Companies – stop leaving complaints for ombudsmen to sort

I once took Scottish Power to Ofgen (or whatever it is called) as when I swapped my old token meter for a proper post-pay one, SP sent me a bill for £1500 claiming that the meter had been set at the wrong tariff for years and that it was my fault!

So I contacted the regulator who said that in no way was I responsible for this as the meter reading people had visited the house and checked the meter 3 times that year (even though it was a prepay) and found nothing wrong.

It’s amazing what they try and get away with isn’t it?

Regarding your complaint to FTE Martyn, perhaps this is the reason why the railways were privatised, so that teflon shouldered business folk can apportion blame wherever they see fit, saving on compensation! 🙂

I recently complained to orange that my phone wasn’t receiving calls correctly and sending people straight to voicemail. They rang to speak to me, what happened? it went straight to voicemail!! Good to see that orange have been shamed this morn in terms of their simply atrocious 3G coverage.

I have only had to complain to companies rarely – all but one, BT, answered quickly politely and effectively

BT’s telephone line was atrocious (always hissing and crackling) and kept dropping connections to the Bulletin Boards (before the Internet). They would send an engineer within a few days and the connection would improve for a couple of weeks before dropping back to rubbish.

However I received a bill containing a large amount of “collect calls” from Ireland – which weren’t mine – I sent the amount of the bill less the collect charges – with a letter explaining why. I did not receive a reply – but a debt collectors letter. I phoned BT – they said I had accepted the collect charges. I replied that it was impossible as I was at work at the times stated – and could prove it. and the only occupants in the house were dogs – though I did admit one was Irish Bred!! – I invited them to visit to show how wrong they were. Eventually after nine months where I kept getting this wrong addition – and I kept refusing to pay – Cable and Wireless laid down fibre optics – I left BT and never looked back. BT lines locally are still bad.

Martyn, what a good point you make. Companies in the main DO NOT view customer service as they should with many relying on a ‘code of conduct’ syndrome so devoid of actuality, why did they bother in the first place. Yes, it says all the right things, but mention problem and your sent on a pathway to bashing your head against a brick wall!

There are however small companies who produce or stock goods in which they are proud of, and, back up to the hilt what they sell and/or service. The missing word here is ‘pride’. So let’s applaude those honest people who do value that word first. With pride goes responsibilty, once upon time we taught that! Led the world! Now twice upon time, we are slave ‘to not my fault’ and ‘sorry, you didn’t read our terms and conditions’, what we say goes..tough!

The demon comes to when this is replicated on a mass scale with the ever present need of ‘us’ for cheap and cheaper goods, and the need for profit surpassing all! Let’s though be clear on a few things.

You pays your money, you takes your choice? Sad but true! £3 tee shirt, £50 tee shirt? The greasy spoon or the Savoy Grill? etc, etc.

The choice somehow sinks when multiples take over and ‘they’ think their word is God. So true when it comes to Banks, Services and Utilities, Airlines, Travel/Transport, unelected Self Regulatory Authorities, and the ultimate whipping boys Parliament itself. The art here is that when we do complain, they change/divert/pacify whatever ‘we’ve’ said by automatically saying the matter is regretable – never sorry – and immediately apologise for the inconvenience..but it’s not our problem!!! As per yours with FTE! How many times has Which heard that?

Save of going to Court – one avenue, who does what for whom when you’ve come to end of the road? You’ve mentioned The Ombudsman/woman services, who we hope are there to make sure your complaint falls under their remit, and should however you get there, give the ‘Final’ decision either way yet still the choice to take it further.

This is not helped by the fact that the ‘one stop’ obvious place to go, Trading Standards, is now under Consumer Direct with a press button 1 or 2 contact level, excepting emails or letters to the department via your local Authority lengthening the process. Consumer Focus doesn’t deal with individual cases, but will amalgem all to provide ‘a case’.

On the two occasions I’ve dealt with the Financial Ombudesman I’ve had success, other cases were resolved before I threatened Banks concerned with the honour of that step. However, not so with the Energy Ombudsman. They deemed I was not under their remit so matters of fact like sales, obstruction of consumer rights!, providing full disclosure, et al was a total waste of time, cosied up with the supplier to dot the ‘i’s’ and cross the ‘t’s’, to ensure their job was a good’n.

Yes, I lost. So they think that’s the end of it…do they!..the electricity supplier concerned has now realised that they can not ignore my letters/emails and must provide everything under the Data Protection Act, as requested, so we go on. Even the Ombudsman is coming under my gaze! wish me luck.

Martyn, I’m lucky insofar I’ve worked in Banking, been associated with insurance companies, studied law, held a Consumer Credit Licence, disclosed Government failings at national level when they hid facts from employees, even one of my previous clients was Government Hospitality and I had to sign the Official Secrets Act part 1. That was a hoot! Not short of experience but aaarrrgghh! patience of a saint was not taught at school or Uni.

It is a very sad state that nowadays Companies treat everybody as though we’re the guilty party as some do want to buck the system, tarred with the same brush. As is a sign of the times I now assist others were befalls their plight, but even I don’t know it all or how devious ‘honest’ companies are. One cheerful fact of how this works is a that one energy supplier promotes itself from a recent poll to be be “1st” in customer service, but should you want to see those results you’ll need to pay £470 at the last count, from a separate company. Believe the hype and eat the tripe! Now who? did they ask? Noooooooo……not here, oh do say……never here!