SSE want some of my refund back!

power_user

I switched from SSE back in September and finally got my (significant) credit on the account refunded to me in November this year. Having got the agreed refund, I deleted the direct debit.

A couple of weeks ago, I started getting answerphone messages to 'please call SSE', but with no details. I finally called them this week, to ask them to pack it in, expecting it to be a telemarketing exercise.

The SSE customer lady said that they'd miscalculated the refund and could they have some of the money back! I've looked through their Ts & Cs but couldn't see 'we worked your refund out wrong, so we can have our money back', in there.

Do they have the right to demand it back?

energyworker

Were you issued a final bill? Marked with final readings and a credit balance that matched that which you were refunded?

Cardew

Essentially yes, they can demand back monies that were sent in error.


There is a misconception that if a company make a mistake, and undercharge, wrongly credit, or pay a refund that is incorrect, that the company must bear that loss.


In the same way if a customer overpaid they can demand a refund.


There are frequent cases of banks crediting funds to the wrong account; and of course they can claim that back even if the money has been spent.


Earlier this year HMRC found they had not charged sufficient Tax and millions had to pay the extra tax:


http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/protect/2014/06/millions-to-repay-tax-following-hmrc-errors

power_user

Thanks for those replies. No I didn't get a final statement- it appeared for a while on my account on their website, but as it's a paperless account there was no statement sent to me. The account details on the website have since been revised to show the smaller amount that they owed me.

From Cardew's reply, it looks like I'd still have to give it back, though.

The utilities giveth and the utilities taketh away...

energyworker

power_user wrote: »

Thanks for those replies. No I didn't get a final statement- it appeared for a while on my account on their website, but as it's a paperless account there was no statement sent to me. The account details on the website have since been revised to show the smaller amount that they owed me.

From Cardew's reply, it looks like I'd still have to give it back, though.

The utilities giveth and the utilities taketh away...

If you received a final statement and this has now been amended I'd suggest maybe chancing a complaint. There is a chance they might write off part of what you owe. Cardew is correct in that the amount is owed is enforceable but often there will be a small amount of leeway if you were previously given a different bill marked final. Some companies will at least write off a small portion of the bill in an attempt to curtail the issue.

Certainly worth a try, worse you can get is a no.

walkers-crisps_are_evil

Remember to tell them it will take up to 8 weeks to process it and get it back to them !

Andy_WSM

walkers-crisps_are_evil wrote: »

Remember to tell them it will take up to 8 weeks to process it and get it back to them !

...and also to repeatedly fail to get back to them when you say you will.

brewerdave

For future purposes -always worth downloading statements to a local PC.
Then, in situations like this, you can ask for the difference to be written off as a goodwill payment since you already have a "final" statement!