Last month I wrote about pushy reps with a neat sales patter and a blind eye to the details in the contract. How's this for a follow-up. I recently visited my local c-store where Hari, the owner, was fuming over his quarterly electricity bill. Without his knowledge, he had been switched from London Electricity Board (LEB) to NPower and his bill had shot up. It transpired that an NPower rep had called at the store in Hari's absence and had extolled the virtues of switching suppliers to the under-manager. Cheaper electricity was promised. The under-manager pointed out that he had no authority to make an agreement. The rep said he understood, but asked him to sign a document that would prove to his boss that he had made the call. Then, back at head office, NPower advised the LEB that it had a signature authorising the switch and LEB duly complied. By the time Hari had untangled the facts nothing could be done about the current bill. Unofficial advice for handling this situation is, when the final demand comes, stall for as long as possible (at least until supply is switched back to the original supplier). Then let the interlopers sing for their money. A court would be interested in the salesman's tactics. Lawyers will not give you this advice, however. So, remember that contracts are written in favour of the proferring company and independent businesses sometimes need to fly by the seat of their pants. Be robust in the face of corporate pressure. {{GROCER CLUB }}