NPower posted default on my credit file against previous address bill not received.

k993802

Hi all,

NPower have posted a default on my credit file against a gas and electricity account for a previous address (lived at two years ago) for an overdue 'final' bill that was not sent to my new address (despite my notifying customer services of my new address and that being a 'final bill' - I wouldn't be at the address that the bill was going to be raised for - so please send it to the new address).

I paid the balance on the phone and I thought that was that.

Npower contacted me 18 months out of the blue (at my new address) with a 'final demand' red letter. I wrote to them to ask for a copy of the bill to confirm the meter readings were correct before I paid. (they had a track record of inaccurate billing). It transpired that Npower had credited my payment back to me in error.

A month later I received another demand letter from Npower. I called them to say I had written to them and that I had not received the bill as requested. It became difficult for npower because my bill was on an old system (pre- a 2013 system change). They promised to send a bill.

Nothing appeared and then a letter from Npower's debt colletors appeared on the door mat.

I registered a formal complaint with Npower and called the ombudsmen with the simple request - get npower to provide a bill and I will happily pay it.

Ombusdman ruled that the remedy was for npower to provide a bill and agreed with npower to, as a goodwill gesture, credit the bill by £30.

Npower provided the statement, I called Npower to pay and they said they couldn't take the payment and I had to pay the debt collector.

I checked with the ombudsmen who advised me to pay the debt collector.

I paid them the same day.

All seemed done and dusted.

In preparation for my new mortgage due in Dec 2016, I checked my credit file and all was well except for a default notice from npower - showing as satisfied a few months later.

I believe this to be unfair and wrong; but I would appreciate any views and advice from this community.

Many Thanks in advance.

boo_star

Go back to the Ombudsman?

pvt

I think your first call is to Npower, tell them you want the default removed. If they're intransigent then remind them that the Obudsman has already told them to pay you some compensation for screwing up.

k993802

Cheers boo_star and Pvt.

I'll defo give nPower the chance to remedy on their own, but I don't hold out a great deal of hope! Then onto ombudsmen...

I wanted to make sure that there wasn't a wave of comments that disagreed with my exception to the default!

Any other comments welcome!

GingerBob_3

nPower, ombudsman, solicitor, in that order. I will shortly be posting details of my son's continuing two-year nightmare with nPower (see the Energy thread in due course).

[Deleted User]

I agree with the others.

You're not responsible for N-Power crediting your payment back to you.

They should remove the default.

k993802

Thanks all! I'll keep the thread updated as things progress.

nPower

k993802 wrote: »

Hi all,

NPower have posted a default on my credit file against a gas and electricity account for a previous address (lived at two years ago) for an overdue 'final' bill that was not sent to my new address (despite my notifying customer services of my new address and that being a 'final bill' - I wouldn't be at the address that the bill was going to be raised for - so please send it to the new address).

I paid the balance on the phone and I thought that was that.

Npower contacted me 18 months out of the blue (at my new address) with a 'final demand' red letter. I wrote to them to ask for a copy of the bill to confirm the meter readings were correct before I paid. (they had a track record of inaccurate billing). It transpired that Npower had credited my payment back to me in error.

A month later I received another demand letter from Npower. I called them to say I had written to them and that I had not received the bill as requested. It became difficult for npower because my bill was on an old system (pre- a 2013 system change). They promised to send a bill.

Nothing appeared and then a letter from Npower's debt colletors appeared on the door mat.

I registered a formal complaint with Npower and called the ombudsmen with the simple request - get npower to provide a bill and I will happily pay it.

Ombusdman ruled that the remedy was for npower to provide a bill and agreed with npower to, as a goodwill gesture, credit the bill by £30.

Npower provided the statement, I called Npower to pay and they said they couldn't take the payment and I had to pay the debt collector.

I checked with the ombudsmen who advised me to pay the debt collector.

I paid them the same day.

All seemed done and dusted.

In preparation for my new mortgage due in Dec 2016, I checked my credit file and all was well except for a default notice from npower - showing as satisfied a few months later.

I believe this to be unfair and wrong; but I would appreciate any views and advice from this community.

Many Thanks in advance.

Hello k993802

Thank you for your post.

If you can email your account number to the address shown on our signature, I'll be happy to look into this with you, find out why the default has been added and see about getting it removed.

Thanks

Beth

k993802

Beth,
Thanks for the offer; I'll be in touch.
Regards
James

pvt

nPower_company_representative wrote: »

Hello k993802

Thank you for your post.

If you can email your account number to the address shown on our signature, I'll be happy to look into this with you, find out why the default has been added and see about getting it removed.

Thanks

Beth

Hi Beth,

Just a thought, but have nPower considered training the staff who man their enquiry phone lines to deal with, well, enquiries?

It might just be more effective than having staff scrape social media and then try to repair the damage done after your company's incompetence has been publicly ridiculed.