Pure Planet Debt - what should I do?

blennerh2b

I have got myself in a pickle. I now have a debt outstanding to Pure Planet of £374.68. I have been switched to Shell Energy as Pure Planet have ceased trading. I have just received an email that says: You still owe Pure Planet £374.68 for energy you used while on supply with us. We're offering you 25% off if you pay before 20 February. The email goes onto say: "We’ll no longer contact you once you’ve cleared your balance. If you ignore this email, we may try calling you, or send a letter to your address, or transfer your account to a Debt Collection Agency (DCA). If there’s a reason you can’t make a payment right now, or you have a question about your final balance, our team is on hand to help. Get in touch via the button below, or give us a call on 0808 1890397. We're open 8am - 8pm, Monday to Friday. All calls are free."

When I moved into this property, I tried switching from Pure Planet, but they blocked the move twice, so I couldn't move. The company I was moving to allowed the Warm Home discount which pure planet didn't. Also the Pure Planet tariff cost more. 

Any advice gratefully received. 

MWT

Have you received a final bill from PP that shows the amount they are claiming is owed?

... and if so do the meter readings make sense?

When you moved in they would only have been able to block your switch if you owed them money, or perhaps had failed to register with them before trying to switch...?

 ... but that doesn't really matter now.

First this to do is make sure the bill is correct, then go from there...

Ultrasonic

There have been other posts like this. I'd be a little twitchy this was a scam but confirming the sense of meter readings etc would be informative.

MWT

Ultrasonic said:

There have been other posts like this. I'd be a little twitchy this was a scam but confirming the sense of meter readings etc would be informative.

Agreed, hence starting with checking the debt is real.

After that can use contact numbers from the actual bill and can check if they match the email...

Ultrasonic

MWT said:

Ultrasonic said:

There have been other posts like this. I'd be a little twitchy this was a scam but confirming the sense of meter readings etc would be informative.

Agreed, hence starting with checking the debt is real.

I thought that may have been where you were coming from but I was highlighting the concern for the OP. 

blennerh2b

The debt is real and not a scam. Should I pay this amount, try to negotiate a lower amount. I'm not the most confident of people, so having this conversation is not going to be easy for me. 

MWT

blennerh2b said:

The debt is real and not a scam. Should I pay this amount, try to negotiate a lower amount. I'm not the most confident of people, so having this conversation is not going to be easy for me. 

If the debt is real and you can use a phone number to contact them that is independently verified (not just from the email)  then 25% off is actually a pretty good deal if you can afford to pay it all at once.

If that would cause hardship then you can try talking to them about paying over time, but I suspect they don't have a lot of latitude for making that a very long period due to the obligation on them as Administrators, and paying over time they are unlikely to be willing to discount the total....