MSE News: Spark Energy customers chased for payment by debt collectors BEFORE... 1 December 2017 at 12:24PM edited 1 December 2017 at 2:13PM in Energy 11 replies 2.4K views

Former_MSE_Callum

Spark Energy customers have been contacted by a debt collector telling them they were in arrears – days in advance of when payments were due...

Read the full story:
'Spark Energy customers chased for payment by debt collectors BEFORE bills are due'

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System

Quote: A spokesperson for Spark Energy said: “A small amount of customers may have received a slightly concerning communication from our partner Opos. We offer our full reassurances that this wasn’t a debt collection notice nor will it impact upon anybody’s credit rating. Unquote


From Opos' website:

Opos is a leading provider of debt collection and BPO services in the banking, utility, telecoms and retail finance sectors. We provide consumer and commercial collections expertise to a number of Key Clients within the United Kingdom, from our state of the art service centre in West Dumbartonshire.

If it looks like a duck; quacks like a duck.....

davidgmmafan

When I worked for an energy provider Spark energy were by far the worst provider I ever encountered. Riddled with errors and flouting rules, for example if a customer wanted to leave them they used to object (which there are only supposed to if there is a balance owing already) then tell the customer to give a meter reading so they could bill them and insist they paid that before they let them leave.

Caddyman

No wonder I won't switch away from my 'Big Six' provider.......

gman41

people's energy is the way forward!

Check them out!

System

gman41 wrote: »

people's energy is the way forward!

Check them out!

Based on what criteria?

Consumerist

No wonder many have concerns about switching to the smaller suppliers.

fatbelly

Caddyman wrote: »

No wonder I won't switch away from my 'Big Six' provider.......

Some of the big 6 practices are not too good.

Do your research. I'm not going to name companies in this thread but several of the smaller companies have customer service better than anything the Big 6 can provide, and they're cheaper.

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/energy/2017/04/smaller-energy-firms-still-top-for-customer-service-mse-poll-finds

Caddyman

fatbelly wrote: »

Some of the big 6 practices are not too good.

Do your research. I'm not going to name companies in this thread but several of the smaller companies have customer service better than anything the Big 6 can provide, and they're cheaper.

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/energy/2017/04/smaller-energy-firms-still-top-for-customer-service-mse-poll-finds

That may be so, and I'm not disputing it, however, I've been with Npower for several years and I've not suffered any of the apparent 'horror stories' that some customers have. Indeed, I'd go so far as to say, Npower have been excellent in my own case, but then, I have always provided monthly meter readings so my bills are always correct and what I 'expect' them to be. Furthermore, I fixed with Npower in June last year for two years, I'm currently on one of the cheapest dual fuel tariffs in the country, not a single smaller indpendent company can come anywhere near what I'm currently paying. Unfortunately, that will all come to an abrupt end in June 2018 and for the first time in years I may have to switch, but I assure you, I will be choosing very wisely and after plenty of research.

Consumerist

Caddyman wrote: »

. . . but then, I have always provided monthly meter readings so my bills are always correct and what I 'expect' them to be.

And that's the way to do it girls and boys.

Caddyman

It seems though, we can trot out the advice about being proactive and providing monthly meter readings until the cows come home, but some people doggedly refuse to help themselves or rather bizarely, use the most common excuse trotted out, 'I have a very busy life, I don't have time for things like that'. A very good friend of mine has almost finished paying of a 1k energy bill built up over 14 months because not once did they or their provider bother to take any meter readings. When my friend decided one day a few months back to actually bother to check and submit a reading, they were in utter shock when the correct bill came through. In their own words, 'I can't believe my own stupidity. I won't be that foolish again'. Thankfully, my friend avoided a visit from the bailiffs. My neighbours a couple of doors away, not so lucky, house broken into under Warrant by their energy provider and force fitted pre-payment meters. Perks of living in a 'Buy to Let' property where the tenants up and leave without paying the bills.