Co-operative Energy reviews: Give your feedback

System · 8 February 2018 at 8:26PM

exasperated_Clive wrote: »

Many thanks to both of you for your responses!

Up the ladder we go........

There is absolutely no way that the supplier is going to give you lots of £s in compensation. The best you can hope for is, in my opinion, the option to switch to another supplier without penalty.

As you have correctly followed the complaints’ procedure, you must give the Coop the opportunity to respond formally to your complaint. If you are unhappy with their proposed resolution then you have to wait 8 weeks before you can escalate the matter to The Energy Ombudsman. The Energy Ombudsman’s decision is binding on the supplier.

Consumerist · 8 February 2018 at 8:49PM

Hengus wrote: »

. . . As you have correctly followed the complaints procedure, you must give the Coop the opportunity to respond formally to your complaint. If you are unhappy with their proposed resolution then you have to wait 8 weeks before you can escalate the matter to The Energy Ombudsman. . .

. . . unless they give you their "final response" before the eight weeks, in which case you can then refer it to the Ombudsman without further delay.

System · 8 February 2018 at 8:58PM

exasperated_Clive wrote: »

Hello,

I’ve never done this before (relative novice) so fingers crossed.

I am at the end of my tether with COOPERATIVE ENERGY!

I am unable to access my ONLINE account online!

It seems that I am also unable to receive many of their emails (though have received some). I have contacted them on numerous occasions over many months, have gone through an account reset, tried using their recommended Mozilla Firefox as a browser etc. all to no avail.

The blame is put down to me using a ‘tablet’ (IPad) as well as having a BTINTERNET EMAIL ADDRESS. (BT take no responsibility for me not receiving the emails). Apparently, their website is only fully compatible with personal & laptop computer's, using Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. It currently only works on some tablets, so as a rule they always advise customers to use a PC or laptop to access their account.

Co op didn’t inform me of any possible problems before I joined them because not every customer will encounter these difficulties. They certainly knew all about it! Had I have known I would have gone elsewhere.

I have made an official complaint, requested a ‘goodwill payment’ to compensate me for my continuing inconvenience, stress etc etc over the months. (Could then buy a compatible computer!).

I have now requested that senior management get involved - quite simply, I don’t know what else to do, I have had more than I can cope with! Because they advised me to use a PC/laptop and Firefox they refuse to compensate me! They seem to think that they have filled their obligation (paper bills for the time being). It’s almost farcical! I signed up in ‘good faith’ and, through no-fault of my own, am unable to access my account. It seems to me that Co-operative Energy’s online system is NOT FIT FOR PURPOSE!

Please, does anyone know how I can get this resolved? I just want to view my energy details online. As I said, I am at the end of my tether!

Thank you, in advance.

exasperated Clive

Consumerist wrote: »

. . . unless they give you their "final response" before the eight weeks, in which case you can then refer it to the Ombudsman with further delay.

Thanks. The right to refer the matter immediately to The EO is usually clearly stated in the supplier’s response. I was trying to keep it simple!

NickHo · 5 March 2018 at 10:16AM

Moved from Coop after a number of years as they were the only mutual and non-big six for quite a while. Got the divi ploughed back to defray the bill. Went through their horrendous switch of online account. It was and is dreadful to use. Also stopped being competitive so serched and found Avro through the Cheap Energy Club search. The switch to Avro went really well on their bit and their online account is so smooth. However the Coop continued to take my DD the following month after they lost supply. I hadn't cancelled the DD as they owed me money and needed the details to refund. I chased up the refund and the overpayment and they said they would do it. I got the refund but they took a further monthy payment on top. I wrote a tart email threatening the ombudsman and a senior guy phoned me within the hour to sort it. I like the Coop in principle but there is only so much incompetence I can forgive.

Consumerist · 5 March 2018 at 1:04PM

NickHo wrote: »

. . . However the Coop continued to take my DD the following month after they lost supply. I hadn't cancelled the DD as they owed me money and needed the details to refund. . .

For future reference, this is a ruse used by most energy suppliers. They do not need the DD to be active to make a refund.

I cancelled my DD as soon as my new supplier confirmed the switch of both fuels. Co-op refunded my overpayment to my bank account without the DD being active.

Anthorn · 5 March 2018 at 6:52PM

Consumerist wrote: »

For future reference, this is a ruse used by most energy suppliers. They do not need the DD to be active to make a refund.

I cancelled my DD as soon as my new supplier confirmed the switch of both fuels. Co-op refunded my overpayment to my bank account without the DD being active.

In that case Co-op Energy must have the bank details used for the direct debit on their systems which is a security risk which also means that the direct debit has in fact not been cancelled.

The reason why not just energy suppliers make refunds to the same bank account details as the direct debit is to facilitate payment. If the direct debit is cancelled then some other method of payment has to be arranged which takes extra time.

Consumerist · 5 March 2018 at 7:27PM

Anthorn wrote: »

In that case Co-op Energy must have the bank details used for the direct debit on their systems which is a security risk which also means that the direct debit has in fact not been cancelled.

I can only rely on the evidence of my own experience.

The direct debit was indeed cancelled by me at my bank. No further DDs were collected during the switching period or after. My account was in credit so further collections would have been unnecessary. The experience of others suggests, however, that further collections would have been made if I had not cancelled the DD myself.

If the energy suppliers really do need the DD to remain active, why don't they reduce the DD to zero if customers are likely to be in credit?

Anthorn · 11 March 2018 at 12:23AM

Consumerist wrote: »

I can only rely on the evidence of my own experience.

The direct debit was indeed cancelled by me at my bank. No further DDs were collected during the switching period or after. My account was in credit so further collections would have been unnecessary. The experience of others suggests, however, that further collections would have been made if I had not cancelled the DD myself.

If the energy suppliers really do need the DD to remain active, why don't they reduce the DD to zero if customers are likely to be in credit?

My comment flew over your head. i.e. If the DD is in the Co-op Energy system then it hasn't been cancelled by Co-op Energy. That probably means you have not asked Co-op Energy to cancel it although they should have been informed by your bank that you have cancelled the DD.

Consumerist · 11 March 2018 at 4:13AM

Anthorn wrote: »

My comment flew over your head. i.e. If the DD is in the Co-op Energy system then it hasn't been cancelled by Co-op Energy. That probably means you have not asked Co-op Energy to cancel it although they should have been informed by your bank that you have cancelled the DD.

I had asked them to cancel the DD but they refused on the grounds it would be needed to refund the credit balance at the switch date.

I notified them that I had cancelled the DD at my bank. The credit balance was refunded to my bank account after they had produced their final bill.

The DD had been cancelled and they had been advised. It is interesting that I did not receive any threats because I had cancelled the DD as it seems, from earlier posts, has been the case for others.

You are splitting hairs to suggest the DD had not been cancelled on Co-op's system because my bank would have rejected any request for payment, anyway. That is what the Direct Debit Guarantee is supposed to guarantee, is it not?

Anthorn · 11 March 2018 at 11:50AM

Consumerist wrote: »

You are splitting hairs to suggest the DD had not been cancelled on Co-op's system because my bank would have rejected any request for payment, anyway. That is what the Direct Debit Guarantee is supposed to guarantee, is it not?

I'm not splitting hairs at all. My reply is based on what you yourself posted:

Consumerist wrote: »

I cancelled my DD as soon as my new supplier confirmed the switch of both fuels. Co-op refunded my overpayment to my bank account without the DD being active.

Ergo either the DD was not in fact cancelled by the Co-op Energy on their system or your bank details are recorded elsewhere on the Co-op Energy system.

Co-operative Energy reviews: Give your feedback

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