Uswitch unauthorised switch

Odin1973

Hi all

I used Uswitch last week JUST to compare energy prices, Im currently with Npower and locked in for another 3 weeks otherwise i will have to pay £40 to come out of the contracts. I received an email the other day from Npower saying they were sorry i was leaving and would arrange my switch to my new supplier WHAT????.

I phoned Npower and said i never switched to anyone and they said PFP Energy had initiated the switch and I would be charged for leaving early, anyway i cancelled the switch over the phone.

2 days later I receive a welcome letter from PFP Energy addressed to someone else but with my home address and with someone elses bank details on the direct debit and a different mobile number.

How can these companies close accounts and open accounts without actually having the correct account holder details, even the online account login email looks totally different from the name on the letter they sent.

Anyone else had a problem like this recently??

Blackbeard_of_Perranporth

Shocking. How in just making a comparison, did they manage to get a hold of your address ? Not only that, but how did someone else know your address and you were with NPower? I would give that phone number a ring if I were you and find out just who they are.

Not only that, if it is that easy to get someone's bank details, I would cancel all my cards and change bank.

Mind you though, on my monthly visits to uswitch, not once have I managed to leave Scottish Power, nor have they got hold of my full address.

angelin77

I would suggest you write to PFP and ask them to explain this incident as clearly a breach of the Data Protection Act appears to have occurred. If you do not receive a satisfactory response I would suggest you then report the matter to the Information Commissioner's Office who are obliged to look into possible breaches. There is a section on the ICO's website that guides you through the process of raising your concerns.
I certainly would not want any company to give my personal data to anyone without my permission, they have a duty to keep such data secure.

dogshome

Hmmm - Chances are that your chat with Uswitch and attempted Switch to PFP Energy is coincidental.

More likely that you are the victim of an "Erroneous Transfer", these happen when someone else Switches and the data is scambled or incorrect, and the wrong account is switched - You have done exactly the right thing in contacting n'power, but also contact PFP - The rule is that no customer involved in ET should suffer financial disadvantage

Blackbeard_of_Perranporth

Just how is this data scrambled and incorrect. If this happens, how come in the last 19 years not once has my internet banking been compromised?

Not once using u switch has my account details been revealed.

molerat

Blackbeard_of_Perranporth wrote: »

Just how is this data scrambled and incorrect. If this happens, how come in the last 19 years not once has my internet banking been compromised?

Not once using u switch has my account details been revealed.

As above, the U Switch link is probably a coincidence. A name and address does not switch, a number does. Someone at PFP has probably misread and input an incorrect number and not checked when the details came up.

Odin1973

Argghhhhh! I've been switched even though I called Npower and PFP energy, Npower now have issued a Erroneous transfer request to bring my account back to them, PFP energy said the switch was used by https://www.energylinx.co.uk/ and she said they aint the best for getting the customers records correct. Too right the only thing they got was the address, not the name, bank details, telephone number and email

So basically if you want to make someones life misery go on any of the energy compare sites sign upto whatever energy supplier you want, as long as the house number and postcode are correct they will swap suppliers without your permission beforehand, dont even need the correct householders name!!! FRAUD!!! spent 2 hours in total to both firms for something that aint my fault

brewerdave

A year or so ago, I remember that one regular member who posted on here,stated that he NEVER used his own name/address/phone no. on any comparison site -just picked a random address from his post code - he didn't want to be bombarded with calls and letters - I suppose the downside COULD be what happened above!

Odin1973

Sounds like it, how can they move suppliers without permission though its so wrong. The bank account details are wrong so my house could get blacklisted for non payment

teddysmum

Odin1973 wrote: »

Hi all

I used Uswitch last week JUST to compare energy prices, Im currently with Npower and locked in for another 3 weeks otherwise i will have to pay £40 to come out of the contracts. I received an email the other day from Npower saying they were sorry i was leaving and would arrange my switch to my new supplier WHAT????.

I phoned Npower and said i never switched to anyone and they said PFP Energy had initiated the switch and I would be charged for leaving early, anyway i cancelled the switch over the phone.

2 days later I receive a welcome letter from PFP Energy addressed to someone else but with my home address and with someone elses bank details on the direct debit and a different mobile number.

How can these companies close accounts and open accounts without actually having the correct account holder details, even the online account login email looks totally different from the name on the letter they sent.

Anyone else had a problem like this recently??

I'm in the same situation as you, re Npower, ie the fix ends at the end of April and I did comparisons., so hope they don't do the same to me.



Incidentally, when I did a comparison with USwitch, last week, Npower were the second best of those of I'd heard of with just Scottish Power a few pounds in the lead and Npower about tenth place.


However, someone posted that they have changed the March 2018 to a higher tariff , today ,and a calculation for us shows a rise of almost 25%, if taking the new fix.


NPower are now well down the list with three of the Six ahead and the site used the old March fix prices, too.


It looks like I'll have to sort a move, which I dread, as NPower, have always been a good comparison for us; £20 possible saving not being worth the hassle and possible complications of a move.

Odin1973

I dont think you will have the problem, sounds like some Knob head used my address to compare prices on out street like the last poster put