Co-Op Energy withholding account credit

[oidhche]

I am having problems with Co-Op Energy returning an account credit to me.

 

At the beginning of February I switched from them to Sainsburys Energy. The account was in credit, but Co-Op Energy claimed that they hadn't received the final electric meter reading from Sainsburys which would trigger repayment of the credit amount. Sainsburys claimed it had been provided. Co-op said they would look into it, but I then didn't hear back from them.

 

When I contacted them in March Co-op said that because they were going through their billing system upgrade I would have to wait until this was complete then re-register my account on their website, and that it may then take another 14 days for the information to be updated.

 

I did so, which took us to the beginning of April. I checked the online account and there was no information on it. I contacted their customer service team and they said they would re-generate the bill and resend it. This was around 1st/2nd April (so maybe they were being April Fools - or maybe I was!!).

 

Two weeks have gone by and no new bill was received, so I contacted them at the end of last week. The girl I spoke to said that it had definitely been sent but she would generate another bill, and it may then take another 14 days to work out the credit. At this point I lost the plot and asked to speak to her manager, which she refused to allow. She went to talk to them and on her return offered me a £15 good will gesture, and said she would regenerate the letter and make the payment of the credit amount via BACS that day.

 

Needless to say she didn't, and no letter has been received with the final reading.

 

I have tweeted my dissatisfaction which obviously got a fairly quick response from their Twitter team (who knock off at 4pm). They have said they are looking into it but another two days have gone by with no response, no letter and no refund.

 

I have submitted a subject access request to the Co-op to get evidence of all the communications between me and them, and have written to the CIO to complain about the Co-op's treatment of me and their withholding of my money.

 

I think my next step is to contact the energy ombudsman - is this correct? Does anyone have any suggestions about how to proceed with this? I am losing the capacity for rational thought where the Co-op is concerned.

[BankFodder]

You have done everything right – except that you you have become involved in telephone conversations with them before you have read our customer services guide.

 

Read our customer services guide.

 

After you have read the guide, implement its advice and then get on the telephone to them again simply to see what extra dirt you can get in terms of promises which they will break, promises of further gestures of goodwill, et cetera.

 

It would be especially interesting if you could get them to repeat their incredible story about the system upgrade and that being the reason for the delay. No business is entitled to disadvantage their customers because of their own internal problems – and especially not major energy suppliers.

 

Should you go to ofgem? Absolutely not. Ofgem are a waste of space, they have very little interest in anything, they take far too long to get anything done, the energy providers don't take any notice of them because they are just the industry pussycats and finally assuming you do get a result you will get just a minimum figure in compensation if at all.

 

The way to deal with this is to start a County Court claim. It is very easy. It is very cheap. On the facts that you give here, it is risk-free. The Co-op will want to settle before goes to court and you will get your court feedback.

 

I would claim for the return of the money plus a modest figure in compensation – £75 – plus interest.

 

The co-op will howl of course and they will posture and gesture and huff and puff and threaten to blow your house down and eventually they will make an offer and they will say things like "without prejudice save as to costs" in order to frighten you – and eventually they will give in. There is scarcely the remotest chance that they will want to go charging over the country to attend some County Court hearing simply to deprive you of your refund and £75 compensation.

 

Why don't you try? It's actually quite fun. It's even rather interesting. And you will learn some transferable skills so that the next person you want to sue, it will all be quite familiar to you and you won't have any qualms about doing it.

[***trumpeter***]

Done. Thanks BankFodder