I've just received my Water Bill from Southern Water. As I pay all my Utility Bills by Direct Debit, when I saw "Thank you for paying by Direct Debit" at the bottom, I thought "No big deal", but then I noticed the different sheets had different values on them, so I checked them further. It turned out the different sheets were, in fact, different bills dating back to Apr 2012, with the balance carrying over to the next year, etc., leaving me with a balance for the current year of about £1450.
When I went to check my bank account, it turned out there wasn't a Direct Debit set up with them at all, despite the bill saying otherwise.
I have sent them an email stating that I wasn't disputing the balances, nor the fact that they hadn't been paid, but that I was protesting at the fact that it had been allowed to get this far before I noticed it.
I wonder what the legal situation is. They say "Thank you for paying by Direct Debit", implying that I've been paying, when I haven't - just allowing me to accrue such a balance, without alerting me to it.
Even now, this isn't a threatening letter of any sort - not even a Final Demand, or even a Reminder - just a standard Statement / Bill - dating back for 3 years.
Perhaps they'll clear the arrears by way of Goodwill (you never know). Time will tell.
Bills
Bills
That's difficult to understand--no final demand, no reminders? Sounds like some very poor bookkeeping on the part of the water company.
Bills
ZAP;1477820 wrote: That's difficult to understand--no final demand, no reminders? Sounds like some very poor bookkeeping on the part of the water company.
Exactly. With any other utility if you got a month or 2 behind there would be Reminders, Final Demands, threats of being disconnected or court procedings. With this there were simply 3 annual bills, all in one envelope, each with increasing outstanding balances & new Direct Debit payments, with the phrase:
You do not need to pay you charges for this year in full. Please continue to make payments using your new payment amounts. Thank you for paying by Direct Debit.
Exactly. With any other utility if you got a month or 2 behind there would be Reminders, Final Demands, threats of being disconnected or court procedings. With this there were simply 3 annual bills, all in one envelope, each with increasing outstanding balances & new Direct Debit payments, with the phrase:
You do not need to pay you charges for this year in full. Please continue to make payments using your new payment amounts. Thank you for paying by Direct Debit.
Bills
FourPart;1477844 wrote: Exactly. With any other utility if you got a month or 2 behind there would be Reminders, Final Demands, threats of being disconnected or court procedings. With this there were simply 3 annual bills, all in one envelope, each with increasing outstanding balances & new Direct Debit payments, with the phrase:
UNREAL! Who runs that company?
UNREAL! Who runs that company?
Bills
Southern Water.
Actually, it's 4 bills...
01 Apr 2012 - 31 Mar 2013 £346.80
01 Apr 2013 - 31 Mar 2014 £714.09
01 Apr 2014 - 31 Mar 2015 £1093.91
01 Apr 2015 - 31 Mar 2016 £1441.31
What I don't get is why it suddenly stopped getting paid. After all, I've been living here since about 1982, and have always paid my bills, where possible, by Direct Debit. But most importantly, why weren't alarm bells set off in the first place, and why isn't even this one a Reminder, or whatever? If I hadn't spotted the surprisingly high balance I might not have thought any more of it & just left it for them to continue taking the Direct Debit payments, as per usual.
Furthermore, each one of these says that my previous Direct Debit was £109.33 / month, but is now £160.33. This is not a gradually increasing figure, brought about by a gradually increasing balance. The same figure is shown on each bill.
If I had an M.P. at the moment I'd take it up with him, but seeing as Parliament has now been Dissolved & we don't have a Government for the next few weeks, there's not a lot I can do. I wonder if Unison (my Union) might be able to help?
Actually, it's 4 bills...
01 Apr 2012 - 31 Mar 2013 £346.80
01 Apr 2013 - 31 Mar 2014 £714.09
01 Apr 2014 - 31 Mar 2015 £1093.91
01 Apr 2015 - 31 Mar 2016 £1441.31
What I don't get is why it suddenly stopped getting paid. After all, I've been living here since about 1982, and have always paid my bills, where possible, by Direct Debit. But most importantly, why weren't alarm bells set off in the first place, and why isn't even this one a Reminder, or whatever? If I hadn't spotted the surprisingly high balance I might not have thought any more of it & just left it for them to continue taking the Direct Debit payments, as per usual.
Furthermore, each one of these says that my previous Direct Debit was £109.33 / month, but is now £160.33. This is not a gradually increasing figure, brought about by a gradually increasing balance. The same figure is shown on each bill.
If I had an M.P. at the moment I'd take it up with him, but seeing as Parliament has now been Dissolved & we don't have a Government for the next few weeks, there's not a lot I can do. I wonder if Unison (my Union) might be able to help?
Bills
I phoned SW this morning & they've confirmed that there is a DD set up (despite my online banking saying otherwise) but that that no payments have been claimed since 2011. I said that I held them responsible for having let it go so far, to which they could offer no defence, agreeing that the fault was theirs. I suggested they write off the balance up to the beginning of the current financial year & start afresh, which the adviser agreed that's probably what would end up happening anyway, but not something I should hold him to (which is fair enough). He then got back to me about an hour later to tell me that the whole case has been escalated to their Complaints Dept., who I should hear from in writing with the next 10 working days. The question now is what happens next.
