Outfox The Market Direct Debit changes

kendizle

geoffplus wrote: »

OK, whilst in the process of switching to OFTM got the email saying new direct debit from £71 to £125 on 15th Nov and tried to cancel my switch by cancelling the direct debit and emailing them.

Could not cancel the switch so joined OFTM on 20 Nov. Direct debit not yet replaced, so paid the first £71 by credit card (to avoid £25 late payment).

Then got an email today (22 Nov) saying direct debit put back and that the next payment on 20 Dec would be for £71??? - i.e. not the £125 winter rate.

I cannot believe they have gone back on their new policy, so not sure what is going on. I suspect, 10 days or more before 20 Dec I will be told my direct debit is going up to the threatened £125 'winter rate'.

Now torn between leaving and paying more, or waiting to see what happens next.

It's probably because it's too early to change it before the first payment. Id run now while you still can, you must be within some kind of grace period?

BedrockFred

Before the winter hike I cancelled my DD when I saw the amount they wanted and started a switch been expecting them to reinstate the DD, today is the usaul collection date for me and I have not heard anything from OFTM and the DD has not been reinstated, no threat of a £25 fee nothing

Only person to mention the £25 was yesterday on a live chat, before that chat a few days earlier on another chat I informed the rep I cancelled the DD and was told that was fine no mention of the penalty, I still have the chat email so can prove I was told it was fine to cancel


Those who are paying there DD at the old amount (before the winter hike) this I would have expected because I was told my new payment would begin in December

doogal_2

There are several references on the forums to these fees being waived if you switch out because of the DD hike. I have it in writing from them. I guess it's because the tarriff is a loss to them now.

Topiary

firsttimemover wrote: »

I've just spoken with OFTM on the phone (pleasantly surprised they were answered quite quickly) and they've confirmed correspondence will be going out to all customers within the next 48 hours to confirm that the direct debits are going to be adjusted down significantly. There still will be an increase but not much.

They weren't able to resolve the issue that the EAC has come across as double (almost to the kWh) my actual consumption (I have all my readings for the last 2 years) and they can't adjust it manually until I've been a customer for a few months. Does anyone else have any experience of this? They've said they will backdate the refund when it does update, but it's an additional £5 per month which is more than 20% more so I can't really afford to stick around if they don't update it, equally if I leave, I'll have to stump up the extra for the time I've been with them.

appreciate the update & look forward to otfm response to customers

mije1983

Topiary wrote: »

appreciate the update & look forward to otfm response to customers

Have just had an 'updated' email reducing the DD. And it is actually inline with where I thought it should be. However, given the lack of appropriate notice before my DD comes out, I shall still be reclaiming it from the bank when it does go out.

However, in another example of their incompetence and awful email errors, neither the EAC, winter DD, or summer DD prices that they reference were the previously notified figures, bare any relation to the figures I was actually notified of

Even when trying to correct a massive balls up, OFTM continue to make an even bigger balls up of it! :rotfl:

allison445

Just had a revised figure email too little too late have already switched

Previous Notification £617.55 £77.05 £30.88
22nd November Notification £494.04 £57.63 £24.70

ilikebargains

They raised my direct debit from £58.86 to £103.01, which is an increase of 75.01%.

My account is in credit £184.18.

I am transferring to another supplier on 7th December 2018.

I have stopped my direct debit.

dazzh

Latest email appears to be more reflective to actual use.
Pure Planet does the same with DD, in that they take more during winter than in summer months.
I started to look at other providers but OFTM were still the cheapest for me.
It is obvious they did not handle this DD debacle well at all and have lost a lot of customers through this, but it appears FOR ME at least they have resolved it. I appreciate others are still experiencing issues.
Just need to see if I can get some of my £270 credit back now.

hubb

I have just ad an email apology (I never contacted them) stating they have revised my DD charges and have changed my winter payments from £115.40 to £92.31. They have still over estimated my annual usage (we have hardly had the heating on so far and new energy efficient windows installed yesterday. To top it all the boiler has packed up so we certainly won't be using as much.

Berwynview

We've just received the email - our direct debit is exactly the same as quoted on 15 November despite us being over £300 in credit! Again asking for photos of meter readings, which I've already sent twice.....