Scottish Power issues

Shiran

Hi,
I have been having such issues with Scottish Power for the last 9 months. This is a long shot but I really need advise on what to do. 
This was an email I sent over to them a few weeks ago and I've still not heard anything back.
Since I sent the email, I have tried to get some information so that I can go to the Ombudsman and they are now sending me demands letters even though they have yet to send me what I have asked for. 

'I moved into my flat at the end of August. The old tenants changed the meter to a pay as you use one. As my landlord didn't approve this, he requested that this be changed back to a normal credit meter. We were advised that we had to wait 6 weeks so the meter was changed mid September. My wife and I both tried to put the new bills in our names but for some reason, you had to speak to the landlord to have this changed. This took a further couple of weeks. 

Once it was in my name, I wanted to change the tariff or at least put us on a reasonably priced tariff. As this wasn't something you could provide us, we wanted to leave. We were advised that we couldn't leave because we had an outstanding bill. When I received the bill, it showed the wrong date on it (26th August). This was incorrect as we had only gone over to a credit metre mid September. So we asked for the bill to be checked and was advised that someone would get back to us. This didn't happen. I then called up again in December to change my name on the account as I had recently got married. I also wanted my wife to have access to the account as she was the one that would be paying the bill. We also wanted an update in regards to the bill that was incorrect plus we wanted to change our tariff or move away from you. Yet again we were advised that it was still being looked into and that someone would get back to us. 

I then called up in February as I didn't hear anything from your company. I asked to speak to the complaints team as the issue was not getting resolved. This is when I was advised that on your systems we were still showing as a 'pay as you use' metre rather than the credit one we had been put on 5 months earlier. So again, I was advised that it would take around 3 weeks for this to be changed over and only then could be speak about the tariff, so again I waited. 

I was then advised that the system was now showing correctly but because of an outstanding balance we had incurred, we wont be able to move over to another provider. The advise I received was to either pay it or wait 12 months and it would be written off - this to me did not seem logical. 

We have been put on a tariff that for a 2 bedroom flat which is far to high for us to pay at £114 a month. We were also put on a quarterly payment - we didn't ask for this. 

My wife has called up a few times asking to set up a direct debit but this has not happened. 

After 9 months of trying to get this sorted by a colleague of yours called James, I received a phone call from someone called Mohumed who was extremely unprofessional and honestly very rude. Whilst on the phone to Mohumed, I was also called by Martin who left me a voicemail saying that he would 'call me back tomorrow' - this call was on Thursday 14th May and I have yet to hear back from Martin. In regards to the gentleman I spoke to on Thursday, he advised that as we were not coming to a solution, he would have to make it a deadlock case - I have no idea what this means. The reason we have not come to a solution is because I was offered £50 towards a £600 bill that I was advised I would not get. 

I am absolutely disgusted at the way we have been advised with the incorrect information throughout this whole process.  The colleagues that I have spoken to in this matter have been anything but helpful and have caused me a lot more stress that I should be going through. I have asked to speak to a manager on numerous occasions and this has not happened either.'

Also they are useless on social media as I have tried that route too and I didnt receive a deadlock letter. They have advised that they are going to send me another one. 
I really hope I can get some advise on what to do next because I am just so stuck and dont want bailiffs coming to my door.
Thanks 

 

Gerry1

A deadlock letter from SP means that they cannot agree and their complaints procedure has been exhausted.  Once you have such a letter, or have waited eight weeks since first complaining (six if it's SSE), you can then go to the Ombudsman.

Shiran

Sorry what is SSE? and 8 weeks? Is that from when we first started with the issues back in August?
Thank you

Gerry1

It was for the benefit of others reading the thread: without a deadlock letter you have to wait eight weeks before you can complain to the Ombudsman, but if you are a customer of SSE it's only six weeks.

Shiran

Oh ok, sorry first time on a forum. 
So do I need to wait 8 weeks from when it went to deadlock or can I go ahead (once I have the dates) to the Ombudsman. Also SP said that they are going to hold my account for a further 4 weeks. 
Thank you

Gerry1

Deadlock letter: go to Ombudsman straight away.  If they ignore you or don't send a deadlock letter, you can go the Ombudsman eight weeks after first submitting your complaint.  Click the earlier link for full info.

Talldave

Can I suggest that before you write to the ombudsman you distill the facts down to very short sentences.  Without wanting to be rude, there's lots of words in your post but very few facts.  I think you need a sequential timeline of events detailing facts, meter serial numbers, meter readings, details of the supplier you would have liked to switch to and what staying with SP has effectively cost you.

What do you want to achieve from the ombudsman?  Presumably a sensible bill for what you've used, the ability to switch elsewhere and compensation for being kept hostage at SP's higher rates.  Make that clear and leave it at that.  All the other stuff about name changes, changing who's name the bill is in, quarterly billing, direct debits, rude men, etc is all irrelevant because you're not staying with SP - it just blurs the real problem.  If you're like me you'll never be dealing with them again, so you just need to get where you wanted to be.

When you've drafted your Ombudsman letter, leave it for 24 hours and then re-read it calmly to see if it needs any tweaks before sending it.

Gerry1

Excellent advice from Talldave.  Bullet points, one side of A4 at most.  Keep it simple !

matelodave

I agree with Talldave - People turn off when confronted with a sea of words so keep it succinct and to the point. Take all the emotion and superfluous stuff out and put down a time line with facts and figures and, as TD says, leave it for a day or so and see if it still makes sense and conveys what you are trying to achieve (if you can't totally understand it then no one else will). 

Mister_G

If you can get a friend to read it as well before sending it, that can often help.

MWT

A lot of missing details though that will be pertinent if this does go to the ombudsman.

Exactly how much electricity have you used since the meter was changed to a credit meter and how much should that cost based on the tariff you have been on?

How much of that amount have you paid so far?

The £114 a month payment isn't a tariff, it is the amount they want you to pay against your current usage and potentially to start paying down the outstanding bill, but without the missing details it is hard to tell.

It sounds like they are ready to issue a deadlock letter, but I'd hesitate before running to the ombudsman without some more clarity on the questions above.

If this is as simple as you have been on a credit meter since September but have so far paid nothing towards the electricity used the likely outcome is that you'' be thrown a bone with a little compensation for being messed around and the error on the meter swap, but it will not be much and may be no more than the £60 they have already offered, and you'll be asked to either pay the bill so you can switch away, or agree a payment plan and be stuck where you are for now...