Scottish Power don't want paying!

todayisagreatday

This is a post on behalf of my parents. They have been with Scottish Power for a while now. They renewed in May this year with them. Prior to this their direct debit was taken out of the bank and there were no issues.

Somewhere along the line, it appears Scottish Power closed their account and set up a new one for their renewal, I've no idea why rather than just changing the tarrif. My parents have been stressing as despite taking no action to cancel the direct debit, no money has been taken since May. They log on to find there is no bills and they can't submit a meter reading. When mum or me tries to live chat and enters their account number it comes up with details to say the account cannot be found so she can't live chat as the account number isn't recognised and she can't submit meter readings as online it won't recognize the account! Prior to the renewal in May there were no issues.

My mum has attempted to call Scottish Power which has been no easy task as if they are busy there is just a message to say no advisors are available and to call later. She has spent time in queues of multiple hours which has cost them a significant amount of money (one call of 2 hours 39 minutes costing £17.15 and another of 1 hour 26 costing £4.64 and 1 he 1 minute costing 35p). The longer one they just cut her off before she even got through to a person. Mum rung off a landline as she doesn't have a mobile. She has been told they don't have a meter (really - I kid you not, despite them having paid for electric for at least a year previously and having no issues regularly submitting readings), before being transferred to multiple people and then being cut off. 

On 26 September she finally got through to someone, gave a meter reading and raised a complaint of which she has a reference. She was told this would be investigated and she would receive a call on 19 October 2022. To date she has received no call. Frustratingly today they have had an email to say that a penalty of £5 will be applied if payment is not made by direct debit. They then received a 'Welcome' text asking them to set up a direct debit which they can't! 

Mum and dad are reluctant to call again as frankly they cannot afford the cost of being in a queue. I've tried to call and can't even get into a queue as I just get the busy please try later message and I doubt they would speak to me as I'm not the account holder (I tried to contact them on Twitter and they were far more responsive but won't speak to me). Mum and dad are understandably worried as they haven't paid an electricity bill since May and are worried they will now be charged a penalty for not paying direct debit but they can't set one up and have never cancelled the previous one from Scottish Power it's still there with the bank - they just aren't taking the money!

I can't progress with an Ombudsman complaint as they need a deadlock letter and they can't get that without phoning because Scottish Power haven't followed up calling them as promised. I've told mum and dad not to worry and I'd just leave them, if they won't take the money, can't submit readings just wait until they do approach them and then sort out payment quoting the complaint reference but my parents just want it sorting. Any ideas how to proceed?

[Deleted User]

Write (email is ok), don't phone.  Customer service advisors are usually incapable of resolving things like this.

Mark your correspondence as FORMAL COMPLAINT or similar, and make sure you are dealing with the complaints resolution department.  They have more understanding (sometimes) of the systems and more power to fix things.

If there is no evidence of a reply to your complaint after 8 weeks (a long time, I know), then you can go to the ombudsman without a deadlock letter.

theoretica

If they have just today got the welcome text maybe someone is finally sorting things through and they will soon have access to either their old account or a new one. 

todayisagreatday

[Deleted User] said:

Write (email is ok), don't phone.  Customer service advisors are usually incapable of resolving things like this.

Mark your correspondence as FORMAL COMPLAINT or similar, and make sure you are dealing with the complaints resolution department.  They have more understanding (sometimes) of the systems and more power to fix things.

If there is no evidence of a reply to your complaint after 8 weeks (a long time, I know), then you can go to the ombudsman without a deadlock letter.

Thanks, I have sent an email today to the email address for Scottish Power outlining the issues, providing the complaints reference number from mum's call on 26 September. I'll start counting the 8 weeks from the initial complaint on 26 September. My parents are just panicking as it's over 6 months since the last DD was taken and if they then impose the £5 charge for non direct debit payment it will increase. I've reassured them they can't do this when they have made every effort to try and pay them!

todayisagreatday

theoretica said:

If they have just today got the welcome text maybe someone is finally sorting things through and they will soon have access to either their old account or a new one. 

Wishful thinking - hopefully you're right. I am hoping with the complaint they can at least get the money refunded from the phone calls they have had to make.