Make the 'Big Switch' from ESB, They sent their solicitors out!

Sonic_exyouth

So,
Following advice from Lucy Kennedy, I decided to make 'the big switch' from ESB to Bord Gais.
A Saving is a saving afterall!
However, having made this switch, and receiving the confirmation documentation, I expected to recieve a final ESB bill.
I did not.
Instead, I got a rather snotty letter from ESB's solicitors.

Coary & Co
Solicitors
B.A. (Hons), Dip Eur. int. AITI Solicitor

Mr. Sonic Ex Youth date: 08th May 2009
Where you live
That place

Contact Account: 900-123-4567

Dear Mr. EXYOUTH;

RE: TOTAL CHARGES OUTSTANDING €69.32

We have been instructed by ESB Customer Supply to apply to you for immediate payment of the sum of €69.32, the total of all charges being due to ESB Customer Supply in respect of the above outstanding debt.

Unless payment of the outstanding charges of €69.32 is recievedby return, our instructions are to issue proceedings for the recovery of same without further notice or correspondence

Payment should be made by quoting your contact account number. All queries regarding the account should be made direct to our client's representative at the following lo-call number:

1850 372 372

Please disregard if account has been cleared prior to reciept of this letter.

Yours sincerely

Nora Coary
COARY & CO.
SOLICITORS.

Either bills have changed lately, or ESB have become complete scumbags.

(Bold and typos are theres, not mine!)

theteal

they've had a monopoly for so long i wouldn't be surprised if they didn't understand the concept of a final bill

excellent work ESB;)

Brando_ie

I made the switch on day 1 of the offer and had the meter reading to hand at that time and indeed I did get a final bill from the ESB. It actually stated final bill IIRC so they do (or did) issue a final bill. Of course they may have changed tack as the expected flood of change overs started to roll in?

Either way, its no way to treat potential return customers as the opt out option from Bord Gais is very flexible and some folks may end up back with the ESB after a spell with the Bord?

Sonic_exyouth

Brando_ie wrote: »

I made the switch on day 1 of the offer and had the meter reading to hand at that time and indeed I did get a final bill from the ESB. It actually stated final bill IIRC so they do (or did) issue a final bill. Of course they may have changed tack as the expected flood of change overs started to roll in?

Either way, its no way to treat potential return customers as the opt out option from Bord Gais is very flexible and some folks may end up back with the ESB after a spell with the Bord?

This folk has no plan at all to change back now.

gerrycollins

Ah the old threathening letter, I love these because apart from telling you that you have an outstanding debt to the company anything else written down isnt worth a crap.

Obviously you are going to pay it why dont you go to the local ESB office where ever it is and pay them in ten cent pieces, ring the company and tell them you can only afford to pay €5 a month and arrange the standing order.

Its a bit ****ty of them really.

escobar

How long do you owe the money for. Seems strange they'd send a letter out so early.....the big switch must be really annoying them

Just changed over myself. Had to wait until the next ESB meter reading so on it now...

So sweet.. 14% off now

Sonic_exyouth

escobar wrote: »

How long do you owe the money for. Seems strange they'd send a letter out so early.....the big switch must be really annoying them

Just changed over myself. Had to wait until the next ESB meter reading so on it now...

So sweet.. 14% off now

Well, I thought my previous bill was two months ago.

Turns out it was a little less.

escobar

Sonic_exyouth wrote: »

Well, I thought my previous bill was two months ago.

Turns out it was a little less.

Crazy, at least you won't have any more dealing with them now...

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

gerrycollins wrote: »

... why dont you go to the local ESB office where ever it is and pay them in ten cent pieces, ring the company and tell them you can only afford to pay €5 a month and arrange the standing order

Where have you been? There are no local ESB offices and haven't been for years!:rolleyes:

The old pay them in small coin routine! You need to read up on what they are obliged to take in coin. Anyway, I know for a fact that they never refused any coin when they had shops as the coin counting machines dealt with it is double jig time.

OP: You must have had an overdue account with a history of late payments to receive a solicitors letter, as the porcess is triggered by the payment history (222466 etc) on your account or you did not pay a Closing Account. Also reminders issue automatically before accounts issue to the solicitors.
Come on tell the truth which was it??;)

Shelflife

everytime you are in the post office knock €2 or €3 off the biil, the PO will love the extra business, and it will piss off ESB no end to have to process all the payments.

