NPower ignoring complaint

laptop80 · 8 August 2012 at 10:06AM

I had cause to complain to NPower over a month ago (a long story, but basically they had sent me a threatening letter out of the blue about breaking my door down to check my meter, then didn't bother to turn up to a scheduled appointment when I waited in all day).

They didn't reply for 2 weeks so I contacted them again, sparking a reply offering me a £20 sweetener for not replying to the complaint - there was no mention of the missed appointment that was the cause of the original complaint, let alone an apology.

Apparently if a utility company misses a scheduled appointment then you are entitled to compensation for that, plus a further payment if they don't pay it within 10 days. I replied saying that their response wasn't adequate (there were a few other issues raised too) but almost 3 weeks later they have completely ignored me, even though I have copied in the 'Executive Team'.

What is the protocol here? NPower's own guidance says they will do their best to resolve any complaints within 10 working days and if not will keep you informed of progress and provide a likely timescale. They have now failed to do this not once, but twice.

Will I now just have to wait until it's been 8 weeks and pass it to Ofgem? Also, do I need to stay with NPower while I'm in the process of making the complaint, as my contract is up and after my experience with them I would like to move to another supplier.

The complaint itself would have been easily resolved, and I would probably have been happy with the £20 and an apology for messing me about, but it's the off-hand way they have 'dealt' with the complaint that has riled me and I now want to see the complaint through properly as a matter of principle.

laptop80 · 8 August 2012 at 10:32AM

jalexa wrote: »

The protocol here is simply to follow scrupulously the process laid out in the complaints procedure. The "10 day" periods are just targets, but the "8 weeks" is a fixed period after which if you remain dissatisfied you are entitled to ask the Energy Ombudsman to consider the complaint.

Follow the procedure to the letter and just be patient for 8 weeks.

Thanks. Do you know if I would be able to move away from NPower, or would I have to stay with them until it's resolved to give them chance to deal with the complaint?

Terrylw1 · 8 August 2012 at 10:48PM

Suggest reading these as payment is explained.

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=4011655&highlight=gsos

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=3976697&highlight=gsos

In terms of switching, if you have Outstanding Charges they are entitled to object unless they are made of entirely or partially of one or both of Disputed Charges or Supplier Error Amount. The latter is where the supplier has caused an accumulation.

chanz4 · 8 August 2012 at 10:59PM

Even if you change, the gsi will still have to be done

NigeWick · 9 August 2012 at 9:56AM

laptop80 wrote: »

I had cause to complain to nPower over a month ago

I tried to get nPower to sort my direct debit out for over a year. Still haven't done it and I am changing supplier.

Terrylw1 · 9 August 2012 at 11:24PM

NigeWick wrote: »

I tried to get nPower to sort my direct debit out for over a year. Still haven't done it and I am changing supplier.

After 8 weeks of a complaint you can raise it to the ombudsman.

nPower · 10 August 2012 at 9:19AM

Hi laptop80,

I'm really sorry to see that you feel this way.

I'd like to get this sorted for you ASAP, so if you can send me all the details to forumresponse@npower.com, I can have this looked into.

Many thanks,

Adam

laptop80 · 11 August 2012 at 11:09AM

The customer service rep I spoke to on the phone last week wanted to get it sorted for me too. He went off and spoke to the complaints team and, after being puzzled that no-one had come back to me, said that they would phone me the next day - even specifying the time of day they would call.

Did they call me? Did they heck.

Thanks for the offer, but I'm not going to email you Adam. I have already sent four or five emails, submitted as many queries again through the online complaints form and spoken to someone over the phone who assured me that someone would call me back.

No, I'll now wait in vain for NPower to get back to me through the proper complaints channels, not as a face-saving PR exercise on a forum. I know they almost certainly won't, but a utility company completely ignoring complaints strikes me as something the ombudsman should be looking into, and ultimately it's the only way NPower might sort their act out. Another few weeks to go and Ofgem can sort it out.

Cheers.

Terrylw1 · 11 August 2012 at 10:38PM

The ombudsman is independent and part of the ombudsman scheme.

There are far more serious issues which the ombudsman doesn't collate and pass onto Ofgem.

I wonder why Ofgem were so keen to get rid of the complaints to them?

You can report it to Ofgem as they have a consumers team which can be found on their website but they look into issues of policy and licence breaches.

It will cost them for a referral from you the ombudsman, hence they may become much more eager to help you when it gets close to 8 weeks, but less so up to there...;):D

venumal · 6 February 2013 at 3:59PM

I posted originally about total confusion over my gas account with npower. They mix up my meter number with someone else's, try to increase my direct debit threefold, write numerous confusing letters coming from different people and even use my phone number as the meter number! I am still paying monthly a vastly inflated sum in order to keep warm and have spent many hours on writing letters and e mails to them. I cannot now access my account online which had extraordinary discrepancies such as thousands of ££s being added (though I live in small flat) and cannot contact anyone successfully about this. Despair!
Venumal

undaunted · 6 February 2013 at 4:49PM

jalexa wrote: »

One consideration however is that complaints are commonly settled on an "ex-gratia" basis. It is possible that less generous "ex-gratia" terms might be offered to an ex-customer.

I would get out whilst you can regardless. If you think they've been "off hand" so far they only get worse & I can't imagine any difference being sufficient to bother with it. Npower have a reputation for poor handling of complaints - even Ofgem & Energywatch report(s) have criticised them for it in the past

NPower ignoring complaint

Comments

Categories

Get our FREE Weekly email full of deals & guides - and it’s spam-free