National Markets and Competition Commission (CNMC) intensified control efforts on how major energy companies market their energy. rates electric And natural gas. On-site checks were carried out ‘spy’ investigators People who pretend to be customers to purchase different products and services offered by the company.
Using the mystery shopper technique, meaning a fictitious consumer who purchases energy or services, but also asks questions or makes complaints via phone and online customer service, the competition last year included more than 850 participants both in Turkey and abroad to evaluate the commercial practices of energy groups. More procedures were performed. electricity and gas markets.
Fake customers tested companies by trying to sign new products or tariffs, trying to terminate an existing contract, requesting information on how or by how much contract strength to reduce, or activating a claim. The companies analyzed in the research are marketers of electricity and gas in the regulated and free markets of major energy groups (iberdrola, Endesa, Nature, repsol and Total Energies) and other smaller companies.
confusing information
CNMC reports that it was detected during the investigation lack of transparency Providing information to the consumer when a service contract is made. The agency found insufficient pre-contract information from many marketers in phone conversations and, in some cases, contracts were closed during the call, preventing the customer from looking at the details of the offer terms. It was found that one marketer did not even have a telephone channel, while another marketer applied excessive telephone wait times for withdrawals and claims.
The researchers also warn of “confusing information” presented to consumers about the mechanism that imposes a limit on the ‘Iberian exception’. gas price It is used to generate electricity to reduce it meant the final price of electricity and the majority of consumers paying additional compensation included in their price (the regulation has not been implemented since February, as gas does not exceed the price cap).
Competition also means difficulty or direct Impossibility of contracting entirely online with regulated market ratesBoth electricity and gas have been cheaper than free market rates in recent months, thanks to public subsidies or different adjustments and restrictions imposed by the Government due to the energy crisis. The report, approved by the CNMC, only highlights identified problems or bad practices, but does not specify which company each corresponds to.
legal reforms
CNMC will communicate any deficiencies identified in their processes directly to energy companies and monitor to verify whether the groups have implemented relevant corrective measures. But the agency is calling for various regulatory changes from the Executive to ensure that the information provided by marketers to their clients is accurate, as this is “crucial so they can understand the products they are contracting for and make informed decisions”. contracting
In this sense, the Competition proposes to force marketers in the regulated market to have a channel over the Internet that allows them to fully (rather than partially) contract the regulated gas and electricity tariff, and also to force marketers to record the entire commercial conversation. Including pre-contractual information containing key features of the offer, regardless of who prepared it.