I had the same unwanted Contract with Npower and making false claims NPower the cheapest and no standing charges and cashback only after 12months and eventually comes off the total of the bill.

A rep called at the house and he made it awkward for me so I signed the Contract as he said there was a cooling off period of 14days

I have since found my old bill with Scottish Power who are in fact cheaper.

But I am still looking for a better deal.

With me I had a call from BG I am with NP and while I went to check the price of my units he cut off the call without me agreeing to anything. The next thing I knew I was being switched without my permission. It was sorted within a couple of days after I made a complaint to the supervisor of his department who was really nice but shocked. Best thing to do if you are not interested is hang up before they even start their sales pitch. Rude maybe, but that works.

I have had a very similar experience but my phone call was from a BG person trying to stop me switching to Npower. I was rushing out of the house when he called offering a 6% discount to stay with BG. I asked for written details. There was a delay in the post and by the time I checked the "6% discount" it was in fact 1.3% and still more expensive than NP. Before I knew it I had letters from BG saying "welcome back" and from NPower saying "sorry you are leaving. The process was unstoppable. It has taken 4 months to complete my transfer and what with units at higher rates etc I think I i will not be any better off.

The moral seems to be do not agree to anything on the phone from any telesales personand always get a name

Good result, well done and your perserverance paid off which makes it all worth while.

RESULT.

I wrote to their Executive Complaints Team who replied saying that they would be ringing me. After two weeks of not hearing from them I sent them an email reminding them that I was still waiting. Three hours later they phoned and a nice gentleman told me that as I'd been miss-sold the contract, they wouldn't be enforcing it and that I'd be staying with Scottish Power.

After a visit from a Scottish Power rep, a couple of phone calls and an email Scottish Power have agreed to keep me on my current deal (fixed until 2011). Although it was touch and go for a while as the transfer had already started until Scottish Power blocked it as an eroneous transfer.

I think that the moral of the story is not to deal with salesmen over the phone, or if you do, listen very carefully. Then tell them no!

Hi veloxuk,

I've already complained to them by email and the next stage as advised by energy watch is to write them a letter. Just have to sit tight and await their answer now. Not holding my breath for a favourable outcome though.

All of npowers calls are recorded, I would ensure you have all details prior to writting as if not they will clamp down. One thing to point out though you have to log a complaint first before it is ref to executive complaints.

Just written a letter to their Executive ComplaintsTeam, and am just off to the post office to send it by registered mail.

Telesales, hard sell, targets to meet, under pressure. Don't dwell on it any longer just get the contract cancelled you don't have to stay with them for any more than 28 days so you may lose your incentives but I am sure you will as a returning customer if it comes to it get another good deal with your preferred supplier. Seriously I really wouln't worry too much they are all at it, if out of 100 calls 2 cancel outside the cooling off period then they still have attracted 98 customers.

Just re-read my post and seen I got the date of the initial call wrong. It was the 3rd of March. I still feel that I was mugged though!

Steady-Eddie:

On March 6th I was contacted by a member of npower's telesales team

Is the March 6th phone call date right because that is still within 14 days of March 19th?

Cooling-off periods vary from the minimum of 7 days to 14. If npower's is 14 days that's fairly generous. I think you were just within it on March 19th and were given factually incorrect information that the notice starts with the telephone call. There is no form of notice which starts at least until the next day and probably until the paper copy is sent with a deemed allowance for the post.

Haven't seen the npower contract so can't be certain about the cooling-off period but on the face of it you were JUST within the 14 days when you called.

You say you complained and the complaints team responded. What you MUST do is to obtain the npower Code of Practice on complaints and follow it scrupulously. There is a defined escalation process culminating in the right to complain externally. That stage costs nPower money but you nothing. You do not need to take no for an answer.

I've been in this situation twice with British Gas admittely 10 years apart, you forget the first time after a while. Like you on my mobile and at work. My letter has done on the trick on these occasions where telephone calls haven't worked. Just make sure its to the point, i.e. I want to immediately cancel as of todays date. Sometimes a long winded letter just causes you more hassel. Good luck

that's my next move. Surely not even npower could be so bloody minded as to carry on with this

I can't advise you but was nearly caught out myself. I am still under the impression that until I sign something nothing is legally binding but it seems like this doesn't seem to be the case nowadays, how do they really know who is on the other end of the phone it could be anyone that has agreed? Have you tried writing formally to them, cancelling the contract not via email because that will just go into a customer service advisors in box. It might transpire that its not worth the paperwork for them to set up the supply contract and then immediately cancel it after 28 days.

On March 3rd I was contacted by a member of npower's telesales team who informed me that I'm paying too much for my gas/electricity with my present supplier. At the time I was at the wheel of a truck (hands free of course) and pointed out that I was driving and had no figures to hand to compare what he was offering me. I asked him to email his figures but he said he was unable to do that but would send me a contract to look at.
I said that I didn't want a contract, just the figures. He said not to worry as I had 14 days to cancel if I didn't want to go ahead. So, stupidly I agreed. He then rattled through the T&C.
The contract dated March 6th arrived on March 14th while my wife was in hospital for surgery. Had a quick look at it and then put it down thinking that I had 14 days from the date on the letter.
Rang them on the 19th (13 days from the date on the letter) to cancel the contract only to be told that the clock started ticking after the initial phone call and it is now too late to cancel. Rang back later to explain my case only to be stonewalled by a jobs worth who wound me up by telling me that the contract stands "as you've already been told twice".
Tried emailing the complaints team who replied informing me that as the contract was now in place it can't be stopped. However, I can cancel 28 days from commencement of supply and go back to my original supplier .
No use to me as this means I lose my fixed until 2011 deal with Scottish Power.
Sorry about the length of this post but I feel it's best to put everything down to get the best responses.
Do I stand a chance of getting this sorted out before my blood pressure goes through the roof?
Regards