E.on home visit

[padja]

hello all,

 

we had an agreement to pay arrears off on gas/electric at £100 for electric, and £20 for gas,

 

we paid both on time except for this month we were two days late, but we paid £100 off both so reduced gas debt to £85 electric is now £300

(the arrears is due to having a years worth of estimated bills)

 

However today a 'rep' (doorstep collector) turned up about the gas arrears,

obviously I told him to go away,

however for them coming round they have charged us £50,

 

now not being au fait with energy companies is this charge legal?

 

do we have to pay it?

 

If not is there a letter in library we can send them to tell them to foxtrot oscar with their charge?

 

thanks all

[dx100uk]

not heard of that one

 

you usually get a letter first.

 

i'd certainly never pay it no

 

we have an e.on rep

 

i'll ask them to pop in for you.

 

dx

[padja]

thanks dx100uk

[dx100uk]

copy from e.on rep

 

they will be around Monday

 

till then

 

sit tight

 

dx

[padja]

thanks I can confirm we had no notification or letter for home visit

[E.ON Company Rep: Helena]

Good morning,

 

There's something not right with this.

 

If you had arrangements set up on the account to clear the balance and pay for your usage as well (as long we you're still with us) then you would receive follow up letters that the arrangement had failed if you missed a payment. Even if only by a few days.

 

What sort of arrangement is it?

 

A visit really is a last resort and there should be a number of letters maybe phone calls before this happens.

 

It makes me think that maybe the gas arrangement wasn't set up as you maybe thought.

 

I'll be happy to have a look at your account for you and see what's gone on, you can email me your account number and details to WebForumAdvisors@eonenergy.com

 

Helena

[renegadeimp]

A visit is a last resort unless the person tells you not to call. Then the visit technically becomes unlawful.

[dx100uk]

I think we need to establish WHO this visitor really was

and was it from E.ON. or sanctioned by them

 

it could well be a DCA chancing their arm on a free payday!

 

but gotta admit the £50 fee sounds usual for that type of visit

though its a penalty fee so under FSA [FCA] guidelines it unlawful.

 

dx

[padja]

he was stood in an E.on sweatshirt, with E.on id card and I can assure you our arrangement was set up to pay off one bill, from september, the amount was £163 we paid £100 on 27th, the visit was 29th yet it when the E.on official came they had not removed the £100, the balance was still £163. and we had no phonecalls, no letters nothing he turned up in full E.on uniform....

[renegadeimp]

He's prob commission based. Next time, just tell him to bugger off, then slam the door in his face. The doorstep visits are there to intimidate you into agreeing with their point of view. If they want to arrange a repayment plan, it can be done very easily in writing.

[nottslad]

E.on field agents aren't commission based guys, there is no 'incentive' in that sense.

 

Padja - how was the £100 paid? It could be this has not been allocated to the account for example bank transfers sometimes sit in a suspense account if there isn't a reference number. if this is the case, it would cause the payment arrangement to fail and therefore trigger the visit. Similarly if the payment reached the account later than expected.

 

I'm sure Helena (the EON rep) will be able to sort this out for you

[E.ON Company Rep: Helena]

Thanks nottslad,

 

I agree with this, it could be that the payment had just not hit the account.

 

But I still think something has gone wrong for the visit to happen like that. Had there been missed payments in the past, any warnings?

 

I do want to help you, if you would like to email your account number and details to WebForumAdvisors@eonenergy.com I'll do my best for you.

 

Helena

[padja]

I wouldn't worry because the £55 charge won't be paid, we will clear the account and leave E.on after being customers for 15 years, you haven't responded to an email sent on 28th about it we have looked around and get much cheaper deals elsewhere so we have decided that this was the last straw. I've had the answer I wanted off DX the charge can't be enforced so that's all I wanted to know.