Ombudsmen Services

The_Deep

I 'phoned these people yesterday to see if they had received a complaint dated 10th April against British Gas which had not been acknowledged..

First of all I was asked whom I was complaining about, I replied BG Homecare. The chap at the other end said that they did not deal with such complaints, and that I should write to BG. I told him that I had written to them five times, but had not received a single reply, so, to whom should I be complaining if not the Energy Ombudsman. He then agreed that it was a matter for OS.

He then asked me to whom I had been writing, and when I told him. He said that it was the wrong person. I should be writing to a Miss E---- . I assured him that I was indeed writing to her and finally, after a few more questions he agreed that I was right.

Only then did he check the mail and confirmed that my complaint had been logged.

The call lasted 12 minutes, had he have been on the ball it could have been dealt with in two.

If these are the people who are taking over from PoPLA, their misinformed and unhelpful attitude does not bode well for the future.

bazster

Sounds like a worthy successor to PoPLA!

Herzlos

You're assuming they were selected based on anything other than cost and backhanders?

fisherjim

Its a wonder it wasn't a premium rate number too!

Crabman

I recently used "Ombudsman Services: Energy" and found them to be a complete shambles.

It took over 40 minutes to note the initial complaint over the phone then a further month to actually acknowledge the case had been processed and would be queued for an adjudicator.

When the adjudicator actually made the decision, he blindly agreed to whatever the energy firm told him, while at the same time demanding that I provide "conclusive" evidence for each of my assertions.

I appealed against his finding and was surprised to find that the same adjudicator considered my appeal. He claimed the evidence I provided with the appeal (two pages from the firm's website) was inadmissible even though it contradicted the energy firm's response to me. He stated it was a "commercial decision" that led to that evidence being on the firm's website and that Ombudsman Services doesn't consider commercial decisions.

Hence while they ordered the energy firm to make a significant "goodwill gesture" and "allow the customer to switch to a different provider without penalty" (on a tariff that had no minimum period or exit fees ) Ombudsman Services actually sided with the energy firm because they deliberately excluded the evidence that would have tipped the case.

I wasn't aware until today that they would be taking over from POPLA... I predict an increase in frazzled grey hairs on the heads of our regular Parking board members.

bazster

So he who pays the piper calls the tune. Just like PoPLA.

enfield_freddy

did I mention the BPA stink


just my observation ,

bargepole

Crabman wrote: »

... I wasn't aware until today that they would be taking over from POPLA... I predict an increase in frazzled grey hairs on the heads of our regular Parking board members.

It's more accurate to say that they are taking over from London Councils. POPLA will still exist, just with a different name behind it.


AIUI, one of the conditions for a new provider taking over the service, was that all the existing assessors must be re-employed under TUPE regulations. So I doubt if, in practice, there'll be much noticeable difference.