Npower rejecting Post Codes?

polymaff

Smodlet wrote: »

Hi polymaff. I hope you won't find this useless but I am intrigued. I've never had post code issues with an energy provider before but had tons of them when I worked in telecomms. All it needed then was for someone to type one character in a post code incorrectly and it was ******ed for all time. .

Remember, Npower tried it and they couldn't get my post code recognised.

This morning I tried all active (according to Royal Mail) variations on my Post Code less the last character, plus a valid character. Suffixes A, B, J and P let me in, all the others didn't. Can you see a pattern?

Smodlet wrote: »

While it is hardly your job, have you thought of sending nPower a link to royalmail.com proving your post code is what it is?

It is not my job to debug their system - what time I have for that is dedicated to doing the same thing for HMRC (see MSE, Cutting Tax)! My experience, though , is that IT departments are extremely self-protecting (should that be deluding?) and wouldn't recognise an external bug report or suggested debug activity if it bit their nose off. The "not invented here" syndrome, as it is known.

Smodlet wrote: »

I have been with nPower for years and have had to raise complaints on several occasions; usually, their complaints dept. is pretty good... And it is worth asking for compensation if your complaint is upheld, in my experience. I really HTH.

Seriously, when I evaluate a Npower tariff I factor in an estimate of how much compensation I will receive (Scottish Power, too). Usually about £80-150 pa has been my past experience with them. No exaggeration.

My whole pitch with them was based upon preemptive compensation, by the way - first for the loss of the TopCashBack £60 (because I couldn't do the switch online) and then for wasting so much of my time.

Yesterday they were having none of it but, when I got my promised morning call-back from them - this afternoon - they did say that they would raise a complaint if I switched but the verdict would depend upon management.

Told them no. I can't enter a contract based upon promises from such a demonstrably incompetent company. So I'm sticking with my switch to one of the new energy providers.

Maybe into the frying pan etc. etc. :rotfl:

I will, however, reconsider if nPower Jen gets that chat-line quotation validated. I raised this point in this afternoon's phone call from Npower. Their response was - Ah, but that was for a fixed amount of energy, you might use more. My response was that with the £1,000 I would save via their kamikaze quote I'd be happy to be put on Standard Rate for any overshoot!

Take it away, nPower Jen.

polymaff

nicobrum wrote: »

Did they try using your full postal address instead?

No, but when I tried (see above) my neighbour's post code this morning, I got into the quote system, then manually changed (you know, select a house address from this list or enter it manually) the address - just a change of house name - and it let me proceed. (Although manual entry didn't include post code. )

I mentioned this suggested work-around this afternoon. In banged the old NIH (not invented here) syndrome. Wouldn't be surprised if MI6 were to drop in soon.