Symbio refusing the switch

pallyman

helpthetenant said:

finalfantasist said:

helpthetenant said:

Gerry1 said:

helpthetenant said:

geez you are so negative, you assume too many things, I can understand that companies need their advocates here, but you are just a scarecrow for all the customers who come here in search of support and justice. Shame on you.

I'm afraid we'll have to agree to disagree.  You've chosen not to provide the relevant information that forumites have asked for, so they can only make assumptions.

If you'd read some of my previous posts you'd certainly know I'm certainly no advocate for Ofgem or any energy company, and I don't have any connections with the energy industry, just like 99.9% of forumites I'm merely a consumer looking to save money and to help others do the same.

Sadly some posters don't like the advice that they are given and resort to personal abuse.

I wish you well but I fear that by fighting a needless and unwinnable battle with Symbio (the ombudsman will probably rule against you) you are digging yourself into an ever deeper hole.

I provided every single detail, if you have reading comprehension problems I can't do anything. Saying to people "go and pay, bend your back, send a check" it's not an advice, it's just an insult to justice and to intelligence. If you have 4.5k posts I am not going to read them, this thread has been enough.

You need to learn to pick your battles.

You have two options.

1.  Pay off the debt you don't dispute you owe, get a switch done in the next couple of weeks, initiate a complaint against Symbio if you wish.
2.  Dig your heels in, possibly end up with the debt referred to a DCA, a prepayment meter installed, months waiting for an Ombudsman decision that may go against you, switch out once all that is resolved.  All that will involve a lot of back and forth, possibly time and effort unravelling the mess you've essentially made for yourself.

I know which one I'd pick

Jesus, some people don't half like making a rod for their own backs...

except they don't have the right to block the switch.

So how much do you owe and do not forget you may have used more energy than your DD payments.

helpthetenant

pallyman said:

helpthetenant said:

finalfantasist said:

helpthetenant said:

Gerry1 said:

helpthetenant said:

geez you are so negative, you assume too many things, I can understand that companies need their advocates here, but you are just a scarecrow for all the customers who come here in search of support and justice. Shame on you.

I'm afraid we'll have to agree to disagree.  You've chosen not to provide the relevant information that forumites have asked for, so they can only make assumptions.

If you'd read some of my previous posts you'd certainly know I'm certainly no advocate for Ofgem or any energy company, and I don't have any connections with the energy industry, just like 99.9% of forumites I'm merely a consumer looking to save money and to help others do the same.

Sadly some posters don't like the advice that they are given and resort to personal abuse.

I wish you well but I fear that by fighting a needless and unwinnable battle with Symbio (the ombudsman will probably rule against you) you are digging yourself into an ever deeper hole.

I provided every single detail, if you have reading comprehension problems I can't do anything. Saying to people "go and pay, bend your back, send a check" it's not an advice, it's just an insult to justice and to intelligence. If you have 4.5k posts I am not going to read them, this thread has been enough.

You need to learn to pick your battles.

You have two options.

1.  Pay off the debt you don't dispute you owe, get a switch done in the next couple of weeks, initiate a complaint against Symbio if you wish.
2.  Dig your heels in, possibly end up with the debt referred to a DCA, a prepayment meter installed, months waiting for an Ombudsman decision that may go against you, switch out once all that is resolved.  All that will involve a lot of back and forth, possibly time and effort unravelling the mess you've essentially made for yourself.

I know which one I'd pick

Jesus, some people don't half like making a rod for their own backs...

except they don't have the right to block the switch.

So how much do you owe and do not forget you may have used more energy than your DD payments.

I owe £60 for the 2 months they didn't charge.

Ectophile

helpthetenant said:

pallyman said:

helpthetenant said:

finalfantasist said:

helpthetenant said:

Gerry1 said:

helpthetenant said:

geez you are so negative, you assume too many things, I can understand that companies need their advocates here, but you are just a scarecrow for all the customers who come here in search of support and justice. Shame on you.

I'm afraid we'll have to agree to disagree.  You've chosen not to provide the relevant information that forumites have asked for, so they can only make assumptions.

If you'd read some of my previous posts you'd certainly know I'm certainly no advocate for Ofgem or any energy company, and I don't have any connections with the energy industry, just like 99.9% of forumites I'm merely a consumer looking to save money and to help others do the same.

Sadly some posters don't like the advice that they are given and resort to personal abuse.

