Southern Electric doorstep selling

cheekymonkey20

I am a door to door sales woman for e-on.

It's a hard job and doesnt pay a lot.. £11-12k majority of the companies.

I get discusted hearing about what some people are trying to pull off to get you to sign up to earn commision.

I personally could not sleep at night if i pulled the wool over a customers eyes to get a quick sale. Fortunatly e-on have a computer when programme in all the other companies rates, so i cannot lie about the savings that you may or maynot get.

I get angry at these scallywag slimy salesmen, i really do because it makes it hard for us honest ones, i am extremly honest, if i cannot make a saving i simply say "stay where you are".

What I would say though, something i have learnt now by doing the job myself is that these people, (me included) whether they are honest or not, are withstanding the cold and the abuse and the doors slamming in our faces, it is a horrible job to do, but in this current climate there is not a lot of scope to move, as soon as it is possible i am out.
People just dont want callers on their doorstep anymore.

Bit of honest advise here, way to check the right provider, do not use the price you pay to compare, use your units.

If you have the last years bills work out how many units you have used over the year and put that into the seperate companies websites, do not use comparison sites, as how do you know whether they have the person who pays the most commision on top. always look for offers too, bonus points like edf with nectar and eon with tesco club card.

I would also set up an internet account with your current provider and put on monthly meter readings, you have an idea of how much you use and also stops estimated bills.

Please though, if you are not interested just say.... it can get quite disheartening when people are rude and nasty, when all we are trying to do is pay our mortgages.

leahk

I can't believe the gall of these people - I have just been visited by one of these low lives. I wouldn't have answered the door to him but my neighbour had already let him into the communal hallway. The conversation was something like this.

Him: "I'm here about the new government scheme to reduce energy costs through green energy. I just need to check the meter. This new scheme means that you get the electricity straight from the generator so there is no middleman to take a cut."

Me: "Are you trying to sell be something."

Him: "No, I'm the area manager, I'm here because of the new government legislation."

He then took a meter reading and put it on a form. He said I just need to make a phone call and send them though - "then you can start saving straight away." I could see space on the form for him to complete all my personal details and signature.

I told him that he could leave me information but if he was expecting me to sign a form, there was no way I would be doing that on the strength of his visit.

Still avoiding the question, he started quoting how much I was going to save - the unit rate he quoted would have been 19% cheaper than I am paying today, if I had believed him. He also seem to think that telling me that my existing supplier was owned by the French, would sway me. Anyway, he finally got the hint that I would not be signing anything and went away.

Once he was gone, I did a quick check on some price comparison sites - As far as I can tell, I would have ended up paying more!

Unfortunately that's not the end of the story as his pitch worked on my neighbours and they signed the form. I spoke to them after and told them what I thought. I showed the printout of of a Watchdog article investigating this particular company for exactly these tactics. My neighbour genuinely thought that they were signing up to a government scheme and that they didn't have an option.

As to the company - it was Southern Electric

Here is a link to the watchdog article which includes information on your right to cancel.

I just wonder how many other people he has conned in the area!

Plushchris

cheekymonkey20 wrote: »

Please though, if you are not interested just say.... it can get quite disheartening when people are rude and nasty, when all we are trying to do is pay our mortgages.

I applaud you for saying that you are open and honest, but people generally get rude and nasty because when we say we are not interested the salesmen never just say "OK sorry to bother you" they just carry on trying to sell and come out with more lies. I have never had a single doorstep salesman leave when I say I'm not interested, some wont even leave after you shut the door!

Vestra

leahk wrote: »

I can't believe the gall of these people - I have just been visited by one of these low lives. I wouldn't have answered the door to him but my neighbour had already let him into the communal hallway. The conversation was something like this.

Him: "I'm here about the new government scheme to reduce energy costs through green energy. I just need to check the meter. This new scheme means that you get the electricity straight from the generator so there is no middleman to take a cut."

Me: "Are you trying to sell be something."

Him: "No, I'm the area manager, I'm here because of the new government legislation."

He then took a meter reading and put it on a form. He said I just need to make a phone call and send them though - "then you can start saving straight away." I could see space on the form for him to complete all my personal details and signature.

I told - that he could leave me information but if he was expecting me to sign a form, there was no way I would be doing that on the strength of his visit.

Still avoiding the question, he started quoting how much I was going to save - the unit rate he quoted would have been 19% cheaper than I am paying today, if I had beleived him. He also seem to think that telling me that my existing supplier was owned by the French, would sway me. Anyway, he finally got the hint that I would not be signing anything and went away.

Once he was gone, I did a quick check on some price comparison sites - As far as I can tell, I would have ended up paying more!

Unfortunately that's not the end of the story as his pitch worked on my neighbours and they signed the form. I spoke to them after and told them what I though. I showed the printout of of a Watchdog article investigating this particular company for exactly these tactics. My neighbour genuinely thought that they were signing up to a government scheme and that they didn't have an option.

As the company - it was Southern Electric

Here is a link to the watchdog article which includes information on you right to cancel.

I just wonder how many other people he has conned in the area!

Have you reported him for misselling?

leahk

Rian1988 wrote: »

Have you reported him for misselling?

I intend to phone Southern Electric tomorrow to see what they have to say on the matter.

No doubt I'll be held in a queue whilst they tell me how important my call is!

Do you have anyone else in mind I could report him to?

Vestra

leahk wrote: »

I intend to phone Southern Electric tomorrow to see what they have to say on the matter.

No doubt I'll be held in a queue whilst they tell me how important my call is!

Do you have anyone else in mind I could report him to?

There's not really much more you can do apart from complain to Southern Electric, maybe go to watchdog.

Plushchris

Report to the Energy Ombudsman too, they may not do may not do much but te more people complain about these salesman the better, at least its a complaint logged about them.

NEH

My mum asked me about this as she had one call the other day...At first she was quite interested at the promise of a fixed rate till 2010 and as she was busy asked him to come back some other time....

Her friend however got a call from one of them last night and she couldn't understand a word he said and she felt it was a bit dodgy so that got mum thinking...

Anyway I said to mum I would look into it and now i've read this thread I have told her not to bother with him on Tuesday when he calls back...

Energyman_2

Cardew wrote: »

There have been masses of complaints about doorstep salesmen for every Utility company.

To be fair to Southern Electricity, and all the other companies(except UW!) for that matter, these salesmen tend to work for an Agency rather than the company itself, quote]

Southern agents are employed directly -(at least in my area)

If you have a complaint, complain diectly to the supplier - Southern takes these things seriously.

Energyman_2

Mike_by_the_Sea wrote: »

Hi Cardew

I agree with your comments.

Thanks for excluding UW from your statement on dodgy practices. :grouphug:

To paraphrase.....

The selling and supply of Natural Gas and Electricity to premises in Great Britain is regulated by the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem). It is an offence to mis-sell either of these services. Utility Warehouse Distributors are required to understand and sign a declaration that they will adhere to these rules at all times when selling gas or electricity to customers.

I was promised a £855 saving by UWDC last week!!!!