Concerning Sales Communication & Extremely Poor Complaint Handling – Proceed with Caution I chose Octopus because of their reputation for transparency and customer-first values. Unfortunately, my experience was quite the opposite—unclear sales communication, extensive delays, and a refusal to take full accountability when challenged. The Issue During a sales call about solar panels, I was led to believe that an EV charger would be included as part of the package. The exact words used by the representative were: “If you get an electric car in the future, just let me know and we will give you an EV charging point, so, we will give you a charger and then we will switch your tariff to be something called Intelligent Octopus tariff.” When I later asked about the charger, I was told I had misunderstood—even though at no point had additional costs been mentioned. What Happened Next? • When I questioned this, I was repeatedly told the call recording confirmed no such promise was made. • After months of pushing, I finally obtained the recording through a Subject Access Request—and it confirmed exactly what I had remembered. • Octopus’s response? Instead of acknowledging any misunderstanding, they simply claimed the wording was “unfortunate” but not misleading. • Even worse, they outright stated that even if their representative had explicitly promised the charger for free, they would not be required to honour that promise. So, in their own words, they do not feel responsible for what their salespeople say on calls. This was a shocking response. Extremely Poor Complaint Handling Beyond the original issue, the way my complaint was handled was frustrating at best: • I was promised callbacks that never came. • Weeks went by with no updates. • I had to chase relentlessly just to get basic responses. • My concerns were repeatedly minimized and dismissed. • By the time I got an actual response, months had passed. Final Thoughts Octopus has decided that I wasn’t misled—despite the clear wording on the call. That’s their stance. But if you’re reading this, listen to the wording yourself and judge whether or not I was given a reasonable expectation of a free charger. Ultimately, I didn’t take this to the Ombudsman because I was exhausted by the process. And that, I suspect, is exactly what Octopus counts on—people giving up. This isn’t just about the cost of a charger. It’s about trust. Octopus has made it clear that what their salespeople say on calls does not necessarily have to be honoured. If that’s the case, how can any customer ever feel secure in what they’re being told? If you’re considering Octopus, proceed with caution. Ask for everything in writing. Don’t assume that verbal assurances from their sales team will be upheld—because, by their own response, they won’t necessarily stand by them.