npower class action - anyone interested?

[PeeJayJay]

I for one have had hellish problems caused by npower entering missed payments on my credit file, on and off like a yoyo and this has caused my mortgage applications to be declined more than once. I consider this to be extremely serious.

 

Please contact me if you would be interested in taking out a class action lawsuit against npower to seek compensation for all the problems they have caused and laws they have broken. Whilst I have already provided extensive details of my case to The Information Commissioner, The Energy Ombudsman, The Financial Ombudsman, Experian Credit Agency, they either fail to respond / take any action / blame the other party.

 

npower's obvious wrongs are as follows:

• failure to issue a contract
  
• preventing me change suppliers for a better tariff
  
• failing to notify of direct debit changes
  
• failing to notify credit file entries
  
• wrongful entries on my credit file - twice, and for incorrect amounts
  
• failing to provide bills on time
  
• failing to respond promptly to letters
  
• failing to bill the correct amount
  
• harassment by debt collection agencies
   
  

 

And that's just for starters.

 

Please contact me if you'd be interested - thank you.

[rebel11]

Hi PeeJayJay

 

Why not expand it to all the energy companies, they have all provided appalling customer service, it's not a complicated business.

[PeeJayJay]

Hi, Cagger, thanks for your reply here I'm pursuing the one I have had experience with, i.e. npower, so I do not have any evidence of others. An action can be many to one i.e. many claimants v one defendant.

[missdmeena]

Hi PeeJayJay,

I have a friend who is also having endless amounts of bother with Npower, however, his is the reverse to yours, they owe him a fortune and are stalling the repayment. The Ombudsman is involved and proving useless. He has had countless meter readings (3 in the past 9 days and the threat of yet another one!) and still they are being difficult over his refund.

 

He would certainly be interested in joining your campaign to bring Npower to task. Please could you let me know how he can follow this up with you?

[white rabbit]

Yes, I also have a case with Npower which was unheld by the ombudsman service and Npower has failed to act on the remedy they gave within the correct timeframe. It is clear that the ombudsman has no authority or teeth and they pretty much admitted this to me today. I intend to take legal action and am interested in a class action. Please DM me regarding this.

[missdmeena]

need 30 posts to contact you privately!!

[white rabbit]

The first step would be to clarify, as Peejayjay, states that this is an action against one company by many claimants.

 

 

Then we need to pay for legal advise.

 

 

So, it makes sense to identify more claimants than the three potential parties to the action on this forum.

 

 

Any suggestions how we might gain momentum on this? twitter?

[missdmeena]

this looks like a worthy cause to convert.

 

 

I know that the Daily Telegraph will take Npower to task,

 

 

however this seems to be individual cases.

 

 

 

 

Maybe we could contact the Telegraph with a view to seeking "legalish" advice

 

 

and let them know our intention? Who knows - they may even help us.

[white rabbit]

BTW I'm not on Facebook but do use Twitter so will report back on any activity there

[white rabbit]

Commonality requirement for Class action - there must be one or more legal or factual claims common to the entire class (in some cases, it must be shown that the common issues will predominate the proceedings over individual issues,)

 

In other words we have to identify what the specific claim would be and only those with similar claims will be in the 'class'. A claim can't be for general incompetence in custom service. it would have to be defined.

[white rabbit]

Looking at the poll on this page (top), 83% of customers have had faults with Npower billing. This would be the strongest claim.

[limasierra]

Another type of problem..

.they've dropped the direct debit discount which was shown on the paperwork when I entered my present contract Price Fix March 2016 DD.

 

Talking to them today....asked them why it doesn't show online....she disconnected the call.

 

Rang back and was told they've 'dropped it but everyone was sent a letter last November

and it's now in the form of cheaper unit prices....??' -

my paperwork's dated Feb 2014!

 

Asked where in my online bill can I see evidence of the new form of discount?

Oh dear....'online bill not available to view'.

 

Can I have a paper bill then? Yes, you'll receive it in the next 7-10 working days....!

 

No wonder Which has rated them bottom of all the power suppliers.

