Payment Plan - No Statements

JazzJPH

Hi everyone,

I tried searching for information on whether a company is required to issue annual statements if you're on a payment plan with them.

In a nutshell, I have a payment plan with Scottish Power that was set up in April 2017. It was the result of a very long and drawn out situation where I moved into a new build in 2014 and despite my efforts they couldn't set me up for almost 3 years. So by the time we got sorted there was a figure we owed them and they set us up on a payment "plan".

I noticed the payment came out again the other day and thought it was about time I looked at when this "plan" ends. In my emails I can only find a start date and a figure. My online account shows nothing going on. This isn't an energy plan though, just a payment plan, so I'm not sure they would show up.

I read somewhere for car finance, the finance company has to send the customer statements, so it's clear when the payments will end. Is this the same for my situation? I haven't had a single statement, they just keep taking my money. I don't know when this is supposed to end.

I could just cancel the DD, but then on one hand I want to make sure I have settled with them, and on the other hand I want to make sure I haven't overpaid.

I have been on live chat with them and it's a tedious experience. Next stop is phone call, but if someone here can please advise if I should be getting statements that would be appreciated.

sourcrates

Simply ask for one, in writing is probebly easier.

JazzH

Hi,

Today they told me that the account balance is zero and they've cancelled my direct debit. With no statements I don't know if they're just cancelling it because they don't have any records on their system, or if it's just a coincidence that this month I've noticed the payments still going and that was actually my last payment.
They said they won't be providing me a statement.

Is this right? I really thought statements were required by law.

fudgecat

How about claiming that you have overpaid them by a specific sum (make it up, if necessary) and asking for a refund? They will then have to show how that is not the case. Caution though, in doing this they might just find out that the error is in their favour!

sourcrates

If they are being funny, send them a SAR, they can`t fob that off.

JazzJPH

Hi everyone. It seemed it was all sorted and fine when one of the advisors assured me I had paid the entire amount (a massive coincidence I thought) but refused to provide me with statements. They asked if I would be happy with an email from them stating the full amount was paid and the current balance was £0.0 and I just accepted since it seemed it was the best I was going to get.

Fast forward a few days after I cancelled the DD. I receive an email asking for around £72. I get in touch again. The adviser sends me a long message explaining the £72. After receiving the other email though, and no statements, I am reluctant to just accept that and pay.

I have sent a response insisting for statements and informing them that this otherwise simple procedure has been completely confused and made difficult.

Am I right with this?

barbiedoll

Did they give you an exact figure for your outstanding bills? Ofgem say that energy companies cannot issue “back bills” for more than 12 months in the past, so I hope you haven’t been paying off a bill for energy used since 2014?

As Sourcrates says, SAR is the way to go with this. I used to work for an energy company. My husband’s ex-wife mentioned that she was on a prepayment meter, which had been adjusted to take money off for a previous debt (e.g. if she topped up with £10, at least £2 was taken off straight away for her “debt”). I got her readings and bills and queried it with my boss as the original debt wasn’t large but she’d been paying it off for years. She ended up with a refund of several hundred pounds, no-one had ever checked to see if, or when the debt had been paid in full.

Having a zero balance at exactly the same time that you have questioned your payment plan, is a HUGE coincidence. And it’s odd that they have asked if you’re “happy” with an email confirming it, it’s not about your happiness, you either owe them money, or you don’t (or possibly, they owe you!)

Get that SAR in as soon as possible.

JazzJPH

barbiedoll wrote: »

Did they give you an exact figure for your outstanding bills? Ofgem say that energy companies cannot issue “back bills” for more than 12 months in the past, so I hope you haven’t been paying off a bill for energy used since 2014?

As Sourcrates says, SAR is the way to go with this. I used to work for an energy company. My husband’s ex-wife mentioned that she was on a prepayment meter, which had been adjusted to take money off for a previous debt (e.g. if she topped up with £10, at least £2 was taken off straight away for her “debt”). I got her readings and bills and queried it with my boss as the original debt wasn’t large but she’d been paying it off for years. She ended up with a refund of several hundred pounds, no-one had ever checked to see if, or when the debt had been paid in full.

Having a zero balance at exactly the same time that you have questioned your payment plan, is a HUGE coincidence. And it’s odd that they have asked if you’re “happy” with an email confirming it, it’s not about your happiness, you either owe them money, or you don’t (or possibly, they owe you!)

Get that SAR in as soon as possible.

Hi barbiedoll,

Thank you for the quick reply :-)

After a while of trying to hunt down who my supplier is from moving in the new build house in 2014, I managed to get it sorted in 2017. I knew about the inability to back-charge (providing the customer hadn't been avoiding payment) more than a year and the customer service adviser was great, she took everything over a year off and then put me on the cheapest possible tariff they had. Was happy with it. She set up a payment plan as I was moving to another supplier and that was the last I heard of it.

I will now research this "SAR". Never heard of it.

Thank you and also Sourcrates thank you for mentioning the SAR.
I appreciate all the advice in the thread so far

-taff

A SAR is just a request for all the information a company holds on you.
All yo have to do is state that it's a Subject Access request and that you would like a copy of all the info they hold on you.
They have 40 days to reply. If they don't send you anything, you then complain to the ICO.

JazzH

Hi everyone. The SAR sorted it all out. They made a meal out of not being able to supply me with statements, then the SAR contained a statement.

That's the first time I've submitted a SAR, it's quite revealing what information a company has on you. Would be interested in seeing what companies I have had more interaction with have on me... Or maybe it would be alarming.

Thank you all for your help.