Student Bills Package Quantum NRG

ariarnia

QuestionsQuestions said:

" blah blah Road is a Student Rental Property, it is not a typical residential household. Therefore, the tariff is calculated at commercial rate and also based on projections for students' property." This seems so unfair - and certainly had we known this amongst other things e.g. it was a broker we would not have signed any agreement!

i think they are betting you would give up and just pay. the only binding bits are what are in the contract that was signed not anything they say to you in an email seporately (other than if the contract refers to a policy or document that they make available to you before you sign which might be by email). 

some solicitors offer a free half hour and some insurances offer legal cover (and if you're in a union they also sometimes have free or cheap advice for members and their families). i'd suggest you check your policies for both. i would think any contract where one party can unilaterally change the terms of the contract whenever they want would be unfair. 

if you can stand to keep going. i'd point out to them that you are not trying to cancel the contract that was signed. problem is that the rate is being changed after the contract has started. either it's fixed term or it isn't. what you posted earlier int he thread and the terms on their website say clearly "the package price is fixed' and that it's a 'fixed' rate.

their terms don't say anywhere they can change the rate during the fixed term so that would be a change to the contract.  I would say it's up to them to either cancel the contract themselves or to let you continue on the rates you signed up for. 

Lionfist

Hi to the original post sender. 

How have you progressed with this issue as my daughter and her friends are in exactly the same situation with the same company, living in Birmingham. 

I’d love to know? 

Thanks 

woodfortrees

Also hi to the original post sender and to the last one - my daughter and her 7 housemates are also in the same situation with Quantum. I have discovered that Quantum has the same directors as Mason Knight which is why there is no support or cooperation from them. They too have had their bills doubled to £97/student/month from an original £52/student/month. They were also misled and we have also received the exact same responses from Quantum. We have also discovered that gas and electricity are supplied by E.ON and water by Severn Trent. They are being billed for Now TV and Virgin Media and Quantum is also charging £130/month for ‘service and taxes’. It is clearly a scam and students are being targeted because they don’t have experience of what is legit and what isn’t. They were told to take the Bills Inclusive package ‘to avoid hassle with bills’. And then discovered this was on top of rent not included with the rent. And within a month received an email to say it had increased. What can we do? 

Lionfist

It’s an absolute joke. 

When they signed the contract in July it was a fixed rate. £80 all in. 

This company have now increased their bills from £80 to £132 a month each. 

How can you expect a student to find this sort of money, aswel as rent, food and living expenses. 

This also includes the £400 rebate,  that I think the landlord is pocketing. 

There’s no proof that this company has any such deal, only the figures they are sending us in the email. 

How can we prove otherwise? 

Also if by the end of the contractual year, can they receive a rebate for any overpayment? 

QrizB

Lionfist said:

How can we prove otherwise? 

Also if by the end of the contractual year, can they receive a rebate for any overpayment?

If you're feeling combative, decline to pay the increased bill and let them take you to court for it. They will have to prove that you owe it and, if you have a contract saying it was fixed for the year, you can use that as part of your defence.
OTOH of it was fixed, there's no overpayment possible.

[Deleted User]

Lionfist said:

It’s an absolute joke. 

When they signed the contract in July it was a fixed rate. £80 all in. 

This company have now increased their bills from £80 to £132 a month each. 

How can you expect a student to find this sort of money, aswel as rent, food and living expenses. 

This also includes the £400 rebate,  that I think the landlord is pocketing. 

There’s no proof that this company has any such deal, only the figures they are sending us in the email. 

How can we prove otherwise? 

Also if by the end of the contractual year, can they receive a rebate for any overpayment? 

Based on the parts of the contract that the OP provided - it wasn't fixed.

It was "fixed unless our costs rise in which case it will also rise".

There is no overpayment on an "all in" contract.

Lionfist

If it was me I wouldn’t pay any extra,
but it’s not me, it’s my daughter and her 2 friends. 

