EON Next, disability torture

tasha198518

Can someone please fact check me that this isn't totally unreasonable and put me at complete disadvantage or if I've become self entitled because to be fair I haven't been out in 3 years due to social phobia so maybe it's changed. 

Went through to Eon Next to ask if they could help with a credit until I was next able to top up as I've had a hard month. I have done this twice prior but the last time was 2 years ago so not regular and I knew I would be repaying. Normally, I wouldn't ask at all but I'd end up without any electric for 7 days and no family or friends to help with even cooking or keeping food fresh, I wouldn't care for me but I have a 10 yr old and need to meet his basic needs as his only parent.

I advised that I was struggling a little due to my anxiety and money being a trigger, the agent advised I needed to video the meter first, I asked if any alternatives as it's tricky as I have mental and physical impairments and the meter position is horrible, I was told no, or only option was £20 to keep me on supply until I could try again, I didn't have an issue trying, just hurting myself getting info that could easily be given, so I waited, so I asked if they could tell me how many seconds to stay on each screen they wanted recording so I could do the task without hurting myself trying to find the information, if I even could. That agent and the 2nd agent refused clarity past "flick through with enough time to see the info", agent 3 came on after them, I explained the difficulty I had gaining clarity for that info and asked if he'd mind giving me an actual figure or at least a guide as I couldn't see what was on the screen due to positioning, after 2-3 attempts I narrowed it down to a couple which I took as 2, I'd have left 30 so wouldn't have sent. Standing for long periods hurts and I really just wanted it over with because of the interaction so I wanted it right the first time. I then realised, I didn't actually know what I had to do in terms of button pushes, key etc as I still couldn't see, he refused to clarify, I attempted to ask for those 2 pieces of information over 20 times in multiple different ways and asked yes or no if I'd got it right when I tried to guess and was denied that too so I went out to the meter, squatted down and couldn't get square on enough with the screen cos of the meter to see any info to know what to do. When it was clear I wasn't getting clarity, I asked if there were any alternative ways as I would have to just guess if I was getting it right, I was told no and no credit without the video, no amount whatsoever could be issued until that video was sent. It was now late in the night, I didn't know when my emergency would go and I knew once it went, I had no way of even contacting them to sort anything later so I had no choice, I had to get it done somehow, I tried from 11pm-7am and couldn't get the angle right to video the screen to even see what was happening. I asked him to clarify it was press the button to change on every screen and he told me the screens would change automatically, we couldn't see anything like he meant on there and not 1 person I asked from Eon has responded to me about it cos that was blatantly obvious to me an attempt to confuse me. All through this I was trying to explain how severely this was affecting my MH, the fact I was desperate for the credit or face a week with a possibility of losing my son not being able to meet his needs and how much I couldn't do what was being asked. I was the closest ive ever been to hospitalisation for the first time and I've had psychotic symptoms and episodes most of my life. I begged numerous times to speak to someone else as I couldn't work out on messenger how to abort 1 and get another, for just enough credit so I can guarantee I had some time to calm down and maybe try again as by that point, it wouldn't have mattered what advise they'd given me, I was shaking like a leaf, audibly moaning and struggling to catch my breath, so I wasnt in any state. I didn't just dump that either I was explaining how bad it was getting. Agent 4, explained what had happened and so far I'd been doing it for 22 hours and how I just don't have anything else left, she repeated she needed the video or no credit, I sent her the video, she accepted and then said I needed to do a survey about money management before credit, I asked if I could maybe have until the end of the day or something cos I really didn't think I could handle it, she refused to I tried it twice, took me 3 mins to remember and type my name and then both times it kicked me out entering account number, agent 4 said no survey no credit and by that time I'd realised they'd leave me with no intention of helping until I either collapsed and was hospitalised so couldn't sort it or my power went and I couldn't contact them so I accepted the fact I'd have to just cope cos I'd done everything I could and more. Agent 5 told me agents were only following protocol and 6 - the manager, has told me that she's sorry I was left a long time between messages and that info wasn't clear enough. I'm on priority services as vulnerable. My smart meter install came and I apologised to the engineer for how much I was falling apart and a brief why, he then informed me I had 3 days where I can't get cut off which has given me some time on supply to think so I'm not on such a tight deadline to sort it. As it happens, my emergency didn't go either, I was down to pence though by the install, one of the last 2 agents offered £30 goodwill credit for my trouble and another advisor said they'd put it on and the original also came back to assure me it had been done... Not on my meter or app it hasn't, so I'll still be off supply for a few days at max as they never did issue the loan credit but I should hopefully be able to source money somehow. I'll never ever be brave enough to ask for help again though.

Now, have I gone mad or have 4 of them not just absolutely obliterated every law made to protect vulnerable people from this but then 2 others have accepted it as totally normal. I am still struggling like hell 2 days later and the response from the manager was a joke making it seem like my MH was the issue and I was having a tantrum over doing a video and all any of the agents were guilty of was not giving me enough info unintentionally. It's bothering me so much cos it seems like paranoia but I cannot think of a single reason they'd have for specifically targeting me except MH grounds but I also can't see this happening often or surely lots would know. Is anyone a customer and can confirm cos my head is in a spin and I'm thinking all sorts.

rebel11

As you have health issues, what you can do it contact Citizens Advice Bureau, they have an Extra Help Unit who can contact Eon on your behalf to help resolve issues for you. 

Adrian_Scope

Hi @tasha198518, really sorry to hear how much you've struggled with this. I've sent you an email with a couple of questions, so please keep a look out for that.