NPOWER - False claim of debt

[diddy1]

Hiya

Looking for some advice please.

3 years ago I had a pay as you go meter with NPOWER. I moved out of the house and 2 years later they sent a debt collection agency after me to collect £110 for a final bill. When I left the property there was about £3 in credit on the meter.

I refused to pay the agency, called NPOWER who told me that the bill was in error and I would receive a letter confirming this, which never came. The agency continued to contact me, I continued to refuse to pay,

 

I've called NPOWER several times but they are now saying I do owe the money - not sure how I can because it was pay as you go so I can't use it if there's no credit on the meter. They sent me the final bill that they told me was issued in October 2011 but when it came it was only issued in May 2015.

I've emailed them 3/4 times but had no response at all.

The original debt collection agency decided not to continue pursuing me (after about 5 months) and passed it back to NPOWER.

I've just had a call from another agency, I refused to confirm personal details without knowing what they wanted and they wouldn't tell me, just said it was regarding NPOWER so I told them to send me a letter, which they said they can't do without confirming my personal details and that it would be noted i refused to co-operate.

 

Where do I stand regarding this please. The final bill didn't break down any details of how I could owe them money. When I lived at the property I had nothing from them to say there was a debt and I don't see how I could owe them money on a pay as you go meter as they take all o/s daily charges etc from credit top ups. They won't respond to me on email. Who can I complain to about this as please??

[BankFodder]

Well here we go. Npower up to their old tricks.

 

The first thing you should do is read our customer services guide and implement the advice there. Then start calling Npower's customer services again – several times and get them to commit themselves to their stories. You may get several versions but the important thing is that you get them all recorded as evidence.

 

It's a shame that you didn't record the call when they originally said that you didn't know anything.

 

Second thing you should do is to send an SAR after Npower immediately. Send the £10 fee by cheque so that you can keep tabs on whether or not it's been cashed. If you send the money by post order, this will become much more difficult.

 

What are the names of these various debt collectors? They have a damn cheek saying that you won't cooperate. It is up to them to establish their credentials and to show you the relevance of their core before you start committing yourself with personal information.

 

If they won't write to you then it is they who are not cooperating. Who are they please?

 

It certainly seems amazing to me that if you have a credit meter, that there can be any outstanding balance. But this is typical of the stupidity of Npower. They are idiots. The next possibility might be the you will hear from their legal department – their legal whizzkid is called Kenneth Radley Bradley Smedley something other – very long name for somebody who doesn't seem to be able to get it right.

 

Send the SAR. Keep logs of any phone calls that you receive. Record all calls. Keep is informed of any developments and come back here when the SAR has been satisfied.

[Bazooka Boo]

The billing code will be your saving grace here, they are out of time, they can only back bill you 12 months.

Tell em where to shove it, exhaust their complaints procedure and escalate it to the energy ombudsman.

 

Laugh at the powerless DCA's who ring, then hang up.

 

Keep a diary of events also.

[diddy1]

Thank you for coming back to me.

 

The initial debt collection agency is Moorcroft. I have the letter from them saying they are passing the matter back to NPOWER.

The agency who called today are Opos (?)

 

What is an SAR please?

[diddy1]

I have sent 5 emails to their complaints line, who apparently respond within 7 days.....................been about 5/6 months since the first one and still no response.

[Bazooka Boo]

SAR = Subject Access Request (cost £10)

 

Moorcr@p ignore the powerless wannabes.

 

Opus Limited

If they ring again, laugh and hang up, keep a diary of events regarding their harassment.

[nottslad]

One possibility may be that they didn't close your account properly, which then caused standing charges to accrue. A detailed final bill would show this. Notwithstanding that if you told them about the move and they failed to produce a bill they cannot now charge you, they could only go back a year from the date of the bill under the billing code.

 

Write to Npower disputing the bill for this reason and send a copy to the dca

[Bazooka Boo]

Write to Npower disputing the bill for this reason and send a copy to the dca

 

IGNORE the powerless DCA, there is no need to even entertain these fools, corresponding with them will do nothing except further their delusions of grandeur.

 

Writing to Npower is very good!

[nottslad]

Depends if they've purchased the debt or are just collecting on behalf, a copy to them would ensure they'd stop their endless bothering of the op pending investigation in my experience npower seem to go from bad to worse with their shonky billing system

[BankFodder]

Can you confirm that you have followed the advice which I have given you here http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?465135-NPOWER-False-claim-of-debt&p=4906339&viewfull=1#post4906339 please.