Bills
FourPart;1477943 wrote: I phoned SW this morning & they've confirmed that there is a DD set up (despite my online banking saying otherwise) but that that no payments have been claimed since 2011. I said that I held them responsible for having let it go so far, to which they could offer no defence, agreeing that the fault was theirs. I suggested they write off the balance up to the beginning of the current financial year & start afresh, which the adviser agreed that's probably what would end up happening anyway, but not something I should hold him to (which is fair enough). He then got back to me about an hour later to tell me that the whole case has been escalated to their Complaints Dept., who I should hear from in writing with the next 10 working days. The question now is what happens next.
Uh Oh, now that Pandora's box has been opened by the "complaints dept", it will be interesting to see if they will muck it up worse then before! Good luck with that, hope it goes in your favor.
Uh Oh, now that Pandora's box has been opened by the "complaints dept", it will be interesting to see if they will muck it up worse then before! Good luck with that, hope it goes in your favor.
Cars 
Bills
I don't think I got round to updating you on what happened here.
Eventually, Southern Water accepted liability & agreed to write off half the debt & arrange for the remaining balance to be paid off over a period of 2 years at £52 / month. I then received confirmation that this mandate had been set up, with the first payment on 1st Jun of £52, followed by 10 monthly payments of £89.48, instead of the monthly payments of £52, as agreed. Great start. I got onto them straight away, admitted it was their cock up & supposedly put it right.
We now have a new development.
When I got home yesterday there was a little letter waiting for me from Southern Water, telling me that the Bank had cancelled my Direct Debit.
The first thing I did, obviously, was to get on to Southern Water. They insisted that the mandate had definitely been cancelled by the bank, but that she would set up a new one to take effect as of 1st July. In the meantime I made the £52 missed payment over the phone by card.
The next thing I did was got onto the bank. They checked things & confirmed that the Direct Debit had been Closed By Originator (Southern Water) & that there was no indication as to why. No payments had been claimed, made or refused.
I got back onto Southern Water this afternoon during my Lunch break, and got to speak to a most obnoxious, patronising piece of... well, you know the type I mean. He then went on to say that there was absolutely no mistake, and that Southern Water had cancelled the mandate because the bank had denied payment. 2 mistakes there, for a start. 1, the bank hadn't denied payment & 2, he was, by then admitting that the initial letter was wrong & that Southern Water had cancelled it, and not the bank.
After a while going round the houses with him doing a Pahu on me, repeating the same old twaddle, reading what he had on the screen in front of him, rather than looking into what had brought this about I asked to speak to his manager. He refused & said that they weren't allowed to do that. I stood my ground & demanded to speak to his supervisor, and eventually he put me on hold while he went to find someone (or so he said). He eventually came back to say that no-one was available (if he had ever really left the phone). He then went on to tell me that banks make mistakes as well, and that it's really a case of taking his word for it or the bank's word. I told him that after the experience I've had with Southern Water thus far, I know which one I would trust more.
I emphasised that I wanted the call to be recorded as another Formal Complaint. He told me that I would get a callback in the next 48 hours. Not much help if I'm at work.
Tonight I got back onto the bank, just to double check on things. They confirmed, once again, that no payment had been requested or denied on the mandate. Then it appeared that despite the letter Southern Water sent me confirming that the mandate had been set up on 6th May, listing the schedule of payments (despite being the wrong amounts), the banks records showed that the mandate hadn't been activated until 3rd of June, when the first payment was due on 1st June, which might explain why payment had been refused. They could have been claiming on a mandate they hadn't even set up (despite having confirmed, in writing, a month earlier, that they had).
I've now sent them an extremely curt email, stating that unless I received a satisfactory outcome I intended to take the matter up with the ombudsman, and I'm not sure, but I may be able to get the support of my Union (Unison) as well - that's something I may look into.
You just couldn't make this level of incompetency up could you.
Eventually, Southern Water accepted liability & agreed to write off half the debt & arrange for the remaining balance to be paid off over a period of 2 years at £52 / month. I then received confirmation that this mandate had been set up, with the first payment on 1st Jun of £52, followed by 10 monthly payments of £89.48, instead of the monthly payments of £52, as agreed. Great start. I got onto them straight away, admitted it was their cock up & supposedly put it right.
We now have a new development.
When I got home yesterday there was a little letter waiting for me from Southern Water, telling me that the Bank had cancelled my Direct Debit.
The first thing I did, obviously, was to get on to Southern Water. They insisted that the mandate had definitely been cancelled by the bank, but that she would set up a new one to take effect as of 1st July. In the meantime I made the £52 missed payment over the phone by card.
The next thing I did was got onto the bank. They checked things & confirmed that the Direct Debit had been Closed By Originator (Southern Water) & that there was no indication as to why. No payments had been claimed, made or refused.
I got back onto Southern Water this afternoon during my Lunch break, and got to speak to a most obnoxious, patronising piece of... well, you know the type I mean. He then went on to say that there was absolutely no mistake, and that Southern Water had cancelled the mandate because the bank had denied payment. 2 mistakes there, for a start. 1, the bank hadn't denied payment & 2, he was, by then admitting that the initial letter was wrong & that Southern Water had cancelled it, and not the bank.
