Michigan gas users, have any of you seen these guys?

[sailor65]

So I'm sitting in my living room, knock at the door. There's a young guy on the porch with a clipboard and a hanging ID badge with the name of some unknown gas entity on it. He says that it is his company's job to make sure the gas users are "Locked in" to their rates. All he needs to verify that I'm "Protected" is to see a copy of my gas bill (Yeah, right). Very pushy and won't answer the question of who contracted him. So I tell him I'm busy (Buy time to check it out). It seems with the Gas Choice in Michigan, second tier suppliers are essentially "Slamming" the way the phone companies used to.

With the "POD" number on your bill, this guy can automatically switch you to the new service without you even knowing it. And when you do figure it out, they are allowed to charge a "Termination fee" of several hundred dollars to get out of it.

Back he comes and I tell him nice try but take a hike. He says everyone has to "Verify" their locked rates by presenting a bill and I tell him to take said hike a whole lot less nicely this time. He's now going to "Consult with his supervisor" about whether we can be excluded from the verification. "I'll ba back with the answer, but you probably won't be excluded." So I tell him coming back would be a big mistake.

So if he comes back, I have a nice surprise waiting for him. The Sheriff's deputy that lives across the street and is currently grilling burgers and watching my front porch. I don't expect the guy will bother coming back anyway.

So have any other Michigan DUers come up against this? Is this even legal? I always thought they quashed this with the phone companies.

[notesdev]

1. At the minimum, it's tresspassing

in some states that gives you the right to shoot him

[sailor65]

I figured that much, which is why

the Deputy that lives across the street is waiting to see if he comes back.

[sailor65]

2. Delete, I'm in dupe hell

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

17. Shooting someone who rings the doorbell is probably a bad idea

at least in Michigan.

If they don't force their way into the house, you probably shouldn't pull the trigger. If you do, then real quick pull the body into the house before anyone sees it on the porch. That should work, you'll be fine.

:hi:

[sailor65]

21. And if I drag him into the house,

I can take his clipboard, so my neighbors won't get screwed!

Why can't I think of these things in the moment? :rofl:

[Canuckistanian]

3. This scam is being investigated in Canada

It's even been the subject of an investigative report on our CBC:
http://www.cbc.ca/marketplace/2009/power_of_persuasion/about_the_energy_retailers.html

The tactics used by these scum are outrageous. They say things like "your neighbors have all signed up, but we can't authorize a deal until YOU sign up". Things like that. Pressure, pressure, pressure.

And of course, they prefer to pick on the elderly.

I don't know if these bloodsuckers use the same names in America, but the companies are called Direct Energy and Universal Energy.

[sailor65]

4. He was definitely pushy

and what worried me is that I saw quite a few lines of information written on his clipboard, suggesting many of my neighbors did show their bills.

[MiniMe]

5. Had something similiar recently in Maryland

Same scenario with the clipboard and wanting to "see if they could save me money". Wouldn't answer any questions about who he was working for. Said all of my neighbors had done it. But if I didn't show him the bills now, I would be missing out. Told him I wasn't interested, let the dogs bark at him, and closed the door. Didn't trust it at all. I don't trust anything that has to be done "now" with no questions asked.

[susanna]

6. They've come through my neighborhood too.

He asked for a copy of my bill. and I told him "I don't think so; I don't show my personal correspondence to anyone." He said, "Oh, it's just to verify your address." I looked at him, looked up at the address on my house, and said, "I see."

Then I told him no thanks, but it took a few minutes for him to realize I wasn't going to budge. Tried the "supervisor" crap too. Told him if I wanted anything done re: my gas bills, I'd contact MichCon, not a bunch of folks I don't know who are annoying me by knocking on my door.

[sailor65]

Mine didn't try the address thing

but a neighbor did just come by to ask about him. From the look on her face, I'd guess he got her bill. I'm going to call the AG's office tomorrow to see whether I can help her.

[susanna]

11. You're a good neighbor.

I notified my neighbors when they came through the last time. Luckily none of us gave them anything. But you just know there are people who may not know better. I hate those scammers. It makes me furious. I didn't even think to report it to the AG, but if they come back I will certainly try.

[sailor65]

7. Mine didn't try the address thing

but a neighbor did just come by to ask about him. From the look on her face, I'd guess he got her bill. I'm going to call the AG's office tomorrow to see whether I can help her.

[Renew Deal]

22. You should probably contact your county and/or state attorney general.

Cause his sounds criminal.

[susanna]

35. Based on a link downthread, it's already being investigated here in MI.

But I will contact them to let them know my experience. Hope it will help.

[hunter]

8. Wow. But my favorites are the alarm company guys who look like they just got out of prison.

You answer the door and they stand too close and ask you to imagine all sorts of horrible things that might happen if you don't have an alarm system. That's usually when my dogs go all snarling Cujo on them and I have to block the door.

If I don't feel like playing with them I say "no thanks," while staring at them like I'm sizing them up for a fifty five gallon drum full of lye. And maybe these guys are thinking the lunatic with the dogs might be dangerous.