[white rabbit]

Anyone else have a specific complaint against Npower for inaccurate billing? please reply to this thread, thanks

[plucked chick]

I have been in dispute with N Power for three years after a problem with Scottish Power trying to take us over.

 

 

An inaccurate meter reading taken from a house in Sheffield (I live in East Sussex)

caused N Power to say they had been wrong billing me for three years (this seems to be a common problem with NPower)

 

 

they said I was using 233,000kwh a year.

I use about 2000.

No one is in the house during the day and then only three of us at night.

 

 

I heat and cook with gas.

 

 

They now say its 20,000 kWh per year.

 

 

I have about six files full of different bills with wildly differing amounts.

They are now taking me to court for £5,700 which I have vigorously defended (don't feel very vigorous though).

 

 

Saturday was the last straw when I got two different letters from Richburns (NPower as when you ring their number they answer as N Power)

 

 

One was addressed to "The Occupier" and one to me.

Same content WARRANT OF ENTRY TO ENTER YOUR HOME giving a court date.

Surely this is not right if the account is in dispute and going to Court??

 

I obtained all records by SAR (something I would thoroughly recommend anyone in dispute should do)

these proved really interesting as they used the erroneous long read and changed all previous reads to read inline with it.

 

 

Also the telephone conversations proved interesting as several customer service representatives said

the read was obviously wrong and changed it only for it to be reversed again by the High Usage Team.

 

 

they said that I would not receive any more threatening letters from either of the two companies they use.

 

 

I expect they are using the "Occupier" one in the hope it will not get noticed and try and get a warrant on that one?

Don't know, any thoughts on the above.

 

 

I have posted before under a different thread but same problem?

 

 

I have now been recording every phonecall myself.

 

 

Also they have a so called legal department (one man)

 

 

Sorry to rant but everyone should be warned about these people.

The ombudsman is a waste of time.

Their e mails between each other (SAR) are very friendly.

 

 

Ombudsman just said that if the meter reads that (it doesn't) then N Power are right.

[alansharland]

Plucked Chick,

 

 

Npower send out threatening court action letters but haven't followed through with me.

I've had an ongoing dispute with them about an amount they say I owe and I'm objecting to the figure.

They said they'd take me to court in 14 days at the end of August if I didn't pay. Not happened.

 

 

During October they reduced the figure by £200 following the Daily Telegraph contacting them……

.they didn't consult me about discussing my bill with them

but they did misrepresent the history of my account in their quote to the DT about it.

 

 

they know they are not dealing with my account correctly but threatened court action anyway.

I'm hoping that they go ahead as it will be an opportunity to list in detail the failures and incompetences of Npower.

 

With regard to a class action…

…..I rarely see mentioned Npower's signing up the Energy UK Code of Practice for Accurate Bills

which includes within it (Section 3.2) that as a minimum standard of customer service

they will provide a bill that can easily be calculated by the customer.

 

 

I'm surprised this is rarely mentioned in discussions about the 'PhD documents' that get sent out masquerading as 'bills'

when in many cases it's not just difficult but impossible to calculate the figure as insufficient information is given.

 

 

Following that section of the Code, they are also not allowed to charge for usage more than one year after they send out a bill.

As most of these documents sent out don't satisfy a requirement of being a 'bill' under the earlier section

there is also rarely comment on Npower's failure to adhere to that part of the Code as well (Section 5.1).

 

 

Either Npower is a signatory to the Code and customers have a right to expect it to be stuck to, or they are not,

in which case Npower should 'unsign' from the Code so that consumers know not to expect those standards from them.

 

 

I believe this amongst others would be a strong basis for class action as consumers are being misled by their signing up to it

and what they can expect and Npower are clearly failing to meet its standards.

 

 

Good luck y'all.

I'm a member of the Npower Boycott Facebook page so if you want other support routes please sign up for that too.

[white rabbit]

Will be tweeting to Npower including the CEO about this matter.

 

 

The more followers the more they will need to take action.

 

 

I have already been contacted by Npower via tweeter due to a complaint I tweeted on my work twitter account

- however, I set up the new one to deal with this issue as I would like to keep my identity private.

 

 

Even if you are not on twitter please join as this seems to get action quicker according the Telegraph Money

Edited November 3, 2014 by honeybee13
Twitter name removed.

