Nice one EDF - sneaky - be careful

[Deleted User]

MattMattMattUK said:

Deleted_User said:

pochase said:

You changed from a credit meter to a prepay meter when you moved, two different contracts.

So EDF was closing down your old account, requiring you to pay off the money owed to them as there would be no longer a debit order in place for them.

You are complaining - rightfully - that there were two different labelled buttons, which did the same - take the full amount. At the same time you claim you already knew during the process that this would happen, so why did you go through and did not cancel the process and contact customer support what your options are?

I didn’t *know. I suspected. I don’t have a crystal ball. I decided to take the risk because I knew I could afford. And ultimately the relief would be better for my well being than dealing with it month by month. 

However

There were times in my life when I would naivily press the buttom thinking I would be able to enter an ammount I could afford and I would be worried sick and devasted, in risk of serious financial trouble after realising that the ‘pay part’ buttom didn’t work and the full ammount was taken. Especially after spending about 1 hour with customer service asking for payment plan (which I did last week before I got paid). 

The real point here is the deceiving rather than paying.
I am not disputing the duty to pay. 

Yes, I could have called customer service before hitting the button. 

But I am appaled by EDF’s disonesty that could seriously affect people. 

The thing is at the point of moving/closing an account you have no legal right to pay it month by month, you are required to clear the balance.

The email is standardised, it takes you to a page where you then have a choice to make when it presents you with the option to pay, it is not as if clicking the link in the email immediately deducts the money from your account. As you are leaving they do not have to offer you a payment plan.

It is hardly dishonesty, it took you to a page where it told you what the position was, it did not say "Part pay" the immediately deduct the full balance from your bank account with no further action on your part.

It is dishonest because when I asked customer service if I could pay in instalments they said YES - even though the is for an account already closed and in a different address  - and they sent me an email with a fake button leading to believe only part of the payment would be made.

Have you had the experiences of an online payment where you enter your bank details and then there is a next button, that takes you to another page telling you to confirm that you are ready to make the payment?

In this case the next button was the confirmation. When I do online purchases the payment confirmation button is usually not called NEXT. It is called "pay now" "pay" or anything along these lines.

As I said before -  I am not questioning that I have to pay. Of course I do and I did as soon as I could.

I am questioning the company's disingenuous methods.

Have they told me it is one full payment only no exceptions, then fine. 

Anyway as I said before I was totally conscious that it could happen because I am more careful, wise and attentive now, still, it is dishonesty in my opinion and I felt deceived.

Robin9

Not sneaky or deliberate -  that would suggest planning or design. More like incompetence. Par for the course

t0rt0ise

I agree with you. Typical deceitful selling. Too many auto emails that companies send, not just supply companies, don't fit the situation but are sent anyway.