Amaysim Energy under investigation for misleading consumers.

jimbobaus on 09/07/2018 - 22:39
Last edited 09/07/2018 - 22:40

Looks like they manipulated their rates to be able to appear to offer larger discounts.

Main point of story:

Between October last year and March Amaysim Energy (trading as Click Energy) told consumers in Victoria and Queensland they could get discounts of between 7 and 29 per cent off Click Energy’s energy charges if they paid their bills on time.

The ACCC claims these representations were false or misleading as the discounts offered applied to Click Energy’s market offer rates, which varied and were higher than Click Energy’s standing offer rates.

https://www.channelnews.com.au/amaysim-energy-under-investig…

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Comments

  • kipps on 09/07/2018 - 22:59

    Finally. These shocks need to be taken to the cleaners. Click Energy was so damn misleading.

  • dylo on 10/07/2018 - 05:58

    It's what they deserve

  • BobD on 10/07/2018 - 08:03
    +1

    I've been bombarded with emails from Amaysim Energy for a while. It's hard to compare their prices but even with discounts they don't appear to be cheap. At the end of 12 months the rates revert to their full pricing. I replied to a survey that they were sucker bait up front and had a sting in the tail.

  • FishesBum on 10/07/2018 - 10:49

    Yeah its rife out there at the moment.
    Ive had many false promises from a variety of sources basically quoting rates and deals that are a pack of lies when you try and confirm their authenticity.
    Be careful, dont agree to anything unless you can get proof.
    The bloody Gov dept should be stepping in on this one.

  • funtooskool on 10/07/2018 - 12:35

    I recently signed up for Amaysim energy, and my first bill was a shocker and the way they apply/calculate Discount and rebate is dodgy. I was suppose to receive $150 signup rebate and 35% discount on bill amount, with this rebate & discount, i will be paying more than what I paid with previous supplier and last year for same period.. will consider moving away…

    • djsweet on 10/07/2018 - 12:49

      What do you mean the way they apply the rebate and discount is dodgy? Do you mean they apply the rebate before they apply the discount so the discount is effectively 35% less (ie $97.50 instead of $150)?

      • c0balt on 10/07/2018 - 13:35

        It's applied to the next month/quarter bill. So if you get charged $100 for your first month, you will get a discount of $35 on your next months usage. It's bullshit because you never get a discount for the first month and the last month you don't get to use that discount (because you won't be with amaysim anymore at that address), so the money is wasted.

        Sounds like he possibly didn't get his sign up bonus (I had to submit an EWOV claim to force Amaysim to give me mine), and also thought he would be getting the discount on the current bill, not next (as I did also when signing up).

        The whole deal of applying discounts to the next month shouldn't be allowed, IMO.

        • djsweet on 10/07/2018 - 13:58

          You only miss out on one bill of discount not 2, because you get your discount for the first period on your second bill etc. Its only the final bill you miss the discount on (which it does say on their website). I agree that its misleading though! Very easy to miss understand and they have done a good job of hiding the information. I recently signed up with a $150 sign on bonus. I haven't got my first bill yet so I am a little worried! I overlooked the bit about the discount being applied to the next bill - this now makes it more expensive than my current supplier. If they are dodgy and won't give me my sign on bonus I'll actually be worse off than if I hadn't switched to them.

        • c0balt on 10/07/2018 - 14:05

          @djsweet:

          I disagree with your reasoning that only the last bill is missed out. You say it yourself that you do not get a discount on the first bill you pay or a credit for the last bill you pay - to me that's 2 missed discounts compared to if every bill was discounted.

        • djsweet on 10/07/2018 - 14:09

          @c0balt: Are you sure you don't get a credit on your final bill? I was under the impression that you just don't get a discount on your final bill since there are no further bills to apply the credit to?

        • c0balt on 10/07/2018 - 14:10

          @djsweet:

          On your last bill you will get a discount based on the previous month. You miss out on the credit from the last month as you won't be paying a bill next month because you are no longer with Amaysim.

          The only way to get that last discount is if you stay with them until you die and never switch.

        • djsweet on 10/07/2018 - 14:13

          @c0balt: You get a credit for the first month on your second bill. You get a credit for your second to last month on your last bill. The only bill you never get the credit for is your last bill. Still struggling to see how you miss out on two credits.

        • c0balt on 10/07/2018 - 14:18

          @djsweet:

          Your first bill is not discounted. You will be paying it in full. This is a missed discount.

