Being Harassed by EDF

veryconfused20

A very, very long story short; I was overpaid by EDF on a refund that was due. I had requested that they contact me so that the amount could be repaid and heard nothing for some time; the reason being was that EDF had solely been writing to me at an address that I have not lived at for over 12 months. This is despite having numerous emails confirming my new address, as well as EDF possessing alternative contact methods for me.

EDF finally contacted me by email with a letter threatening to begin legal proceedings to reclaim the money within a couple of weeks due to 'failure to respond'. The payment was returned the same day as the email was received as it provided me with the bank details to make a payment back to. 

EDF are now claiming the payment has not been returned and are implying I am lying; expressing their intention to pursue the money back through a legal route. This is despite me having provided a bank statement demonstrating the returned payment.

I have nothing else I can offer EDF and am at the end of my tether with them. Not that it matters to them but I am very heavily pregnant and do not need the stress of fighting debt collectors for something I have been totally cooperative about and have already resolved!

If anyone has any advice, I'd be grateful. 

prowla

Since the payment was made, any proceedings aren't going to make much headway.

Can you see your EDF account?

As for debt collectors, their job is to hassle people; just treat them like numpties, laugh and keep telling them it's been paid.

It's possible the payment hasn't filtered through their system yet.

(Double-check the payment was sent to the right place.)

pochase

How long ago did you make the payment? Did you list your account number with the payment reference so that they can allocate it?

Penguin_

Could you use your mobile banking app to take a screen grab of the payment which shows the recipients sort code, account number & your reference?

veryconfused20

prowla said:

Since the payment was made, any proceedings aren't going to make much headway.

Can you see your EDF account?

As for debt collectors, their job is to hassle people; just treat them like numpties, laugh and keep telling them it's been paid.

It's possible the payment hasn't filtered through their system yet.

(Double-check the payment was sent to the right place.)

I never had an actual EDF account, I was a previous GNE customer who received their refund through EDF.

On attempting to make payment to EDF my banking app 'forced' me to choose from a predetermined list of "large business" accounts, and having checked both before and since making payment, the account they requested payment back to definitely matches.

Thank you for your reply. 

veryconfused20

pochase said:

How long ago did you make the payment? Did you list your account number with the payment reference so that they can allocate it?

I made it on May 4th, they claim to have checked yesterday and state there is "no trace". I referenced it as they specified I should, which was simply "[My name] (overpayment)".

Thank you. 

veryconfused20

Penguin_ said:

Could you use your mobile banking app to take a screen grab of the payment which shows the recipients sort code, account number & your reference?

My banking app doesn't show the sort code and account number that the transaction was sent to, just the name of the recipient, amount and the reference. I did provide them with a screenshot of the predetermined list as described in my reply above, as every single EDF account I could have chosen is the same account as they requested payment to.

Thank you. 

pochase

veryconfused20 said:

pochase said:

How long ago did you make the payment? Did you list your account number with the payment reference so that they can allocate it?

I made it on May 4th, they claim to have checked yesterday and state there is "no trace". I referenced it as they specified I should, which was simply "[My name] (overpayment)".

Thank you. 

Depending how common your name is this could be an issue in allocating your payment. 

Did they not give a a reference to quote when making the payment? Did you pay the exact amount they were asking for?

A customer service agent will not be able to search for an payment, they can only see if an payment has been allocated to your account, but I don't think they have access to the companies bank statement to check.

Did you speak to a normal agent or to their accounting?

veryconfused20

pochase said:

veryconfused20 said:

pochase said:

How long ago did you make the payment? Did you list your account number with the payment reference so that they can allocate it?

I made it on May 4th, they claim to have checked yesterday and state there is "no trace". I referenced it as they specified I should, which was simply "[My name] (overpayment)".

Thank you. 

Depending how common your name is this could be an issue in allocating your payment. 

Did they not give a a reference to quote when making the payment? Did you pay the exact amount they were asking for?

A customer service agent will not be able to search for an payment, they can only see if an payment has been allocated to your account, but I don't think they have access to the companies bank statement to check.

Did you speak to a normal agent or to their accounting?

They requested that I make payment using that reference, it was highlighted in the letter and within quotation marks so this is exactly how I entered it for them.

Yes I made a single payment for the exact amount.

I have been liaising with the litigation personnel who contacted me, who claim to have checked with their accounts team. 

Olinda99

Could you ask your bank to put a forward trace on the payment - maybe there is a reference number your bank can give you than you can pass to EDF

pochase

Maybe a stupid question but have you checked if the money was maybe returned to your account?