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EDF and billing code fiasco
Hi, my first post here and if I told my full story would be a long one so I'll summarise it with bullet points:
I'm sick to death of this now and it's not a small amount we are talking about. I feel I have been bullied and taken advantage of. Bearing in mind I was the one that discovered the billing error in the first place and I called them. Since then I have been knocked from pillar to post and to add insult to injury the guy on the phone who said he'd send an email about my instalment plan also recommended I stay on my economy 7 electric plan, but this is clearly not the best option (well it is for EDF but not me) as I don't use any electric during the night (when my rate is reduced).
I'm desperate for some help on this. Do I need to go through the Ombudsman? I really don't want to as this means more time consuming letters and more waiting for communication and ludicrous offers from EDF and no doubt more bullying tactics.
I appreciate anyone who has taken the time to read the above and has time to offer advice.
Regards
Mr V Frustrated
- I have a contact with EDF for both my Gas and Electric
- At the end of last year I discovered I had only ever been billed for my Gas (I'd always presumed I received one bill for both services)
- Contacted them and turns out they'd not billed me for 3 years!!
- Took several weeks for them to admit liability for this
- Was told over the phone that they were 'looking into it' and would be sending me a revised bill after it had gone through the billing code
- In the meantime I started receiving letters saying I owed £X amount (3 years worth)
- Each time I received a letter I had to call to explain the situation and I would receive an apology about the letter sent
- I then received a letter stating they would take legal action if the amount wasn't paid
- I called AGAIN and logged an official complaint
- No contact for 3 months, until I received another threatening letter
- Called again to explain and refer to my logged complain and chase to find out why it hadn't been put through the billing code yet
- More apologies from EFD and told it still hadn't gone through the billing code
- Over the next couple of month I made numerous phone calls chasing EDF, I was getting very anxious wondering how much I was expected to pay.
- Finally after over 7 months I received a call saying they were willing to deduct £X amount (a laughable amount) from my outstanding bill, to which I refused.
- In the same day I then received numerous phone calls including a call from a senior manager at EDF each time knocking bit more off my outstanding bill - what's annoying is I was told it was a lengthly complicated process working out a deducted amount and yet within the space of a couple of hours they were able to make further reductions 'just like that'.
- I feel the manager I spoke with pressured me into accepting EDF's offer with 'sales' and 'limited time' tactics even though I was not happy.
- Reluctantly pressured into accepting an offer I was then put through to an admin person who read me some T&C's and said I'd receive an email with;
- A instalment plan
- Details about my electric plan as I was on Economy 7 (to the first of my knowledge)
- I received no email, this was a few weeks ago, so I presumed I'd receive a letter - but nothing
- This morning I logged on to my online EDF account that was only set up about 7 months ago (at the start of this fiasco) and I very rarely log-in as I can't make heads or tails of it - Logging in this morning I found I have 3 messages about my instalment plan, details about electric plan and finally a message stating I had not set-up my instalment plan so now I owe the whole amount outright!!!
- Just called EDF, rather furious. Had a 10 minute conversation where the lady on the end of the phone constantly contradicting herself - By saying I would have received emails from them (I had not) so she then said well you would have received a letter (I had not) she then backtracked and said all communication is sent to your online account as that is what I had opted for! So what about the email and letter she claimed had been sent?
I'm sick to death of this now and it's not a small amount we are talking about. I feel I have been bullied and taken advantage of. Bearing in mind I was the one that discovered the billing error in the first place and I called them. Since then I have been knocked from pillar to post and to add insult to injury the guy on the phone who said he'd send an email about my instalment plan also recommended I stay on my economy 7 electric plan, but this is clearly not the best option (well it is for EDF but not me) as I don't use any electric during the night (when my rate is reduced).
I'm desperate for some help on this. Do I need to go through the Ombudsman? I really don't want to as this means more time consuming letters and more waiting for communication and ludicrous offers from EDF and no doubt more bullying tactics.
I appreciate anyone who has taken the time to read the above and has time to offer advice.
Regards
Mr V Frustrated
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