Switching from Pure Planet to an other supplier

hi Stu66
Whilst I agree that the account details disappearing is poor (I've posted about this before, it causes problems the account details should be left and updated and with the ability to re-apply at a new property), I disagree that cancelling the DD was the right thing to do. Effectively you have caused your own problems, you have a direct debit guarantee, if you disagree with the final bill you can have the DD reversed. Furthermore a simple message via wattbot asking them to reduce the direct debit they may have taken before your switch would likely have yielded results depending on your balance.
ALL companies continue to take the DD while you're switching and until the bill is finalised, not just PP.
You have caused your own problems, and it would have happened with any other company save for the removal of the account details which I agree should be addressed in future.
I don't work for PP.

Stu66;33054:
Just an update. As you're aware I have cancelled my DD as I have left Pure Planet via Switch to a new provider and Pure Planet has removed my account log in and history data so during and prior to the switch I am unable to check my account.

Today, 10th. I've been contacted via email by Pure Planet to inform me that my DD has been cancelled. I haven't received my bill so not sure how much they would have taken 10 day before my DD should have been taken.

So I personally don't believe cancelling my DD was a bad move on my part. Indeed, Pure Planet removing my account details and history prior to the switch and whilst still having balance owing was in my view poor judgement on Pure Planet.

They've tried phoning me but as I'm a production worker, phoning during the day to set up a new Direct Debit is inconvenient and a bit pointless so won't be happening.

I'll wait for the email with the bill and pay what energy costs I owe.

Trusted Pilot points are dropping here...

hi Stu
Perhaps I put it too bluntly, apologies if my reply somehow offended you. I'm just saying that if you had left the DD in place it would have taken care of itself irrespective of how much is or isn't in your account.

​Cancelling it has effectively caused more work for you. I know this because I did the same with a previous company and it delayed my refund. they didn't know where to pay it.
I suppose if you owe them it's that bit more satisfying to cancel the DD, not that I'm suggesting that's why you cancelled.

The points I raised certainly didn't fall on deaf ears, it's just work in progress (as far as I know).
I do know the balance of my account and what I owe. I could know exactly the balance of my own account at any point during the month, I have a spreadsheet I just need to enter the readings between statements (if I wanted to know but happy with monthly statements, so no need to)
I don't need or want to know the balance of your account, it wasn't relevant to my reply.
Anyway, good luck moving on.

Stu66;33059:
Woz, I haven't caused any problems for myself. You agreeing with the removal of my details prior to final bill and having raised this point previously yourself just shows how you do actually agree.

Do you know how much money I have in my account. Do you know when my DD are due. Do you know these details about your own account?

I'm aware of the switch process, I did it not long ago. No issue with the previous supplier and their DD.

No, Woz. I haven't caused any problem for myself and thanks for letting me know the problems you've raised previously and on deaf ears.

hi KevRev
This is going to be a long post, I apologise if you fall asleep

Let me give you the counterside of your argument, a few facts won't hurt (although as I always say why spoil a perfectly good argument with facts...)

I agree vast improvement is needed but the money issue doesn't happen because they are sneaky, it happens because of the legacy systems they all work to.

1. Direct debits come with a guarantee, if you disagree with the amount that's been taken your bank will reverse the DD, generally speaking with no or very few questions asked. (for example if you say the company has taken money for goods or services they have not provided) Other methods of payment are much harder to reverse instantly.

2.They aren't (or at least PP aren't) sneaky b*stards, they are handcuffed as are every other energy company by the archaic switching process, not their fault. I'll come back to why that matters later on.

3. When you switch companies it's the luck of timing as to where in the month your DD lie, so for example your DD in outgoing co. lets call it Outco Energy may fall at the month start. You can time to an extent when the DD is taken from the co. you switch into, for example switching into PP takes 17 days if all is well and the DD is taken on day 1, so you can backtime by 17 days but many don't.
Lets say you switch and it so happens that it ends up with your DD for Inco. Energy is also at month start.