Davy

Shelflife wrote: »

everytime you are in the post office knock €2 or €3 off the biil, the PO will love the extra business, and it will piss off ESB no end to have to process all the payments.

I dont have that much time on my hands, too be queuing in the post office

foggy_lad

Ariadne Flaky Gum wrote: »

OP: You must have had an overdue account with a history of late payments to receive a solicitors letter, as the porcess is triggered by the payment history (222466 etc) on your account or you did not pay a Closing Account. Also reminders issue automatically before accounts issue to the solicitors.
Come on tell the truth which was it??;)

if the esb were able to manage account histories them customers would not be left with massively over-estimated bills! they are not really up to the job lately but there is nothing saying that bord gais are going to be any better with their accounts.

Sonic_exyouth

Ariadne Flaky Gum wrote: »

Where have you been? There are no local ESB offices and haven't been for years!:rolleyes:

The old pay them in small coin routine! You need to read up on what they are obliged to take in coin. Anyway, I know for a fact that they never refused any coin when they had shops as the coin counting machines dealt with it is double jig time.

OP: You must have had an overdue account with a history of late payments to receive a solicitors letter, as the porcess is triggered by the payment history (222466 etc) on your account or you did not pay a Closing Account. Also reminders issue automatically before accounts issue to the solicitors.
Come on tell the truth which was it??;)

Nopes, sorry to disappoint. Never been particulaly late paying bill, never had so much as a reminder before!

I got no closing bill, no reminder, no final reminder.. just a solicitors letter!

Unless you are your ilk (the serial doubters) are suggesting that these three letters went missing in the post, but the solicitors letter miraculously arrived!:rolleyes:

MOH

Sonic_exyouth wrote: »

Nopes, sorry to disappoint. Never been particulaly late paying bill, never had so much as a reminder before!


Unless you are your ilk (the serial doubters) are suggesting that these three letters went missing in the post, but the solicitors letter miraculously arrived!:rolleyes:

Happened me with my TV license - never got an original reminder, only got the final reminder because a stranger I'd never seen before dropped it over a while after it was delivered to her, by which time I'd received a statutory declaration form. So if An Post can't even deliver their own stuff, it genuinely wouldn't surprise me if that's what happened.

faceman

They wont take you to court for that kind of cash.

Reply to the solicitor in writing advising you did not receive an invoice abd asking for a copy of it. Also query why there was no follow up by ESB directly given your (presumably) excellent history with ESB as prompt payer. Tell them you would like some detail as to what follow up action ESB took when the invoice fell overdue.

Until you have all that info no need to panic on paying.

the groutch

Shelflife wrote: »

everytime you are in the post office knock €2 or €3 off the biil, the PO will love the extra business, and it will piss off ESB no end to have to process all the payments.

I've seen that many a time in the post office with "older" customers carrying 7 or 8 bills, and paying a tenner off each

d'Oracle

Switching to Airtricity at the moment.

Got signed up with ESB customer supply when I moved into a new place.
No intention of staying with ESB cos I really dislike them.

I went over the 10day period to pay the €300 deposit, which I wont be paying.

ESB sent me a letter today saying that my credit rating was now affected.:pac:

Credit Rating?
Im gonna ring them when I get home from work....should be fun.

Sonic_exyouth

replied, as per posters idea, to the solic:

Dear Miss Coary,

Thank you for your letter dated 08th May 2009.

Please be aware, I was not made aware of any outstanding charge due to the ESB, as I was awaiting a bill.

I received no bill. Even given the possibility of the bill going missing in the post, I would expect a reminder. I received no reminder.
Even given the remarkably improbability of both the bill and reminder going missing within the postal system, I would expect a Final reminder. I received no final reminder.

If all three of these letters managed to get lost in the post, it’s incredulous that your aggressive letter somehow managed to arrive.

As such, can you please forward a copy of the bill, reminder and final reminder that this charge relates to, as, right now in the absence of any bill, I am utterly unable to ascertain wheter the charge is accurate. Perhaps the bill is based on a faulty estimated reading? Perhaps the bill is really old and the incompetents at the ESB forgot I had paid it. Frankly, it’s disturbing that you did not include the slightest bit of evidence that this charge is, and your accusation is, warranted. Do you actually have any evidence? Or do you send out these threatening letters on the flimsiest of pretexts?

I shall await the bill before deciding on wheter payment of the above amount is necessary.

Yours, etc,
Sonic_Exyouth

Beruthiel

Nice letter Sonic.

