Another Spark Energy Complaint

SofaSoBad

The meter is sited in the adjacent property would you believe and the landlord never made the tenants aware of this fact. Landlord was also residing in Italy and proved difficult to get in contact with. Letting agency didn't help much either. Yes, meter readings and consumption were therefore estimated until tenants eventually learned as to the whereabouts of their meter. Heating and shower are gas (prepaid card) so that wouldn't affect anything. The fact still remains as to whether there's a mysterious outstanding balance of either £802.03 or £594.36 or what was confirmed to me during long phone calls to members of Spark - a final bill of £38.36 based on the difference between meter reading on  24th July 2020 and today 11th August 2020, today being the final reading before closing the account with Spark, although I would very much doubt that the account could be closed because they say there's a debt of between £600-£800 still showing.

SofaSoBad

As of today paid £594.36 instead of £38.36 - account closed. Spark rep did mention that there appeared to be (quote) a large useage of electricity that would have only been covered by a direct debit of between £100-£105 p.c.m. (unquote) This, in itself is a little excessive to say the least. The account may be closed and "paid in full" but other agencies could get involved in this in the very near future.

rachael_r

When I first signed up to Spark energy it was agreed that I was on a moving in tariff paid via direct debit for gas and electric this amount was £76.46. When the supply went live on the 5th September it was only my Gas, I called to query this and because my previous tenant left £4 debt on the account, they had blocked my electric move. I cleared that up with Utilita and asked Spark only last week if we could switch my electric over now via the live chat service, he advised me he would need metre readings, as I was unable to do this he said he couldn't do it for me and I arranged I would call up when I had these to hand. On Wednesday 30th September my electric cut out and I call Utilita who advised me Spark had taken over the supply? Not sure how or when as the previous week this was unable to be done; who authorised it to be changed over, where is my email to tell me this, what costing did we agree as my direct debit has been changed to just gas? 

Once I had spoken to Spark several times on live chat, they could not answer these questions. Tuesday the 06th October working from home and my electric supply turns off, I log this with northern power grid as think I've got a power cut, they called me to advise all the electric in my street is fine and transfer me to Spark.

I spoke to a lovely fella who said he needed to speak to the smart metre team I think and would call me back, he's the only person that has called me back may I add. He called back to say that Utilita never put me in credit mode when they switched me over causing this to cut me off, he advised his side had now rectified this and my supply would be back on soon. 1 hour passed again without electric this was now 2 hours so I went on live chat as my battery was dead and had to use the iPad and spoke to Rebecca who was seriously undertrained. She lacked empathy towards my situation that I've now lost out on 3 hours work as I'm working from home in a new job too which doesn't look great that my second shift, I was left unable to log on. All Rebecca kept saying was support team would call me back, how would they call me when I had no phone, over 4 times I stated this. She advised if they got an engineer out it would cost me £100 and was I happy for this? I was definitely not happy as how is any of this my fault? She then referred me to a manager who sent me a top up number and tried send me on my way, she was a disgrace, she stated that I was on prepaid and nothing they could do as can't change from prepaid to credit, as far as I was aware though I was credit customer and had received nothing to state otherwise. If I'm prepaid where are my details on how to top up, why was I not advised I'm prepaid, when I moved into the property in August Spark were aware that the metre, I had in were prepaid and they didn't tell me there would be any issues with changing over otherwise I would have declined.  

The manager disconnected me from live chat I'm assuming it was home time at 5:30, now 4.5 hours without electric and my only options were to call the emergency line.

I spoke to a lady on the emergency line who said I was on prepaid and that because it was an emergency she would top up my metre by £10 as a gesture of goodwill (makes me laugh no goodwill about it), she advised to do this she would pop me on a 2 minute hold and if we were disconnected she would call me back 40 minutes later on hold and I hung up as was getting nowhere. Absolute disgrace that she hadn't come back on the phone to apologise or let me know how long would take. I called back and got a guy named Mueed Ebrahim no 7:00pm ish 6 hours without electric who said there was nothing he could do as I was a credit customer, so after being told all day I'm prepaid I'm now a credit customer according to the emergency line and they can't help credit customers, strange. He also stated that because of Sparks family friendly policy I would be reconnected at 8pm until 8am I said that could he guarantee this as I found it odd that my supply was cut and could magically turn back on. He said at 8pm he 100% guaranteed the electric would come back on. 8pm come and gone and still with no electric. I called another guy to see if he could help and he stated the same as above and that he couldn't help me as I was a credit customer.

So, I would like some clarification here; Am I a credit or prepaid customer?

If I am prepaid then why have I not received top up cards or numbers until I had no electric to then try them and they don't work but have taken £15 out the account I paid with. 

If I'm credit customer why has my supply been turned off, why was I told to ring northern power grid after I already had and there was no issued my full street was in supply. 

Why was I told at 2pm it would be back on soon?

Why was I told from 2 emergency helpline staff that I was credit customer and that my supply would be back on 100% at 8pm and it wasn't?

Why have I been told today from Rebecca at live chat again that my metre is now UNKNOWN and needs to be checked by an engineer.

Why is it now 10:35 the following morning and I've not been contacted after I emailed the orders department and they said they had sent my query to customer service's and they would call me ASAP?