After a while going round the houses with him doing a Pahu on me, repeating the same old twaddle, reading what he had on the screen in front of him, rather than looking into what had brought this about I asked to speak to his manager. He refused & said that they weren't allowed to do that. I stood my ground & demanded to speak to his supervisor, and eventually he put me on hold while he went to find someone (or so he said). He eventually came back to say that no-one was available (if he had ever really left the phone). He then went on to tell me that banks make mistakes as well, and that it's really a case of taking his word for it or the bank's word. I told him that after the experience I've had with Southern Water thus far, I know which one I would trust more.
I emphasised that I wanted the call to be recorded as another Formal Complaint. He told me that I would get a callback in the next 48 hours. Not much help if I'm at work.
Tonight I got back onto the bank, just to double check on things. They confirmed, once again, that no payment had been requested or denied on the mandate. Then it appeared that despite the letter Southern Water sent me confirming that the mandate had been set up on 6th May, listing the schedule of payments (despite being the wrong amounts), the banks records showed that the mandate hadn't been activated until 3rd of June, when the first payment was due on 1st June, which might explain why payment had been refused. They could have been claiming on a mandate they hadn't even set up (despite having confirmed, in writing, a month earlier, that they had).
I've now sent them an extremely curt email, stating that unless I received a satisfactory outcome I intended to take the matter up with the ombudsman, and I'm not sure, but I may be able to get the support of my Union (Unison) as well - that's something I may look into.
You just couldn't make this level of incompetency up could you.
Bills
Who said things couldn't get any worse?
They said cheer up, things could be worse, so you cheered up, and sure enough, things got worse!
They said cheer up, things could be worse, so you cheered up, and sure enough, things got worse!
Cars
Bills
FourPart;1480523 wrote: I don't think I got round to updating you on what happened here.
Eventually, Southern Water accepted liability & agreed to write off half the debt & arrange for the remaining balance to be paid off over a period of 2 years at £52 / month. I then received confirmation that this mandate had been set up, with the first payment on 1st Jun of £52, followed by 10 monthly payments of £89.48, instead of the monthly payments of £52, as agreed. Great start. I got onto them straight away, admitted it was their cock up & supposedly put it right.
We now have a new development.
When I got home yesterday there was a little letter waiting for me from Southern Water, telling me that the Bank had cancelled my Direct Debit.
The first thing I did, obviously, was to get on to Southern Water. They insisted that the mandate had definitely been cancelled by the bank, but that she would set up a new one to take effect as of 1st July. In the meantime I made the £52 missed payment over the phone by card.
The next thing I did was got onto the bank. They checked things & confirmed that the Direct Debit had been Closed By Originator (Southern Water) & that there was no indication as to why. No payments had been claimed, made or refused.
I got back onto Southern Water this afternoon during my Lunch break, and got to speak to a most obnoxious, patronising piece of... well, you know the type I mean. He then went on to say that there was absolutely no mistake, and that Southern Water had cancelled the mandate because the bank had denied payment. 2 mistakes there, for a start. 1, the bank hadn't denied payment & 2, he was, by then admitting that the initial letter was wrong & that Southern Water had cancelled it, and not the bank.
After a while going round the houses with him doing a Pahu on me, repeating the same old twaddle, reading what he had on the screen in front of him, rather than looking into what had brought this about I asked to speak to his manager. He refused & said that they weren't allowed to do that. I stood my ground & demanded to speak to his supervisor, and eventually he put me on hold while he went to find someone (or so he said). He eventually came back to say that no-one was available (if he had ever really left the phone). He then went on to tell me that banks make mistakes as well, and that it's really a case of taking his word for it or the bank's word. I told him that after the experience I've had with Southern Water thus far, I know which one I would trust more.
I emphasised that I wanted the call to be recorded as another Formal Complaint. He told me that I would get a callback in the next 48 hours. Not much help if I'm at work.
Tonight I got back onto the bank, just to double check on things. They confirmed, once again, that no payment had been requested or denied on the mandate. Then it appeared that despite the letter Southern Water sent me confirming that the mandate had been set up on 6th May, listing the schedule of payments (despite being the wrong amounts), the banks records showed that the mandate hadn't been activated until 3rd of June, when the first payment was due on 1st June, which might explain why payment had been refused. They could have been claiming on a mandate they hadn't even set up (despite having confirmed, in writing, a month earlier, that they had).
I've now sent them an extremely curt email, stating that unless I received a satisfactory outcome I intended to take the matter up with the ombudsman, and I'm not sure, but I may be able to get the support of my Union (Unison) as well - that's something I may look into.
You just couldn't make this level of incompetency up could you.
Is there a penalty from Southern Water for late payment? And if so, have they "engineered" this late payment? Again, if so, sounds like either incompetence or possibly an attempt at "sharp practice". Either way it's disgraceful!
Eventually, Southern Water accepted liability & agreed to write off half the debt & arrange for the remaining balance to be paid off over a period of 2 years at £52 / month. I then received confirmation that this mandate had been set up, with the first payment on 1st Jun of £52, followed by 10 monthly payments of £89.48, instead of the monthly payments of £52, as agreed. Great start. I got onto them straight away, admitted it was their cock up & supposedly put it right.