I made the big switch a couple of weeks ago.

KTRIC

Beruthiel wrote: »

Nice letter Sonic.

I made the big switch a couple of weeks ago.

I'll second that. Seriously nicely worded letter. Well done

Oryx

sonic exyouth, If I ever need to write a letter of complaint to anyone, will you word it for me? Brilliant stuff.

Sonic_exyouth

Thanks!

And yeah, sure, any time!

wmpdd3

God I have never in 10 years cleared a ESB bill.

I have never gotten a letter like that. It must be something to do with the fact it's a final bill as said earlier.

Maybe they have been changed their tack.

escobar

wmpdd3 wrote: »

God I have never in 10 years cleared a ESB bill.

I have never gotten a letter like that. It must be something to do with the fact it's a final bill as said earlier.

Maybe they have been changed their tack.

I'd say they're just getting well pissed off with the no's of people changing to Bord Gais.

I mean come on you'd want to be mad not to want the cheapest electricity in Ireland.......
Is there a max quota of people that can change to Bord Gais, read a rumour that they're might be so I signed up right away....

Thomas_S_Hunterson

I don't see the problem with this to be honest. There is an outstanding debt and if the ESB want to pay solicitors to write letter for them then that is their right. It probably saves them money in the long run since they're not sending people reminder after reminder.

The letter is not threatening. It is short and to the point.

The contract is over and with it, the agreed upon method of payment. You may now settle the debt in legal tender, as is you right.

faceman

Sean_K wrote: »

I don't see the problem with this to be honest. There is an outstanding debt and if the ESB want to pay solicitors to write letter for them then that is their right. It probably saves them money in the long run since they're not sending people reminder after reminder.

The letter is not threatening. It is short and to the point.

The contract is over and with it, the agreed upon method of payment. You may now settle the debt in legal tender, as is you right.

Its very bad practise and very unusual to have a supplier pass a debt straight to solicitors for action without any action on the supplier's part to remedy the arrears. PLus, its more costly.

Sonic_exyouth

Sean_K wrote: »

I don't see the problem with this to be honest. There is an outstanding debt and if the ESB want to pay solicitors to write letter for them then that is their right. It probably saves them money in the long run since they're not sending people reminder after reminder.

The letter is not threatening. It is short and to the point.

The contract is over and with it, the agreed upon method of payment. You may now settle the debt in legal tender, as is you right.

How do I know there is a debt.
All I have is the word of some person who claims to be a solicitor.

I would expect an invoice/bill.. The complete lack of bill, and the rapid deployment of the solicitor is irritating, to put it mildly

Thomas_S_Hunterson

faceman wrote: »

Its very bad practise and very unusual to have a supplier pass a debt straight to solicitors for action without any action on the supplier's part to remedy the arrears. PLus, its more costly.

I can only presume that they have their reasons.

As a big company, they would have obviously been burned in the past, and pursuing unpaid bills is expensive. Maybe they find this method less costly.

Oryx

Sean_K wrote: »

I can only presume that they have their reasons.

As a big company, they would have obviously been burned in the past, and pursuing unpaid bills is expensive. Maybe they find this method less costly.

Pursuing unpaid and hitherto unsent and unpursued bills with a solicitor, Id imagine is expensive, and also a PR disaster.

broadsheet

My Mum received one of these letters during the week and she is up the walls over it. Strangely she hasntr closed her ESB account but simply contacted the ESB to see if she was tied to a contract with them and also what her over balance was. They repay her for her 30 odd years custom with a solicitors letter for €47, yet she hasnt even got a final bill because she hasnt even closed her account. This seems to be a bullying tactic by the ESB. :mad::mad:

Dellas

Sonic_exyouth wrote: »

replied, as per posters idea, to the solic:

Great letter . Perfect in every way. It will annoy them lol.. It was stupid to send such a letter to you in the first place. Unfortunately its a thing that seems to be happening not just in ESB but other companies also.

BT Ireland did the same to me when I didnt even owe them money. They kept billing me for packages that were cancelled. Was a nightmare.

I have to say I have never had any issues with the ESB and in fact there have been a few times I needed a few extra weeks to clear a high Winter bill. They never complained and set up an arrangement. I just worry that if I switch and need the same in future Bord Gais wont be so flexible.

parsi

escobar wrote: »

I'd say they're just getting well pissed off with the no's of people changing to Bord Gais.

There are quite a few threads on here which state that the ESB have to cede a certain percentage of their customers to other operators and that's that.