I wish you well but I fear that by fighting a needless and unwinnable battle with Symbio (the ombudsman will probably rule against you) you are digging yourself into an ever deeper hole.

I provided every single detail, if you have reading comprehension problems I can't do anything. Saying to people "go and pay, bend your back, send a check" it's not an advice, it's just an insult to justice and to intelligence. If you have 4.5k posts I am not going to read them, this thread has been enough.

You need to learn to pick your battles.

You have two options.

1.  Pay off the debt you don't dispute you owe, get a switch done in the next couple of weeks, initiate a complaint against Symbio if you wish.
2.  Dig your heels in, possibly end up with the debt referred to a DCA, a prepayment meter installed, months waiting for an Ombudsman decision that may go against you, switch out once all that is resolved.  All that will involve a lot of back and forth, possibly time and effort unravelling the mess you've essentially made for yourself.

I know which one I'd pick

Jesus, some people don't half like making a rod for their own backs...

except they don't have the right to block the switch.

So how much do you owe and do not forget you may have used more energy than your DD payments.

I owe £60 for the 2 months they didn't charge.

So just ask them how to pay it.  Then once you've paid it, switch.

You're in danger of getting locked into martyr mode.  I've seen it happen before.  People get so concerned with some injustice, that they end up refusing to do anything to solve the problem.

MWT

This site is about saving money, so in this context that means advice that will allow you to make the switch happen as quickly as possible.

Sometimes to make a saving you have to get pragmatic about the extent to which you pursue your 'rights' vs doing what is necessary to expedite the greater good of getting away from your current supplier.

All too often people waste time and money chasing their right to a £30 compensation payment instead of following an easy fix.

People have given you the 'easy fix', if you prefer to escalate the situation and make the problem worse by cancelling your DD then there isn't a lot more anyone can do to help you.

finalfantasist

helpthetenant said:

finalfantasist said:

helpthetenant said:

Gerry1 said:

helpthetenant said:

geez you are so negative, you assume too many things, I can understand that companies need their advocates here, but you are just a scarecrow for all the customers who come here in search of support and justice. Shame on you.

I'm afraid we'll have to agree to disagree.  You've chosen not to provide the relevant information that forumites have asked for, so they can only make assumptions.

If you'd read some of my previous posts you'd certainly know I'm certainly no advocate for Ofgem or any energy company, and I don't have any connections with the energy industry, just like 99.9% of forumites I'm merely a consumer looking to save money and to help others do the same.

Sadly some posters don't like the advice that they are given and resort to personal abuse.

I wish you well but I fear that by fighting a needless and unwinnable battle with Symbio (the ombudsman will probably rule against you) you are digging yourself into an ever deeper hole.

I provided every single detail, if you have reading comprehension problems I can't do anything. Saying to people "go and pay, bend your back, send a check" it's not an advice, it's just an insult to justice and to intelligence. If you have 4.5k posts I am not going to read them, this thread has been enough.

You need to learn to pick your battles.

You have two options.

1.  Pay off the debt you don't dispute you owe, get a switch done in the next couple of weeks, initiate a complaint against Symbio if you wish.
2.  Dig your heels in, possibly end up with the debt referred to a DCA, a prepayment meter installed, months waiting for an Ombudsman decision that may go against you, switch out once all that is resolved.  All that will involve a lot of back and forth, possibly time and effort unravelling the mess you've essentially made for yourself.

I know which one I'd pick

Jesus, some people don't half like making a rod for their own backs...

except they don't have the right to block the switch.

No, they don't and I never said they did.

But obviously they have the ability to do it and it's going to potentially cost you a lot of time, and possibly money proving you're right.  You're free to do that if you wish, but it's not very sensible.

As I said initially, you need to learn to pick your battles.  This is not a battle you will "win" even if you are proven to be right.

rjmachin

@helpthetenant - Regarding the £60 you owe due to the DD payments not being taken for two months, I presume that the DD was set to £30 per month.

Has Symbio generated a statement following your most recent payment, and does that show the current balance of £60 debit?

Don't shoot the messenger, I am just asking to check whether the £60 is actually owed, or just the sum of the two months where the DD didn't go through.

For example, with my energy company (not Symbio), my DD is set to £118, but this month I had charges of £167 and am £90 credit.  In the summer months, my charges were £90-100, so the DD is set to try to balance out.

helpthetenant

rjmachin said:

@helpthetenant - Regarding the £60 you owe due to the DD payments not being taken for two months, I presume that the DD was set to £30 per month.

