So I went through the formal switching process to change banks, all DDs in place two days before the switchover date, npower sent e-mail acknowledging the new account details – then five minutes later another e-mail saying “We couldn’t collect your Direct Debit amount of …“. The DD was already in place, and they shouldn’t have even been trying for another week! And it stated that they’d changed me back to the standard (i.e. more expensive) tariff because of it… Left it till after the due date and still they hadn’t requested payment… Rang them, and (a) they have no record of their trying to get a payment, (b) I am not on the standard tariff and the DD will be collected next month, and (c) “it takes 19 days to make the change”… Takes who 19 days? Not the bank, not other DDs, just npower… But it means I’ve now missed a payment, and if that buggers up my credit rating, I want their balls on a skewer.