When you switch the readings which are used to calculate your final Outco.Energy bill have to be verified by a 3rd party, that can take weeks, longer if there is a query. You are going to pay 2 DD's in the same month. Knowing that IF YOU KNOW YOU ARE IN GOOD CREDIT WITH Outco Energy you can call them and say I'm switching please reduce or suspend the DD. Of course it may be that you will owe them in which case it isn't unreasonable for them to take the DD.
Finally YOU WILL NEVER PAY TWICE FOR THE SAME ENERGY.

As far as Outco Energy are concerned you're still a customer until your final bill is produced so they will continue to take the DD until they produce the final bill (there is something you can do about that, but it involves communicating with Outco Energy. -more later)

The situation at the switch point in time is completely variable, because Outco Energy and every other energy company don't appear to have smart people and systems in place when you send in the switch request. You might owe them hundreds or nothing, or they might owe you. Because they don't look at your usage and project to an approximate amount they assume that you should just continue to pay and they will refund if you overpay.
By cancelling the DD you're giving yourself more aggravation if you're expecting a refund, because Outco. wont be able to pay it, as they won't have a record of where to pay it (data protection etc they can't keep or assume your bank details if you cancel) so you'll have to contact them.

How can it be fixed?
Two things need to happen, industry wide:
1. The energy cos need to put very smart algorithms in place to project where your readings are going to be on the switch date, work out an approximate amount that you'll owe or they will owe at that date and adjust the next DD or in some cases 2 DD's accordingly, and inform you what and why. Thus the final bill or refund will be minimal either way.
2. Presently the energy cos are allowed 6 weeks to produce a final bill, and sometimes for no fault of their own it does take that or longer.
So there needs to be legislation that unless there are extenuating circumstances like being unable to get readings or communicate with the account holder, it should be reduced to 2 weeks - perfectly achievable with technology, and where they fail to meet this deadline though their stupidity or disinterest there should be a penalty.
If the supplier gets it wrong you have a DD guarantee, when used cautiously it works, I know because I've done it, I once reversed 2 payments leaving them still owing me a small amount, it was PITA to communicate all that but it was just taking too long for them to finalise. (They went bust in the end but even if they didn't you have a complaints process and the ombudsman so you have a good degree of protection)

Nothing to do with your post, but while we're here I just had to deal with a well known teleco. proVIdeR who really are unethical and sneaky (I'll let you guess) and I have to say that dealing with the energy cos is like breath of fresh air compared with them.
Don't honour previous calls and lie to the customer for starters argghhhh....

​so yes I understand your frustration, but it's not the fault of most providers, it's down to sensible gov. legislation and Ofgem

KevRev;33819:
It’s interesting that suppliers in general want us the customer to leave DDs in place so they can grab whatever they like when we customers choose to go elsewhere.

What if the supplier gets it wrong and collects a huge amount out of your account and you not only go into the red but get bank charges and fees to boot. Even with the DD guarantee in place the hassle involved in trying to prove the wrong amount has been collected is a nightmare.

I’m with Stu in this one, stop the DDas soon as you decide to switch so you are in control of your own money.

and.....something else to watch for.

if your account is in credit as mine was with a previous supplier to the tune of several hundred pounds they will freeze your funds and not refund your money until the switch is complete. I couldn’t get my hands on my own money for weeks and this was despite asking for a refund prior to announcing my switch. There was about a 10 day gap between the two events and despite this they still managed to hold onto my money. Sneaky bast****s.

I was told to keep the DD in place so did so. They then took an additional months payment from my account (which was in credit) and have not responded to any request yet to repay this money. 

 

 

This will be a short reply.

I'm glad I cancelled my DD as I said their attempted collection failed prior to our agreed date for collection.

I received an email some time later containing my final bill and and as I had contacted assist@purepla.net and collections@purepla.net they also supplied their bank details for direct payment, allowing me to enter the amount and pay when I knew I had sufficient funds.

I have now completed the switch to my new supplier.

Regards Stu.

That makes no sense to me (I may have misunderstood) but if you cancelled the DD then the collection date which failed must have been for the DD you cancelled, not for what you’d agreed after that. Are you saying that they changed the date on the DD you cancelled?