Has Symbio generated a statement following your most recent payment, and does that show the current balance of £60 debit?

Don't shoot the messenger, I am just asking to check whether the £60 is actually owed, or just the sum of the two months where the DD didn't go through.

For example, with my energy company (not Symbio), my DD is set to £118, but this month I had charges of £167 and am £90 credit.  In the summer months, my charges were £90-100, so the DD is set to try to balance out.

I'm on fixed tariff, and they are charging precisely £28.52 each month since Jan 2020. The £60 is just the sum of the two months where the DD didn't go through.

For the final bill I have to wait, I can be even slightly in credit. When I switched to neon reef, the next day Symbio wrote to me:

"We have received a notification that another supplier is taking over the supply of your meter.

Unfortunately, due to the following reasons we have objected to the switch:
Outstanding balance payable on your account.
We kindly ask you to make payment so that the account is clear. Once this is done you will be able to reinitiate the switching process with your chosen supplier.
Once this is done you will be able to reinitiate the switching process with your chosen supplier."

They don't even specify what the amount is. But I am keeping track of every payment and meter reading, thank God. So I know exactly what I have to pay.

niktheguru

helpthetenant said:

rjmachin said:

@helpthetenant - Regarding the £60 you owe due to the DD payments not being taken for two months, I presume that the DD was set to £30 per month.

Has Symbio generated a statement following your most recent payment, and does that show the current balance of £60 debit?

Don't shoot the messenger, I am just asking to check whether the £60 is actually owed, or just the sum of the two months where the DD didn't go through.

For example, with my energy company (not Symbio), my DD is set to £118, but this month I had charges of £167 and am £90 credit.  In the summer months, my charges were £90-100, so the DD is set to try to balance out.

I'm on fixed tariff, and they are charging precisely £28.52 each month since Jan 2020. The £60 is just the sum of the two months where the DD didn't go through.

For the final bill I have to wait, I can be even slightly in credit. When I switched to neon reef, the next day Symbio wrote to me:

"We have received a notification that another supplier is taking over the supply of your meter.

Unfortunately, due to the following reasons we have objected to the switch:

• Outstanding balance payable on your account.

We kindly ask you to make payment so that the account is clear. Once this is done you will be able to reinitiate the switching process with your chosen supplier.
Once this is done you will be able to reinitiate the switching process with your chosen supplier."

They don't even specify what the amount is. But I am keeping track of every payment and meter reading, thank God. So I know exactly what I have to pay.

The main question is are you on a "fixed direct debit". Symbio have offered both fixed and variable direct debits to customers.  (this is not the same as fixed or variable tariffs - you already stated you're on a fixed tariff) If you are paying exactly the same value each month as your direct debit then that doesn't necessarily mean you will be in credit or debit. Symbio have a habit of overestimating usage and overcharging people so most usually end up in credit, which is why its suprising your switch was blocked.
The difference can be due to lockdown, most peoples electricity and gas usage has increased to much higher than the annual estimates used to originally calculate direct debit amounts. (as people are working from home or have kids at home, using more energy than usual) If you're on a variable direct debit where the actual amount of energy usage is billed every month (due to you submitting regular meter readings) then your balance should be relatively close to breaking even. Also, its been an extremely cold winter, if you are only one electric and not gas, this would could have a big impact on electricity usage.

If you're just paying a fixed sum every month (even though you may well be giving regular monthly meter readings) you are either going to be in a lot of credit (if you are using less energy than they originally predicted) or may be in more debit than you think (as you've used more energy than you've been charged for.)

Symbio put me on a fixed direct debit after I had a massive go at them for overcharging me at the beginning. My usage has been higher than my direct debits, they have as a result at intervals automatically increased my direct debit for a 3 month period (informing me by email beforehand) to make up the deficit then reassessing, which doesn't bother me as id rather not give them free money. The fact that they haven't done that for you suggests one of a few things.
1. They've made a total cockup - quite possible
2. Your account is actually in credit (so your switch should have gone through) - less likely
3. Your account is in debit and you actually owe more than you think (well, more than the 2 months fixed direct debit payments) - quite possible
4. You have calculated it all and you owe £60 and they've been a bit OTT to block your switch.

You tell us you have all the meter readings etc and you know you're on a fixed tariff. What you haven't told us is if you actually did the sums and have worked out your usage to date based on your actual readings and not what symbio said (as a few of us advised you to earlier) to actually calculate the cost of your usage. Or, whether you have just looked at your bills. (the symbio bills are outrageously overcomplicated, due to their billing method)
When they failed to take direct debits from you did they email you bills during those months? did the bills say direct debits were supposed to be taken?