It's an artificial change over in that the others are allowed to drop prices and the ESB have to retain theirs (I moved..).

It's similar to around 10 years ago when Eircom were forced to introduce charges for directory enquiries so as to enable competitor companies to "undercut" these elevated prices.

Sonic_exyouth

So, the ESB wrote back to me giving me a handwritten Bill.

I've never seen a handwritten ESB bill before!

faceman

Sonic_exyouth wrote: »

So, the ESB wrote back to me giving me a handwritten Bill.

I've never seen a handwritten ESB bill before!

can you scan it and post it to the thread?

Sonic_exyouth

faceman wrote: »

can you scan it and post it to the thread?

No.

I don't have a scanner..
I'll try get a lend of a digital camera!

Kinetic^

Sonic_exyouth wrote: »

So, the ESB wrote back to me giving me a handwritten Bill.

I've never seen a handwritten ESB bill before!

That's an absolute fucking JOKE! Does it have all the relevant details on it such as VAT & company registration no.?

Sonic_exyouth

Kinetic^ wrote: »

That's an absolute fucking JOKE! Does it have all the relevant details on it such as VAT & company registration no.?

Yeah.. its on headed paper like, so that info is on the header and footer

Fnergg

Sonic_exyouth wrote: »

Yeah.. its on headed paper like, so that info is on the header and footer

Just to be clear about this, it's on ordinary ESB bill stationery and the meter readings and charges are written on the bill in handwriting? Is that correct?

Regards,

Fnergg

Sonic_exyouth

Fnergg wrote: »

Just to be clear about this, it's on ordinary ESB bill stationery and the meter readings and charges are written on the bill in handwriting? Is that correct?

Regards,

Fnergg

Yeps, thats it exactly

Fnergg

Sonic_exyouth wrote: »

Yeps, thats it exactly

That's incredible!

I know for a fact that it is not ESB practice to send out handwritten bills. I cannot envisage any company anywhere doing so. Surely handwritten bills (written with quills) went out with Charles Dickens?

In any event, a copy bill is printed off a computer with a single mouse click. Why would anyone sit down and write out a bill when he/she can just print it off? It doesn't make sense.

Letters/bills are always typed. The only time someone might use handwriting in correspondence is if attaching a small covering note to a document. I have often received such handwritten covering notes from organisations and I don't think there is anything wrong with them provided they are legible. I don't expect anyone to type the words "Mr Fnergg, as discussed, copy invoice attached" or somesuch.

It looks as if someone seriously fouled up here. I would suggest you send a photocopy of the bill to:

The Manager
ESB Customer Supply
National Customer Contact Centre
Wilton
Cork

Regards,

Fnergg

Sonic_exyouth

Fnergg wrote: »

That's incredible!

I know for a fact that it is not ESB practice to send out handwritten bills. I cannot envisage any company anywhere doing so. Surely handwritten bills (written with quills) went out with Charles Dickens?

In any event, a copy bill is printed off a computer with a single mouse click. Why would anyone sit down and write out a bill when he/she can just print it off? It doesn't make sense.

Letters/bills are always typed. The only time someone might use handwriting in correspondence is if attaching a small covering note to a document. I have often received such handwritten covering notes from organisations and I don't think there is anything wrong with them provided they are legible. I don't expect anyone to type the words "Mr Fnergg, as discussed, copy invoice attached" or somesuch.

It looks as if someone seriously fouled up here. I would suggest you send a photocopy of the bill to:

The Manager
ESB Customer Supply
National Customer Contact Centre
Wilton
Cork

Regards,

Fnergg

Well,

To be honest, it's the solicitors letter that annoyed me!

I don't mind the handwritten bill.. its curiously quaint.. but I wouldn't complain about it.

Fnergg

Sonic_exyouth wrote: »

Well,

To be honest, it's the solicitors letter that annoyed me!

I don't mind the handwritten bill.. its curiously quaint.. but I wouldn't complain about it.

I don't blame you for being annoyed by the solicitors letter. It seems very sharp practice to send such a letter to a former customer so soon after closing your account on transferring to a new supplier. I think ESB needs to quickly reconsider its policy in that regard.

I still can't get over the handwritten bill though. Why would anyone do it? It doesn't make any kind of sense which is why I'm sure ESB would love to hear the details.

Regards,

Fnergg

Thomas_S_Hunterson

Fnergg wrote: »

I still can't get over the handwritten bill though. Why would anyone do it? It doesn't make any kind of sense which is why I'm sure ESB would love to hear the details.

