MSE News: Co-op faces customer backlash following bungled system upgrade

modsandmockers

Pete9501 wrote: »

Could someone please explain how this works, looks like lots of us will qualify shortly.

Pete

SFAIK it means that, so long as you have not been deliberately trying to avoid payment, then they are not allowed to bill you for energy which was used more than 12 months ago. So long as you keep submitting meter readings (by email if necessary) and reminding them of the length of time since your most recent bill, then you should be covered. But if your account is in credit, then I'm not sure whether they will be able to allocate the credit amount to the historic bills. If you know that your account is in credit, then I would prevent any further payments until you know that your account is in debit.

joolsmy

My story continues, here's my latest email to the Co-Op; once again probably a waste of time but it makes me feel better.

I posted some details on MoneySavingExpert about my experience in moving home and trying to finalise my account and someone from the Co-op suggested I contact this address.

Here is a timetable of events:

20/07/2015 - moved home.

21/07/2015 - submitted meter readings by telephone.

25/07/2015 - Telephoned R** who had no record of my meter readings. Gave readings again. I was told I would receive a bill within 2 weeks and that I was in credit by a substantial amount.

08/08/2015 - Telephoned S** who told me there had been an error generating my bill but could not explain why nothing had been done to rectify it. She told me that she would generate my bill and I would hear from the Co-op with two weeks.

22/08/2015 - Telephoned J** who gave me an explanation similar to S**'s and, after some discussion, said he would generate the bill while I waited. After several minutes he told me he was unable to generate the bill because of technical issues. He told me he would forward my case to the billing team and noted that I was in-credit by a substantial amount. I asked him why I should expect that any further progress would be made on this occasion given that none had been made up until now. I requested that he register a formal complaint on my behalf. J*** said he would do this, checked my contact details and said that I should expect a telephone call within 72 hours.

04/09/2015 - Co-op telephoned my number, left a message asking me to call back.

05/09/2015 - Telephoned triage service (customer services number) who put me through to the real customer services number. After waiting about 10 minutes in total I was told by B*** that a supervisor by the name of S** E*** had called on 4/9/2015 to tell me that they could not generate my bill and had forwarded the matter to the billing team. B*** offered to attempt to raise a bill. After a short pause she told me this had not worked and she would forward my case to the billing team. I pointed out that this was nothing new and that I seemed to being caught in some kind of loop.

Clearly the billing team cannot or will not generate my bill. I can only assume they will not do anything about it until I escalate the case to the ombudsman. This I will do when the eight week threshold is reached in about one week's time.

I must tell you that I am utterly appalled by the service Co-Op Energy provides and bitterly regret having opened the account. I must say I feel very sorry for the customer-facing staff.

boobbby

joolsmy wrote: »

My story continues, here's my latest email to the Co-Op; once again probably a waste of time but it makes me feel better.

Excellent report and so typical of the new Billing system which has never worked. Keep up the good work and keep sending in those emails with a copy on here.

modsandmockers

I just found this, dated 24th August - http://www.thenews.coop/97240/news/co-operatives/billing-system-spells-delays-co-operative-energy-customers/ - the article includes the following comment from Co-op Energy’s group general manager - “We have spent a number of weeks recruiting and training over 100 new colleagues to improve the service, and we are now in a position where the right infrastructure is in place and so the situation is improving. We have already fixed a significant number of the issues and we expect to have them all resolved by late September. For the majority of our customers, the system is now working well and provides us with a strong platform for future growth”

Fingers crossed till late September? (I wonder if the 100 new call centre jockeys represent an increase in the total number, or just a replacement for the ones who resigned because of the impossible situation they had been placed in by their employer.)

boobbby

modsandmockers wrote: »

I just found this, dated 24th August - http://www.thenews.coop/97240/news/co-operatives/billing-system-spells-delays-co-operative-energy-customers/ - the article includes the following comment from Co-op Energy’s group general manager - “We have spent a number of weeks recruiting and training over 100 new colleagues to improve the service, and we are now in a position where the right infrastructure is in place and so the situation is improving. We have already fixed a significant number of the issues and we expect to have them all resolved by late September. For the majority of our customers, the system is now working well and provides us with a strong platform for future growth”

Fingers crossed till late September? (I wonder if the 100 new call centre jockeys represent an increase in the total number, or just a replacement for the ones who resigned because of the impossible situation they had been placed in by their employer.)

I read that as well and had a laugh. I think they also mentioned that the system would be down due to maintenance on certain days in August. I logged on, on one of the down days and got on more easily than usual not that anything worked properly as usual. M

bellandbottle

modsandmockers wrote: »

I just found this, dated 24th August - http://www.thenews.coop/97240/news/co-operatives/billing-system-spells-delays-co-operative-energy-customers/ - the article includes the following comment from Co-op Energy’s group general manager - “We have spent a number of weeks recruiting and training over 100 new colleagues to improve the service, and we are now in a position where the right infrastructure is in place and so the situation is improving. We have already fixed a significant number of the issues and we expect to have them all resolved by late September. For the majority of our customers, the system is now working well and provides us with a strong platform for future growth”

Fingers crossed till late September? (I wonder if the 100 new call centre jockeys represent an increase in the total number, or just a replacement for the ones who resigned because of the impossible situation they had been placed in by their employer.)

That fits with what I was told about my first invoice - available at the end of September.

Can't wait!

Pete9501

Pete9501 wrote: »

Could someone please explain how this works, looks like lots of us will qualify shortly.

Pete

Praise the lord, 48 hours after requesting a historic bill from Coop one turned up back dated from the day we joined in Jan until the present. The huge credit built up with montlhy payments has gone and I am now slightly in debt to them which they can wait for.

Roll on the end of the contract and then swithc back to Eon.

Pete

peter.collins443

|Found the following data in regards to customer complaints to Ofgem re the energy market

http://www.ombudsman-services.org/key-figures-about-ombudsman-services-.html

Cant wait for the third quarter figures to come out...

peter.collins443

peter.collins443

Update re my complaint to Ofgem

Ofgem has told me they have sent the co op my complaint in late August

Co op contacted me last week re an email; I sent in June and were not aware that I had gone to Ofgem....

Co op was not aware of my letter to the CEO... and when I mentioned for the third time that Ofgem was investigating they ended the phone call....

Peter.collins443

lizzietwo

With reference to my previous posts I have now received a bill from Co-op Energy which includes both gas and electricity charges and which I believe to be accurate. Co-op have also informed me that I could save money by changing to another of their Tariffs.

I think however that I will wait till next March when the contract ends and so long as accurate bills are produced in the meantime, will decide then whether to leave them completely. I couldn't manage the stress if they were to mess up a new tariff!

Other MSE's members have mentioned the importance of taking regular customer own readings and that was a great help to me. The Co-op, after producing my bill on the 18th August then updated the account with another large over estimate of my gas usage.

Thanks for your help everyone.