Robin Hood Energy Taken almost £2K!!! from Bank A/C

MaCl14

Made the mistake of switching to these robbing * 10 days ago.
Today debit card declined when I tried to pay for my food shopping, logged onto online banking to find Robin Hood Energy had taken £1,723.23!!! -As a monthly! Direct debit.
Phoned them immediately, useless! Said they'd call back this afternoon, an hour later referred to "the payment you have made" "the mistake you have made" Apparently it is my fault! Because the welcome pack stated they would take this every month!!! For a projected £443.65 usage amount per year. They populated and sent the welcome pack! They didn't spot their error! They took my money! No apology and no sense of urgency! Apparently the earliest they can refund my money is close of business tomorrow!
This leaves me with no money! It's put me in an unauthorised overdraft of which my bank will charge me for! More costs. (I transferred £50 but balance still shows as 0.00 as any money in my account pays off the u.o.draft. I'm a single parent with 2 small children and until Robin Hood refund my money they have incorrectly taken, I can't access my own money! Can't buy the food shopping! Have a dentist app. tomorrow that I now can't pay for and will be charged to cancel at this short notice.
This is assuming Robin Hood Energy refund my money tomorrow! I was advised this was the earliest they could refund it!
So stressed! Thank you if you've read this far, any advice welcome. Will complain to Ofgem.

modsandmockers

MaCl14 wrote: »

Made the mistake of switching to these robbing * 10 days ago.
Today debit card declined when I tried to pay for my food shopping, logged onto online banking to find Robin Hood Energy had taken £1,723.23!!! -As a monthly! Direct debit.
Phoned them immediately, useless! Said they'd call back this afternoon, an hour later referred to "the payment you have made" "the mistake you have made" Apparently it is my fault! Because the welcome pack stated they would take this every month!!! For a projected £443.65 usage amount per year. They populated and sent the welcome pack! They didn't spot their error! They took my money! No apology and no sense of urgency! Apparently the earliest they can refund my money is close of business tomorrow!
This leaves me with no money! It's put me in an unauthorised overdraft of which my bank will charge me for! More costs. (I transferred £50 but balance still shows as 0.00 as any money in my account pays off the u.o.draft. I'm a single parent with 2 small children and until Robin Hood refund my money they have incorrectly taken, I can't access my own money! Can't buy the food shopping! Have a dentist app. tomorrow that I now can't pay for and will be charged to cancel at this short notice.
This is assuming Robin Hood Energy refund my money tomorrow! I was advised this was the earliest they could refund it!
So stressed! Thank you if you've read this far, any advice welcome. Will complain to Ofgem.

If the payment was taken under a direct debit authority, then all you have to do is call your bank and recall the payment under the terms of the direct debit guarantee.

MaCl14

Thank you, will call the bank 1st thing tomorrow.
Robin Hood energy also won't confirm the direct debit is amended! so that almost 2K doesn't come out of my bank account next month (-I'm not staying with them after this! This evening I've contacted another supplier to switch) Do you know if I can cancel the direct debit with my bank? As I'm sure the bank has advised previously it also has to be cancelled the other end, with the Co.
I need to make sure when they take the final payment it doesn't happen again next month!
Such a waste if time going with them considering 10 days later I'm back on comparison sites and going through the forms to switch again.

Petra_70

Never heard of them.

MaCl14

They're quite new (and diabolical!) based in Nottingham. Came up on a comparison site when I was looking to switch. (Although I was only paying £23.50 a month with previous Supplier and the £443.65 projected amount that is on this welcome pack actually works out at £36.97 a month! So are no cheaper! What was I doing!)

Marktheshark

They should supply advanced notice of a direct debit to be collected under the DD guarantee, if not call the bank, shout past the goon on the phone to someone who can do something.

WannaBLoaded

So, was it definitely their mistake? I wouldn't be so quick to run away from them, you certainly can't go to ofgem yet either because you have to try and resolve the matter with the supplier first. They may compensate you if you press the issue?

I can understand why you would be mad, though, i would probably be pretty angry myself.

I wish my energy bills were as low as yours, presumably you don't have gas? For just me and my ginger cat i spend over £1000, was more like £1500 when i was with npower (I hate you NPOWER!).

Can you not get some money from somewhere so that you don't have to cancel your dentist appointment?

modsandmockers

MaCl14 wrote: »

Thank you, will call the bank 1st thing tomorrow.
Robin Hood energy also won't confirm the direct debit is amended! so that almost 2K doesn't come out of my bank account next month (-I'm not staying with them after this! This evening I've contacted another supplier to switch) Do you know if I can cancel the direct debit with my bank? As I'm sure the bank has advised previously it also has to be cancelled the other end, with the Co.
I need to make sure when they take the final payment it doesn't happen again next month!
Such a waste if time going with them considering 10 days later I'm back on comparison sites and going through the forms to switch again.

If you initiated the switch only ten days ago, then you are surely within the 14-day cooling-off period. But if the switch was completed 10 days ago then you need to consider the potential complications of escaping from what seems to be yet another example of energy supplier incompetence. In the meantime, you can indeed unilaterally cancel the DD authority by calling your bank. But for the next couple of months I would stick to recalling any payment which you believe to be unjustified (in the forlorn hope that Robin Hood might begin to show that they are more fit for purpose than their much longer established competitors).

HELLO ROBIN HOOD!!! - in what way are you better than all your cronies?

MaCl14

It was certainly their mistake! I didn't request such a high and odd amount be taken from my bank account every month! Going on their projected annual forecast it'a almost 5 years worth they've taken!
With their apathetic attitude they told me it was my fault because "the welcome pack stated they would take this every month" I didn't write my own welcome pack, so it's a ridiculous way of trying to blame myself, essentially trying to say it's my fault for not spotting their mistake. Of course it couldn't be their mistake that they should have noticed and now rectified! Sub standard customer service and dishonest company.
They're more expensive than my previous Supplier and within just 10 days of switching they've stolen a huge amount of money from my bank account! I certainly need to run away from them ASAP!
Thanks, I'll go through their no doubt sub-standard complaints procedure before referring to the ombudsman.
Robin Hood supply gas only. My usage is low as I'm so careful -no baths, showers only, no tap running when washing-up and 1x washing up only at end of day (or even every other day!). Batch cooking to save on hob and oven. Heating on (even with small children) only if it's really cold -snowing! Thick curtains to insulate the house and Woodburner on (so it's warm) with an eco fan to distribute the heat (and small house) and wearing layers.
All the above saving gas energy measures to have Robin Hood take a huge amount out of my bank account!

MaCl14

Unfortunately the switch was completed 10 days ago.
I can'tell risk having them take this sort of money out of my bank account again and for doing this they're not keeping my custom. If they do this after just 10 days, what happens when you've been with them longer and they get really complacent.
But thank you again for your advice and good to know I can get the DD cancelled -will be doing this 1st thing tomorrow (along with getting this month's DD reversed!)

MaCl14

*I can't take the risk (typing on my phone)