BG Zero Fix October 22

Keep_pedalling

ivanleo said:

Grizzlebeard said:

ivanleo said:

Grizzlebeard said:

ivanleo said:

I've switched two properties to BG, got screenshots of the order number but no confirmation email, anyone else had this?

 An "Order Number" is just a sales reference to track your request. Unfortunately there's no implication one way or another that the request will be successfully converted into a contract.

I wish you luck, but fear British Gas will put you through loops that will lead nowhere.

As far as I'm concerned I've signed-up based on what they've said in the chat, if they refuse to honour it I'll take them to the ombudsman or, if need be, to court.

Unfortunately(again) what whey tell you via chat, Phone call with rep, or e-mail they will not regard as a binding agreement.

Says who? As I said, if need be I'll see them in court.

No company has to provide a service or product at an advertised price if a genuine error has been made. 

ivanleo

Keep_pedalling said:

ivanleo said:

Grizzlebeard said:

ivanleo said:

Grizzlebeard said:

ivanleo said:

I've switched two properties to BG, got screenshots of the order number but no confirmation email, anyone else had this?

 An "Order Number" is just a sales reference to track your request. Unfortunately there's no implication one way or another that the request will be successfully converted into a contract.

I wish you luck, but fear British Gas will put you through loops that will lead nowhere.

As far as I'm concerned I've signed-up based on what they've said in the chat, if they refuse to honour it I'll take them to the ombudsman or, if need be, to court.

Unfortunately(again) what whey tell you via chat, Phone call with rep, or e-mail they will not regard as a binding agreement.

Says who? As I said, if need be I'll see them in court.

No company has to provide a service or product at an advertised price if a genuine error has been made. 

If we were talking about a single customer service agent going off on a frolic of his own then sure that might not bind British Gas, but that's clearly not the case here. There is more than enough information to support the view that those customer service agents who I and others have spoken to are acting within their authority as agents of British Gas.

Of course, it might be that someone higher up in management has made a "mistake", but that's not my problem. Otherwise NR could have just switched all our tariffs from 17p to 24p and say that the original tariff we signed up to was a "mistake". Indeed, any energy supplier could renege on their own tariffs if all they had to do is claim that there's been a "mistake".

The only circumstances where I can see a "mistake" defence working is where someone in customer services makes an actual mistake in acting beyond his authority or giving out the wrong information but even then, the mistake must be obvious. If the tariff were for 0.1p per unit that would obviously be a mistake, but in this instance there is no reason to hold that a mistake is obvious.

For one, British Gas is an energy generator so they are not tied to the spot wholesale price in the same way as the likes of Symbio or Neon Reef. Secondly, a company the size of British Gas is likely to hedge its position years in advance, it's likely the supplies for this tariff were forecast and hedged for months ago if not one or two years. I suspect British Gas are making a profit on this tariff.

Of course, some organisations protect themselves by putting a disclaimer on their emails and chat functions that says something like "I am not authorised to enter into any contract on behalf of (organisation name) and nothing I say can create a legally binding obligation", but there's nothing of the sort on the British Gas website so I have no reason to believe that the customer agent I chatted with was not authorised to offer me that tariff.

Finally, the burden of proof regarding a unilateral mistake rests with the party asserting that there has been a mistake.

brewerdave

ivanleo said:

Keep_pedalling said:

ivanleo said:

Grizzlebeard said:

ivanleo said:

Grizzlebeard said:

ivanleo said:

I've switched two properties to BG, got screenshots of the order number but no confirmation email, anyone else had this?

 An "Order Number" is just a sales reference to track your request. Unfortunately there's no implication one way or another that the request will be successfully converted into a contract.

I wish you luck, but fear British Gas will put you through loops that will lead nowhere.

As far as I'm concerned I've signed-up based on what they've said in the chat, if they refuse to honour it I'll take them to the ombudsman or, if need be, to court.

Unfortunately(again) what whey tell you via chat, Phone call with rep, or e-mail they will not regard as a binding agreement.

Says who? As I said, if need be I'll see them in court.

No company has to provide a service or product at an advertised price if a genuine error has been made. 

If we were talking about a single customer service agent going off on a frolic of his own then sure that might not bind British Gas, but that's clearly not the case here. There is more than enough information to support the view that those customer service agents who I and others have spoken to are acting within their authority as agents of British Gas.

Of course, it might be that someone higher up in management has made a "mistake", but that's not my problem. Otherwise NR could have just switched all our tariffs from 17p to 24p and say that the original tariff we signed up to was a "mistake". Indeed, any energy supplier could renege on their own tariffs if all they had to do is claim that there's been a "mistake".

The only circumstances where I can see a "mistake" defence working is where someone in customer services makes an actual mistake in acting beyond his authority or giving out the wrong information but even then, the mistake must be obvious. If the tariff were for 0.1p per unit that would obviously be a mistake, but in this instance there is no reason to hold that a mistake is obvious.

