Outfox The Market Direct Debit changes

rhino2k1980

Thanks,

I eventually got through to someone at outfox and they have not had the closing electricity reading yet apparently, I will give it a week and try to raise a final bill again.

Santander refunded my DD within minutes, Never had to do this before and was surprised how easy/streamlined the process was. When I next speak to outfox I will try and get them to refund most of the balance but suspect they will refuse!

Anthorn wrote: »

Practically everything I've read on the subject states that it is an Ofgem rule that suppliers must refund account credit when the customer asks for it. But to date I have been unable to find that rule and those who specify that rule fail to link to it.

What it comes down to is to follow the suppliers complaints procedure culminating in arbitration by Ofgem. However since Ofgem supports suppliers building credit balances in accounts that arbitration is unlikely to be successful.

Similar problem with EDF: I requested that DD payments be taken on the 15th of the month and they took a payment on 28th December and they have notified a further payment on 15th January and on the 15th day of every month thereafter. So effectively I'm paying in advance which is precisely what most people in this thread are complaining about when referring to OFTM.

Steve456

Anthorn wrote: »

. . . . . .


So effectively I'm paying in advance which is precisely what most people in this thread are complaining about when referring to OFTM.

I've not seen anyone complain about the principle of advance payment. Those were the terms agreed when I signed up.


Plenty are (justifiably) complaining about excessive advance payments and advance payments when OFTM are no longer the supplier.

Dad_Deep_Pockets

These guys at Outfox are total Muppets!
I switched on 7th Dec and cancelled my DD at the same time, I had the usual guff about we will charge you £25 if we can't call a DD. However, when I rang and told them I was in credit the guy on the phone said they will not charge the £25 anyway - check my previous posts as I've logged the time and date so anyone else can claim it back.
I logged onto the failure (Hero) hub to see where I was and was surprised to see my December bill had been altered (I had already downloaded the first one as I don't trust them). To cap it all my account had jumped by £105 in credit as if they'd taken another DD. I have logged onto my bank account and there was no extra DD taken or reinstated. However, I logged on this morning and my account has been wiped back to 0.00 . That will be interesting when they try and work out the final bill, as I won't let them keep 1p of my money. No wonder they are in such a mess, their accounts department look like the testing pool for Fisher Price !!

Anthorn

Steve456 wrote: »

I've not seen anyone complain about the principle of advance payment. Those were the terms agreed when I signed up.

You yourself complained about it and you would be "... happy to pay monthly in arrears ...":

Steve456 wrote: »

2) I would be quite happy to pay monthly in arrears for actual usage.

In such a situation you would be subsidised by those customers who are in credit and you would be responsible in part for price increases initiated to compensate for it!

The_Green_Hornet

Anthorn wrote: »

Practically everything I've read on the subject states that it is an Ofgem rule that suppliers must refund account credit when the customer asks for it. But to date I have been unable to find that rule and those who specify that rule fail to link to it.

A quick look on the Ofgem website may help.

If you’re concerned about the size of your balance, you can ask your energy supplier to refund it to you. Suppliers must do so promptly, unless there are reasonable grounds not to.

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/consumers/household-gas-and-electricity-guide/understand-your-gas-and-electricity-bills/energy-bill-credit-explained

paters

Oh dear... Nurse! He's out of bed again!

Steve456

Anthorn wrote: »

You yourself complained about it and you would be "... happy to pay monthly in arrears ...":



In such a situation you would be subsidised by those customers who are in credit and you would be responsible in part for price increases initiated to compensate for it!

Don't you just love selective quoting? "... happy to pay monthly in arrears ..." is hardly complaining, is it?


The only complaints I have seen regarding advance billing has been about inflated estimates or where the account is in credit sufficient for well over a month of usage.


As for your point about subsidising others, if the system were for all to be charged monthly in arrears, how would one customer possibly be subsidising any other?

editor1

@Anthorn,

I see you are at it again, namely, OFTM seem unable to do any wrong in your eyes.

Again, and let me be blunt, the T&Cs that OFTM change on a regular basis Contractually are not enforceable under the Consumer Rights Act of 2015, they are unenforceable as the changes to the T&Cs are not highlighted to the Customer by a direct system of messaging, namely an email instructions of changes to T&Cs with an option to leave penalty free if you object to them. The only T&Cs that stand are the ones in place when you signed your DD Order upon joining OFTM.

Now, my folks are two full months in credit and that's with the highly inflated 45% additional Winter payment uplift, my folks don't subsidise those in credit who are leaving OFTM or those who are awaiting final Billing instructions to pay off any balance they may owe - given the large number of Switcher's being invoiced for monthly DDs, despite many leaving OFTM in mid-November, do you believe it right that they should be paying OFTM anything if OFTM is not supplying their energy?

I suggest anyone serious about dealing with OFTM join the OFTM Consumer Advocacy Group on Facebook, where you'll find details on how to use the legal system to get redress from OFTM for its many failings, which are now legion and documented by national media.

Anthorn

The_Green_Hornet wrote: »

A quick look on the Ofgem website may help.

If you’re concerned about the size of your balance, you can ask your energy supplier to refund it to you. Suppliers must do so promptly, unless there are reasonable grounds not to.

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/consumers/household-gas-and-electricity-guide/understand-your-gas-and-electricity-bills/energy-bill-credit-explained

I have already linked to that page in a previous post in this thread. That page is advice on account credit and does not quote rules. In fact the article points energy customers to Citizens Advice. As far as I can see the often quoted rule on promptly refunding credit doesn't exist.

Anthorn

editor1 wrote: »

@Anthorn,

I see you are at it again, namely, OFTM seem unable to do any wrong in your eyes.

Not true: All my posts in this thread can be summed up in a single sentence: OFTM is not doing anything that other energy companies are not doing and in fact what they are doing is supported by Ofgem.

I have quoted the example of Powershop and I have quoted my experience of my old suppliers Scottish Power and OVO and my new supplier EDF. In fact I calculated my energy account yesterday as I usually do monthly and on 15 January my account credit will be £84 and my dual fuel consumption to date is £34. Now if I followed the example of others in this thread I would be screaming for a refund and cancelling my Direct Debit! But personally I prefer an account credit to an account debit!

What I see in this thread is unreasonable advice not least of which is the advice to flout OFTM's Ts&Cs by cancelling the direct debit and risking an administration fee of £25.