Cheeky b******s

[Babu 01]

Andy_GSA said:

Possibly try to forge a customer agreement, given that they'd have the meter serial number and a current reading and maybe the OPs details from the electoral roll.

Ah.

I'm off out to padlock the meter cupboard then.

[daimatt]

I've had the 'Just sign here to say I've been' type before. Took 5 mins to convince him that I wasn't going to sign, and then I get a 'welcome to EDF' letter. One very angry phone call later made sure I wasn't signed up to anything. Good job the signature was supposed to be done on one of those electronic pads as it proved to the person on the phone I hadn't signed for anything!
Would hate to think how many less stubborn people get stung like this

[NismoGT]

A Scottish power Saleswoman knocked on my door last week.

I simply told her to fk off. Job done.

[sadako]

I work in the power industry (tech support for them) and signing someone up for power/gas that they didn't want is called an "erroneous transfer", and shiny suited monkeys that cause them to get commission get their asses chewed out, and then canned by the company when they do it. Report it. If this happend to you tell the first person you get on the phone the magic words "erroneous transfer" and you should be sent to a team who will reverse it.

[thepeoplespal]

Pork said:

This. Shocking, out of order sales tactics. Would OFGEM be interested too?

OFGEM are the weakest regulator of the lot and are in cahoots of the Energy industry IMHO and have been pussyfooting around this issue ever since deregulation happened. (I was transferred without my permission in the mid 1990's) They should use the powers given to them and fine these companies 25% of their turnover for mis-selling, then each and every company would not only not stoop to these tactics they'd positively ensure it wouldn't happen ever again.

I believe Surrey Trading Standards prosecuted Scottish and Southern Energy 'guilty of misleading customers' and got a criminal (not civil)conviction only last week. http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2011/may/11/scotti...

Even this shocking tale of the OP is unlikely to get into the official record of complaints against this company. Lets face-it the regulators need sacked for the weak and lily-livered way they deal with these companies and their blatant disregard for the rules.

[Stu R]

My first business was basically an agency going door to door trying to get people to switch to a company with a single letter and power in the name. This is going back about 10 years, and at the time the regs were tightening very quickly, as well as company policy, in light of the ever increasingly wild claims the sales guys were making, and the BS they'd spew.

The lads who were knocking for me were absolutely desperate to get sales, they'd get anywhere from 50-75 quid per contract and a good salesman coud get 10 in a day if they hit the right areas. Some of the st they'd come out with were ridiculous, some of them plain deceptive and some of them verging on illegal. It was basically just constant hiring and firing as a result, and despite it being epic money the arseache simply wasn't worth it.

These days it's much more strictly governed and if you get caught out, you risk getting reamed for it. The likes of watchdog, trading standards and the companies their door to door agents represent, will take it very seriously. Get complaining. OFGEM are a waste of time, a truly impotent regulator.

Mobsta said:

Jonboy_t said:

Has anyone else had this happen to them? Is this a 'normal' sales tactic that these companies used? I have to say I've had shed loads of utilities salesman come round door-to-door, but have never seen such blatant lies spouted in all my life!

I know how you feel, as precisely the same thing happened to me in a dream. Only he broke down the door and chased me. I was naked and at a disadvantage as he was riding a fully grown female Tyrannosaurus Rex and he'd put the t-Rex eggs in my elvis shellsuit pockets without me knowing. His dinosaur could run faster than the petrol tanker I'd stolen so I rolled it and watched us all from floating dream cam mode. Id been made to sleep on the couch that night and weed the curtains I'd rolled myself in when he leapt off his dinosaur waving his clipboard when I realised how powerfully built he was. Then Jesus the carpenter appeared and handed me a mithril machine gun which fired skeleton bone door stops (the only way to kill a gas man) but I woke up, so I can't fairly comment on his tactics as I never saw the end. Sorry.

Brilliant

[sicarumba]

Babu 01 said:

Andy_GSA said:

Possibly try to forge a customer agreement, given that they'd have the meter serial number and a current reading and maybe the OPs details from the electoral roll.

Ah.

I'm off out to padlock the meter cupboard then.

Yes, with the meter serial number / meter point reference number they can forge a contract and unfortunately this is not uncommon. If this somehow does happen even after the groveling apology from the spotty oik team leader, and you end up getting a welcome letter from Scottish Power, simply call your current supplier and ask them to do an Erroneous Transfer to regain your supply and it will be as though you never left.

[no comment]

Andy_GSA said:

Babu 01 said:

Out of interest what could they do with the serial number?

Possibly try to forge a customer agreement, given that they'd have the meter serial number and a current reading and maybe the OPs details from the electoral roll.

Having known someone who used to be a doorstep challenger for NPower, a gas and electricity contract for a normal 3 bed home would be about £190 in commission to them. Granted, this was a few years ago, but the lure of ready cash and the possibility of the owners just accepting the switch when it happens is enough to have this happen regularly enough.

Pretty sure NPower got whacked with something in the tens of millions for allowing agents to mis-sell.

[Engineer1]

sicarumba said:

Babu 01 said:

Andy_GSA said:

Possibly try to forge a customer agreement, given that they'd have the meter serial number and a current reading and maybe the OPs details from the electoral roll.