We now have a new development.
When I got home yesterday there was a little letter waiting for me from Southern Water, telling me that the Bank had cancelled my Direct Debit.
The first thing I did, obviously, was to get on to Southern Water. They insisted that the mandate had definitely been cancelled by the bank, but that she would set up a new one to take effect as of 1st July. In the meantime I made the £52 missed payment over the phone by card.
The next thing I did was got onto the bank. They checked things & confirmed that the Direct Debit had been Closed By Originator (Southern Water) & that there was no indication as to why. No payments had been claimed, made or refused.
I got back onto Southern Water this afternoon during my Lunch break, and got to speak to a most obnoxious, patronising piece of... well, you know the type I mean. He then went on to say that there was absolutely no mistake, and that Southern Water had cancelled the mandate because the bank had denied payment. 2 mistakes there, for a start. 1, the bank hadn't denied payment & 2, he was, by then admitting that the initial letter was wrong & that Southern Water had cancelled it, and not the bank.
After a while going round the houses with him doing a Pahu on me, repeating the same old twaddle, reading what he had on the screen in front of him, rather than looking into what had brought this about I asked to speak to his manager. He refused & said that they weren't allowed to do that. I stood my ground & demanded to speak to his supervisor, and eventually he put me on hold while he went to find someone (or so he said). He eventually came back to say that no-one was available (if he had ever really left the phone). He then went on to tell me that banks make mistakes as well, and that it's really a case of taking his word for it or the bank's word. I told him that after the experience I've had with Southern Water thus far, I know which one I would trust more.
I emphasised that I wanted the call to be recorded as another Formal Complaint. He told me that I would get a callback in the next 48 hours. Not much help if I'm at work.
Tonight I got back onto the bank, just to double check on things. They confirmed, once again, that no payment had been requested or denied on the mandate. Then it appeared that despite the letter Southern Water sent me confirming that the mandate had been set up on 6th May, listing the schedule of payments (despite being the wrong amounts), the banks records showed that the mandate hadn't been activated until 3rd of June, when the first payment was due on 1st June, which might explain why payment had been refused. They could have been claiming on a mandate they hadn't even set up (despite having confirmed, in writing, a month earlier, that they had).
I've now sent them an extremely curt email, stating that unless I received a satisfactory outcome I intended to take the matter up with the ombudsman, and I'm not sure, but I may be able to get the support of my Union (Unison) as well - that's something I may look into.
You just couldn't make this level of incompetency up could you.
Is there a penalty from Southern Water for late payment? And if so, have they "engineered" this late payment? Again, if so, sounds like either incompetence or possibly an attempt at "sharp practice". Either way it's disgraceful!
" To finish first, first you have to finish!" Rick Mears. 4x Winner Indy 500. 3x Indycar National Champion.
Bills
I've just been back on to the bank, as per their request following our conversation yesterday, when they handed the matter over to the specialist team. They confirmed that they've been through the Audit Trail & there has been no record of any claim being made whatsoever. The point there is also that the Halifax were open from the start as to the possibility of there being an error, and went out of their way to check. Southern Water jut said that the information was there on the screen in black & white & that's all there was to it.
I am now waiting for the copy of the statement from Southern Water, along with a copy of the Audit Trail & covering letter from Halifax, so that I have documentation from both sides, for when I take it to the Ombudsman.
I am now waiting for the copy of the statement from Southern Water, along with a copy of the Audit Trail & covering letter from Halifax, so that I have documentation from both sides, for when I take it to the Ombudsman.
Bills
FourPart;1480542 wrote: I've just been back on to the bank, as per their request following our conversation yesterday, when they handed the matter over to the specialist team. They confirmed that they've been through the Audit Trail & there has been no record of any claim being made whatsoever. The point there is also that the Halifax were open from the start as to the possibility of there being an error, and went out of their way to check. Southern Water jut said that the information was there on the screen in black & white & that's all there was to it.
I am now waiting for the copy of the statement from Southern Water, along with a copy of the Audit Trail & covering letter from Halifax, so that I have documentation from both sides, for when I take it to the Ombudsman.
Sounds like a plan to me. Don't give Southern any "wriggle room".
I am now waiting for the copy of the statement from Southern Water, along with a copy of the Audit Trail & covering letter from Halifax, so that I have documentation from both sides, for when I take it to the Ombudsman.
Sounds like a plan to me. Don't give Southern any "wriggle room".
" To finish first, first you have to finish!" Rick Mears. 4x Winner Indy 500. 3x Indycar National Champion.
Bills
I've just had a call back from the SW Complaints Escalation Team. They have now accepted full liability for the errors & will be sending written confirmation of this.
The manager I was talking to also offered me compensation of £100 & a £25 gesture of Goodwill for the way their adviser handled the situation, in order to close the complaint. I think he was a bit taken aback when I declined, saying that in my opinion it wasn't enough for all the mental anguish I had been put through, and that it had gone beyond the financial side of things. It has become a matter of principal, and a mere £125 is more of a token gesture. He said that he would like to offer more, but that was as far as he, at his level, would be allowed to go.
