Outfox the Market reviews: add your feedback

Consumerist

Lochmaben wrote: »

I warned OTM they have until tomorrow (Fri 25 Jan) to refund this money or I would do a DD Indemnity, but they just keep saying they need a final bill.and that my readings have to go through a regulator. It seems photographs of meters aren’t good enough as proof of final readings, yet they are good enough for my new company to use for my opening readings!

Unfortunately, it is true that they cannot produce an accurate final bill until they have received industry-validated meter readings from your new supplier. Your new supplier should be able to confirm that the readings have been passed to OTM. It should take no longer than 6 weeks to validate meter readings. Refunds should be received within two weeks of the final bill.

That said, if you are sure you had a credit balance on the switch date then you can cancel their DD at your bank and ask your bank to refund any DDs taken since the switch date. You should notify OTM that you have cancelled their DD.

Vortigern

Consumerist wrote: »

Unfortunately, it is true that they cannot produce an accurate final bill until they have received industry-validated meter readings from your new supplier. Your new supplier should be able to confirm that the readings have been passed to OTM.

I contacted my new supplier. They confirmed that validated meter readings had been sent to OTM. I then asked OTM for a final bill and refund. They still claim they are waiting for validated readings.

It seems that they are determined to hold on to my refund as long as possible.

Jonny247

Vortigern , Consumerist is correct, the new supplier will send the starting readings to a third party regulator, the old supplier will send the regulator the closing meter readings that you sent them. The regulator then impartially decides on the closing meter readings and then sends these figures to the old supplier so they can prepare their final bill.
However I must say that my switch from British Gas to OFTM was a lot quicker then my current switch from OFTM to People`s Energy.

OFTM seem to be disorganised.

Vortigern

Jonny247 wrote: »

Vortigern , Consumerist is correct, the new supplier will send the starting readings to a third party regulator, the old supplier will send the regulator the closing meter readings that you sent them. The regulator then impartially decides on the closing meter readings and then sends these figures to the old supplier so they can prepare their final bill.
OFTM seem to be disorganised.

I'm not disputing that. I know the procedure re:switching meter readings.

My point is that GNE say they have sent readings to OTM, but OTM say (in a boilerplate copy/paste email) that they have not received them.

The next day I rang OTM, who confirmed that they have received the readings and will produce a final bill soon.

Disorganised + 1

Franann

I'm surprised money saving expert still treats them as a bona fide company. After luring you in with cheap prices they hike the cost. I switched out after only a month. I have never had to wait the full 8 weeks for a refund of my credit before that they are insisting on. Then I find they took nearly double my previous direct debit amount two weeks after they ceased being my supplier!!! Their so called customer service is appalling. I really disliked the look of the website and the jokey names etc from the beginning. Should have trusted my instincts and avoided them altogether.

timkim

They may be quick to take your money when you join them, but when you leave they work at snail's pace. I switched in mid-December, yet OTM have taken two further direct debits, the most recent on 28th Jan - in other words I am paying two suppliers now. I contacted them today: they advised it takes 6-8 weeks from final meter reading to issue the final bill, plus a further 5-14 days to issue a refund, so you could be waiting 2.5 months. Cash flow much more important than customers, especially ex-customers!

Carltonbp

AVOID!
Well I think I'm finally done was only with them from late Sept, what a hassle. 6 weeks ago Engie supplied final readings. OFTM still taking money and I got a DD email from them today. So went on chat, was told no we don't have your reading, insisted and thankfully he went and had a look for them, lo and behold they did have them. So insist. Got my final bill and hopefully within 14 days a £100 refund. You need to get in touch and pester, from posts on here and my experience it looks like they're stringing it out.

psdie

Echoing other posters here - after promising a refund with 7 working days back in *November*, and having switched to another supplier back on 10th Dec, they still haven't refund my £120+ balance. I've been chasing every week - most recently last week they claimed not to have received readings from the new supplier, who of course confirmed this is nonsense.

Going by the fact many other posters have experienced the same, it appears Outfox the Market are borderline fraudulent - deliberately stalling refunds using whatever excuse they can think of. I have *never* had such a poor experience with my dozen or so previous suppliers, large and small.

jk0

Carltonbp wrote: »

Got my final bill and hopefully within 14 days a £100 refund.

Can you let us know if you ever do get the refund?


BTW, isn't this farce reminiscent of the way Economy Energy were acting? I wonder if OFTM will be here in 6 months.

However

I switched away (to bulb), date of effect was 24th Jan. Received email from OTM 29th Jan stating they had cancelled the DD - good! Checked bank balance, OTM had taken money 30th Jan - bad! I don't care that the excuse will be that it takes the three days from submitting a DD demand to actual payment. I only see 29th cancelled - 30th not cancelled, and if they don't understand how it looks to the customer they don't understand how to do business.



The "Payment in advance" rule means NOT paying AFTER the switch - that payment covers February in advance not January in arrear. As it happens I'm already in credit, so that's not an excuse either.



Got a second email at the same time stating they had revised (my now cancelled?) DD and will take monthly payments from 1st March until further notice.


I also don't care that the excuse will be that it's an automated message so it's only a glitch not to worry about. That's unprofessional, that's what.



It's more than disorganised - it's incompetent and getting close to duplicitous to have standard practices that necessarily result in their gain and my loss whilst flouting their own contract T&Cs as well as the Direct Debit Guarantee.


I've complained - and warned if I don't get a satisfactory response in the next day or two, I'll invoke the DD Guarantee.