Manx Gas Re-Banding Notification

[SuffolkNGoode 30]

Received third letter apologising for the mess up with regard to the other two.

No explanation however and a restatement that my banding was changing due to my average annual usage now being 16,366kWh per year.

Sigh!

Why must I waste my time due to their incompetence?

[WTF 6,050]

1 hour ago, SuffolkNGoode said:

Received third letter apologising for the mess up with regard to the other two.

No explanation however and a restatement that my banding was changing due to my average annual usage now being 16,366kWh per year.

Sigh!

Why must I waste my time due to their incompetence?

if you can install oil it will save you money and no need to be dealing with clowns either.

[Bazza Smurf 84]

We have been put up a band. I think it is E to F. The standing charge is now over £400 a year. I'm really angry but not surprised really as I expect no better from MG. I have emailed them but I guess I am really only kicking the can. I really need to get oil asap. 

[finlo 4,898]

32 minutes ago, Bazza Smurf said:

We have been put up a band. I think it is E to F. The standing charge is now over £400 a year. I'm really angry but not surprised really as I expect no better from MG. I have emailed them but I guess I am really only kicking the can. I really need to get oil asap. 

Give us 28 million of taxpayers money to put a pipeline around the whole island and everyone will have access to cheap energy,  yeah right!

Edited May 14, 2017 by finlo

[SuffolkNGoode 30]

Beggars belief - they haven't provided any explanation as to the basis of their re-banding BUT have asked me for an actual reading as my last three readings have (allegedly, I can't remember or check this exact moment) been estimates - not fussed by this fact as I in actuality checked the reading the first time these letters came in and it was close, very close.

What I am going to create merry hell with them about, is that they are basing their re-banding decision on some other completely arbitrary ESTIMATE over and above their own estimate.

So much for customer care!

Freaking clowns!

[paswt 3,417]

You could always 'estimate' your reading in a way that benefits you , and then perhaps investigate converting to oil.

What really hacks me off with all of these organisations (banks insurance local and central gov and energy companies   f in sky etc) is when they screw up big time it is always somehow my fault  and you owe them money...... then they have the front to ask you to DD which gives them the opportunity to plunder your bank account

Rant over

[Bobbie Bobster 3,422]

1 hour ago, paswt said:

DD which gives them the opportunity to plunder your bank account

This is not correct.

The DD guarantee provides, amongst other things "If an error is made in the payment of your Direct Debit, by the organisation or your bank or building society, you are entitled to a full and immediate refund of the amount paid from your bank or building society".

[x-in-man 2,256]

Try it.  The bank just says it paid what was asked for, the other party simply says they had too little time to implement the changes.  Money stays with them until they refund it to a bill months later.

 

Still, gonna be a nice tent for them at TT - again.

 

[paswt 3,417]

                Apparently correct "BB" should have typed "gave" perhaps . I do know of a couple of folk where their DD's were increased and taken by an energy company, "in error " , it was repaid but involved hassle  and not "full and immediate".

That said , one of my sons repaid his student loan in full and the organisation responsible  for the loan virtually emptied his bank account when his first salary (first employment post Uni ) was paid in . He was advised that the would correct the "error" next month ......... FFS. HE, and I got out of our prams and it was paid back but took nearly a week , if memory serves.

Don't get me started on the banks on this island, you can always rely on them to let you down 

29 minutes ago, Bobbie Bobster said:

This is not correct.

The DD guarantee provides, amongst other things "If an error is made in the payment of your Direct Debit, by the organisation or your bank or building society, you are entitled to a full and immediate refund of the amount paid from your bank or building society".

Banks  'guarantees' ain't worth a carrot  , as my mate Eric would say.

Just saying

[Bobbie Bobster 3,422]

From the UK FInancial Ombudsman site (my emphasis):

"the Direct Debit Guarantee Scheme ensures that if a payment is made wrongly under a direct debit, the consumer is entitled to receive a refund from their bank - even if the fault lay with the mandate holder rather than with the bank itself. "

Fom a case study on the ombudsman's site:

"The bank was unable to explain why its staff appeared not to have a proper understanding of the Direct Debit Guarantee (in relation to them not giving a full and immediate refund of a payment taken in error  - BB). We said its response to Miss D's enquiries had been incorrect and unhelpful, and had added to the inconvenience she had been caused. So we told the bank that in addition to refunding the two payments taken in error, it should pay Miss D £100 compensation for its poor handling of the matter."

From the DD website:

In the event that an error is made in the payment of your Direct Debit*, either by the organisation or your bank or building society, you are entitled to a full and immediate refund from your bank of the amount paid.

Simply contact your bank or building society. They are responsible for refunding the money - even if the original error was made by the organisation collecting the payment. But remember, if you receive a refund you are not entitled to, you must pay it back when the organisation asks you to.

Edited May 16, 2017 by Bobbie Bobster

[paswt 3,417]

1 minute ago, Bobbie Bobster said:

From the UK FInancial Ombudsman site (my emphasis):

"the Direct Debit Guarantee Scheme ensures that if a payment is made wrongly under a direct debit, the consumer is entitled to receive a refund from their bank - even if the fault lay with the mandate holder rather than with the bank itself. "

Fom a case study on the ombudsman's site:

"The bank was unable to explain why its staff appeared not to have a proper understanding of the Direct Debit Guarantee (in relation to them not giving a full nad immediate refund of a payment taken in error  - BB). We said its response to Miss D's enquiries had been incorrect and unhelpful, and had added to the inconvenience she had been caused. So we told the bank that in addition to refunding the two payments taken in error, it should pay Miss D £100 compensation for its poor handling of the matter."

From the DD website:

In the event that an error is made in the payment of your Direct Debit*, either by the organisation or your bank or building society, you are entitled to a full and immediate refund from your bank of the amount paid.

Simply contact your bank or building society. They are responsible for refunding the money - even if the original error was made by the organisation collecting the payment. But remember, if you receive a refund you are not entitled to, you must pay it back when the organisation asks you to.

Fine words "BB" but if the bank had acted correctly the Ombudsman wouldn't have had to be involved , which kind of backs up my posts.

 I have received compensation from an IOM bank  when they were advised that a cheque was going to be presented ( and identified  the recipient)  prior my leaving the island for a month ( Australian visit) . Arrangements were made for my transactions on my cards to be honoured : they bounced the cheque (as they were "unable to contact me on my IOM home number").

I advised them that "gossip was currency on an island and they should be congratulated as this was the first cheque  of mine that any bank had bounced in my entire life.

I advised them that I would be financially compensating the recipient of the cheque  in order to preserve my reputation , they could please themselves  but perhaps they should prepare themselves for a 'negligence suit'. I was reimbursed by the bank, in full  (which quite frankly amazed me ). 

 

[Bobbie Bobster 3,422]

@paswt I love your stories, they're great!

[paswt 3,417]

1 minute ago, Bobbie Bobster said:

@paswt I love your stories, they're great!

Thanks , I'm assuming you're not being sarcastic , I don't tell "porkies" , you need a good memory if you do 

[notwell 5,721]

Mistakes happen from time to time.  In banks and other businesses.   

We can't do without banks.  I accept that there might be a time an error is made and as long as it gets sorted in good time I can live with it.

In my experience it's usually the shit punters that cause a business the most grief.

[Non-Believer 12,903]

4 hours ago, paswt said:

then they have the front to ask you to DD which gives them the opportunity to plunder your bank account

I had this experience in 2003 with then MEA. I would hope that the rules have changed since then?