Although he hadn't yet listened to the recording of the call, he said that he could tell by the nature of the internal email he had received, as well as my own email that there could be little doubt that what I was saying was accurate. He also mentioned that he knew the adviser in question & knew what he was like & that as a result of the extremity of the complaint would be listening to the recording, along with the adviser's managers, where "strong feedback" would be made to him.
Quite frankly, if they had accepted liability at the beginning & admitted that they'd made a mistake in activating the DD Mandate a couple of days late & apologised for the oversight, that would have been fine by me. Even if they had said that they'd disregard that first payment of £52, and credit that as having been paid, I would have taken that as a bonus. Being offered £100 as compensation, I would have jumped at, but the way I had been treated & lied to (not my interpretation of spoken words, but evidence in writing), in particular with the adviser I spoke to, I decided that £125 just didn't cut it. The least I expect now is a total write off of my balance (although I very much doubt that will ever happen).
I also raised the issue of how difficult it is to raise a complaint. When you go to their website to email a complaint it takes down contact details to arrange a callback instead, within a very limited time frame. The manager I was talking to was appalled at this & said that he couldn't find any information of how to email a complaint either. Then, when I explained how simple it would be to simply add a basic hypertext email button, instead of by using an online form (which didn't exist, despite it supposed to be there). I talked him through how to set one up in Word, just to show him how simple it was to do & he was dumbfounded that he could do it & even understand the principle behind how it worked, and that the Professional Web Development Team couldn't even get it right.
The whole case is now being escalated further, with him being allocated to monitor its progress & I have requested that not only do I get the written acceptance of liability, but that I get frequent updates as to the progress of the situation.
The manager I was talking to also offered me compensation of £100 & a £25 gesture of Goodwill for the way their adviser handled the situation, in order to close the complaint. I think he was a bit taken aback when I declined, saying that in my opinion it wasn't enough for all the mental anguish I had been put through, and that it had gone beyond the financial side of things. It has become a matter of principal, and a mere £125 is more of a token gesture. He said that he would like to offer more, but that was as far as he, at his level, would be allowed to go.
Although he hadn't yet listened to the recording of the call, he said that he could tell by the nature of the internal email he had received, as well as my own email that there could be little doubt that what I was saying was accurate. He also mentioned that he knew the adviser in question & knew what he was like & that as a result of the extremity of the complaint would be listening to the recording, along with the adviser's managers, where "strong feedback" would be made to him.
Quite frankly, if they had accepted liability at the beginning & admitted that they'd made a mistake in activating the DD Mandate a couple of days late & apologised for the oversight, that would have been fine by me. Even if they had said that they'd disregard that first payment of £52, and credit that as having been paid, I would have taken that as a bonus. Being offered £100 as compensation, I would have jumped at, but the way I had been treated & lied to (not my interpretation of spoken words, but evidence in writing), in particular with the adviser I spoke to, I decided that £125 just didn't cut it. The least I expect now is a total write off of my balance (although I very much doubt that will ever happen).
I also raised the issue of how difficult it is to raise a complaint. When you go to their website to email a complaint it takes down contact details to arrange a callback instead, within a very limited time frame. The manager I was talking to was appalled at this & said that he couldn't find any information of how to email a complaint either. Then, when I explained how simple it would be to simply add a basic hypertext email button, instead of by using an online form (which didn't exist, despite it supposed to be there). I talked him through how to set one up in Word, just to show him how simple it was to do & he was dumbfounded that he could do it & even understand the principle behind how it worked, and that the Professional Web Development Team couldn't even get it right.
The whole case is now being escalated further, with him being allocated to monitor its progress & I have requested that not only do I get the written acceptance of liability, but that I get frequent updates as to the progress of the situation.
Bills
You will be running the complaints dept. soon.
I thought I knew more than this until I opened my mouth
Bills
Bruv;1480565 wrote: You will be running the complaints dept. soon.
It'd probably work a whole lot better if he did!
It'd probably work a whole lot better if he did!
" To finish first, first you have to finish!" Rick Mears. 4x Winner Indy 500. 3x Indycar National Champion.
Bills
Smaug;1480569 wrote: It'd probably work a whole lot better if he did!
You'd better believe it.
You'd better believe it.
Bills
After having spoken to the manager of the Escalated Complaints Dept. on Saturday, when I saw an envelope from Southern Water waiting for me when I got home today, I was expecting it to be the written acknowledgement of liability I was promised. Wrong. Believe it or not - another letter claiming that the bank has refused another payment & that the Direct Debit has been cancelled again.
Needless to say, I got straight on to the complaints dept again, and got one of the managers to call me back. Despite the fact that she seemed to be as helpful as possible, all I was hearing was the same old thing. "We are doing our best to get this sorted". "This is a very serious issue". etc. I literally broke down on the phone & was in tears, having great difficulty being able to say anything.
I have now registered an online complaint with the Ombudsman. Not only is this a major case of incompetence on their behalf, but it has now progressed to having issues with my Mental Health.
Needless to say, I got straight on to the complaints dept again, and got one of the managers to call me back. Despite the fact that she seemed to be as helpful as possible, all I was hearing was the same old thing. "We are doing our best to get this sorted". "This is a very serious issue". etc. I literally broke down on the phone & was in tears, having great difficulty being able to say anything.
I have now registered an online complaint with the Ombudsman. Not only is this a major case of incompetence on their behalf, but it has now progressed to having issues with my Mental Health.