[PeeJayJay]

The first step would be to clarify, as Peejayjay, states that this is an action against one company by many claimants. Then we need to pay for legal advise. So, it makes sense to identify more claimants than the three potential parties to the action on this forum. Any suggestions how we might gain momentum on this? twitter?

 

Hello Sorry for late replies here.

npower - instructions for legal preparation.pdf

 

it's at the bottom of the list. I have a solicitor lined up for the end of November

- he's been off work for personal reasons but is back at work now catching up,

so will be talking further then.

 

 

Meanwhile, I'm asking people to get all their paperwork together in a folder in preparation.

 

The more of us teaming up, the more clout we will have.

 

Regards Paul

[white rabbit]

Thanks Paul, will do

[PeeJayJay]

Hi, White Rabbit, I have indeed just followed you

 

 

I'll publish the solicitor's contact details at the end of the month when he approves my doing so.

 

 

On the facebook page I have listed some of the Reasons for suing npower (and I am sure there are plenty of other reasons):

1) inaccurate bills

2) harassment

3) changing/cancelling direct debit without providing statutory notice

4) not refunding monies due

5) wrongful credit file entries which as I well know cause enormous financial problems.

6) charging wrongful amounts - and that is just for starters.

 

 

So any other reasons should be suggested.

 

 

I plan to then put together a questionnaire that we can all complete and submit

in order to identify the common ground for a class (group) action against npower.

 

 

Until someone takes some serious legal action against them they will continue to trample over people without any respect

or consideration of the problems they are causing.

 

 

npower will be taken to task.

I would not even settle for £1million compensation outside of court,

 

 

I want justice to be done and to be seen to be done.

 

 

To me principles are more important than money.

[alansharland]

Have given my reasons for challenging Npower, legally or otherwise

- their failure to adhere to the Energy UK code of practice for accurate bills.

 

 

They say they will as a minimum standard of customer service and so,

given that they clearly don't as described previously,

 

 

they are in breach of the code and are therefore making false claims and misrepresentations to the consumer,

 

 

using the code as a smokescreen of credibility.

[dx100uk]

sorry but we cannot carry external links or facebook/twitter stuff unless it is approved by admin.

 

 

dx

[citizenB]

responding to reported post. Batman, have you made contact with admin for a reconsideration ?

 

send email to....

 

[email protected] (no spaces - CAG automatically inserts spaces in email to avoid SPAM and direct linking)

[plucked chick]

Hi

 

I never signed up for NPower in the first place

 

 

they took the account over from British Gas in 2008 in a similar way that Scottish Power tried in 2011.

 

 

Next door signed up to NPower (same post code) and we were paying double as we were paying a standing charge to British Gas as well as N Power.

 

 

It was only when the meter was faulty that we discovered we were with NPower and not British Gas?

 

 

This is a common problem and N Power are the worst for doing this. Highway Robbery?

 

 

I am still getting WARRANT OF ENTRY TO ENTER YOUR HOME

now I have a date of 17/11/14 at Sevenoaks Magistrates Court

 

 

this is despite them saying they have put a stop on these "as we speak I am blocking this" they lie.

 

What sort of code is all of this?

 

I have letters and bills addressed to next door,

an address in Sheffield,

letters and bills addressed to me but with next doors number,

the list of errors goes on and on……….

[batman1956]

Could this be a breach of Data Protection Act?

[BankFodder]

I think that the best way to handle this company is for individuals to start their own small claims against them and of course if it is done through this forum then we will help in anyway we can.

 

Starting a group action is extremely complicated and also it is exhausting to try and marshal everybody to be facing in the same direction all the time.

 

If people started their own individual small claims actions and wrote about it in their own individual threads, this would concentrate the minds of Npower because they would be forced to instruct lawyers to engage with these County Court claims in various parts of the country at broadly the same time. People would learn from one another's mistakes and of course there will be a huge amount of support on the forum. Another advantage of small claims is that there is very little risk of costs even if you lose and of course it is very quick to bring a small claim so that there is much less risk of peoples energy being exhausted and becoming tired out with the complaints process.