Why does every company seem intent on screwing the consumer?

[Megaflow]

We moved energy provider at the end of November and it just occurred to me we haven’t made a payment to the new provider yet.

A quick glance on their website shows the first payment is due on the 1st January. Fair enough.

That in turn reminds me I haven’t received a final bill from the previous very well known British supplier of gas.

I log into the old account and see we are £243 in credit… hmm, I wonder when they were planning on telling me about that.

So, I begin the process of requesting a refund, I click on contact us and I am greeted with the following options:


We pay by direct debit so that is what I click on and I am directed here:


I want a refund, seems fairly straight forward, so I click the link and end up here:


Again seems fairly obvious, so click the link, and guess where it ends up, yep, back exactly where I started:


FFS…



So I go through the pain of riniging them, to be told they are waiting for a final bill.

But you have had final meetings readings for 3 weeks!

Oh yes, so we have…

Funny how bills get automatically generated when meter readings are submitted so they can take money, but when they owe it to you, there is an overly complicated procedure to get back what is rightfully yours.

Cts.

Rant over.

Please continue with your day.

[MisanoPayments]

It is indeed exasperating - see the length of the Virgin Media Retention Deals thread for starters!

I see that one of the requirements of a refund they say is if you're not moving to another supplier - so they're holding your £243 to ransom or go towards the Christmas party? How can they get away with printing that!

Edit to answer your question - Shareholder value!

[AndySheff]

Had it once with a mobile provider. By their mistake they managed to overcharge me over 2000 pounds. Which unfortunately there was cover for on my account. Took me almost 6 months to get it back.

[Sheepshanks]

AndySheff said:

Had it once with a mobile provider. By their mistake they managed to overcharge me over 2000 pounds. Which unfortunately there was cover for on my account. Took me almost 6 months to get it back.

Was that by direct debit? If so, you could simply reverse the DD with your bank and you get the money straightaway.

I did it when an energy supplier went bust. I did end up owing them £0.89, which the liquidators chased for quite aggressively, and, amazingly, had no problem quickly supplying a detailed account.

[languagetimothy]

I sold off a few stock market investments in my UK Bank account recently. I live in the EU now and needed to move around a bit of cash before the FX rate gets worse and perhaps reinvest some. . Because im in the EU my account is restricted and I have to call them rather than do it all myself online as I used too.

so, big stack of cash and I ask when it will be in my bank account (UK GBP account attached to this one). "three business days"... how do they still get away with that? I laughed and pointed out that if I pay GBP (which I can still do online) to WISE and then make and FX and pay to my EU bank it basically takes as long at it takes my to type the instructions in, less than 10 minutes.

[Lotobear]

I once needed to move 35k from Barclays to Nat West just across the road. Yes, we can do that Sir - it will cost you a £70 electronic transfer fee.

I don't want to pay that - how much to take the cash out? Oh that's free but we will need a few hours to pull it together.

I went back later that day and carried a chunky envelope over to Nat West and paid it in - for free.

[fooman]

I don't think it is intentional, more apathetic employees who dealing with exceptions to their day to day processes is more effort than punting the problem to someone in the next shift. They usually need a better way of escalating exceptions instead of being able to ignore them.

[languagetimothy]

I had the thing with a utility company. To be fair to them the balance does show on their invoices but I was too busy to take any notice and was just paying a fixed amount every month. By the time I noticed there was over one thousand quid of credit. I managed to speak to someone and I took about 800 quid and left a balance as it was approaching winter. I also adjusted my monthly DD.. down.

My late elderly mother had a similar problem, she was paying a fixed amount and then a lump sum at year end (not a lot, less than 100 quid) . all in all she was happy with that. BUT they contacted her to say they will increase her monthly and the amount was just about double. I had a look at it and she phoned them while I was there and told them to do one.

if you have elderly parents please make sure you check these things for them.

[Sixsixtysix]

My broadband contract with Gigaclear came to an end recently. Old price £32/month. Renew contract price £85/month! Started a switch to another provider and they immediately offered £29/month.

I'd have been happy with remaining on £32/month for another18 months but while I am now saving a small amount, they have annoyed me by not offering their best renewal price to start off. So many other companies do this and I'm just not interested in being "loyal" to any company now.

[texaxile]

Lotobear said:

I once needed to move 35k from Barclays to Nat West just across the road. Yes, we can do that Sir - it will cost you a £70 electronic transfer fee.

I don't want to pay that - how much to take the cash out? Oh that's free but we will need a few hours to pull it together.

I went back later that day and carried a chunky envelope over to Nat West and paid it in - for free.

Barclays are shysters. I needed to transfer £5k to the Philippines, which it wouldn't allow me to do online. Barclays fraud then called me, asked me loads of questions which I answered but froze my account anyway - that's even after doing a Pin sentry verification twice for them.

fking gobste s, the lot of them.

