Green Supplier Ltd switch to Shell Energy

Verdigris

I'm not defending anything. I'm being pragmatic in the light of having been through the SoLR process before and bearing in mind the unprecedented numbers of accounts being processed at the moment.

People ringing the SoLR for no good reason are just delaying the process for everyone.

[Deleted User]

@Verdigris You mean you can’t quote the source? 

PascalG

fewkeste said:

Deleted_User said:

mumofstig said:

Cancelled DD now, as Green isn't co operating with Shell.
I'd prefer to keep my future payments safe and pay Shell when asked, than have administrators decide what to do with them.... call me cynical, but it seems that way atm.

Hmmm, I'll do that too now. I've let 1 DD go through since Green went bust (and it does appear in my Green account).

Same here - Green took a £100 DD payment in October (after they went bust) so I've just cancelled my direct debit. When Shell finally set up my account, then they can request a new direct debit mandate be set up at that time.

Get on the phone to your bank and recall the Direct Debit!

PascalG

Tafrock said:

@fewkeste I'm always chilled . Im being very patient and totally understand the amount of work involved in this process. It can't be easy for companies like shell . Shell have been very helpful in my dealings so far with them (incorrect meter being used for gas billing because new meter hadn't been commissioned at time of greens demise). It will get sorted eventually meantime I'll keep monthly payments in my own account  ready to pay any deficit to Shell though as im 300 in credit with green a deficit is unlikely 

This did not need to be so complicated.

1. Green should have made their systems read only from 27th September 2021

2. Green should not have taken any more Direct Debits

3. Green should have asked customers for a final read to be taken on 27th September or if customer did not have it then calculate daily use and issue final bill based on those reads.

4. Green should then have exported the data to Shell, the balances will have been frozen as the direct debits would have all been cancelled (not collected) by Green.  The export of a million records should take an hour or so.

5. Shell should have imported this data along with the reads and the Credit balances, then sent a message to each customer saying this is what we have been given by Green, do you agree.

6. The import would require a simple mapping of fields, they would create the static data such as accounts first, then populate the event data such as reads and opening balance.  The import should not take more than a few hours.

7. Customers could feed back any dispute with evidence to Shell.

8. The Administrators could then contact people who had negative balances and collect debt owed to Green

This omnishambles is going to be a nightmare to audit because Green (in Administration) have continued to take Direct Debits, at the same time people are submitting reads to Green for October when they have CEASED TRADING and are in administration.

The figures are now moving targets.  

How can Shell take an import when there was no line in the sand drawn on September 27th 2021 and the systems were not made read only.  It would have been dead easy to make it read only in the back end database or by changing queries.  Closing reads could have been provided by email. 

Even with the system as it has happened, why have they not got all the accounts that cancelled their Direct Debits, these should have been very simple.

What needs to happen immediately is that Green is forced to cease trading, I am sure that there is a law against this.

There will then need to be a reconciliation of account data already provided and all payments made to Green after 27th September for accounts that were in credit should be immediately transferred to Shell. If the Administrators do not immediately agree to this then Shell should seek an injunction in the High Court and an order to pay monies received for accounts in credit.

I would also suggest that Ofgem and Shell make representation to Court to change Administrators as clearly they are either incompetent or not acting honestly, either way not fit and proper.

PascalG

Verdigris said:

Yes, people making pointless enquiries are just delaying things for everybody.

Not pointless for them, for some they will worry about being in debt and having a negative credit record created when their money is still in Green Bank Account.

Others will have genuine concerns about their reads, balances and direct debits being carried over.  Direct Debits already a FAIL, who would be surprised if reads and credit balances are delayed. 

People are in anxiety because both Shell and Green (in Administration) have been lousy at communicating to customers about where they are in the process.  We know Shell has some accounts set up, so why have they not sent an email saying "this is the the data we have received from Green, please confirm the accuracy".

I can't seen how people calling call centres in any way delays the management and IT staff from doing the import and reconciliation.

PascalG

TangoGolf said:

Previous emails told us not to cancel the Green Direct Debit, so, more fool me, I didn't. Now they say "Cancel"! I must say I feel  let down by Shell in this regard. Goodness knows how long it will be before that money resurfaces! Ah well, another learning experience.

This should be filed under lessons learnt for Shell Programme managers, in future when you take on the customers email them to CANCEL their Direct Debits and contact your bank to recall Direct Debits to the amount you were in Credit.

Verdigris

The pinch point is that there is only one "mysterious third party", for both gas and electricity, to verify the final readings. There have been an unprecedented number of failures. It should therefore be obvious that things aren't going to be settles in a hurry.

PascalG

Berwynview said:

No communication from Shell since email of 7 October.

Just checked my bank account and Green have taken another payment today  - I was already in credit for more than £350!

Shell told me to not cancel my direct debit but I have now done so and will contact my bank to see if I can get my payment refunded from Green.

Contact your bank for a recall, the grounds are firstly that the company ceased trading on September 27th 2021, the second ground for the credit balance is that Green are no communicating or cooperating with Shell so you are asking for a recall for the amount of debits that amount to the credit you had in the account.  Give them a screenshot of the balance.

The administrators have no right to credit balances, they are only entitled to debt created before 27th September 2021.

The reason everyone should do this is because Shell will be asking for the shortfall between the credit balances and what they get from Green, this will be applied to all our bills in the end by the Ofgem scheme.

PascalG

Deleted_User said:

So, apparently Green is not co-operating with Shell.

1) What is the Administrator doing about that, or Ofgem? 
2) It's all very well for Shell to say 'Forget Green, we'll sort you a DD out.', if you are continuing with Shell. However, what about those of us who aren't, either because we had already left Green before it failed, or who have switched away since? Back of the queue, as someone once said. Not impressed. 

 Green does not exist anymore, the Administrator is running the carcass of Green, so if there is no comms it is because the Administrator has advised staff of same.

The answer here is to grab a screenshot of your credit and recall your Direct Debits then pay the money you get back to Shell and inform your bank that you have done this, so that if there is any blow back they can resist.

Green are in breach of contract, they took direct debits to be allocated to future bills, the company ceasing trading "frustrated" that contract from being performed and that is the basis for the recall of the Direct Debit.

PascalG

Deleted_User said:

Perhaps. Perhaps not. 

Are the Administrators supposed to be neutral/independent, or are they effectively in the Green camp? Surely it is not professional to allow Green not to cooperate with Shell, which seems like it may be the case. 

In my experience Administrators are only a tad less self serving than MP's, they are after every penny they can get and they try to get sister companies etc because they are on a drive to increase their fee.  Their fees are paid before creditors.