          The last bill you get will have the discount from the previous month. You forfeit the next discount because you are leaving Amaysim and won't be getting a bill = you miss out on that discount.

          I'm really struggling to see how you could think otherwise. Perhaps you think your first bill will have the $150 credit applied to it. It doesn't matter as you will still not be getting a discount based on your usage, it's a separate promotion and you still miss out on a usage discount on the first month.

        • djsweet on 10/07/2018 - 14:22

          @c0balt: I understand that. Say I am with Amaysim for Jan, Feb and March (March is my last month).
          Jan (Jan usage paid), Feb (Feb usage - Jan discount), March (March usage - Feb discount). 3 months. 2 discounts. I feel we must have a fundamental difference in understanding of how this works.

        • c0balt on 10/07/2018 - 14:27

          @djsweet:

          No you don't understand, because if you did you would have realised that you don't get a discount in April because you forfeited your March discount when you moved providers.

          So despite paying for March with Feb's discount, you are forfetting the March discount and you never got a Jan discount = 2 missed discounts.

          I'm done with this, if you still want to say it's 1 discount missed then go ahead - you are wrong.

        • djsweet on 10/07/2018 - 14:42

          @c0balt: I know you're "done with this" but could someone else please explain why you don't get to have Jan's discount in Feb?

        • HighAndDry on 10/07/2018 - 15:41

          @c0balt: Yo c0balt, I think you've double-counted the missed discount.

          Say you're with them for 6 months, Jan to June (both inclusive):

          Jan (no discount)
          Feb (discount from Jan)
          Mar (discount from Feb)
          Apr (discount from Mar)
          May (discount from Apr)
          Jun (discount from May)

          You pay for 6 months, and get 5 discounts. So you miss out on one month of discount.

          You've counted both Jan as a missed discount, but using that logic Jun isn't a missed discount - you still got a discount in Jun. Or if you're using discounts earned, Jun's earned discount is missed, but Jan's isn't (it's just applied in Feb).

    • c0balt on 10/07/2018 - 13:34

      The discounts are on the next bill, not current one.

      I played nice with Amaysim when trying to claim my sign up bonus (pair of headphones) and after 2 months of them saying I would get it after X deadline (with me having proof of them saying this, very important to always make sure to copy/paste online chat transcripts to a word doc), that they then said I was never eligible for it in the first place.

      I submitted a claim on the EWOV website (energy ombudsman in Victoria), and within a couple of weeks of standing my ground - I had the headphones delivered.

      Screw Amaysim, but they are the cheapest in my area for electricity. I'll be changing as soon as there's a cheaper option.

      I wasn't the only one, quite a few people had to make complaints to the ombudsman in their area from a recentish deal.
      https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/368935

  • rompastompa on 10/07/2018 - 14:12

    At least you guys over east get to be mislead… ;)

  • funtooskool on 10/07/2018 - 15:24

    This is how they calculated my first bill, Yes, discount is calculated on current bill and the amount will be adjusted in next bill

    Total Charge $296
    Discount : 35%

    Amaysim's method
    Calculation = $296-$150 (sign-up rebate) = $146 and 35% discount on $146 which will be adjusted next bill

    where as they should have calculated as below, discount should be applied on the usage charges before any rebates are applied
    Calculation = $296-103.6(discount 35%)=$192
    Rebate = 192-150 = $42.4 ??

    • HighAndDry on 10/07/2018 - 15:44

      I mean, yes the second calculation is better for the consumer, but I don't see any reason, in either the definition or how it's worded, why the rebate should come after the discount and not before. (As opposed to if it was called, say, a "credit" - which would have to be applied after, because credits get applied at the payment stage).

  • HardQuiz on 19/07/2018 - 09:19

    The updated pricing makes Amaysim Energy seem competitive but the dodgy practices are making me suspicious.

    I may just stick to jumping between AGL and Energy Australia, the devils I know.

  • tunzafun001 on 20/07/2018 - 10:36

    So what happens in my case. They couldn't access/ do a reading on the 3Rd quarter. So they did an estimate that is significantly too high (almost a quarter over). So if I leave after the 4th quarter they will need to give me a refund on my final bill after a reading. Could I argue I didn't use any power in my final bill cycle, it was all in the quarter before. Therefore, not exposed to any full price power on the final bill?

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