They just don’t want the hassle, and the worry of being taken to court. 

 It’s scandalous what this company are doing to young vulnerable people across the country. 

 I don’t think this company prepared for the energy price hike and have just lumped up the payments at the last minute to cover their !!!!!!. Knowing young kids won’t challenge it and just pay. The last thing students need is to be kicked out in a strange city miles from home. 

ariarnia

Lionfist said:

If it was me I wouldn’t pay any extra,
but it’s not me, it’s my daughter and her 2 friends. 

They just don’t want the hassle, and the worry of being taken to court. 

 It’s scandalous what this company are doing to young vulnerable people across the country. 

 I don’t think this company prepared for the energy price hike and have just lumped up the payments at the last minute to cover their !!!!!!. Knowing young kids won’t challenge it and just pay. The last thing students need is to be kicked out in a strange city miles from home. 

if they dont want to fight it then realy what they need to do is look at the sums. is it cheaper to pay for over winter at the new costs or to switch suppliers now and pay the exit fee. and if the service is part of the condition of renting the flat then maybe look at other options for flats? but i would definately consider putting the word out there in a factual way. i.e. 'to carefully check contracts in for when rates can be changed because we were surprised by what our supplier could do'. (does there union have a newsletter?) and maybe once its all sorted sending something to the competition and marketing authority as the contract really doesn't seem clear if the rates have 'fixed tarrif' written on them but in the terms it says its not actually fixed. not to kick up a fuss now but maybe they'll investigate if a few people notify them.  from there website

Your contract terms might also be unfair if they weigh the contract significantly in your favour, eg:

• by providing for excessive cancellation charges and automatic loss of all upfront payments
• by creating unbalanced rights, eg being able to cancel a contract at any time, but requiring the customer to give 3 months’ notice
• by allowing you to increase the agreed price at a later date

Contracts must be written in plain language to avoid being misleading and unfair.

https://www.gov.uk/unfair-terms-in-sales-contracts/unfair-consumer-contracts

QuestionsQuestions

Lionfist said:

Hi to the original post sender. 

How have you progressed with this issue as my daughter and her friends are in exactly the same situation with the same company, living in Birmingham. 

I’d love to know? 

Thanks 

Hi - I have only just seen this - my daughter and her friends just paid in the end - however, lovely Quantum NRG have just sent them an invoice for over usage to the amount of 7K!! Considering they were paying 5K with the upped monthly amount anyway - Quantum have sent spurious evidence and expect to take £686 a month from June and will take an invoiced amount of over £1,500 next week - they are absolute scammers - what happened with your daughter?  MK (the letting agents) and Quantum need exposing for such a scam!

QuestionsQuestions

woodfortrees said:

Also hi to the original post sender and to the last one - my daughter and her 7 housemates are also in the same situation with Quantum. I have discovered that Quantum has the same directors as Mason Knight which is why there is no support or cooperation from them. They too have had their bills doubled to £97/student/month from an original £52/student/month. They were also misled and we have also received the exact same responses from Quantum. We have also discovered that gas and electricity are supplied by E.ON and water by Severn Trent. They are being billed for Now TV and Virgin Media and Quantum is also charging £130/month for ‘service and taxes’. It is clearly a scam and students are being targeted because they don’t have experience of what is legit and what isn’t. They were told to take the Bills Inclusive package ‘to avoid hassle with bills’. And then discovered this was on top of rent not included with the rent. And within a month received an email to say it had increased. What can we do? 

Hi - I have only just come back to these emails and  i wish i had done sooner to know others are also affected. What was the outcome for your daughter? CAn you send me the evidence that MKnight and Quantum have the same directors as Quantum have just sent an invoice for 7K over usage based in really poor photos of unidentifiable meter readings - that do not correspond with the photos the girls took (but sadly didn;t submit!). Considering their increased direct debit meant a small 2 bed house with 3 occupiers  were paying 5K - i can;t imagine where the extra has come from!!