@edfenergycs EDF Incompetence ****Resolved****

[mightyblues78]

Hi everyone,

 

Long time reader, first time poster. Just wanted to come on here and tell everyone about the ridiculous treatment that I have received from EDF over the past couple of weeks.

 

I phone to change my direct debit amount and collection date in mid July. I was told that I had to cancel the current DD and set up a new one to change the amount - seemed a little odd but went along with it. After I had cancelled, I was told that I had to wait a week before I could set up a new one (great, another 30 minutes listening to 'Take On Me' while waiting to get through!)

 

A day after cancelling my DD, I received a letter from them stating that I had a 'severely overdue' amount of £35 on my account. My account balance at the time was actually £250.77 (debit) so not sure where that number came from! I phoned again to query this and was told not to worry about it because I could set up a new DD which would cover it. I took the opportunity while I actually had someone on the phone to reinstate DD at a slightly increased value and an amended collection date.

 

When the collection date arrived, I checked my account and noticed that EDF had taken my new DD amount AND the full outstanding balance on my account! Back to the phone I went to ask what had happened; the lady that I spoke to apologised for their error and told me that I had to instigate an indemnity claim under the DD Guarantee through my bank to claim the money back. I did this (very quick and easy, thanks Smile) and then phoned EDF back to tell them that it had been actioned and to check that everything was okay - I was assured that it was.

 

2 days later (Thursday last week), I received a letter stating that my DD had been cancelled by my bank. After spending over an hour waiting (over 2 days) to speak to someone about this, I gave up for the weekend, only for the biggest shocker to land on my doormat on Saturday morning...

 

.. EDF sent me a 'legal action notification' letter saying that they had tried several times (several times? Try never) to contact me about the outstanding balance on my account and now had no option but to commence legal proceeding against me! These legal proceedings would apparently comprise a doorstep visit on Saturday 11th August to collect the outstanding payment in full or to fit a pre-payment meter.

 

Now I've sent them a particularly snarky email and am now dealing with them entirely by email for record purposes but, while they have apologised for the 'shock' caused by their letter, they still feel they are in the right and will still be coming to my house on 11th August unless I pay the outstanding amount of £156.77.

 

I think that their conduct has been entirely disgusting throughout this sequence of events - what if I had been some little old lady and received that stupid threatening letter? They are beyond contempt, and as soon as this matter is resolved, I will be getting the hell out of EDF and on to a new supplier.

 

I have raised a formal complaint to EDF about their conduct and would appreciate any advice on other avenues that I could go down to bring their antics to the attention of others.

 

Apologies for the long post, but it's a long story and I wanted to get all the details in one post!

 

Cheers,

MB78

[rebel11]

Hi mighty

 

Welcome to CAG

 

Here sone info:- http://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/making-a-complaint/dealing-with-energy-suppliers/how-to-complain/

 

Please let us know how your problem has been resolved, it could help fellow Caggers.

[mightyblues78]

Thanks for the link, rebel. Some interesting information in there.

 

I have bombarded every email address I can find for EDF with my complaint, have demanded a payment plan to be set up for the outstanding balance and have expressed my disgust using every word that isn't an expletive to the way that EDF have acted. To be fair, they have responded quickly and have set up a payment plan for the outstanding balance without any further hassle (I also requested written confirmation that no further action will be taken and no house visits will be made, which I got). I'm still not happy at all with the way that they went about doing this and something really needs to be done about their system for sending automatic letter drops, but they have at least apologised for the way it was handled so I suppose that's something.

 

Just for info for anyone else reading this thread and becoming frustrated by trying to get hold of EDF: send them an email rather than calling. Not only will you have their response in writing (very important I've learned from CAG), but they also respond very quickly - in my case anyway. I wouldn't pay a huge amount of attention to their 'within 10 working days' statement, this is a safety net for them; I sent 3 emails yesterday before midday and they were all personally responded to (not generic responses, even though 2 of them were forwards of the first email to alternative addresses) by 3pm.

 

The email addresses that I used were (remember to include you account number in the subject line along with a 'headline' of your problem):

 

[email protected] om

[email protected] om

[email protected] om (in reply to one of their responses)

 

[obviously ignore the additional spaces]

 

... all of these gave automated responses to confirm receipt and were all replied to within 4 hours - much more preferable to sitting on the phone waiting for them! I also used the 'contact us' form in my account section of their website with a similar result.

 

Hope this may be of use to someone!

 

Cheers,

MB78.

[rebel11]

Hi mighty

 

Write a Formal Letter of Complaint mark it as such. Explain whats happened, how they have let you down and what you want to do. It might help improve their Customer Services, your communicating with them, but you shouldn't have to go around the houses.

 

Sent it to:-

 

Vincent Derivaz, Chief Executive

[email protected]

 

Some tips:- http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1242161/How--write-letter-complaint.html

 

http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/domestic-consumers/Pages/resolving-a-complaint.aspx