy OH that it was strange they did not write to us to say the payment schedule wascomplete. No letter of apology was ever sent. My concerns were well founded assince paying the final bill we have been contacted twice by bailiff’s demandingmoney. The first letter arrived in January 2014 for the sum of £1161. We made anumber of calls which resulted in Spark apologising to us on the phone andstated we owe them nothing and they made an error. We asked for this to be putin writing, which never happened. We were contacted again by bailiffs in July2014 and this time they demanded we pay £1300. Again the phone calls happenedand the same thing said.

We have been harassed by Spark Energy twice now and we havehad enough. What do people recommend we do? Do we report this to the police? Dowe write to the Energy ombudsmen and complain to them? We have asked for writtenconfirmation from Spark to say this is settled in full, but we are notconfident we will receive this. We also are concerned this will impact ourcredit rating.

It has been 3.5 years since we moved and we are being chasedfor a bill we have paid in full. We feel we need to take more action this time,as enough is enough.

Thanks for reading, would welcome any thoughts.

macman

OP I hope you get it sorted, but for future reference, you were not 'attached to Spark'-your LL cannot dictate your choice of supplier, regardless of what the tenancy agreement might stipulate. Such terms are not enforceable.

markantonij

Hi,
first of all- take my apologies in case I'm interrupt your post with something,probably different. But seems your post is most recent.
Makes long story in a short way.
From 2010 to 2013 we was on rented property with SparkEnergy electricity supplier and now our family facing a 6K outstanding balance. Considering that we always pay bills, which SE was sent to us. So now I have to hire law suits to sort this things out. My question : is there anyone, who keep their records from SE and have printed(or PDF from email) price plan for "Standard Plus" tariff in mentioned period and can provide copy? Which is outdated for now and already replaced on their web. My attempt to dig it up from internet is failed, so I have to ask for favor.

Thanks in advance.

CashStrapped

Is there somthing going on with spark energy?

Including the two posts above this is the third in a day about random bills from spark energy whilst being with other energy companies!!

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5103738

Initially I thought the post above could have been some kind of student mix up. All sounds a bit odd.

Are some people double posting under different names? Are any of these posts related?

Edit -

Did a bit more of a search, this is looking more and more like bad practice from spark:

http://www.legalbeagles.info/forums/showthread.php?27499-Spark-Energy-Warning-!!!

dogshome

Forget the phone
Write to Spark heading the letter Complaint, setting out the detail and dates of this saga, and advising Spark that unless you get written confirmation that you do not owe them anything within 56 days, you will escalate to the Ombudman on day 57.

About 18 months ago a customer who was subjected to harassment in these same circumstances by n'power, by-passed the Ombudsman and went directly to the Small Claims court who awarded him a lot more cash by way of recompense than the Ombudsman ever does

Former Spark Representative

Hi Lucile_park


I'm really sorry I didn't see your post earlier. Did you manage to get this sorted out? If not, can you please email me using the address on my profile? I'm happy to look into this for you.


Kind regards


Jenny
Customer Relations Manager

Lucile_park wrote: »

Hello

I am after some advice about the best way to proceed withSpark Energy. From 2007-2010 we lived in rented accommodation and had no optionbut to be attached to Spark Energy. We moved out at the end of 2010 and afterchasing them it took a year for them to send us a final bill. We had a directdebit in place and the bill was about £500, so we challenged the bill and endedup writing to the Energy ombudsmen. In April 2012 they reached a final decisionand the outcome was the bill to be reduced by 20%, a repayment plan to be arrangedby Spark and a letter of apology. In September 2012 Spark finally sent ourmonthly payment schedule. The last payment was taken in 01/05/2013. I said tomy OH that it was strange they did not write to us to say the payment schedule wascomplete. No letter of apology was ever sent. My concerns were well founded assince paying the final bill we have been contacted twice by bailiff’s demandingmoney. The first letter arrived in January 2014 for the sum of £1161. We made anumber of calls which resulted in Spark apologising to us on the phone andstated we owe them nothing and they made an error. We asked for this to be putin writing, which never happened. We were contacted again by bailiffs in July2014 and this time they demanded we pay £1300. Again the phone calls happenedand the same thing said.

We have been harassed by Spark Energy twice now and we havehad enough. What do people recommend we do? Do we report this to the police? Dowe write to the Energy ombudsmen and complain to them? We have asked for writtenconfirmation from Spark to say this is settled in full, but we are notconfident we will receive this. We also are concerned this will impact ourcredit rating.

It has been 3.5 years since we moved and we are being chasedfor a bill we have paid in full. We feel we need to take more action this time,as enough is enough.