Bills
FourPart;1480729 wrote: After having spoken to the manager of the Escalated Complaints Dept. on Saturday, when I saw an envelope from Southern Water waiting for me when I got home today, I was expecting it to be the written acknowledgement of liability I was promised. Wrong. Believe it or not - another letter claiming that the bank has refused another payment & that the Direct Debit has been cancelled again.
Needless to say, I got straight on to the complaints dept again, and got one of the managers to call me back. Despite the fact that she seemed to be as helpful as possible, all I was hearing was the same old thing. "We are doing our best to get this sorted". "This is a very serious issue". etc. I literally broke down on the phone & was in tears, having great difficulty being able to say anything.
I have now registered an online complaint with the Ombudsman. Not only is this a major case of incompetence on their behalf, but it has now progressed to having issues with my Mental Health.
You couldn't bloody write this, could you?? (sorry about the language,BTW) Brings incompetence to a new low, especially as it's affecting your mental well-being. Hope you claim a sackful of compo off the *asta*ds!!! Does anyone know what's going on at Southern Water, or is this incompetence a deliberate ploy to deter people from pursuing queries or complaints? If I was CEO of Southern, there'd be a SERIOUS round of firings going on, I can tell you!!
How to lose customers in one easy lesson!
If the ombudsman fails to act, you could try a "no win, no fee" solicitor who specialises in this area of law. Might be worth a go.
Hang in there, FourPart. Don't give them the satisfaction...:yh_cowboy
Needless to say, I got straight on to the complaints dept again, and got one of the managers to call me back. Despite the fact that she seemed to be as helpful as possible, all I was hearing was the same old thing. "We are doing our best to get this sorted". "This is a very serious issue". etc. I literally broke down on the phone & was in tears, having great difficulty being able to say anything.
I have now registered an online complaint with the Ombudsman. Not only is this a major case of incompetence on their behalf, but it has now progressed to having issues with my Mental Health.
You couldn't bloody write this, could you?? (sorry about the language,BTW) Brings incompetence to a new low, especially as it's affecting your mental well-being. Hope you claim a sackful of compo off the *asta*ds!!! Does anyone know what's going on at Southern Water, or is this incompetence a deliberate ploy to deter people from pursuing queries or complaints? If I was CEO of Southern, there'd be a SERIOUS round of firings going on, I can tell you!!
How to lose customers in one easy lesson!
If the ombudsman fails to act, you could try a "no win, no fee" solicitor who specialises in this area of law. Might be worth a go.
Hang in there, FourPart. Don't give them the satisfaction...:yh_cowboy
" To finish first, first you have to finish!" Rick Mears. 4x Winner Indy 500. 3x Indycar National Champion.
Bills
Is it possible the letter was in transit snail mail whilst the complaint was being upgraded, everything happened in slowmo before email and telephone complaint departments remember.
I know it's easy for me to say, but, you FourPart haven't put a foot wrong, you can relax and take it slowly, let them chase their tails around and around while you keep your cool and let them stress...........remember the old line "Don't let the bastards get you down"
I know it's easy for me to say, but, you FourPart haven't put a foot wrong, you can relax and take it slowly, let them chase their tails around and around while you keep your cool and let them stress...........remember the old line "Don't let the bastards get you down"
I thought I knew more than this until I opened my mouth
Bills
I forgot to mention also, that there were 2 things in the same envelope. One was the letter informing me that they had cancelled the Direct Debit & were demanding payment of the full balance immediately. The other was a confirmation that the Direct Debit had been set up.
In the section in the report to the Ombudsman where it asked what I expected the company to do about it, I put that at the very least I expect them to clear my account & get things sorted out once & for all, issue a full formal apology accepting full liability, without any quantification (as they tried doing last time), and to get their website fixed in the section where you're supposed to be able to email a complaint. Instead of the message form, which it's supposed to be, it has a form to arrange a call back. Furthermore, there is no contact email address anywhere to send complaints to. I had to go onto the Live Online Chat to get the email address. I have no doubt if they didn't make it so damned hard to make a complaint they'd be getting a hell of a lot more of them. Take a look to see what I mean on www.southernwater.co.uk. Put yourself in the position of someone wanting to email a complaint & follow the links. See how far you get.
In the section in the report to the Ombudsman where it asked what I expected the company to do about it, I put that at the very least I expect them to clear my account & get things sorted out once & for all, issue a full formal apology accepting full liability, without any quantification (as they tried doing last time), and to get their website fixed in the section where you're supposed to be able to email a complaint. Instead of the message form, which it's supposed to be, it has a form to arrange a call back. Furthermore, there is no contact email address anywhere to send complaints to. I had to go onto the Live Online Chat to get the email address. I have no doubt if they didn't make it so damned hard to make a complaint they'd be getting a hell of a lot more of them. Take a look to see what I mean on www.southernwater.co.uk. Put yourself in the position of someone wanting to email a complaint & follow the links. See how far you get.
Bills
FourPart;1480774 wrote: I forgot to mention also, that there were 2 things in the same envelope. One was the letter informing me that they had cancelled the Direct Debit & were demanding payment of the full balance immediately. The other was a confirmation that the Direct Debit had been set up.
