Scottish Power Default

randomways

Hey all,

So I'm having a bit of a nightmarish situation with Scottish power.

Back in 2009, I moved into a flat and opened a account with Scottish power. Roll on to 2010 and I dropped out of University due to having to look after a family member meaning a drop in income.

Explained this to Scottish power and tried to set up an payment plan with them and highlight I was struggling. I also highlighted at the time I'm quite badly dyslexic and have problems understanding there bill due to many changes. Eventually I opened a new account and agreed to add the balance to the account and pay more to reduce the balance which was affordable. Being at the time I had ADHD and just been diagnosed, I was unmedicated and thus was not good at confronting problems.

Roll on to 2011 and my partner wanted to go uni in London so we moved down there which further put me in a financial position. I call them up and explained the situation which was met with no help to set up a payment plan and no realistic way i could pay off the debt. I gave them the final meter reading on the day I moved out and never heard from them again. I'll be honest at this point, I stuck my head in the sand and ignored this and a lot of other debt.

Then roll on to 2015. A cash fall came my way and I paid off all my debt. Got some coaching for my dyslexia and started medication for the ADHD.

So this is were the problems really begin. I wanted to pay off the debt so I contacted Scottish power who were unable to find my account. After much passing around I had the call terminated on my on many different calls. This is because none of them were able to find my account. After weeks of this I gave up. this then goes on to till January 2016 after quite a few trying and giving up and I was then able to make a complaint after an advisor made a dummy account.

The complaint handler was eventually able to find the account and gave me a phone number to contact to pay it. Which the the whole process started all over again. So being sick of this I wrote a letter, which I never received a reply.

After a lot of annoyance, I simply just e-mailed the director. Who's team contacted me back tell me the same information about that the complaint handler told me. They were further able to alighted to the fact about my account being a old account and thus it is hard to reinstate the balance. After a few back and to e-mails nothing much happens.

I did however find out that they had marked me down as "special needs" on my account, which not only did I find insulting, I never consented to being called that let a lone a marker for my dyslexia. I challenged the person emailing on this to which I had no reply.

8 weeks had passed so I received a "8 week final response" email with no information in saying I now need to go the energy ombudsman as they were unable to resolve the manner in the time frame.

So I did. They agreed with me that the customer service had been shocking, but that is it. They said that because i said I was "dyslexic" that the "special needs" marker was valid and said Scottish power had the right to mark this. They also told me a number I could call (which was customer service) and said press a option and said Scottish power would mark the default as settled if I pay it.

I tried calling the number and the same thing happened all over again. I replied back to the ombudsman explaining that the special needs marker was a breach of my rights and that Scottish power are causing me hardship by not allowing me to pay (and thus preventing me to moving to a new company as I can't work in any regulated roles unless I have no defaults). I also stated that I still am unable to find anyone to help me pay off the account and they had not done anything about the fact the complaint went over 8 weeks (more like 2 year but rules are rules).

They simply ignored it stating that they have already given their final resolve on the matter.

So I'm totally at a loss what I can do to move forward now, and getting a great deal of stress from something (admittedly my fault in the first place) that should be easy to resolve.

Any help on how I can get this paid off, would be great! I'm even thinking of taking legal advice on the matter because I'm at such a loss what to do!

Thanks

Quentin

If your main objective is to get the bill paid so you can move to a new supplier, then try the CAB and see if they have someone who can assist you by dealing with SP on your behalf


If you want the special needs marker removing because you feel your rights have been breached then again see if anyone at the CAB can help (or consider using a solicitor)

phillw

randomways wrote: »

I tried calling the number and the same thing happened all over again. I replied back to the ombudsman explaining that the special needs marker was a breach of my rights and that Scottish power are causing me hardship by not allowing me to pay (and thus preventing me to moving to a new company as I can't work in any regulated roles unless I have no defaults). I also stated that I still am unable to find anyone to help me pay off the account and they had not done anything about the fact the complaint went over 8 weeks (more like 2 year but rules are rules).

They simply ignored it stating that they have already given their final resolve on the matter.

You have a clearly valid complaint, but you wrapped it up with two other more vague complaints and you overloaded them & so they switched their brains off. This may be what is causing you problems dealing with Scottish Power as well. In which case asking for help at CAB would certainly be a good idea.

What is stopping you from paying Scottish Power the money that you owe? Is it that there is no evidence of how much you owe? Or is it that they are refusing to accept a payment unless it can be attributed to an account?

honeyend

I would just set up the account in your partners name with another company, like you had moved out and she had moved in. Take a metre reading , photograph the meter and she starts paying the bills with a new supplier on a different hopefully better rate.
Having just spent nearly three months getting Scottish Power to stop billing me for a prepayment meter, they will soon be after you for the money and they will send you a final bill. Have it sent to your 'new address', perhaps a friend or parent,or knowing them it will go to your old address any way.
I used to pay our power bills, they were in my name. My husband took them over by accident even through we have the same surname and live at the same address.
Good luck, you do not have to have ADHD to be totally befuddled by Scottish Power