Given that you seem to be a serial switcher I assume you probably know all this already, but it isn't clear from your previous comments as you give a little information each time.

helpthetenant

niktheguru said:

helpthetenant said:

rjmachin said:

@helpthetenant - Regarding the £60 you owe due to the DD payments not being taken for two months, I presume that the DD was set to £30 per month.

Has Symbio generated a statement following your most recent payment, and does that show the current balance of £60 debit?

Don't shoot the messenger, I am just asking to check whether the £60 is actually owed, or just the sum of the two months where the DD didn't go through.

For example, with my energy company (not Symbio), my DD is set to £118, but this month I had charges of £167 and am £90 credit.  In the summer months, my charges were £90-100, so the DD is set to try to balance out.

I'm on fixed tariff, and they are charging precisely £28.52 each month since Jan 2020. The £60 is just the sum of the two months where the DD didn't go through.

For the final bill I have to wait, I can be even slightly in credit. When I switched to neon reef, the next day Symbio wrote to me:

"We have received a notification that another supplier is taking over the supply of your meter.

Unfortunately, due to the following reasons we have objected to the switch:

• Outstanding balance payable on your account.

We kindly ask you to make payment so that the account is clear. Once this is done you will be able to reinitiate the switching process with your chosen supplier.
Once this is done you will be able to reinitiate the switching process with your chosen supplier."

They don't even specify what the amount is. But I am keeping track of every payment and meter reading, thank God. So I know exactly what I have to pay.

The main question is are you on a "fixed direct debit". If you are paying exactly the same value each month as your direct debit then that doesn't necessarily mean you will be in credit or debit. Symbio have a habit of overestimating usage and overcharging people so most usually end up in credit, which is why its suprising your switch was blocked.
The difference can be due to lockdown, most peoples electricity and gas usage has increased to much higher than the annual estimates used to originally calculate direct debit amounts. (as people are working from home or have kids at home, using more energy than usual) If you're on a variable direct debit where the actual amount of energy usage is billed every month (due to you submitting regular meter readings) then your balance should be relatively close to breaking even. Also, its been an extremely cold winter, if you are only one electric and not gas, this would could have a big impact on electricity usage.

If you're just paying a fixed sum every month (even though you may well be giving regular monthly meter readings) you are either going to be in a lot of credit (if you are using less energy than they originally predicted) or may be in more debit than you think (as you've used more energy than you've been charged for.)

Symbio put me on a fixed direct debit after I had a massive go at them for overcharging me at the beginning. My usage has been higher than my direct debits, they have as a result at intervals automatically increased my direct debit for a 3 month period (informing me by email beforehand) to make up the deficit then reassessing, which doesn't bother me as id rather not give them free money. The fact that they haven't done that for you suggests one of a few things.
1. They've made a total cockup - quite possible
2. Your account is actually in credit (so your switch should have gone through) - less likely
3. Your account is in debit and you actually owe more than you think (well, more than the 2 months fixed direct debit payments) - quite possible
4. You have calculated it all and you owe £60 and they've been a bit OTT to block your switch.

You tell us you have all the meter readings etc and you know you're on a fixed tariff. What you haven't told us is if you actually did the sums and have worked out your usage to date based on your actual readings and not what symbio said (as a few of us advised you to earlier) to actually calculate the cost of your usage. Or, whether you have just looked at your bills. (the symbio bills are outrageously overcomplicated, due to their billing method)
When they failed to take direct debits from you did they email you bills during those months? did the bills say direct debits were supposed to be taken?

I am on a fixed tariff, and the DD is fixed £28.52 each month. I did all the calculations based on the actual meter reading, 10.475p per kw/h, standing charge 22 p per day, the tariff name is: Symbio winter monthly plan january 20 v1. These calculations are pretty simple. They send some sort of "bills" with strange code to interpret, not even in pdf, but I saved screenshot of every "bill". I know the only thing I can rely on is what my bank statements say, and my own calculations. During those two months they didn't explain why they failed to charge me, and never sent an email about it..

Tallerdave

Whatever the reason for the payments not being taken, their system may have a note that you're two months in arrears. And that could be what's causing the block. They're incompetent and not rational so reasoning with them won't work. I would guess that unless the missed payments are fixed, you're going to be stuck.