[Skyedriver]

Lotobear said:

I once needed to move 35k from Barclays to Nat West just across the road. Yes, we can do that Sir - it will cost you a £70 electronic transfer fee.

I don't want to pay that - how much to take the cash out? Oh that's free but we will need a few hours to pull it together.

I went back later that day and carried a chunky envelope over to Nat West and paid it in - for free.

Surprised they let you.
Must be about 10 or more years ago I went into HSBC in Richmond N Yorks to give a days notice that I wanted to withdraw, I think it was about £6K.
It was like the Spanish Inquisition!
You can't do that
What do you want it for.
You might walk out of here and get mugged
Basically, no you can't
I ended up doing a bank transfer with all the possibilities of that going wrong/

[Sway]

Skyedriver said:

Lotobear said:

I once needed to move 35k from Barclays to Nat West just across the road. Yes, we can do that Sir - it will cost you a £70 electronic transfer fee.

I don't want to pay that - how much to take the cash out? Oh that's free but we will need a few hours to pull it together.

I went back later that day and carried a chunky envelope over to Nat West and paid it in - for free.

Surprised they let you.
Must be about 10 or more years ago I went into HSBC in Richmond N Yorks to give a days notice that I wanted to withdraw, I think it was about £6K.
It was like the Spanish Inquisition!
You can't do that
What do you want it for.
You might walk out of here and get mugged
Basically, no you can't
I ended up doing a bank transfer with all the possibilities of that going wrong/

I had similar a while ago - in fairness, it's not the banks it's the antifraud/anti-money laundering regs driving it.

They didn't quite know how to react when I replied to 'we're concerned that you might get mugged once you leave the branch' with 'OK, can I have £50 in pennies in a canvas bag please?'.

"What on earth would you want that for?" was the response.

"Well, no one is mugging me after I've lamped them round the head with that!"

I got my cash...

[Downward]

Took about 7 months for Virgin Media to give the £350 they owed me back.
Took Staffs Water 2 days and even the council took 2 months.

[Megaflow]

Glad is not just me!

Just been to pick up a new bike for nephew’s Christmas present, not from us, we’re hiding it until the day.

Halfords try to sell me want amounts to a service agreement… for a fking push bike… possibly for a very expensive bike, but for a £350 Carrea, holy st.

[egomeister]

languagetimothy said:

I sold off a few stock market investments in my UK Bank account recently. I live in the EU now and needed to move around a bit of cash before the FX rate gets worse and perhaps reinvest some. . Because im in the EU my account is restricted and I have to call them rather than do it all myself online as I used too.

so, big stack of cash and I ask when it will be in my bank account (UK GBP account attached to this one). "three business days"... how do they still get away with that? I laughed and pointed out that if I pay GBP (which I can still do online) to WISE and then make and FX and pay to my EU bank it basically takes as long at it takes my to type the instructions in, less than 10 minutes.

If you go the Wise route it will probably cost less than any high street bank forex transaction too...

[NuckyThompson]

I wonder how much of their share value is propped up on ‘interest on client funds’ a few million households across the country a few hundred or a few thousand (happened on a clients bill so I always check and notify them now) in credit and suddenly you’re talking about millions in interest payments on money that isn’t even theirs.

When ringing them for a refund just go for what ever option leads you to ‘speak to human so I can pay my bill’ get through a lot quicker and you’ll be able to get refund from there and don’t take no for an answer.

Had a 3 month ding dong back and for with SSE as it turns out they’d been billing us for dual fuel (we’re 300 metres from the gas line) and have never been connected. I stopped paying they threatened to cut off our gas, that would have been fun to watch them try. Eventually got the grid to email them and tell them but it still took ages.

Coincidently I mentioned it to a neighbour a few months later and she hadn’t been getting gas bill for a year, as far as I know she still isn’t and sse will be far to thick to work it out.

[Gnits]

About 15 yrs ago I was moving house and let electricity supplier know, there was money that was due back to me but they would not return it to the account that it was taken from unless they had the new address I was moving to. I made something up, did not have the quick wittedness to say something like 1 Fur Q Road.

[Mirinjawbro]

Insurance for new car .

Fake quote 10 days or so in advance to get rough prices.

Got the car earlier than expected. Go through to the quote. Another 200 added on so I ring. Yes . Thats because its earlier than you wanted.

Ok

[Cotty]

I am on a water meter at home but they are overcharging me.
"oh we estimate your bill take the funds monthly and then pay the bill when its generated every six months", bks off you have the meter reading every month and on your website I can see how much I used each day there is no need to over estimate my direct debit.
Had to argue with them to drop the direct debit to £24 a month, they then took it twice in one month.

[Newc]

Many utility firms will if asked set your account to direct debit the actual amount owing each month, rather than a fixed payment.

Though they tend not to advertise this option because as above they are very happy for you to front them some working capital.