In the section in the report to the Ombudsman where it asked what I expected the company to do about it, I put that at the very least I expect them to clear my account & get things sorted out once & for all, issue a full formal apology accepting full liability, without any quantification (as they tried doing last time), and to get their website fixed in the section where you're supposed to be able to email a complaint. Instead of the message form, which it's supposed to be, it has a form to arrange a call back. Furthermore, there is no contact email address anywhere to send complaints to. I had to go onto the Live Online Chat to get the email address. I have no doubt if they didn't make it so damned hard to make a complaint they'd be getting a hell of a lot more of them. Take a look to see what I mean on www.southernwater.co.uk. Put yourself in the position of someone wanting to email a complaint & follow the links. See how far you get.
Unbelievable! Only 2 choices on this, in my opinion.
1. Sheer incompetence and/or poor communication within Southern Water.
2. A deliberately obstructive or non-existent mechanism for dealing with issues and complaints.
They certainly move efficiently enough when it comes to snatching your cash!
Don't know if it's any good contacting OFWAT, these "watchdogs" can be toothless at times, but you never know.
In the section in the report to the Ombudsman where it asked what I expected the company to do about it, I put that at the very least I expect them to clear my account & get things sorted out once & for all, issue a full formal apology accepting full liability, without any quantification (as they tried doing last time), and to get their website fixed in the section where you're supposed to be able to email a complaint. Instead of the message form, which it's supposed to be, it has a form to arrange a call back. Furthermore, there is no contact email address anywhere to send complaints to. I had to go onto the Live Online Chat to get the email address. I have no doubt if they didn't make it so damned hard to make a complaint they'd be getting a hell of a lot more of them. Take a look to see what I mean on www.southernwater.co.uk. Put yourself in the position of someone wanting to email a complaint & follow the links. See how far you get.
Unbelievable! Only 2 choices on this, in my opinion.
1. Sheer incompetence and/or poor communication within Southern Water.
2. A deliberately obstructive or non-existent mechanism for dealing with issues and complaints.
They certainly move efficiently enough when it comes to snatching your cash!
Don't know if it's any good contacting OFWAT, these "watchdogs" can be toothless at times, but you never know.
" To finish first, first you have to finish!" Rick Mears. 4x Winner Indy 500. 3x Indycar National Champion.
Bills
You might even threaten to "go public" with it. Wonder if the local/national papers or broadcasting companies would be interested? Or your local MP?
There's nothing these companies fear more than bad public opinion, even if they put a "brave (brazen?) face" on it!
Nail 'em, FourPart!!:yh_devil
There's nothing these companies fear more than bad public opinion, even if they put a "brave (brazen?) face" on it!
Nail 'em, FourPart!!:yh_devil
" To finish first, first you have to finish!" Rick Mears. 4x Winner Indy 500. 3x Indycar National Champion.
Bills
Bruv;1480781 wrote: Watchdog ? BBC TV ?
Yes, that as well! The "watchdog" I was quoting was OFWAT, but if you could get the BBC interested, I'm sure THAT would make Southern jump about!!:wah:
Yes, that as well! The "watchdog" I was quoting was OFWAT, but if you could get the BBC interested, I'm sure THAT would make Southern jump about!!:wah:
" To finish first, first you have to finish!" Rick Mears. 4x Winner Indy 500. 3x Indycar National Champion.
Bills
I've reported the matter to the Ombudsman & have received a confirmation.
Today I received a Statement from Southern Water. It seems the amount that was refused (from the Direct Debit they didn't set up until 3/6/15) was requested & rejected on 28/5/15, when even if it had been set up wouldn't have been due until 1/6/15.
As for my MP - I don't really see that as a viable option. Don't forget we have Royston Smith (Conservative) in now. I've already emailed him on 2 occasions on 2 totally different non party political subjects & never even received an acknowledgement of receipt. When John Denham (Labour) was in, I would get a confirmation within a couple of days, and if he was a bit bogged down with things, or was awaiting a reply from someone else, then he would respond with regular updates & apologies for the delay. From Royston Smith - nothing!! Besides, since the Tories privatised it & gave them the monopoly of Water Services the chances are that he has major shares in them. This is also the MP who is currently under investigation by the Police for Electoral Ethics Discrepancies. The thing is, who do you complain to about the poor service afforded to you by your MP?
Ofwat, I believe, deal with the physical quality of Water / Sewerage Supply (leaking pipes, purity of water, waste standards) etc., rather than the Billing & overall Customer Services. That's why I took it to the Finance Ombudsman.
I've been considering writing to the local Daily Echo. They have quite a wide coverage in this area.
Today I received a Statement from Southern Water. It seems the amount that was refused (from the Direct Debit they didn't set up until 3/6/15) was requested & rejected on 28/5/15, when even if it had been set up wouldn't have been due until 1/6/15.
As for my MP - I don't really see that as a viable option. Don't forget we have Royston Smith (Conservative) in now. I've already emailed him on 2 occasions on 2 totally different non party political subjects & never even received an acknowledgement of receipt. When John Denham (Labour) was in, I would get a confirmation within a couple of days, and if he was a bit bogged down with things, or was awaiting a reply from someone else, then he would respond with regular updates & apologies for the delay. From Royston Smith - nothing!! Besides, since the Tories privatised it & gave them the monopoly of Water Services the chances are that he has major shares in them. This is also the MP who is currently under investigation by the Police for Electoral Ethics Discrepancies. The thing is, who do you complain to about the poor service afforded to you by your MP?
