Symbio refusing the switch

helpthetenant

At the end of this month my contract with Symbio will end, so three days ago I decided to switch to Neon Reef. Symbio refused the switch saying "Unfortunately, due to the following reasons we have objected to the switch: Outstanding balance payable on your account."

What does it mean?? I still have to pay something to them, but it's not a good reason to block the switch. I was paying through Direct debit, they charged me every month apart from August and September. Whatever is the oustanding balance, it's their fault, and there is no reason to block the switch anyway. I never had such a ridiculous problem with switching energy supplier.

The switching window opens 49 days before the end of the contract, and energy regulator Ofgem states that exit fees shouldn't apply if you switch from a fixed-term contract to another supplier, within that window. I wrote to them but they didn't resolve this issue. So, please, tell me what should I do? They can't stop or delay the switch like that!

Thanks

Gerry1

Start a new switch today, then make a one-off top-up payment to Symbio sufficient to clear the account as you calculate it will be in three weeks' time, plus about £20 to be on the safe side.  You could even make this payment by cheque, specifying that it's payable only if they will calculate your bill at the DD rates.

State that you will go to the ombudsman if they block the transfer, and ask for a deadlock letter if they are unwilling to let you go.  They will have to pay about £550 to the ombudsman win or lose, so that may persuade them to reconsider their decision to block your switch.  You can go to the ombudsman upon receipt of the deadlock letter, or after eight weeks if they don't send one.

You could also consider cancelling the DD when your bank statement shows that the cheque has been paid or the top up payment has gone through.

BTW, what happened in August and September, did Symbio fail to collect the DD, or did your bank decline to pay it?

SPOWER

Who's got a cheque book?  I mean come on.
This Symbio Energy wants closing.

Gerry1

SPOWER said:

Who's got a cheque book?  I mean come on.

There's always a workaround !

helpthetenant

Gerry1 said:

Start a new switch today, then make a one-off top-up payment to Symbio sufficient to clear the account as you calculate it will be in three weeks' time, plus about £20 to be on the safe side.

So you want me to pay a one-off top up payment to Symbio in the hope that this will convince them to make the switch?? Are you serious? As far as I know they can't delay the switch, and how can I calculate the amount if the contract is not even ended? This is ridiculous, they are already delaying things for only one reason: try to overcharge me. But I know their plan, in fact I already stopped the DD, and I won't pay a thing until they switch me. After the end of the contract both energy company will have to agree on the meter reading I gave to both of them. But for now Symbio don't deserve any attention, they are trying to overcharge me.

In august and september they simply didn't charge me, I really don't know why, as I didn't decline my bank. So my guess is they "forgot" on purpose so they can inflate things further on the final bill.

Gerry1

helpthetenant said:

Symbio refused the switch saying "Unfortunately, due to the following reasons we have objected to the switch: Outstanding balance payable on your account."

helpthetenant said:

As far as I know they can't delay the switch

I already stopped the DD, and I won't pay a thing until they switch me.

Good luck with that strategy.

Don't forget to tell us how you get on...

niktheguru

I think you’re being slightly unreasonable about this. What you haven’t mentioned is how much in credit or debit your account is. If you actually owe them money then they are within their right to block your switch. The simplest way to sort this out is to know how much you have used and how much you’ve paid and therefore whether you owe the, money or they owe you money. Contact them, find out how much they think you owe them for the energy you’ve actually consumed and balance the account. Then your switch should go through. (Their bills are the most user unfriendly ones I’ve seen, so often that doesn’t help)

Of course you should check yourself what your consumption has been (as speaking to customer services may be frustrating, and it’s best to go at them with hard facts) The easiest way to do this is to work out the consumption yourself. Just take a meter reading today, then subtract your opening reading from when you joined symbio. You then multiply that number by the unit rate you are on. Then add on the standing charge (standing charge multiplied by number of days you’ve been with them)
then compare that to the amounts taken from your bank account. (Look at you bank account statements)
assuming they didn’t take money two months in a row you are probably in quite a bit of debit. If you then pay the amount to break even your balance you should be fine. They can’t charge you exit fees, that isn’t the problem. Yes, by not taking a direct debit for two months you’re probably in arrears and it’s not your fault and it’s their incompetence, but the long and short of it is you still need to pay for the energy you’ve used.

