Scottish Power put defaulted Account on my file, claiming i opened a new contract after i'd moved out of Rental

[Count.Moxxi]

Hi there,

 

Quote

Just here looking for advice. I moved out of a rented property earlier this year. We notified our supplier the morning after we moved with the final meter reading (smart meter) and a forwarding address. Final bill came in the post and was paid on time. We assume this was done and dusted. But fast forward several months to now and I noticed my credit score showing a default, looking into it it's from the same supplier.

 

Naturally I contacted them by phone and email and was told several times everything was paid for and there was no default on the account. I obviously want this default removed and continued to email, today they've emailed back saying a account was created the same day I rang them to give the final meter reading and close it for the same property we have moved out from. In the email they attached a copy of the bill they sent to the old address which we obviously didn't get because we moved. In my name and new account number. This bill is dated from the day after we moved out and a further more 18 days. Honestly to think I would ring and close a account and set a new one up on the same day for the same address is ridiculous to me but apprantly that's what they saying.

 

So I have this default on my name, a bill for 18days after I moved out of the property(which we know was immediately moved into by a new tenant) I'm left wondering about this "New" account they've said I set up, I obviously never set up a new account and was not made aware of anything. Is this fraudulent? I'll be contacting them again on Monday to make a formal complaint and move on from there. Any advice is appreciated

Just here looking for advice.

 

I moved out of a rented property earlier this year. We notified our supplier the morning after we moved with the final meter reading (smart meter) and a forwarding address. Final bill came in the post and was paid on time. We assume this was done and dusted.

 

 

But fast forward several months to now and I noticed my credit score showing a default, looking into it it's from the same supplier. Naturally I contacted them by phone and email and was told several times everything was paid for and there was no default on the account.

 

I obviously want this default removed and continued to email, today they've emailed back saying a account was created the same day I rang them to give the final meter reading and close it for the same property we have moved out from.

 

In the email they attached a copy of the bill they sent to the old address which we obviously didn't get because we moved. In my name and new account number. This bill is dated from the day after we moved out and a further more 18 days. Honestly to think I would ring and close a account and set a new one up on the same day for the same address is ridiculous to me but apparently that's what they saying.

 

I have this default on my name, a bill for 18days after I moved out of the property (which we know was immediately moved into by a new tenant).  I'm left wondering about this "New" account they've said I set up,

 

I obviously never set up a new account and was not made aware of anything.

 

Is this fraudulent?

I'll be contacting them again on Monday to make a formal complaint and move on from there.

 

Any advice is appreciated

[dx100uk]

Who please?

 

its always better to not ring as i bet you are not recording your calls?

 

Send them proof of your new rental move in date and advise them that the a/c is the responsibility of you old landlord to sort out and to remove the whole account from your credit file.

 

should they fail to do this within 14 days you will be raising a serious complaint with ofgen and the ico and WILL be seeking financial compensation for damage to your credit file without further written notice.

 

Dx

[Count.Moxxi]

Thanks for your input dx100uk

 

Quote

I will be recording the phone I'll be making Monday. My first hearing of this "New" account and overdue balance was in a email today and conveniently their call centre is closed. We unfortunately moved from our rental property and stayed with family for a couple weeks before then going into another rental, with the gap between I don't think our new contract would help. I am in contact with my old landlord, he says is going to help provide proof of our moving out. The call Monday will be my first official complaint, then Ombudsman and ofgem were going to be my next contact

 

I will be recording the phone I'll be making Monday.

 

My first hearing of this "New" account and overdue balance was in a email today and conveniently their call centre is closed.

 

We unfortunately moved from our rental property and stayed with family for a couple weeks before then going into another rental,

with the gap between I don't think our new contract would help.

 

I am in contact with my old landlord, he says is going to help provide proof of our moving out.

 

The call Monday will be my first official complaint, then Ombudsman and ofgem were going to be my next contact

Ill

Edited December 18, 2021 by BankFodder
Restructured in order to make it readable

[BankFodder]

Please note that both my site team colleague and I have had to restructure your posts to make them a bit more accessible to people using small screens.

We would rather not to have to do this.

My site team colleague asked you which energy firm you are dealing with and you haven't addressed this question. Is there some reason for this?

You should certainly send your supplier an SAR. It's completely free and there is no downside.
It may well produce some interesting information and of course if they have been unlawfully processing then you have extra leverage against them for some compensation for the distress which they are causing you

[dx100uk]

and we still dont know the offending supplier.........

[Count.Moxxi]

Apologies for my post. The supplier is Scottish Power

[stu007]

Hi

 

I would also recommend sending Scottish Power a Subject Access Request (SAR) for both Accounts (the one you closed on moving out and the supposed one setup in your name after you gave final meter readings).

 

Use this simple phrase 'ALL DATA' that covers whatever format they hold that data in whether in be phone call recordings, written, emails etc.

 

They then have 30 Calendar Days to respond and that Time Limit only starts once they acknowledge receipt of your SAR Request and do not ask you to prove identity which will then extend that time limit.

 

Something to note is since they say this other account was taken out by you when you gave your final meter reading as this was done by phone then they should have a recording of that call to prove this is what happened so in the SAR I mention above as well as asking for 'ALL DATA' also make a point of specifically asking for a copy of the recorded phone call where you took out this new account for said property.

 

If they can't provide that then where is their proof you took out that account or was it Maladministration by their Customer Advisor that you spoke with on the phone giving your Final Meter Readings.

[Count.Moxxi]

Thank you all for your advice. You've been very helpful.

 

I'll be putting a official complaint in Monday and will definitely request a SAR. 

[BankFodder]

I would suggest that you hold off on any official complaint until you receive a statutory disclosure of your personal data.

After that we can figure out what is the best course of action. Official complaints generally speaking make absolutely no difference. They're not read by anybody important and they simply join the bucketloads of other official complaints that they are receiving all the time from everybody else.

You don't really know what has happened. You can only guess. Maybe a statutory disclosure will reveal a lot more about the story and then you will be in a position to take a far more targeted and effective action.
At worst they won't reveal anything you and then you can make an official complaint