Ofwat, I believe, deal with the physical quality of Water / Sewerage Supply (leaking pipes, purity of water, waste standards) etc., rather than the Billing & overall Customer Services. That's why I took it to the Finance Ombudsman.
I've been considering writing to the local Daily Echo. They have quite a wide coverage in this area.
Bills
FourPart;1480784 wrote: I've reported the matter to the Ombudsman & have received a confirmation.
Today I received a Statement from Southern Water. It seems the amount that was refused (from the Direct Debit they didn't set up until 3/6/15) was requested & rejected on 28/5/15, when even if it had been set up wouldn't have been due until 1/6/15.
As for my MP - I don't really see that as a viable option. Don't forget we have Royston Smith (Conservative) in now. I've already emailed him on 2 occasions on 2 totally different non party political subjects & never even received an acknowledgement of receipt. When John Denham (Labour) was in, I would get a confirmation within a couple of days, and if he was a bit bogged down with things, or was awaiting a reply from someone else, then he would respond with regular updates & apologies for the delay. From Royston Smith - nothing!! Besides, since the Tories privatised it & gave them the monopoly of Water Services the chances are that he has major shares in them. This is also the MP who is currently under investigation by the Police for Electoral Ethics Discrepancies. The thing is, who do you complain to about the poor service afforded to you by your MP?
Ofwat, I believe, deal with the physical quality of Water / Sewerage Supply (leaking pipes, purity of water, waste standards) etc., rather than the Billing & overall Customer Services. That's why I took it to the Finance Ombudsman.
I've been considering writing to the local Daily Echo. They have quite a wide coverage in this area.
The more exposure you can get for your complaint, the better! The echo seems a good place to start. As for your MP, why doesn't that suprise me? If you can get some TV exposure as well, great! Let's hope the ombudsman can do something, too. The more pressure you can bring to bear, the better!
These companies hate being exposed publicly as either incompetent, obstructive or unlawful.
If it was in the news, and legal action was scheduled to commence, I reckon Southern would be settling "out of court".
Today I received a Statement from Southern Water. It seems the amount that was refused (from the Direct Debit they didn't set up until 3/6/15) was requested & rejected on 28/5/15, when even if it had been set up wouldn't have been due until 1/6/15.
As for my MP - I don't really see that as a viable option. Don't forget we have Royston Smith (Conservative) in now. I've already emailed him on 2 occasions on 2 totally different non party political subjects & never even received an acknowledgement of receipt. When John Denham (Labour) was in, I would get a confirmation within a couple of days, and if he was a bit bogged down with things, or was awaiting a reply from someone else, then he would respond with regular updates & apologies for the delay. From Royston Smith - nothing!! Besides, since the Tories privatised it & gave them the monopoly of Water Services the chances are that he has major shares in them. This is also the MP who is currently under investigation by the Police for Electoral Ethics Discrepancies. The thing is, who do you complain to about the poor service afforded to you by your MP?
Ofwat, I believe, deal with the physical quality of Water / Sewerage Supply (leaking pipes, purity of water, waste standards) etc., rather than the Billing & overall Customer Services. That's why I took it to the Finance Ombudsman.
I've been considering writing to the local Daily Echo. They have quite a wide coverage in this area.
The more exposure you can get for your complaint, the better! The echo seems a good place to start. As for your MP, why doesn't that suprise me? If you can get some TV exposure as well, great! Let's hope the ombudsman can do something, too. The more pressure you can bring to bear, the better!
These companies hate being exposed publicly as either incompetent, obstructive or unlawful.
If it was in the news, and legal action was scheduled to commence, I reckon Southern would be settling "out of court".
" To finish first, first you have to finish!" Rick Mears. 4x Winner Indy 500. 3x Indycar National Champion.
Bills
I've just finished writing a long letter to the Echo Stories dept, citing chronological dates & figures, asking if they'd like to pick up the gauntlet. Who knows? It might be the next Front Page (I doubt it though).
Bills
Some of Southern Water's Record:
Ofwat :: Regulating the Industry :: Enforcement :: Enforcement action :: Southern Water: customer service
Southern Water is named worst in country for complaints (From The Argus)
BBC NEWS | Talk about Newsnight | Are you a Southern Water customer?
Southern Water apologises for ‘unacceptable’ customer service - Utility Week
Southern Water gets 48,000 complaints (From Daily Echo)
Huge increase in written complaints to Southern Water - Portsmouth News
The list goes on... and on... and on.
Ofwat :: Regulating the Industry :: Enforcement :: Enforcement action :: Southern Water: customer service
Southern Water is named worst in country for complaints (From The Argus)
BBC NEWS | Talk about Newsnight | Are you a Southern Water customer?
Southern Water apologises for ‘unacceptable’ customer service - Utility Week
Southern Water gets 48,000 complaints (From Daily Echo)
Huge increase in written complaints to Southern Water - Portsmouth News
The list goes on... and on... and on.