Beware SSE

Firblog

Hi, just received my final electricity bill from SSE - having moved to another provider. The bill was for 500 euro for terminating my contract with them; the thing is my contract ended in June and they say that they sent out a letter letting me know and when I didn't respond to the letter a new contract was started for another year... which I have broken and so am liable to pay 500 yo yo for same.

Luckily I was warned that this is what SSE were doing back in June, and had phoned them to advise them that I had not received their letter and did not want to renew any contract with them. Person I spoke to then said that they would make a note of that in my account - which the girl I spoke to today says he didn't do.. however she is willing to rescind the termination charge and will refund a small amount they owe me.

Just wanted to let people know that this is the <SNIP> that SSE is operating, so you need to be sure that you haven't been entered into a new contact with them before you look to change providers.

WildCardDoW

Wait a minute, that can't be legal?

Surely a company can't claim you've signed up to a contract by the act of not replying to them?

Firblog

WildCardDoW wrote: »

Wait a minute, that can't be legal?

Surely a company can't claim you've signed up to a contract by the act of not replying to them?

I don't believe it is legal, I called it for what it is in my post, but as you can see it was edited.

Some people may give SSE the benefit of the doubt and say it is a scheme to aid their customers to get everything SSE has to offer, I think it is just a blatant ploy to keep customers from leaving.

whiskeyman

Sounds very dodgy.
I heavily doubt they'd assume you'd enter into a new fixed contract - the regulator would be all over them if they tried it.
Must have been some other error?

Not that I'm defending them btw - I treat them as all the same, and advise everyone to keep switching every year.

Firblog

whiskeyman wrote: »

Sounds very dodgy.
I heavily doubt they'd assume you'd enter into a new fixed contract - the regulator would be all over them if they tried it.
Must have been some other error?

Not that I'm defending them btw - I treat them as all the same, and advise everyone to keep switching every year.

I switch every year too, this change was for business account and the guy who I deal with when changing suppliers had rung me in June to warn me about this, that's why I phoned SSE in June, to ensure that I wouldn't fall victim to their sham contract. I was lucky that he did that, and that I had kept a note of the phone call because the last rep I spoke to was following the company line of owing them 500 because I'd broken my so called contract :mad:

Tippex

Firblog wrote: »

I switch every year too, this change was for business account and the guy who I deal with when changing suppliers had rung me in June to warn me about this, that's why I phoned SSE in June, to ensure that I wouldn't fall victim to their sham contract. I was lucky that he did that, and that I had kept a note of the phone call because the last rep I spoke to was following the company line of owing them 500 because I'd broken my so called contract :mad:

There could very well be different terms for a business account which may well be very different to the consumer / household accounts. A lot of utility type of services in business are for a fixed term with an auto rolling yearly contract.

dudara

As this is related to a business account, I’m moving to E&BM

Firblog

Tippex wrote: »

There could very well be different terms for a business account which may well be very different to the consumer / household accounts. A lot of utility type of services in business are for a fixed term with an auto rolling yearly contract.

Can you name me any utility that you have a business account for that you haven't been able to change once the initial 12/24mth period has expired? I know that for landline, mobile and (up until now) electric I have always been able to change supplier with at most 1 month notice; and have changed all regularly every year or so for this last 10 years.