Can anyone give me some advice on how to deal with a new contract I've been spoofed into by Select Energy with NPower.

I recently moved into a new shop premises and unfortunately before the process was entirely complete,

the agent died so I had no knowledge of who the energy supplier was.

I was in the process of trying to find out when I received a phone call from someone who gave me the impression that they were from NPower and that they were my energy supplier.

I was relieved initially because I'd been struggling to find out who the supplier was and he told me that until I'd registered my details I was being charged an emergency high rate which would be reduced once I'd given my details.

For some reason I found this plausible !

At no point during the conversation was I told that he was setting up a new contract or that he was an agent,

he gave me the impression entirely that he was the supplier and was just updating new tenant details.

I asked to be billed quarterly and specifically said I didn't want to pay by direct debit.

The alarm bells should have rung when he asked for the bank details I said I was uncomfortable giving the details but he assured me it was only to confirm I was who I was claiming to be and that there wouldn't be any payments taken from the bank.

A couple of weeks later I received a letter from NPower telling me that I was now in a 36 month contract and they would be taking £195 a month by direct debit. The previous tenant from what I understand was paying less than £50 and the supplier was British Gas.

I was utterly misled

when I phoned to question NPower I discovered I was actually on the phone to Select Energy who I had never heard of.

When I did eventually get through to NPower I was told I was in a binding 36month contract and there was nothing I can do.

Surely this is fraudulent.

Any advice would be incredibly welcome.

Hi and welcome to CAG

As far as my checks have gone, Select Energy are part of BES utilities and BES were sanctioned in 2015 by OFGEM for exactly this reason. It may be that Select has been spun off from BES but I can't find any info so this is based on them still being part of BES

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/sites/default/files/docs/bes_penalty_notice_of_decision.pdf

Firstly, stay off the phone and deal with this in writing. A formal complaint is the first thing I would do and give them the required 8 weeks to respond. (I am assuming you are a small business). Make sure that you insist that the recording of the call be maintained in its entirety as it has been suggested that they have edited phone calls to make it look like you have agreed to the contract.

The outcome of this is that you want to leave without penalty as if you try to do it any other way, they will block the transfer. Whatever you do, do not stop paying the bills whilst the dispute is ongoing.

There is also the fact that BES are selling up (if not completed already) This from Companies House. Go to filing history and read the links

https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/OC349424

yes BES in sheeps clothing.

go get 'em!!

the plus side is that they will need a recording of their calls to show a contract exists by offer and aceptance. that same recording will also prove they lied to gain a pecuniary advantage so will do for them.

You need to speak to NPower and tell them what has happened and how these bandits were representing themselves as servants on NPower ( use that term as it means  somehting different to agent) and see what they say about it all.

The plus side is if you do get offered a better deal and take it the cowboys wont really want to take you to court as it will reveal their dark practices

19 hours ago, ericsbrother said:

the plus side is that they will need a recording of their calls to show a contract exists by offer and aceptance. that same recording will also prove they lied to gain a pecuniary advantage so will do for them.

You need to speak to NPower and tell them what has happened and how these bandits were representing themselves as servants on NPower ( use that term as it means  somehting different to agent) and see what they say about it all.

The plus side is if you do get offered a better deal and take it the cowboys wont really want to take you to court as it will reveal their dark practices

Sadly the recordings will be edited to demonstrate that the customer gives their details and says yes to the contract.  None of the recording prior to agreeing to the contract is kept as there is no need which is why BES get away with it.  TBH this company should have been closed years ago by the limp wristed Ombudsman!

On 22/03/2019 at 15:20, P60 said:

Good afternoon,

I'd be very interested to receive any further information or an update on the issue raised by Dylan 12 above, as I'm afraid I've fallen into the same trap. My daughter took on a commercial premises in October 18 and having initially struggled to find out who the existing electricity provider was,  we made contact with the provider and gave our details. Having not received a bill or any further communication for some time we eventually received a recorded  "Notice of Deemed Contract" letter advising us that we needed to contact them as the new tenant, which despite having already done this we duly did and after some discussion it was agree that the sales team would give us call to move us off the higher rate tariff that had been implemented or assist us in changing suppliers if need be.

 

Shortly after this conversation .... same day...we received a call from Select Energy advising us that as the new tenants they were contact us with a view to ensuring we were on the most competitive package, which of course on the back of the previous conversation with the existing provider seemed perfectly plausible as we were indeed advised to expect such a call. ... I now know that Selects Energy's call just so happened to be bad timing for us ...good timing for them...and we have entered into a verbal contract, having agreed to a fixed three year contract with NPower, who we were advised were the most competitive.

 

Minutes later we received a further call from our "Account manager"  who advised my daughter of her name, gave a contact number  (01253 708955) and advise us that we should speak to her only on that number in future.  The tone of that call raised suspicions, which of course were confirmed as soon as we did a check on the number.

 

We're currently waiting for the Welcome Pack and written contact details, but having read a raft of horror stories from others, am now very anxious indeed as I don't believe the rates indicated over the phone will be adhered to and that there are in fact better deals available. Having researched such verbal contracts and various Ofgem articles, I understand the contract is binding and there is no cooling off period.

 

Any assistance to remove ourselves from this situation and distance ourselves from Select Energy would be greatly appreciated, or at the very least who we should be contacting in addition to yourselves to raise awareness of this practice and try to bring additional legal action against this BES spin off, who seem  to be simply carrying on where they left off after the above Ofgem ruling.

 

Regards

 

P.S..this happened just yesterday 21-03-19

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On 22/03/2019 at 20:26, dx100uk said:

please create your own topic from the link uptop

37 minutes ago, P60 said:

I'm yet to receive the "welcome pack" but in the meantime have discovered yet further worrying reports of the unit price being charged at much higher rates than quoted, does anyone have an indication of what the unit price is likely to actually be..?

We may be able to help you but you have been asked to start your own topic on this please.

It is very important that you start your own topic so that your story is not confused with somebody else's.

Please will you do this. I'm afraid that we have no other information relating to the owner of this thread: Dylan12. That person has not come back to the forum to tell us what has happened or if they have resolved the problem.

I'm afraid this happens all too often and it leaves people in a bit of a lurch because nobody knows what's going on all the best course of action.

Please start your own thread. And also update us as it goes along.