Outfox the Market reviews: add your feedback

sueshells

I haven't even changed yet and had the email about the variable direct debits. It's exactly what I don't want. I am on a low fixed income and need to be able to budget carefully. I'm also cursed by having oil central heating and have to make large payments over the winter months. The last thing I need is additional costs for electricity at this time. I like to build up some credit as it gives me the option to use it to run a small fan heater, keeping one room warm, so that I don't run out of oil too quickly. I've emailed Outfox the Market telling them that I shall be looking for another supplier. Not sure how that will work when I haven't yet joined them!

Shet03

Like many others on here, I'm ticked off about the new outfox the market direct debit policy email.

Being single and thus only having one wage coming in, I spend my life living hand to mouth and need to budget carefully. I changed to outfox because I couldn't afford the new monthly costs at my previous supplier and I certainly won't be able to suddenly change to a direct debit 3 times the amount for half the year. Yes in theory it balences out, but in reality everythings spent by the end of the month. I couldn't cope with the fluctuation, and certainly not a fluctuation the size they are talking of, so I'm out. No idea how I'm going to afford a higher bill with another supplier, but at least I will be able to budget for it.

shazzablue

i feel i have been scammed with oftm,signed up last month on a £69 monthly payment,recieved 2 emails telling me payments to rise to £72....further email advising this might actually be £109??….i too will be leaving.

Scatty

I'm going to see what figures they quote and then once I have been with them for a year (Feb) and I have a year's worth of actual usage, I am off too. No end of problems with them. I know I got slated for using BG freetime but that was a dream compared to this bunch of idiots.

elonii

I'm just off the phone with Outfox the Market re: the Direct Debit changes. I'm paying £92 a month, the most I've used is £65 a month since I signed up in April. I've now got a good credit balance to take me into winter - so they are increasing my direct debit to £129.00 a month!!


I've really pressed the phone operative, however their accounts department are refusing to alter any direct debits as it'll create "too much work". What makes this worse is my own statement puts my estimated annual usage at around £75 a month. I'd been happy to overpay "just in case" my usage jumped unexpectedly in winter. More fool me!

The chap on the phone did say they would be looking at real usage and sending out further emails in the next few days with amounts more closely related to your real usuage. However I did get him to admit that this wouldn't change the next payment.

Why do this? They are claiming it's so people won't build up large credit balances but I don't think it's actually true. Why not just base it on their own estimated usage data from the bills?

Luckily I won't suffer any financial issues due to this. Absolutely outrageous right before Christmas, as I'm sure many people won't need this extra expense.

Cornucopia

The cynic in me thinks that the move is designed to improve their immediate cashflow. I don't have too much of a problem with that, especially since excessive customer debt may jeopardise their business going forward.

I await seeing my figures, although since they set my original payment at only £29, I won't be worrying too much about seeing it split out across Summer and Winter periods. Based on the figures in the email, it will be around £40pm Winter and £18pm Summer. (The multipliers are 1.4x (Winter) and 0.6x (Summer) if anyone wants to play with the figures).

(I was paying £56pm with my old supplier, and that was pending a large increase).

Merlin139

I myself like this idea because I can very easily put the amount they wont charge during the summer months away so will have it in reserve when they increase the Direct Debit during the winter months. But I suspect a lot of people would not do this and have problems when the amount increases.

I have been a supporter of this company but not anymore. I will be leaving and I think everyone else should leave them.

I have just had a long Webchat with OFTM. Long because it took around 2 minutes eachtime for a reply! I have it in writing that I can leave with no Exit Fees. On a fixed rate so it should be 2 x £50

I have at this time a total credit on my account equal to 5 months Direct Debit so also requested a refund of my Credit which has been passed to the refund team. They will contact me about it.

shazzablue

I also had a web chat with justyna,i advised her when I signed up last month there was no mention of this policy....I signed up to £69 a month....not £109.i,m not sure what oftm is doing is even legal,very dishonest in my opinion.get customers in with good prices then wack them up the following month?.

bigpaul66

Been with this lot since april when they were competitive. since then many price rises and membership rises. in fact have never had so many price rises in such a short period of time. How they justified the membership rise was funny

Now even though i have a large credit balance they are massively increasing my dd this is the last straw. It has nothing to do with adjusting to winter consumption but taking as much money as they can.
Have now moved my gas to zog .

I no longer trust this lot i expect another price rise in feb or march at the latest.

System

shazzablue wrote: »

I also had a web chat with justyna,i advised her when I signed up last month there was no mention of this policy....I signed up to £69 a month....not £109.i,m not sure what oftm is doing is even legal,very dishonest in my opinion.get customers in with good prices then wack them up the following month?.

There is no ‘whacking up’ of prices as you put it. What appears to be happening here is the supplier is asking you to pay more money upfront than would be the case with some other suppliers.

To put this into context, you contract on the basis that you will use 10000kWhs of gas at a cost of £600. You only use 10000kWhs, so you will only pay £600. DD payments are only money paid on account from which charges for actual usage are deducted.

If the supplier has the contractual right to raise its prices, then it has to inform you of this increase with 30 days notice. You then have the right to accept this increase, or reject it by switching.