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“I was contacted at home last week by Scottish and...”

written by taurustime on 22/11/2009

I was contacted at home last week by Scottish and Southern Energy [SSE] of whom I had been a previous customer. Like most 'switchers', I moved away from them some months ago when a cheaper tariff from an alternative provider became available. Apparently, I was deemed by SSE to be a 'valued customer', presumably because I paid my bill on time! I had been selected for a 'special' tariff that was only being made available to preferred customers. This was despite my being told by him that 'thousands of people were returning to SSE every day'. So far, so good. I asked the caller to email me details of the tariff so that I could check it out at my leisure but, apparently, this tariff was so secret, he couldn't do that. The only way I could find out how cheap this new super saver tariff was, meant that I had to 'sign up' for it there and then. Despite pressing the caller for more information, he couldn't give me any details on just how much this new tariff would be until I'd switched! Now here's the rub. He asked me if he could prove that I would save money by switching to the new tariff, would I be interested in doing so. Clearly, yes. Continuing the conversation, he offered to send me details of the 'verbal contract' we had just entered and only then could I check out the prices. The law in Scotland is different to that in England and the caller was Scottish so, presumably, the call and any resulting paperwork would have come from Scotland. I am also Scottish. In Scotland, a verbal contract is binding, unlike that which applies in England. I stressed that I had NOT entered a verbal contract of any kind and at any time so, defeated, he politely rang off. I am not saying that there is anything underhand in these sales tactics but two questions spring to mind :



- if this tariff is so attractive and enticing, why couldn't he simply give me the prices either verbally or by email AND

- if thousands of people are returning to SSE, why did he spend so much time trying to persuade me to switch?



It would be interesting to hear if any other forum posters have been similarly approached.