I would also like to know who is now going to replace my £90 shopping that I purchased on the 2nd and 5th, and why the top up card number I was provided stated an error message 3 times and to call Spark but took the £15 I had lent to top up.

I'm now without electric, my fridge freezer food is destroyed and I'm £15 out of pocket after trying to top up £5 3 times on the top up number provided by management.

I also want to know who is responsible for me and my 2 children going without electric for 21 hours and counting.

I look forward to hearing from you and I will be sending this off the ombudsmen to have a look at too as I feel I have been treated terribly and because it was closing time at Spark no one was interested and couldn't help me, me and my children should not of been left like that and you as a company have caused me great stress and frustration. 

rachael_r

When I first signed up to Spark energy it was agreed that I was on a moving in tariff paid via direct debit for gas and electric this amount was £76.46. When the supply went live on the 5th September it was only my Gas, I called to query this and because my previous tenant left £4 debt on the account, they had blocked my electric move. I cleared that up with Utilita and asked Spark only last week if we could switch my electric over now via the live chat service, he advised me he would need metre readings, as I was unable to do this he said he couldn't do it for me and I arranged I would call up when I had these to hand. On Wednesday 30th September my electric cut out and I call Utilita who advised me Spark had taken over the supply? Not sure how or when as the previous week this was unable to be done; who authorised it to be changed over, where is my email to tell me this, what costing did we agree as my direct debit has been changed to just gas? 

Once I had spoken to Spark several times on live chat, they could not answer these questions. Tuesday the 06th October working from home and my electric supply turns off, I log this with northern power grid as think I've got a power cut, they called me to advise all the electric in my street is fine and transfer me to Spark.

I spoke to a lovely fella who said he needed to speak to the smart metre team I think and would call me back, he's the only person that has called me back may I add. He called back to say that Utilita never put me in credit mode when they switched me over causing this to cut me off, he advised his side had now rectified this and my supply would be back on soon. 1 hour passed again without electric this was now 2 hours so I went on live chat as my battery was dead and had to use the iPad and spoke to Rebecca who was seriously undertrained. She lacked empathy towards my situation that I've now lost out on 3 hours work as I'm working from home in a new job too which doesn't look great that my second shift, I was left unable to log on. All Rebecca kept saying was support team would call me back, how would they call me when I had no phone, over 4 times I stated this. She advised if they got an engineer out it would cost me £100 and was I happy for this? I was definitely not happy as how is any of this my fault? She then referred me to a manager who sent me a top up number and tried send me on my way, she was a disgrace, she stated that I was on prepaid and nothing they could do as can't change from prepaid to credit, as far as I was aware though I was credit customer and had received nothing to state otherwise. If I'm prepaid where are my details on how to top up, why was I not advised I'm prepaid, when I moved into the property in August Spark were aware that the metre, I had in were prepaid and they didn't tell me there would be any issues with changing over otherwise I would have declined.  

The manager disconnected me from live chat I'm assuming it was home time at 5:30, now 4.5 hours without electric and my only options were to call the emergency line.

I spoke to a lady on the emergency line who said I was on prepaid and that because it was an emergency she would top up my metre by £10 as a gesture of goodwill (makes me laugh no goodwill about it), she advised to do this she would pop me on a 2 minute hold and if we were disconnected she would call me back 40 minutes later on hold and I hung up as was getting nowhere. Absolute disgrace that she hadn't come back on the phone to apologise or let me know how long would take. I called back and got a guy named Mueed Ebrahim no 7:00pm ish 6 hours without electric who said there was nothing he could do as I was a credit customer, so after being told all day I'm prepaid I'm now a credit customer according to the emergency line and they can't help credit customers, strange. He also stated that because of Sparks family friendly policy I would be reconnected at 8pm until 8am I said that could he guarantee this as I found it odd that my supply was cut and could magically turn back on. He said at 8pm he 100% guaranteed the electric would come back on. 8pm come and gone and still with no electric. I called another guy to see if he could help and he stated the same as above and that he couldn't help me as I was a credit customer.

So, I would like some clarification here; Am I a credit or prepaid customer?

If I am prepaid then why have I not received top up cards or numbers until I had no electric to then try them and they don't work but have taken £15 out the account I paid with. 

If I'm credit customer why has my supply been turned off, why was I told to ring northern power grid after I already had and there was no issued my full street was in supply. 

Why was I told at 2pm it would be back on soon?

Why was I told from 2 emergency helpline staff that I was credit customer and that my supply would be back on 100% at 8pm and it wasn't?

Why have I been told today from Rebecca at live chat again that my metre is now UNKNOWN and needs to be checked by an engineer.

Why is it now 10:35 the following morning and I've not been contacted after I emailed the orders department and they said they had sent my query to customer service's and they would call me ASAP?

I would also like to know who is now going to replace my £90 shopping that I purchased on the 2nd and 5th, and why the top up card number I was provided stated an error message 3 times and to call Spark but took the £15 I had lent to top up.

I'm now without electric, my fridge freezer food is destroyed and I'm £15 out of pocket after trying to top up £5 3 times on the top up number provided by management.

I also want to know who is responsible for me and my 2 children going without electric for 21 hours and counting.

I look forward to hearing from you and I will be sending this off the ombudsmen to have a look at too as I feel I have been treated terribly and because it was closing time at Spark no one was interested and couldn't help me, me and my children should not of been left like that and you as a company have caused me great stress and frustration.