i sympathise with you as I know customer service at symbio is abysmal, I had a run in with them when I joined as they tripled my annual estimate of usage and took 7 months worth of money from me in one direct debit, and then expected me to be happy with them keeping it and letting it balance out through time. I had to argue with them and complain but eventually got the refund. However, just as we get annoyed when companies don’t refund outstanding credits at the end of a contract, they feel the same thing. So it’s best to look at this with the facts.

the worst thing you can do is just cancel your direct debit and bury your head in the sand. It will only end badly if you are actually in debit and they can’t get money from you.....that’s when your credit status can get affected.

helpthetenant

niktheguru said:

I think you’re being slightly unreasonable about this. What you haven’t mentioned is how much in credit or debit your account is. If you actually owe them money then they are within their right to block your switch. The simplest way to sort this out is to know how much you have used and how much you’ve paid and therefore whether you owe the, money or they owe you money. Contact them, find out how much they think you owe them for the energy you’ve actually consumed and balance the account. Then your switch should go through. (Their bills are the most user unfriendly ones I’ve seen, so often that doesn’t help)

Of course you should check yourself what your consumption has been (as speaking to customer services may be frustrating, and it’s best to go at them with hard facts) The easiest way to do this is to work out the consumption yourself. Just take a meter reading today, then subtract your opening reading from when you joined symbio. You then multiply that number by the unit rate you are on. Then add on the standing charge (standing charge multiplied by number of days you’ve been with them)
then compare that to the amounts taken from your bank account. (Look at you bank account statements)
assuming they didn’t take money two months in a row you are probably in quite a bit of debit. If you then pay the amount to break even your balance you should be fine. They can’t charge you exit fees, that isn’t the problem. Yes, by not taking a direct debit for two months you’re probably in arrears and it’s not your fault and it’s their incompetence, but the long and short of it is you still need to pay for the energy you’ve used.

i sympathise with you as I know customer service at symbio is abysmal, I had a run in with them when I joined as they tripled my annual estimate of usage and took 7 months worth of money from me in one direct debit, and then expected me to be happy with them keeping it and letting it balance out through time. I had to argue with them and complain but eventually got the refund. However, just as we get annoyed when companies don’t refund outstanding credits at the end of a contract, they feel the same thing. So it’s best to look at this with the facts.

the worst thing you can do is just cancel your direct debit and bury your head in the sand. It will only end badly if you are actually in debit and they can’t get money from you.....that’s when your credit status can get affected.

It's their fault delaying the switch, not mine. They should switch me regardless of the outstanding balance. It's too easy to say "first pay the ransom, then we can talk about the switch."

So they don't have any right to block the switch.

dreamypuma

helpthetenant said:

niktheguru said:

I think you’re being slightly unreasonable about this. What you haven’t mentioned is how much in credit or debit your account is. If you actually owe them money then they are within their right to block your switch. The simplest way to sort this out is to know how much you have used and how much you’ve paid and therefore whether you owe the, money or they owe you money. Contact them, find out how much they think you owe them for the energy you’ve actually consumed and balance the account. Then your switch should go through. (Their bills are the most user unfriendly ones I’ve seen, so often that doesn’t help)

Of course you should check yourself what your consumption has been (as speaking to customer services may be frustrating, and it’s best to go at them with hard facts) The easiest way to do this is to work out the consumption yourself. Just take a meter reading today, then subtract your opening reading from when you joined symbio. You then multiply that number by the unit rate you are on. Then add on the standing charge (standing charge multiplied by number of days you’ve been with them)
then compare that to the amounts taken from your bank account. (Look at you bank account statements)
assuming they didn’t take money two months in a row you are probably in quite a bit of debit. If you then pay the amount to break even your balance you should be fine. They can’t charge you exit fees, that isn’t the problem. Yes, by not taking a direct debit for two months you’re probably in arrears and it’s not your fault and it’s their incompetence, but the long and short of it is you still need to pay for the energy you’ve used.

