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Bait and switch: my mum just tried changing to Sumo for electricity, they signed her up to a more expensive plan with a different tariff to what was discussed over the phone. (aussie.zone)
submitted 1 week ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
4 comments fedilink hide all child comments

I can't begin to fathom how stupid this is.

  1. My mum and I sat down with the energymadeeasy website and a copy of her last bill. We found what looked like a good plan: Sumo Spark SUM874100MRE2 (archived) single-rate at 73.15c/day and 29.70c/kwh.

  1. My mum rang them up and asked to change to it.

  2. My mum quoted the exact prices (73.15c/day and 29.70c/kwh) as well as the plan code (SUM874100MRE2). They replied by saying those prices will change on July 1st and quoted us back some numbers a few percent higher than those two. Mum said yes.

  3. Sumo emailed us the following "Offer Summary":

Wat. That's a completely different plan.

  1. Mum rang them today and asked them about it, they said it's all they can do because our new smart meter is of that tariff type. We told them we have never been told about a tariff change or agreed to one. They said that because we're in the cooling off period with them we can cancel and we "should" go back to our old provider and old tariff, so my mum did.

We're left feeling dazed, scammed and confused. I've just looked through my mum's emails from the old electricity provider (dodo) and they notified us about the smart meter change, but no mentions have been made about tariff changes. I double checked and our last bill from them was single tariff.

Q1: Who do we complain to about the bait and switch? AER?

Q2: Who actually changes the tariff? The old supplier (silently), the new supplier (silently), the grid operator (ausgrid), someone else?

Q3: How do we work out what tariff we're going to be on? Can I lookup the meter number and find out, or just have to wait for the old supplier to re-enable our account (we can't login today) to find out?

Q4: Do we get to choose what tariff we're on?

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[-] [email protected] 7 points 1 week ago

I reckon the AER, but may as well hit up consumer affairs, the accc and the ombudsman while you're at it.

[-] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

It's not really a bait and switch, I mentioned it here:

https://aussie.zone/comment/17303195

For everyone else you want to wait until all retailers have announced their price increases

From 1 July 2025, prices will rise across the 3 areas. Residential consumers will see increases ranging from 0.5% to 9.7% depending on their usage and location. The price rises for small businesses will range from 0.8% to 8.5%, depending on the same factors.

https://www.energy.gov.au/news/australian-energy-regulator-releases-new-default-electricity-prices

So very likely most/all electricity retailers will pass this on, some just earlier than others

You can read more about the DMO here: https://www.perplexity.ai/search/what-is-the-default-market-off-Z3IAZFBBRs6A1T6HP_PcUw

The effective date is: 1 July 2025

you basically got caught signing up right in the middle of plan updates when prices are changing and it looks like the energy made easy website hasn't been updated yet

In terms of the new tariff:

Beware Tariff Changes

Once your smart meter has been installed, be aware your Distributed Network Service Provider (DNSP) may assign you the default network tariff for smart meters in your area. As a result, the rates under the plan with your retailer could change; for better or for worse depending on your situation.

For example, instead of being charged a flat rate for all electricity usage, you may be switched to Time-of-Use (ToU), where rates vary depending on when mains electricity is consumed. Whether you’ll be able to switch back to a flat tariff depends on the DNSP and your electricity retailer. The DNSP may not allow it; or the retailer may not offer a flat rate option for smart meter customers.

https://www.solarquotes.com.au/blog/smart-meter-rights-mb3112/

[-] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago

It’s not really a bait and switch, I mentioned it here

Huh? Lost and confused sorry.

My mum had a phonecall with the energy company where they both agreed to what was happening. Then the company put her on a completely different plan.

you basically got caught signing up right in the middle of plan updates when prices are changing and it looks like the energy made easy website hasn’t been updated yet

They told my mum the new July 1 prices over the phone. Then they emailed her to tell her she was put on a completely different plan with completely different prices.

[-] [email protected] 1 points 1 week ago

They replied by saying those prices will change on July 1st and quoted us back some numbers a few percent higher than those two

I don't know the specifics of the phone call, if you're trying to look out for other people you could try https://www.sumo.com.au/contact-us/complaint and have them review the call (all calls are recorded for training and verification) and go from there

tbh I'd chalk it up to a plan mixup or miscommunication rather than some malicious intent to secretly get you on a plan you didn't sign up for and then literally email you the plan with all the details on it right after the call

this post was submitted on 30 Jun 2025
11 points (100.0% liked)

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