Octopus Energy takes on Avro customers

MWT

bristolleedsfan said:

MWT said:

2010 said:

MWT said:

2010 said:

The email addresses aren`t much use to existing customers either.

That would be a mistake, for Avro customers the avro@ email is useful as even though they are with Octopus now it puts them into a queue where there is more likely to be specific knowledge of their issues.

Similarly the smart@ address is very useful for existing customers with smart metering issues as it goes to a team with more smart metering knowledge than the general CS staff. .

The tariff being the one you doubted and actually said NINJA59 was just lucky to get it.
Since then there have been others that have said they too have managed to be moved to that tariff.

I would say the ‘doubt’ and the ‘lucky’ comment were justified as the tariff was removed from the list a couple of days ago…

While that tariff was listed within current tariffs, there was nothing at all lucky being able to switch/change to it bearing in mind Octopus policy which you have cited on many occasions.

There are signs that is changing though unfortunately, the confirmation that the 'Go/Go Faster' tariffs would require an EV in future for both renewals and new customers was the first shot across the bows.

The bit that is missing from the 'current' tariff list is the qualifications/restrictions for the tariff, I wonder if we will eventually see that added as there are a few too many recent problems that result from allowing customers to go straight from what is on the tariff list to a change to that tariff by phone or Twitter, without getting the full details on the tariff.

It has long been one of the 'blessings' of Octopus that they were supremely flexible and allowed their front-line staff considerable latitude in what they could do but as they have grown larger and the tariffs ever more complex that is biting them a little too often these days.

I certainly don't want this to change, but I do wonder if change is inevitable...

dbks

helenk1234 said:

Urgent Warning - Avro still taking direct debits after accounts have been switched to Octopus. Customer pays twice.

My mum was one of those switched to Octopus after Avro went bust. Today her direct debit was due. BOTH Avro and Octopus have taken the money from her bank account. We didn't cancel the old direct Avro debit as we were waiting to see who would be taking the payment this month but we didn't expect both to take the money. I have contacted the bank to ask for the Avro direct debit to be refunded via the direct debit guarantee but I would strongly recommend everyone who was with Avro should check their bank accounts carefully.

Presumably your mum agreed a new DDI with Octopus Energy?

This post in your thread on the same subject explains why
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/78742967/#Comment_78742967

If she agreed a new DDI with Octopus, it is unclear why she left the Avro DDI live.

Consumerist

dbks said:

Presumably your mum agreed a new DDI with Octopus Energy?

Not necessarily.

Octopus advice was not to cancel Avro DDs because they would be transferred across from Avro. I think it is reasonable to assume that if a DD authority is transferred, it means it will be cancelled by Avro to move it to Octopus but that does not appear to have happened here.

[Deleted User]

Re Direct Debits.
Octopus asked us not to then said don't worry if you have, Ofgem says you can but maybe perhaps not. Industry "expert" on TV said don't cancel but then said you can set a new one up. It was never really set in stone and I expect people have been confused.
Past experience has shown me open DD with firms is asking for trouble so I cancelled mine. Set up a new one with Octopus as soon as they asked.

Consumerist

In general, I think the advice not to cancel Avro's DD was sound advice for those who might be struggling to pay - so that an unmanageable debt is not built up during the transfer process.

If you are managing your energy expenditure easily then cancelling the Avro DD was, in my view, preferable.

dbks

Consumerist said:

dbks said:

Presumably your mum agreed a new DDI with Octopus Energy?

Not necessarily.

Octopus advice was not to cancel Avro DDs because they would be transferred across from Avro. I think it is reasonable to assume that if a DD authority is transferred, it means it will be cancelled by Avro to move it to Octopus but that does not appear to have happened here.

Yes necessarily

Always wise to read a link, whenever a poster goes to the time & effort of including it, before attempting to rebut their post

youravinalarrrf

Consumerist said:

Octopus advice was not to cancel Avro DDs because they would be transferred across from Avro. I think it is reasonable to assume that if a DD authority is transferred, it means it will be cancelled by Avro to move it to Octopus but that does not appear to have happened here.

I think there is a bigger picture in play here. The initial Octopus advice was based on Octopus' extremely naive assumption that the SoLR transfer process from Avro's administrators to Octopus would be fully completed within 5 days. Octopus have since butted heads with Avro's administrators and the reality has finally dawned on Octopus that this process is totally beyond their control and may actually take months to resolve. If the transfer had completed in 5 days it would present no problems but when that period of time is extended to an unspecified  number of months it becomes a much bigger problem with the money going to the wrong supplier and no control over when the payments will finally be transferred from Avro's administrators to Octopus.

