Outfox The Market - cancel direct debit if in credit

anniecave

So I have changed energy supplier on 3rd July. I provided meter readings as requested (even though I have a SMETS2 smart meter) to my new supplier. I can see from my online account that the new supplier is picking the smart meter readings correctly.

Outfox is my old supplier, and they have so far taken one monthly direct debit after I have left, and the online account is currently saying they will take another one on 19th August.  The account would have been in credit even before the previous direct debit was taken (even allowing for the unbilled amount) and there seems to be no option to request a refund of a credit balance.  There is information on their help to say that it takes up to 6 weeks for the final bill to be produced.  Can anyone confirm that if I cancel my direct debit they will still have the details to refund my credit balance?

Zandoni

How about explaining the situation to your bank and see what they say.

jennifernil

Ring Outfox and ask for advice.

bob2302

I was in credit with OtM and cancelled my DD immediately after the switch. I got two email a few hours apart; one from OtM reminding me it was my responsibility to cancel, and then one from  Octopus advising me not to, but I'd already cancelled after the first.

The refund went into my bank account in due course. 

Qyburn

anniecave said:

Outfox is my old supplier, and they have so far taken one monthly direct debit after I have left, and the online account is currently saying they will take another one on 19th August.  

You should be able to your bank to reverse that one, under the Direct Debit Guarantee.

born_again

Refunds are often done via DD.

bob2302

Qyburn said:

anniecave said:

Outfox is my old supplier, and they have so far taken one monthly direct debit after I have left, and the online account is currently saying they will take another one on 19th August.  

You should be able to your bank to reverse that one, under the Direct Debit Guarantee.

Unless you are desperate, I wouldn't bother. It will get refunded in due course.

debitcardmayhem

born_again said:

Refunds are often done via DD.

Yeah but why? It's not necessary to have a DD to pay money into a Bank account. Laziness by the company, or hang on to your money for longer.

anniecave

jennifernil said:

Ring Outfox and ask for advice.

I tried to contact them multiple times about changing tariff a few months ago and they were useless.  Phone lines permanently engaged, chat options turned off and they never replied to my emails. 

bob2302

debitcardmayhem said:

born_again said:

Refunds are often done via DD.

Yeah but why? It's not necessary to have a DD to pay money into a Bank account. Laziness by the company, or hang on to your money for longer.

I don't know for sure, but I did wonder if some companies setup the DD and then delete your bank details on security grounds. The advice to keep the DD open came from my new supplier, not from Outfox.