Two teenage representatives of Just Energy were going door to door in our neighborhood this evening. When you answer the door they flash their “badges”, ask to speak to whoever pays the utility bill and state that they,
“have to see your latest utility bills to confirm that the name Just Energy appears on the bill”
The general intent of their approach is mild intimidation designed to play on the ignorance of many consumers who may feel that something is indeed wrong if “Just Energy” does not appear on their utility bill. When asked if they are representing and ESCO their reaction becomes nervous as if they know they have a consumer who knows it’s a scam and they try to dance around the subject before admitting that they represent an Energy Supply Company. They then still insist that they NEED to see a copy of my bill.
When I told them “no you don’t, please leave” they don’t leave, proceed to try do convince me that I’m wrong. They then insist that I have to take a piece of paper from them outlining my rights under the ESCO Consumers Bill of Rights. Duh, I know my rights. I have the option to switch to an ESCO should I choose to do so, but I am not required to switch to an ESCO as is implied by their approach.
The flashing of badges and insistence that they must see my bill (as if they ARE the utility company and are looking for errors so they can correct them) is something that is designed to prey on unsuspecting consumers who don’t know any better.
If they simply stated from the beginning that they represent one of the ESCOs that I have the option to switch to and they’d like to discuss with me how they may be able to save me money on my utility bills, fine, I’d like to hear what they have to say. BUT – that isn’t their approach.
These corporations are dancing around the rules, weaving creatively deceptive sales techniques all designed to mislead customers and rip them off. This is basically a rehash of the old telephone service company “slamming” process that was problematic years ago.
The Public Service Commission and the Attorney General’s office need to fully investigate these companies, their sales techniques and press charges. What really gets me is “Just Energy” is apparently an alternate business name for US Energy that has basically harassed us with phone calls that use similar sales techniques meant to make you think they are calling as representatives of NYSEG or RG&E.
Again, as soon as you back them into a conversational corner about who they really are they panic. US Energy only stopped calling after I told their rep to remove me from their list and if they called me again it would be harassment. Instead they send two naive teenagers who have obviously been instructed to follow a very specific skit under a different company name. Please do something to protect utility customers in this state and clamp down on this fraud.
I highly doubt some random sale kids could come up with a script like that. It has to come from their manager or upper manager who approve such thing.
It is very disgusting that the same company would only say that the sale tactics used by their sales agents are "unauthorized", that if they get caught.
I can see innocent vulnerable people falling for this, and have them paying more than they have to because it is a big profit. This is a legalized robbery.
You may file a complaint against this company and their sale tactics at New York State Public Service Commission.
Exactly, they are follow a script their area manager has provided to them. I'm sure the company would totally deny they told these kids to use those words. I called the NYS PSC, submitted a complaint via their web page and have written a letter to the editor of the local paper outlining this issue.