Commercial Reduction Services [fronting for BES?] - watchout!

[4thplanetgames]

Hello,

 

first timer here.

 

I'm getting repeated calls from a company called 'Commercial Reduction Services'.

 

 

Their story is that the govenment has recently passed a law that allows utility companies to auto-renew contracts

and put the prices up at the same time.

 

 

They wanted me to sign an electronic document (an LOA) which would get me out of this.

I delete these when they send them.

 

Having been fast-talked by a utility broker when I set up my business

I've learnt the hard way not to agree to anything offered by door-to-door or telephone sales people,

and the (brief) research I've done talks about power companies dropping auto-renewal last year,

and my contract still has 18 months to go anyway.

 

The fact that they keep hassling me makes me suspicious of their motives, but still, there's that nagging worry.

 

Has anyone else been contacted by these people? They can't really be determined do-gooders, surely?

 

Cheers

Mark

[silverfox1961]

Hi and welcome to CAG

 

At the moment I can find nothing of note about them apart from that they have only been around for about 4 years so not much experience in the market.

 

I do have my suspicions about them but until I can confirm my suspicions, I will say nothing. All I can say is that no company does anything that doesn't earn them money.

[silverfox1961]

Proof if ever proof was needed is the 'Who are we' page on the CRS website.

 

Darren Martindale used to work for Commercial Power under the directorship of Andy Pilley. Mr Pilley is the owner of BES group and Mr Martindale feeds Commercial Power with leads.

 

It has been mentioned on this forum that people have been approached by 'commercial aggregators' to get business for BES aand while I am not saying this company acts in the same way as some of the others, would you want to take the chance???

[4thplanetgames]

Thanks for that. I'll keep saying no.

 

Cheers

Mark

[ericsbrother]

ask them for an email or fax address you an write to to tell them not to call again or risk a claim of harassment.

[neil-uk]

ask them for an email or fax address you an write to to tell them not to call again or risk a claim of harassment.

 

I did exactly that, and copied two different sets of lawyers in. Didn't stop them calling back 2 days later STILL trying to make a sale.[ATTACH=CONFIG]53767[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]53767[/ATTACH]

 

It should be said for completeness that on complaint BES claimed the guy was calling me to tell me that he received my email but erm couldn't reply and was thus calling to tell me he wouldn't call again......logical right? Apparently they had listened to the recording and allege that is what he stated his reason for the call was...... In reality he called me and asked "did you have any thoughts on the prices I emailed you?", to which I told him about this email I had sent and he claimed he didn't get it (it was also sent to the generic Customer Services address, and most certainly with the tone it had they would or at least should have thought to forward to him).

 

Obviously, with what apparently was two massively different versions of events (theirs and mine) and with them claiming to have the evidence of this recording, I asked that they send me a recording of this supposed conversation they claim to have.......... and I'm still waiting.....

 

Oddly, when I reported them to the Police and sent them the crime reference number the phone stopped ringing. That's until yesterday afternoon that is.

 

 

With regards to Commercial Reductions, it's all rather very interesting, really;

 

A two minute Google search shows Commercial Reduction Services Ltd is in fact listed as a non-trading/dormant company........so either they shouldn't be trading, or are filing false returns to Companies House.

 

By Mr Martindale's own admission;

 

My name is Darren Martindale and I am the Managing Director of Commercial Reduction Services. The success of my business has been

influenced by one of my closest friends and business partners, Andy Pilley

As a result, this has given me the opportunity to start my own brokerage and submit my work exclusively through Commercial Power.

This model is perfect for me as I can benefit from Commercial Power’s expertise and solely focus on assisting customers to take advantage of de-regulation and freedom of choice in the Energy Market.

Erm, how can you have a free choice of the energy market when you have exclusive ties to an energy company?

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]53768[/ATTACH]

 

It is my understanding through the supply network regulations Mr Pilley is not allowed to have any ownership or business interest in brokers, although I may be wrong on this point.

 

As far as I am aware Mr Pilley has always denied any ownership or links with brokers? Which is clearly rather contrary to what Mr Martindale appears to quite publicly state.

 

Mr Pilley also denies any links to Commercial Energy Ltd, another broker.

 

NOW.............. You're never going to believe this.

 

The registered office of Commercial Reduction Services Ltd is; 145-157 St John Street, London, England, EC1V 4PW

 

By shear coincidence, this happens to be the same registered office as a certain Energy Search Ltd, director being a Mr Lee Qualter.

 

Mr Qualter also known as Lee Goulding also happens to own another company, Commercial Energy Ltd.

 

There also happens to be a company called Commercial Energy Brokers Ltd owned by a Mr Lee Wigham. However it is based in Newcastle, and there is nothing to prove it is linked in any way shape for form with Commercial Energy Ltd.

 

NOW.............. You're never going to believe this.

 

I have this quote/disclaimer from my limited company checker;

(38,807 companies also use this address, this might be a mail forwarding service address)

To do the maths, there are 3,068,192 registered companies in the UK. I therefore make the probability of shear coincidence 1 in 242,580,002 that Commercial Reductions and Commercial Energy have landed the address by shear coincidence.

 

This is factual information, and took me 5 minutes to find.

 

Anyone else a little confused?

Edited October 18, 2014 by neil-uk

[neil-uk]

P.S quick company check shows that Mr Martindale is the 100% shareholder of Commercial Reduction Services Ltd.......

 

By law you are required to submit correct and accurate records to Companies House. So why is (in Mr Martindale's own terminology) his business partner Mr Pilley not listed?

Just to be clear on Mr Pilley's stance on his relationship energy brokers;

 

Like almost all suppliers, we rely on independent brokers to contract with customers and we make every effort to regulate their practices to ensure ethical and honest selling. But ultimately we have no control over their sales forces.

 

Andy Pilley

Managing Director

Business Energy Solutions Ltd

 

And so we are all clear on the word independent, from our friends at the Oxford English Dictionary;

 

not influenced or controlled in any way by other people, events, or things: an independent enquiry/organization They all made the same comment, quite independent of each other (= without deciding together to do so).

[neil-uk]

P.PS

 

Whilst at present it cannot be proved that Pilley is linked in business terms with Commercial Energy Ltd.

 

It can be proved that Lee Lee Goulding/Qualter, director of Commercial Energy Ltd has been a business partner with Andy Pilley on;

 

- Cash Machine Solutions Ltd

- New Data Ltd (along with Michelle Davidson, also an owner/director of BES)

 

Both of these companies were registered at 117 Rossall Road, Cleveleys, Blackpool, FY5 1HQ

 

Meanwhile Commercial Energy Ltd is registered at 13 Rossall Road, Cleveleys, Blackpool, FY5 1AP