Scottish Power: slammed and defaulted!

[JohnnyBall]

So - back in 2009, I signed up with EDF for my electricity, got the supply confirmed. A week or so later, I got notice that I was being transferred to Scottish Power. I've got no idea how this happened - might well have been from slightly iffy comparison sites, but no matter. I registered this as an erroneous transfer, and got confirmation within a few days that I was going back to EDF.

 

Unfortunately, and I can't remember exactly why, the actual process of shifting me back to EDF took about 3 months. Now I was going under the assumption that, as under the Erroneous Transfer Customer Charter, my billing would be continuous with EDF and I'd just settle up with them. Being on a quarterly billing cycle, I wasn't concerned at not having a bill from EDF in this period. I assumed that the Scottish Power bills would be automatically cancelled.

 

Now, checking my credit record three years later, it turns out Scottish Power claim they're owed £96, and have stuck a default on my file. I wrote to them nicely asking to remove it (and offering to pay anything legitimately outstanding) but needless to say they have refused to delete the default. The customer service rep answering my letter completely ignored the issue of the fact my account had been slammed.

 

I think this is pretty appalling. The default is going to cost me far, far more than a poxy £96. I would have paid it at the time, if I'd have thought they were entitled to the money. Now they're trying to dodge their responsibility for their dodgy practices in signing up customers, and refusing to follow their own industry guidelines in putting things right.

 

Anyone got any suggestions on how to proceed? Not looking for compensation, I'll even pay them. Just want to get shot of an inaccurate default. Cheers!

[citizenB]

If there was something "not quite right" in their having you transferred to them originally, then I think they are probably on dodgy ground.

 

Perhaps a stern letter to their Head Office advising what happened and that you consider the default marker to be incorrect and IMHO spiteful retaliation. If you get no joy, then you are going to perhaps take this to both the Energy Ombudsman and the Information Commissioner.

 

Am I correct in thinking that EDF billed you for the whole of that billing quarter ? If so then you might also want to have a word with them otherwise you are going to end up paying for energy twice !

[ScottishPower Company Rep]

Hi, I am one of the ScottishPower company reps on this forum. We would like to help if we can, so please email details to [email protected] with account numbers or full address details & mark the email Consumer Action Group post we will look into the matter. Regards Gerry.

[JohnnyBall]

Yes, their behaviour seems a bit bloody-minded, when there's no benefit for them in this position. Given the damage involved in carrying a default, I'm more than prepared to fight it all the way. However, nice to see Gerry getting in touch, I shall email him and see where we get.

[queensclose]

scottish power seem to think they are a law to themselves when issuing defaults. lets hope the ofgem fine will bring them down to size

 

if you never signed upto them in the first place then you have never signed a contract allowing them to share your data with credit reference agencies

[JohnnyBall]

Thanks queensclose, that's an extremely good point and one that hadn't occurred to me. Looking forward to bringing that to the attention of the ICO and the Ombudsman.

[queensclose]

Ask them first to produce the contract giving ur consent to share data. They my back down.

Ico take months