i sympathise with you as I know customer service at symbio is abysmal, I had a run in with them when I joined as they tripled my annual estimate of usage and took 7 months worth of money from me in one direct debit, and then expected me to be happy with them keeping it and letting it balance out through time. I had to argue with them and complain but eventually got the refund. However, just as we get annoyed when companies don’t refund outstanding credits at the end of a contract, they feel the same thing. So it’s best to look at this with the facts.

the worst thing you can do is just cancel your direct debit and bury your head in the sand. It will only end badly if you are actually in debit and they can’t get money from you.....that’s when your credit status can get affected.

It's their fault delaying the switch, not mine. They should switch me regardless of the outstanding balance. It's too easy to say "first pay the ransom, then we can talk about the switch."

So they don't have any right to block the switch.

You have been offered the correct advise in previous posts. 

For simplicity, it sounds as if your switch has been blocked as your account is in arrears for one reason or another. Until this is cleared, your unlikely to progress.

They are perfectly within their rights to block a switch. 

Not sure how this can be described as "ransom"

helpthetenant

dreamypuma said:

helpthetenant said:

niktheguru said:

I think you’re being slightly unreasonable about this. What you haven’t mentioned is how much in credit or debit your account is. If you actually owe them money then they are within their right to block your switch. The simplest way to sort this out is to know how much you have used and how much you’ve paid and therefore whether you owe the, money or they owe you money. Contact them, find out how much they think you owe them for the energy you’ve actually consumed and balance the account. Then your switch should go through. (Their bills are the most user unfriendly ones I’ve seen, so often that doesn’t help)

Of course you should check yourself what your consumption has been (as speaking to customer services may be frustrating, and it’s best to go at them with hard facts) The easiest way to do this is to work out the consumption yourself. Just take a meter reading today, then subtract your opening reading from when you joined symbio. You then multiply that number by the unit rate you are on. Then add on the standing charge (standing charge multiplied by number of days you’ve been with them)
then compare that to the amounts taken from your bank account. (Look at you bank account statements)
assuming they didn’t take money two months in a row you are probably in quite a bit of debit. If you then pay the amount to break even your balance you should be fine. They can’t charge you exit fees, that isn’t the problem. Yes, by not taking a direct debit for two months you’re probably in arrears and it’s not your fault and it’s their incompetence, but the long and short of it is you still need to pay for the energy you’ve used.

i sympathise with you as I know customer service at symbio is abysmal, I had a run in with them when I joined as they tripled my annual estimate of usage and took 7 months worth of money from me in one direct debit, and then expected me to be happy with them keeping it and letting it balance out through time. I had to argue with them and complain but eventually got the refund. However, just as we get annoyed when companies don’t refund outstanding credits at the end of a contract, they feel the same thing. So it’s best to look at this with the facts.

the worst thing you can do is just cancel your direct debit and bury your head in the sand. It will only end badly if you are actually in debit and they can’t get money from you.....that’s when your credit status can get affected.

It's their fault delaying the switch, not mine. They should switch me regardless of the outstanding balance. It's too easy to say "first pay the ransom, then we can talk about the switch."

So they don't have any right to block the switch.

You have been offered the correct advise in previous posts. 

For simplicity, it sounds as if your switch has been blocked as your account is in arrears for one reason or another. Until this is cleared, your unlikely to progress.

They are perfectly within their rights to block a switch. 

Not sure how this can be described as "ransom"

The switch has to be made before the end of the contract, aka before paying any arrear. So are you saying that nobody can switch before the end of the contract?

elsien

Ofgem say:

If you've been in debt to your supplier for less than 28 days you can still switch. Any owed amounts will be added to your final bill from your old supplier.

If you've been in debt to your supplier for over 28 days, you'll need to repay the debt first. 

If it's your supplier's fault you're in debt, they can't stop you from switching. 

So in your case as you are in debt, and you will need to pay the money at some point, cancelling your direct debit really is  just going to make things worse.

What is the reason the 2 payments were missed last year?