Objection to Gas company switch

frederick1950

You can only switch from another supplier so when you signed up , unwillingly for BG , if you had left things alone you would have been able to switch however once you cancelled this switch that means you then don't have a supplier so are unable to switch ....simples.

MWT

The 14 day cooling-off period is a basic consumer right for service contracts entered into through distance selling methods.

GunJack

plus, someone posted on here a few weeks ago, where in order to go onto BG's SVT as a new customer (which the OP is) then you need to phone them.... I had to do this for my son who moved into a flat a week before xmas - the number to call on is: 0333 202 9802.

frederick1950

MWT...no one is doubting any basic consumer rights but once he cancelled the contract with BG , which he had every legal right to do , he no longer had a supplier to switch from.

[Deleted User]

GunJack said:

plus, someone posted on here a few weeks ago, where in order to go onto BG's SVT as a new customer (which the OP is) then you need to phone them.... I had to do this for my son who moved into a flat a week before xmas - the number to call on is: 0333 202 9802.

Yes indeed it is imperative that the OP tries to phone BG to get onto the SVT.  The OP was unable to speak to comeone at BG it seems re-reading their initial post (perhaps they only looked the options open to them on their online account). 

MWT

frederick1950 said:

MWT...no one is doubting any basic consumer rights but once he cancelled the contract with BG , which he had every legal right to do , he no longer had a supplier to switch from.

Some did seem to be doubting it, but to be clear, the cancellation of the fixed contract has the effect of returning him to the deemed contract, so he was never without a supplier.

Curiousgirl1

[Deleted User] said:

Curiousgirl1 said:

dogshome said:

I'm afraid you have been scammed by BG.

Whilst there is a cooling off period when you change from one supplier to another, this can only be done when you are out of contract with the first supplier.

There is no cooling off period.for signing up with the present supplier when moving moving to a new address, so when you signed up to a "fixed term" contract because BG would not allow you to see the "Cap" prices, you are tied into that contract for the length of term

That’s wrong. All contracts have a cooling off period, whether it’s changing supplier or just changing tariff with an existing supplier.  If the OP cancelled the fixed price tariff with BG within 14 days of agreeing it, they would simply be put onto the SV tariff 

Surely, deemed contracts have no cooling off period. I would also suggest that there is no cooling off period when an existing customer switches a tariff. I know that if I contact Octopus today and change my Electicity tariff that the change will be implemented at midnight under SLC24 - Mutual Variation of Contracts. I have yet to receive an email saying that I have 14 days to cancel.

I read the original post to be the OP signed up to a fixed tariff with BG which he then cancelled within his cooling off period which would then put him onto the SV tariff. With regards to your own tariff, you will probably find the info about your cooling off period in the T’s & C’s of the box you tick - possibly under the heading Ending your Contract. 

Astria

[Deleted User] said:

Curiousgirl1 said:

dogshome said:

I'm afraid you have been scammed by BG.

Whilst there is a cooling off period when you change from one supplier to another, this can only be done when you are out of contract with the first supplier.

There is no cooling off period.for signing up with the present supplier when moving moving to a new address, so when you signed up to a "fixed term" contract because BG would not allow you to see the "Cap" prices, you are tied into that contract for the length of term

That’s wrong. All contracts have a cooling off period, whether it’s changing supplier or just changing tariff with an existing supplier.  If the OP cancelled the fixed price tariff with BG within 14 days of agreeing it, they would simply be put onto the SV tariff 

Surely, deemed contracts have no cooling off period. I would also suggest that there is no cooling off period when an existing customer switches a tariff. I know that if I contact Octopus today and change my Electicity tariff that the change will be implemented at midnight under SLC24 - Mutual Variation of Contracts. I have yet to receive an email saying that I have 14 days to cancel.

I've accidentally changed my contract before by clicking a link in an email they sent for more information which then immediately moved me to the new contract. The 14 day thing was never mentioned anywhere there, but it was specified in the T&Cs, so I contacted them and cancelled the new contract, moving back to the old one.