Playing devil's advocate I would suggest that the final Avro bills which Octopus stated they had produced in their daily updates and were making progress with never actually happened.

The only way two direct debits (one from Avro and one from Octopus) can be taken at the same time is if two separate direct debit instructions exist at the same time. The Octopus direct debit must have been created by the customer in their Octopus Dashboard and she never realised that she also needed to cancel the existing Avro direct debit with their bank.

In my opinion it would be sensible advice for all ex-Avro customers to cancel their Avro direct debit with their bank and setup a new direct debit through their Octopus Dashboard. If nothing else it cuts out the middle man (Avro's administrators). Just bear in mind that the new Octopus direct debit takes 10 working days before the specified collection date becomes active and collections begin.   

oliverbrown

From the latest update:

"Whilst we have made some progress, we are sadly still waiting for Avro's administrators to totally finalise the process to share financial information with us so we can get all final bills generated for Avro customers, and any balances owing across to their Octopus Energy accounts. We appreciate it's frustrating to still not have all the information to hand (and we genuinely share your frustration) - but we are hoping <cross fingers> that we will start to be able to send those final bills for some customers next week."

My bold. Octopus are being as diplomatic as possible, I think they are totally fed up with Avro's administrators.

millie

I cancelled my Avro Direct Debit and set one up with Octopus soon after Avro went bust. Octopus took my Direct Debit on Monday and has been applied to my Octopus balance today.

dbks

youravinalarrrf said:

Consumerist said:

Octopus advice was not to cancel Avro DDs because they would be transferred across from Avro. I think it is reasonable to assume that if a DD authority is transferred, it means it will be cancelled by Avro to move it to Octopus but that does not appear to have happened here.

I think there is a bigger picture in play here. The initial Octopus advice was based on Octopus' extremely naive assumption that the SoLR transfer process from Avro's administrators to Octopus would be fully completed within 5 days. Octopus have since butted heads with Avro's administrators and the reality has finally dawned on Octopus that this process is totally beyond their control and may actually take months to resolve. If the transfer had completed in 5 days it would present no problems but when that period of time is extended to an unspecified  number of months it becomes a much bigger problem with the money going to the wrong supplier and no control over when the payments will finally be transferred from Avro's administrators to Octopus.

Playing devil's advocate I would suggest that the final Avro bills which Octopus stated they had produced in their daily updates and were making progress with never actually happened.

The only way two direct debits (one from Avro and one from Octopus) can be taken at the same time is if two separate direct debit instructions exist at the same time. The Octopus direct debit must have been created by the customer in their Octopus Dashboard and she never realised that she also needed to cancel the existing Avro direct debit with their bank.

In my opinion it would be sensible advice for all ex-Avro customers to cancel their Avro direct debit with their bank and setup a new direct debit through their Octopus Dashboard. If nothing else it cuts out the middle man (Avro's administrators). Just bear in mind that the new Octopus direct debit takes 10 working days before the specified collection date becomes active and collections begin.   

I must say, I think you have hit nail firmly on head with this synopsis

If you look at the Octopus daily update, it all started off so promising. Initially the hopes were that all existing, on supply customers would be sorted within 4 weeks, and then past customers would be catered for.

Indeed Octopus even put senior managers close to Avro offices to work alongside the administators. as early as 04 Oct, they posted saying they hoped to have access to all Avro systems within a couple of days.

By the 5th Oct, Octopus hoped to have all Avro balances carried over to their systems within a week.

By the 8th October, Octopus indicated they were starting to send out final bills for Avro. How could they do that unless they know the account balance from Avro?

12th Oct- they were still hoping to send out final bills

24th Oct - the first problems were hinted at. Avro administrators had not given Octopus any details of customer's balances

27th Oct - the last daily update, future updates will be when they have progress to report

6th Nov - Avro admit they still have 20,000 customer accounts to create.

10th Nov - Octopus express their frustration that they have received zero financial information (customer account balances, etc) from Avro administrators.
So how could they have issued any final bills?


I'm now hearing stories of Octopus telling some past Avro customers that if they want their money, they need to wait or chase themselves Avro administrators to contact the customer and seek their own refunds. Are they serious? Avro have gone bust; they have no money and any they do have, perhaps after liquidating assets, will go to the administrators, HMRC, secured creditors etc. I doubt there will be little, if any, left for unsecured creditors such as customers.

Octopus Energy need to come clean, and step up to their responsibilities as the Ofgem appointed SoLR for Avro Energy.