Ah.

I'm off out to padlock the meter cupboard then.

Yes, with the meter serial number / meter point reference number they can forge a contract and unfortunately this is not uncommon. If this somehow does happen even after the groveling apology from the spotty oik team leader, and you end up getting a welcome letter from Scottish Power, simply call your current supplier and ask them to do an Erroneous Transfer to regain your supply and it will be as though you never left.

I'd ring them anyway now as potentially the change of supplier will knock out any dual fuel or other discounts that you are eligible for.

[trace1967]

Im already with scottish power on gas and electric, pay by dd every month, overpay so that my bills are always in credit ready for winter.
I put my meter readings online each month so I always have an updated bill.
The other day at 9am a guy called at my door when i was in my dressing gown, he said im from scottish power and his card said 'emeter or something'. I said so why have scottish power not sent me a letter, he said they dont do that it costs too much, we have to check the meter reading once a year and check safety. As i live alone I decided 'no you cant come in' and he said ok ' refused entry'

I kept thinking about the fact i was alone and was letting a stranger in.
My readings are never estimated because I keep it so up to date.

[Engineer1]

I am fairly sure they do have to check the meter every year, imagine the uproar if when you moved they found you had been keeping the readings low or that the meter set up was unsafe or not in calibration.

[trace1967]

Engineer1 said:

I am fairly sure they do have to check the meter every year, imagine the uproar if when you moved they found you had been keeping the readings low or that the meter set up was unsafe or not in calibration.

yes i know they do, but i live alone and if i feel my instincts tell me something is not right i wont let them in. I recently had a attempted break in while i was at work.

I do know some people do fake their readings, but thats not my interest to do that. I prefer to be honest.

[Nardies]

I was recently forced to switch electric to M&S Energy. The woman had large breasts, and her M&S shirt was struggling to contain them. I felt obliged to listen to whatever she was talking about. It's not right they can be so controlling, I mean, they were just there, and there was nothing I could do.

[Sunglasses Ron]

Nardies said:

I was recently forced to switch electric to M&S Energy. The woman had large breasts, and her M&S shirt was struggling to contain them. I felt obliged to listen to whatever she was talking about. It's not right they can be so controlling, I mean, they were just there, and there was nothing I could do.

[Mr POD]

CypherP said:

Carlton Banks said:

If you want to do something about it contact Police about it to prevent some old codger falling for these tactics.

This. Definitely. Deception and misrepresentation on quite a serious level by the sounds of it, especially if he is quoting an 'Act' that isn't even real. Sounds like a job for police or the like. If I had a knock at the door to be confronted with similar bullst, I would have done exactly the same, so fair play OP.

I really hate to think how many people have been 'duped' by his and probably many others' lies and cons to drum up new business.

EFC

[Eddw86]

I used to work in the energy industry & the tactics we heard about from the same company that Stu R mentions even just 3 years ago was pretty appalling.

What happened to the OP is, has been stated, against the rules & regulations & should be reported, & soon. Also let others you know, particularly those who may fall for it/ are more vulnerable, about what happened & tell them to be on the alert.

I was told, though how accurate I don't know, was that companies would have a drive & recruit salesbods or set up an aggressive strategy to get new customers & so you may find that they will be trying similar tactics across your area or even on a wider scale.

Having a gas meter key & trying to read your meter though is ridiculous! Never heard that of sort of cheek!

[Wacky Racer]

NismoGT said:

A Scottish power Saleswoman knocked on my door last week.

I simply told her to fk off. Job done.

[The Nur]

Mobsta said:

I know how you feel, as precisely the same thing happened to me in a dream. Only he broke down the door and chased me. I was naked and at a disadvantage as he was riding a fully grown female Tyrannosaurus Rex and he'd put the t-Rex eggs in my elvis shellsuit pockets without me knowing. His dinosaur could run faster than the petrol tanker I'd stolen so I rolled it and watched us all from floating dream cam mode. Id been made to sleep on the couch that night and weed the curtains I'd rolled myself in when he leapt off his dinosaur waving his clipboard when I realised how powerfully built he was. Then Jesus the carpenter appeared and handed me a mithril machine gun which fired skeleton bone door stops (the only way to kill a gas man) but I woke up, so I can't fairly comment on his tactics as I never saw the end. Sorry.

Awesome.

[kiwifraser]

I'd be straight on the phone wading through the numerous IVR options waiting for the complaints/ customer service advisor option (which will be there somewhere!)... and then quoting the magic word 'Mis-selling'

If you are looking for some compensation for your wasted time (which they may offer so they can then hide it under the carpet knowing you won't resort to legal advise), make sure you know what you actually want to get out of them before you dial.

[Rarefied Brains]

Can't believe this sheite is still happening. It's now some 13 years or so since the markets were opened up to competition for supply. I know because back then I had a temporary job administering MPANs (property-specific meter point admin numbers in the N/E).

This sort of unethical and amoral sales tactic was a big problem back then and we had to attempt to put some of it right by calming and explaining the new system to some very irate members of the public.

Very sad Ofgem. Get your act together FFS.