ESB don't print their bills on little Deskjets. They use serious enterprise evel equipment.

It probably makes a lot more sense hand-writing a special bill like this than preparing and scheduling a one-off job on a printer.

foggy_lad

Sean_K wrote: »

ESB don't print their bills on little Deskjets. They use serious enterprise evel equipment.

It probably makes a lot more sense hand-writing a special bill like this than preparing and scheduling a one-off job on a printer.

the bills are printed off in a que system so it is easy to print off new or duplicate bills but they may only print on a certain day to coincide with billing cycles etc

Fnergg

I am very reliably informed that copy bills are easily and quickly printed off at any time. Customers ask for copy bills on a regular basis.

My friends in the ESB are as curious to see this handwritten bill as the rest of us. They are mystified as to why anyone would go to the trouble of handwriting a bill.

Regards,

Fnergg

oranjeboom

I'm just reading all the posts and threads about the ESB. All the posts seem to be negative in nature. Its a pity really cos most of the people I know (and me) who have dealt with the ESB for various reasons have always said they were very easy to deal with and very helpful. I ujnderstand people can get pished off about things going wrong and getting letters and stuff but are they really that bad?

As regards the handwritten bill, a mate of mine works on the phones in the ESB so I asked her about handwritten bills she said it takes literally two seconds to print a bill and it can be done at any time for anyone and in fact several bills can be sent out at anyone's request. She said she would love to know (and so would her boss) who wrote the handwritten bill.

Sonic_exyouth

oranjeboom wrote: »

I'm just reading all the posts and threads about the ESB. All the posts seem to be negative in nature. Its a pity really cos most of the people I know (and me) who have dealt with the ESB for various reasons have always said they were very easy to deal with and very helpful. I ujnderstand people can get pished off about things going wrong and getting letters and stuff but are they really that bad?

Yes.. Yes it is bad.

Getting a threatning letter instead of a bill is really quite bad, and annoying, and wrong.

oranjeboom wrote: »

As regards the handwritten bill, a mate of mine works on the phones in the ESB so I asked her about handwritten bills she said it takes literally two seconds to print a bill and it can be done at any time for anyone and in fact several bills can be sent out at anyone's request. She said she would love to know (and so would her boss) who wrote the handwritten bill.

I've no idea who wrote it.. and really, handwritten or otherwise, had they had sent this originally I wouldn't have been so annoyed with them.
But, they didn't, they instead sent an aggressive solicitors letter!

parsi

oranjeboom wrote: »

I'm just reading all the posts and threads about the ESB. All the posts seem to be negative in nature. Its a pity really cos most of the people I know (and me) who have dealt with the ESB for various reasons have always said they were very easy to deal with and very helpful. I ujnderstand people can get pished off about things going wrong and getting letters and stuff but are they really that bad?

My move went fine.

I recently got my first bill (for 2 1/2 months).

No problems for me.

stevoslice

Shelflife wrote: »

everytime you are in the post office knock €2 or €3 off the biil, the PO will love the extra business, and it will piss off ESB no end to have to process all the payments.

hardly, the esb has got computers, and has been preparing for the big switch for years, that letter is a bit gay though, probably give ya an apology if you looked for it.

syklops

Off topic I know, but an interesting and funny anecdote.

When my dad moved to Ireland years ago he started a new account with the ESB. They were just switching over to the new computerized system. One day he got a bill for £0 0 pence. He ignored it as you would. A few weeks later he received a reminder for £0.0p, which he ignored aswell. About three weeks later he received another more threatening letter and bill for £0.0p. So he sent off a cheque for £0.0p to the ESB.

A few weeks later he got a typed letter from the ESB thanking him for the payment, and apologising for the various letters he had received. They had discovered the issue when the computer had found that the amount had been paid by him, and then crashed when it tried to deposit £0.0p into the ESB's bank account. The banks computer had not been happy either.

Ever since that experience he refuses to use direct debit on any of his accounts.

oranjeboom

Sonic_exyouth wrote: »

Yes.. Yes it is bad.

Getting a threatning letter instead of a bill is really quite bad, and annoying, and wrong.



I've no idea who wrote it.. and really, handwritten or otherwise, had they had sent this originally I wouldn't have been so annoyed with them.
But, they didn't, they instead sent an aggressive solicitors letter!

Yes yes I can see your point.