I wish you good luck - but I fear you MAY have a battle on your hands a month or two down the line!!

ivanleo

brewerdave said:

ivanleo said:

Keep_pedalling said:

ivanleo said:

Grizzlebeard said:

ivanleo said:

Grizzlebeard said:

ivanleo said:

I've switched two properties to BG, got screenshots of the order number but no confirmation email, anyone else had this?

 An "Order Number" is just a sales reference to track your request. Unfortunately there's no implication one way or another that the request will be successfully converted into a contract.

I wish you luck, but fear British Gas will put you through loops that will lead nowhere.

As far as I'm concerned I've signed-up based on what they've said in the chat, if they refuse to honour it I'll take them to the ombudsman or, if need be, to court.

Unfortunately(again) what whey tell you via chat, Phone call with rep, or e-mail they will not regard as a binding agreement.

Says who? As I said, if need be I'll see them in court.

No company has to provide a service or product at an advertised price if a genuine error has been made. 

If we were talking about a single customer service agent going off on a frolic of his own then sure that might not bind British Gas, but that's clearly not the case here. There is more than enough information to support the view that those customer service agents who I and others have spoken to are acting within their authority as agents of British Gas.

Of course, it might be that someone higher up in management has made a "mistake", but that's not my problem. Otherwise NR could have just switched all our tariffs from 17p to 24p and say that the original tariff we signed up to was a "mistake". Indeed, any energy supplier could renege on their own tariffs if all they had to do is claim that there's been a "mistake".

The only circumstances where I can see a "mistake" defence working is where someone in customer services makes an actual mistake in acting beyond his authority or giving out the wrong information but even then, the mistake must be obvious. If the tariff were for 0.1p per unit that would obviously be a mistake, but in this instance there is no reason to hold that a mistake is obvious.

I wish you good luck - but I fear you MAY have a battle on your hands a month or two down the line!!

Maybe so, I'll let you know how I get on.

Grizzlebeard

Ivanleo, the "mistake" does not need to be with the Rep who chatted, spoke, emailed a response to you. Or the Line Manager he/she referred up to, or the Department Manager they  referred up to. There is such confusion, chaos, lack of training and poor communications within BG even the Board of Directors can't find out what's right or wrong or is actually going on.

Every response in this thread supports your position and is just pointing out the pragmatic realities.

If you were mislead, which you and many others clearly have been, the best one can expect is some compensation payment, probably after a lengthy process which will seem more like a battle, Courts or no Courts.

DiseasedBunny

Grizzlebeard said:

Ivanleo, the "mistake" does not need to be with the Rep who chatted, spoke, emailed a response to you. Or the Line Manager he/she referred up to, or the Department Manager they  referred up to. There is such confusion, chaos, lack of training and poor communications within BG even the Board of Directors can't find out what's right or wrong or is actually going on.

Every response in this thread supports your position and is just pointing out the pragmatic realities.

If you were mislead, which you and many others clearly have been, the best one can expect is some compensation payment, probably after a lengthy process which will seem more like a battle, Courts or no Courts.

I'm sure in a couple of months there will be a "BG diddled me out of my fix" threads

Grizzlebeard

DiseasedBunny said:

Grizzlebeard said:

Ivanleo, the "mistake" does not need to be with the Rep who chatted, spoke, emailed a response to you. Or the Line Manager he/she referred up to, or the Department Manager they  referred up to. There is such confusion, chaos, lack of training and poor communications within BG even the Board of Directors can't find out what's right or wrong or is actually going on.

Every response in this thread supports your position and is just pointing out the pragmatic realities.

If you were mislead, which you and many others clearly have been, the best one can expect is some compensation payment, probably after a lengthy process which will seem more like a battle, Courts or no Courts.

I'm sure in a couple of months there will be a "BG diddled me out of my fix" threads

All that's needed is to edit the title of any one of two dozen or so existing threads and your prediction has already come true.

But yes, there will be more.

gt94sss2

ivanleo said:

For one, British Gas is an energy generator so they are not tied to the spot wholesale price in the same way as the likes of Symbio or Neon Reef. 

Just on this, regulations mean that generators have to sell their output at the market price.

As such, British Gas is tied into the same wholesale spot price if they need to buy any unhedged gas

tg99

Interesting with BG appointed as SOLR for NR today…….and how that will affect our switches for BG zero fixed Oct 22. 

tg99

Grizzlebeard said:

DiseasedBunny said:

Grizzlebeard said:

Ivanleo, the "mistake" does not need to be with the Rep who chatted, spoke, emailed a response to you. Or the Line Manager he/she referred up to, or the Department Manager they  referred up to. There is such confusion, chaos, lack of training and poor communications within BG even the Board of Directors can't find out what's right or wrong or is actually going on.

Every response in this thread supports your position and is just pointing out the pragmatic realities.

If you were mislead, which you and many others clearly have been, the best one can expect is some compensation payment, probably after a lengthy process which will seem more like a battle, Courts or no Courts.

I'm sure in a couple of months there will be a "BG diddled me out of my fix" threads

All that's needed is to edit the title of any one of two dozen or so existing threads and your prediction has already come true.

But yes, there will be more.

On the other hand, BG did indeed switch me to the BG zero fixed recently when promised in live chat and when tariff was not available for general sale.