Oh woe of Co-Op Saga

SniffTheGlove

I am writing to warning potential customers of possible problems with Co-Op Energy.

We join Co-Op Energy a year ago after MSE showed it was the cheapest tariff.

We signed up, got welcome letter then contacted them with the opening Meter Readings.

It was at this point the whole Co-Op saga started and still has not been finished or resolved.

When reading the meter reading to the operative on the phone he put in the meter reading for Electricity just fine however the meter reading for gas he put in a totally high meter reading (should of been 5492, however he put 74290!!!! but we did not know this at the time)

Now when the direct debit starting to go out they were for £64/moth which is ridiculously low for us as we normal pay around £110 (lots of computers in the house on all the time)
I thought OK, it will sort itself out when the bill goes through but we never got a bill.
So 6 months later I rang up Co-Op to find out why our direct debits were low and why we did not have a bill.

I was told by the Co-Op it was due to the wrong opening meter (which they blamed me of course) so I was told they would put the correct meter reading in for Gas and it will sort it all out.
It never did as we still paid £64 and still no bill.
So for several weeks I keep ringing up to be told that £64 is the correct amount and I will not face a large bill when it all gets sorted, as to the opening meter reading they could not adjust this so I was then bouncing around departments for weeks on end being given promises, had meter readers sent out to verify the meter readings but still no one would change the opening meter reading and therefore no bill and still paying £64.

Spoke to the Ombudsman who told just to write a letter to Co-Op giving them 7 days to to correct the issue else the Ombudsman would intervene. Of course it took the 6 day and 23 hours to send an email in response. Unpon reading the email we were told that changing the open meter reading is complicated and will take 9 months.
The Ombudsman said rubbish and then intervened and with 2 weeks Co-Op replied saying it had been sorted now so the Ombudsman case can close.
We got a bill, an incorrect bill because no one had changed the opening meter reading.
The Ombudsman intervened again and this time they did change the opening meter reading, and said the account would be balanced and realigned so the correct debit would be taken each month.

Liars, they never did alter the direct debits, so 3 times I applied via their online webpage to change the monthly direct debit to £120 but nothing every works, so I rang them 5 times over the last 3 months and still the direct debit would not change.

Co-Op seem to be little kids playing in the big pool and out of their depth, they are constant liars and don't give a monkeys about the customers.

So our latest bill today shows we are 850 pounds in debt which I am going to have to pay expect it will now be via the final payment as we have had enough and jumping ship to British Gas (whio we had left to go to Co-Op)

I would just like to say Co-Op Energy your a !!!!

Sunblind_Duck

I had an awful experience with them. They are totally inept.

Account69

Today I have received a letter from the Co-Op titled "We're sorry to see you go"

The letter has these following laughable paragraphs.

Our standard variable Pioneer Tariff is still one of the most competitive on the market.

Really, however only 2 weeks ago I was sent an email from the Co-Op telling me that I was about coming to the end of my fixed Tariff and I should change my tariff to a better fixed rate else I would end up on the expensive Pioneer Variable tariff.

So it's great today but uttly crap 2 weeks ago. Make you mind boys!

Then I am told "We have got big plans for the future. As part of our commitment to our customers, we're working hard to bring you the BEST possible service available from any energy supplier, with a little help from a state-of-art, multi-million pound computer billing system upgrade."

This makes my personally laugh as they had a big multi-million pound upgrade 12 months ago and got hundreds of complaints about how crap it was. So was it a fiasco, sounds like it if a year later they have got to have another one. Just sounds like incompetent folk at the controls of the company and bully boy "YES" people below agreeing with with the dumb management.

Then the next paragraph goes on about how they put their 200,000 plus customers first.

Well it will be 199,999 Customers now as I am jumping ship to BG

Oh, and I had to have 3 OfGem interventions and months of broken promises, even told to F*** Off by a Customer Service manager who forgot to put me on hold and I heard the entire conversion he had with another customer service agent. Good job I was recording the phone call as now I had great evidence (what did you say Co-Op about being the BEST customer service from a Energy Supplier) to help the OfGem investgation.
They ignore every single hand delivered letter, every "Signed For Letter", lie on the phone giving excuses like "the computers are down", "The manage said it will take 4 months to amend your addrerss", "Their are no details on you acount even though I have rung them 20 times and so and so on.

Pity you could not take them to court for liy about how good their customer service is/was.... To me it was rubbish

miniemma

Account69 wrote: »

"with a little help from a state-of-art, multi-million pound computer billing system upgrade."

That bit made me laugh too

Nathan94

Thanks for the warning - sounds like one outfit it would well be wise to give a very wide berth to

cleudo

I left them in May 2015 - cleared the account and (after much headache and telephone calls) switched to EDF.

However, this morning, a letter out of the blue from the Co-op arrives saying I owe them £358 (a reminder notice though no initial notice had been received).

No statement, no bill, just a demand for money.

What do I do with this - anyone?

Thought I was free from this horrible crew :mad:

FOREVER21

cleudo wrote: »

I left them in May 2015 - cleared the account and (after much headache and telephone calls) switched to EDF.

However, this morning, a letter out of the blue from the Co-op arrives saying I owe them £358 (a reminder notice though no initial notice had been received).

No statement, no bill, just a demand for money.

What do I do with this - anyone?

Thought I was free from this horrible crew :mad:

You have my sympathy I left these jokers in Sept 2015 and only this week have I managed after complaining to the ombudsman got my final bill, fortunately having had trouble for the whole year, whilst with them, I had managed my account so I was only 27p in credit, which now has been refunded.

When you left in May did you keep a note of your final meter readings? Did the end read match with the start read from EDF?

I would now e-mail Co -op ( not telephone as you will then have " evidence" if needed) and ask them for a final bill to support the demand you have been sent.

If they do not respond which is very likely, wait 8 weeks and send your complaint to the ombudsman.

Wilt

Account69 wrote: »

Then I am told "We have got big plans for the future. As part of our commitment to our customers, we're working hard to bring you the BEST possible service available from any energy supplier, with a little help from a state-of-art, multi-million pound computer billing system upgrade."

This makes my personally laugh as they had a big multi-million pound upgrade 12 months ago and got hundreds of complaints about how crap it was. So was it a fiasco, sounds like it if a year later they have got to have another one. Just sounds like incompetent folk at the controls of the company and bully boy "YES" people below agreeing with with the dumb management.

Actually, I think the upgrade they're talking about is the botched upgrade that was 12 months ago.

markharding557

cleudo wrote: »

I left them in May 2015 - cleared the account and (after much headache and telephone calls) switched to EDF.

However, this morning, a letter out of the blue from the Co-op arrives saying I owe them £358 (a reminder notice though no initial notice had been received).

No statement, no bill, just a demand for money.

What do I do with this - anyone?

Thought I was free from this horrible crew :mad:

In order to legally demand money they must issue a bill/invoice for this.