Really need some help with this...urgent!!!

enchanted_angel

Right i think im confusing you lol.
When you put the token into the meter, the meter then pushes the token back out, it dosnt retain the token.
Once a token has been used it has a line through it which means it cant be used again.
Sorry i just assumed people would know how it worked.
The only proof i would have that i purchased the tokens is the reciet i get when i buy them and also the information the card number sends to the supplier which isnt showing up their end.
The more i think about it the more i know that i am well and truly stitched here, without the proof those tiny little reciets hold, i have no other evidence to say that i have paid for them legitemately.

dounome

My parents used to have the same system as you use.
I would think that the fact you got electricity with a token is proof enough that you paid for it and i would think its up to Scottish Power to prove you haven't paid for it, not for you to prove you have.!

magyar

enchanted_angel wrote: »

Right i think im confusing you lol.
When you put the token into the meter, the meter then pushes the token back out, it dosnt retain the token.
Once a token has been used it has a line through it which means it cant be used again.
Sorry i just assumed people would know how it worked.
The only proof i would have that i purchased the tokens is the reciet i get when i buy them and also the information the card number sends to the supplier which isnt showing up their end.
The more i think about it the more i know that i am well and truly stitched here, without the proof those tiny little reciets hold, i have no other evidence to say that i have paid for them legitemately.

OK I understand, I think. So you go to the post office or wherever, pay for some money to be put on to a token and this links to a card (i.e. account), which goes to the electricity supplier. You push the token into the meter and it tells the meter that someone has paid for some more electricity, stamps the token and returns it. The token is not reused and is thrown away?

I obviously can't say whether fake/counterfeit tokens exist, or if this is possible, but if it is then I would suggest it's up to the electricity company to somehow prove that's the case.

Hopefully, Scottish Power could be prepared to drop this and otherwise search for the money. If not, then potentially it would be up to a court to decide whether it was more likely that you paid for the electricity (and the payments were lost), or that you used a fake token.

In the absence of any evidence of fake tokens, I would suggest that a court would look at your record of paying prior to moving to that address (i.e. were all payments made successfully) and since then. If you were always paying up before you moved into a property, what's more likely - that you suddenly became a crook, or that in the move the supplier messed up the systems?

tripled

There are plenty of stolen tokens out there which can often be picked up cheap from places like car boot sales, so the fact the meter has accepted te token is not proof the electricity has been paid for. Also when someone uses someone else's card to buy a token, a different person has the money credited on their account (which they may eventually get refunded by the utility co), so again payments would not show up on the user's account and they would still need to pay for the electricity (again).

Basically the money has probably gone to one of three places - either on your old account with Scottish Power, your new account or the previous occupier's account (not taking into accounts the payments that have ne onto your friends' accounts).

When where the payments going missing? Are some still going missing or was it for a period in the past?

In future, keep your receipts, at the very least until you have had a statement through in your name confirming the payments have been received.

magyar

All in all this seems really bizarre. A better way of ensuring you don't get into debt is to pay via Direct Debit and regularly send the meter readings to the electricity company (and check the bills). You also get a discount this way.

None of which helps in this case, of course.

SwanJon

A fourth option to go with tripled's three is that somehow they have been sent to another supplier. If this is the case SP will be able to claim them back directly.

If you are still using the same card as some of the gap, they should be able to use that to help find them. Do you have the long number from the front of the old card? (Long shot, but you might have made a note so you could use it to buy tokens.)

Good Luck

tripled

SwanJon is correct in that, however as you hadn't mentioned contacting another company that should only have happened if you used the previous occupier's card (and the previous occupier was with another company) or you got a replacement card belonging to a different company from the shop if you lost yours.

SwanJon

The problem is that now you don't even have to change cards for the payments to go to another compnay. It came in a few years back, so if a message somewhere got confused, payments can be misdirected.

I hate these kind of things, and unfornately these kind of token meters are the hardest to resolve. SP should check at least - it's cheaper than court etc.

enchanted_angel

My last property and this one has always been supplied by scottish power and i know that i didnt use the previous tenants card to purchase electric.
I do have my number from my scottish power card which i have supplied to them in the last couple of days hope it will help somewhat.
By the way i am no longer with them, i changed suppliers at the end of 2006, got fed up with all the messing about.
Although i am surprised they let me leave, as they are saying i owe them all this money.

Anyway i went to see solicitor yesterday but i am not entitled to legal aid as my partner is just over the amount you can get before you loose your entitlement, we cant really afford to pay out solicitors costs on our own, so citizens advice it is!
He did say to put my compliant in writing to scottish power and energywatch as phone calls arent really taken that seriously in that aspect.
At the minute im still hitting a brick wall and its very dishearting.
I hate the way big companies like this can get away with this sort of bullying to the extent they do and its us the little people that get trampled on in the process.
Im adament that im not going to be landed with this bill though as i know that i have paid already, why should i pay again these companies are already ripping us off and now expect to pay out again, i donot think so.
I am going to fight back as much as i can, i know i dont really stand that much of a chance but why should i go quietly?

magyar

enchanted_angel wrote: »

Anyway i went to see solicitor yesterday but i am not entitled to legal aid as my partner is just over the amount you can get before you loose your entitlement, we cant really afford to pay out solicitors costs on our own, so citizens advice it is!

He did say to put my compliant in writing to scottish power and energywatch as phone calls arent really taken that seriously in that aspect.

What a crap solicitor! Is that all you got from a 30-min consultation? CAB will probably be far better anyway.