(no subject)

[mrph]

That was fun. Just has a man from Southern Electric turn up on my doorstep, hammer on the door and inform me that he was here because there had been complaints about "high electricity tariffs" in the area.

Had I noticed? Well, no.

So he shows me a photocopied British Gas letter, tells me that I've got the most expensive electricity in the country and tries to persuade me to switch on the spot.

Er... no.

Most annoyingly, he didn't take "sorry, no" as an answer and wanted me to explain myself before he went away. Idiot. Leaving with a parting comment of "well, it's your choice..." (in a 'you'll be so-rry' tone of voice) didn't exactly win me over, either.

Muppet.

Comments

[smogo.livejournal.com]

You could moan at Ofgem about those sales techniques, if you can be arsed.

[pink-mouse.livejournal.com]

Southern Electric are known for changing peoples supplier without their permission.

[mrph.livejournal.com]

If he tries that on me, I'll tear his throat out. :)

[taoist-goth.livejournal.com]

If your supplier changes without your permission, I believe you can just not pay the bill until they change you back again. A company cannot legally provide you with something you haven't asked them for, and then try to charge you for it.

[the-maenad.livejournal.com]

Yes, this happened to us. It took a lot of sorting out. They claimed they sacked the gonzo responsible but I hae me doots.

[jambon-gris.livejournal.com]

If it happens again,
1 demand ID, if they dont hav any call thge police
2 if they do and you still dont like the guy call the police
3 call the watchdog pouinting out you have been lied to
or use the time honoured trick, slam the door in his face, very satisfying (you shouldnt feel the need to check if hes actally going to get hit).
violent and nasty i know, but what the hell

[sobrique.livejournal.com]

The one to watch for is the ones that say 'would you mind signing our register for more information'.

You don't need to scribble down a signature for that - they're often getting you to sign a contract there and then.

Actually, I was wondering if it's possible to do a citizen's arrest for fraud if they try that.

[deliberateblank.livejournal.com]

Has to be an arrestable offence to perform a citizen's arrest. Otherwise *you're* guilty of false imprisonment or assault.

[sobrique.livejournal.com]

Yep. That I can believe.
Is fraud an arrestable offence though?

You know "would you mind singing here for more information?"
when it's actually a contract.

[deliberateblank.livejournal.com]

Is fraud an arrestable offence though?

You know "would you mind singing here for more information?"
when it's actually a contract.

Only if they were to ask Axl Rose.

This page has more information - simplistically, an arrestable offence is one carrying a sentence of five years or more.

[sobrique.livejournal.com]

Ah well.
Pity.
I always rather liked the idea of doing a citizen's arrest on a stinking weasel.

[akira-kev.livejournal.com]

have a look at this:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/watchdog/reports/consumer5.shtml

OFGEM
9 Millbank,
London, SW1P 3GE
Tel: 020 7901 7000
Web: www.ofgem.gov.uk

MAKING A COMPLAINT
http://www.bbc.co.uk/watchdog/guides_to/howtocomplain/index4.shtml

[mina-laury.livejournal.com]

If you've had one of those showing up, there will be more - I've never been sure whether when one company targets an area the others move in too or whether they travel in groups to avoid mobs with pitchforks. Have you still got that 'no salespeople' sign by your door?

[taoist-goth.livejournal.com]

I'm gonna start videoing people who knock on my door. That should put 'em right off.

[markeris.livejournal.com]

Scott? Get the lads round to Jims house and knock on his door. We can get a video on the cheap.

[the-siobhan.livejournal.com]

Oh God. We had a deluge of those around here when electricity suppliers were deregulated. Standard technique was to march up to the door, announce that they were from company-name-that-sounds-almost-identical-to-government-run-company, say they were checking to make sure that I qualified for lower rates, and could I go get them a copy of my hydro bill please, they'd wait.

Um. No.

Then they would try to argue with me.

It got the point where I posted a sign that they were not allowed to knock on my door any more and anybody ignoring the notice would get them disembowled on the spot. I just got tired of telling them to fuck off.

[mrph.livejournal.com]

Until it fell off, I had a sign on the door with the usual 'no salesmen, religious callers etc' blurb. Oddly enough, I bought it from a door-to-door saleswoman... :)

I think there'll now be another sign - probably a nice rugged one - going up within a week or so. I feel the need.

[dakiara.livejournal.com]

Only ever had one of those call myself, but she was an arguer. She was a little hampered however by me not being able to remember who I bought electricity or gas from.

For a change I wasn't actually being deliberately awkward, I still don't know who my supplier actually is >:)

I like the idea of the disembowling notice though - Summer is bound to encourage more of the little sods :O) Not sure if that would confirm my status as village weirdo though, or for that matter, if that would be a bad thing (it's a very village type village I live in...).

[feanelwa.livejournal.com]

WARNING
PET PYTHON LOOSE INSIDE HOUSE
often seems to work.

[sheepthief.livejournal.com]

Had one of those a month ago, and the poor bastard caught me in a seriously bad mood, *and* stuck his foot in the door. That's a pretty stupid thing to do when you're not wearing safety shoes.

[claire-smith.livejournal.com]

I had one of those (quite a while ago now), who actually said to me as he was leaving "Well, it's your money you're wasting".

As he had a convenient ID badge on, I was on the phone to his supervisor before he was half way down the street. In fact, I think he was from Southern Electric as well, so words could probably be had about their sales pitch.