Thanks for reading, would welcome any thoughts.

Former Spark Representative

Hi markandtonij


I'm sorry to hear about the problems you're having.


I'd really like to help you get this sorted out. If you'd like me to look at this for you please email the address on my profile.


Kind regards


Jenny
Customer Relations Manager

markantonij wrote: »

Hi,
first of all- take my apologies in case I'm interrupt your post with something,probably different. But seems your post is most recent.
Makes long story in a short way.
From 2010 to 2013 we was on rented property with SparkEnergy electricity supplier and now our family facing a 6K outstanding balance. Considering that we always pay bills, which SE was sent to us. So now I have to hire law suits to sort this things out. My question : is there anyone, who keep their records from SE and have printed(or PDF from email) price plan for "Standard Plus" tariff in mentioned period and can provide copy? Which is outdated for now and already replaced on their web. My attempt to dig it up from internet is failed, so I have to ask for favor.

Thanks in advance.

Divorced_Daddy_001

What a nightmare I'm having trying to switch away from Spark Energy and trying to communicate with them over the phone! :mad:

My gas switch was due to happen on 23.12.14 but sparked blocked it. Neither company told me that the switch had been blocked. I eventually found out about this and it took me three days of trying to get through on the phone before I managed to speak to someone at Spark about the problem (07.01.15).

I informed Spark that I was recording the telephone conversation, so the call was passed over to a manager. He told me that they blocked my transfer because I had a balance of £83 on my account at the time that the transfer was requested by my new supplier. He also told me that if the balance was reduced to £50 the transfer could go ahead when next requested, so I paid £43 off my balance.

Another transfer date was set for 22.01.15 but again Spark have blocked this! I spoke to somebody on the phone this afternoon and now they're telling me that if I had a balance over £25 on the date when the transfer was requested for the second time, so that's why they blocked it again!!! I informed Spark that I was told in the recorded conversation on 07.01.15, that the balance had to be no more than £50, not £25.

So now they're away to listen to their recording of the call and will ring me back this afternoon. Still haven't heard anything back from them though and I don't really expect to hear from then today.

I thought it had all been made so much easier to switch energy suppliers these days because we're all consumers and we have freedom of choice? What a load of rubbish!

Spark are obviously a very amateur and incompetent outfit, in my experience :mad:

Former Spark Representative

Hi Divorced_Daddy_001


I'm so sorry to hear about the trouble you've had switching to another supplier.


If you don't get your call back today please email me using the email address in my profile and I'll make sure we get this sorted out for you.


Kind regards


Jenny
Customer Relations Manager

Divorced_Daddy_001 wrote: »

What a nightmare I'm having trying to switch away from Spark Energy and trying to communicate with them over the phone! :mad:

My gas switch was due to happen on 23.12.14 but sparked blocked it. Neither company told me that the switch had been blocked. I eventually found out about this and it took me three days of trying to get through on the phone before I managed to speak to someone at Spark about the problem (07.01.15).

I informed Spark that I was recording the telephone conversation, so the call was passed over to a manager. He told me that they blocked my transfer because I had a balance of £83 on my account at the time that the transfer was requested by my new supplier. He also told me that if the balance was reduced to £50 the transfer could go ahead when next requested, so I paid £43 off my balance.

Another transfer date was set for 22.01.15 but again Spark have blocked this! I spoke to somebody on the phone this afternoon and now they're telling me that if I had a balance over £25 on the date when the transfer was requested for the second time, so that's why they blocked it again!!! I informed Spark that I was told in the recorded conversation on 07.01.15, that the balance had to be no more than £50, not £25.

So now they're away to listen to their recording of the call and will ring me back this afternoon. Still haven't heard anything back from them though and I don't really expect to hear from then today.

I thought it had all been made so much easier to switch energy suppliers these days because we're all consumers and we have freedom of choice? What a load of rubbish!

Spark are obviously a very amateur and incompetent outfit, in my experience :mad:

Divorced_Daddy_001

Hi Jenny

Thanks very much for you swift reply :T

I've just been reading the complaints procedure on Spark's website. If I haven't had a call back by 19.45hrs today, my plan was going to be to phone the complaints number that is listed on the website.

There are some very specific questions that I would like to know the answers to, so it will hopefully be easier if I email these questions to you (instead of ringing the complaints number and putting these questions across verbally), if I don't receive a call back by close of business today (20.00hrs).

Regards

Tony

Divorced_Daddy_001

What a surprise . . . no callback from Spark today :wall:

Email sent and fingers crossed.