I hope so.

If I ran into one of these gas company guys and they were ripping off my elderly neighbors I'd probably call the police first, and then I'd ask if I could take their picture and walk them to their car. Cell phone cameras are great for that: you can do both things at once. But the odds are pretty good one of my neighbors would have already snagged them off the streets. We're a pretty tough crowd.

[notadmblnd]

9. No, I have had people come to my door from time to time

from various suppliers and have switched over and locked into a lower rate. However, I just switched last week when I received a letter from IGS energy. I was paying 10.74 per MCF and I switched over and locked in at 7.19 per MCF. This should save me a substantial amount. My contract says I can cancel without penalty within 30 days. You are entitled to switch once a year with no fee and a 10 fee if you switch more than that. If I come across a company that will save me more I will switch again.

[TahitiNut]

10. Universal Gas & Electric? Read this ....

http://boiledover.com/?p=122

[hunter]

13. Yep. Another fine example of the "Free Market" at work.

Sometimes We the People need to kill a corporation and throw a few executives in prison.

These guys sound like a good candidate.

[sailor65]

15. That's them!

I didn't recognize the name, but the logo jumped right out. That's the logo from the guy's badge.

[PA Democrat]

29. If he comes back demand information from HIM

and ask him to wait on your porch while you call your state attorney general's office to verify the legitimacy of his company.

[Mari333]

34. here is their website

do with it what you will

http://www.universalgasandelectric.com/about.htm

[Mari333]

12. thanks for the heads up here in MI

they come here and I will greet them with a ballpeen hammer.

[sarcasmo]

14. Telling them to take a hike was the right way to handle this situation. Online billing, we don't get

A paper bill.

[sailor65]

16. UPDATE: It's "Universal Gas & Electric"

http://boiledover.com/?p=122

Thanks to TahitiNut for the info!

Watch out for them!

[Renew Deal]

23. So are you correct about the "slamming?"

[sailor65]

25. Yes,

getting your gas bill gets them that POD number which will allow the new company to switch you without you doing anything intentional (The AG rep returned my phone call and said this has been happening, and is the focus of an investigation in his office).

[Orsino]

18. Photograph him. n/t

[sailor65]

20. Yeah, I thought about that this morning

I wish I had thought of it last night, he'd have probably run for cover like a cockroach!

[Echo In Light]

27. Yes. Do you have an outer/screen door you can leave closed/locked while...

...you snap a photo? He likely won't return after that.

[butterfly77]

19. Yes, and I am sick of them..

throughout the winter they have been sending me mailings..

[Bozita]

28. Getting those mailings too. Wondering if they precede the "gotta see yer bill" guy?

[butterfly77]

37. I've had the..

gotta see yer bill many times before I started receiving the mailings.

[Renew Deal]

24. Can we get this up to the greatest page for our friends in Michigan?

:kick:

[ColbertWatcher]

26. The first time many Americans heard about this kind of thing was ...

... during the summer of 2001 in California when Enron pulled their shit with electricity.

But, Enron has been pulling this shit with water for quite some time ... like in India, Argentina and Wessex.

I'm sure there are more, and that other DUers will post them.

[Locrian]

30. not in MI but yes in IN

Had the same thing: wanted to look at my bill and wanted to "lock me in" at 1.38 a therm. What a joke seeing it was like .90 at the time. They are rip off "speculators" nothing more. There is NO WAY they can offer any better deal.

[sandyj999]

31. Thanks for the information

I have a "no solicitors" sign on my door but if it's ignored I just don't go to the door and the dogs go looney. But I appreciate the heads up. They'll pick on the senior citizens as usual.

[noamnety]

36. I'm surprised at how many here answer the door for strangers.

I don't, I finally learned that excepting delivery trucks, there's not been one stranger who came to my door who was in need of help - every last one of them just wanted something from me - and everyone else on my street. I'm over the need to open the door on demand for every random stranger stopping at my house without an appointment.

[Habibi]

39. I'm with you on that.

We generally don't answer the door unless we're expecting visitors or a delivery. I've noticed that the new tactic is to ring/knock with decided *urgency* to make you think there's an emergency. Last time I answered such a knock, it was someone purporting to be from one of our local telecom companies wanting to make sure we "weren't paying too much for our service." Yeesh, took forever to get him off my porch.

Even the evangelists have copped that technique.

[noamnety]

40. If I feel like there might be an emergency

I tend to poke my head out the upstairs window or call through the window screen. I find it's easier for me to say "no thanks not interested" from a distance like that with a barrier in place than to close the door in their face as they are still talking at me.

[Habibi]

41. I keep meaning to get a

"No soliciting, this means YOU!" sign. Heh.

[dmr]

32. Yes. they came to my door.

This was just before winter set in: He wore work clothes similar to what a gas man would wear. He said he needed to see my bill to verify the rates.

I told him his office could do that by checking their computers because I sure don't share my info with strangers. He started to tell me he was there because of computer problems, but I interrupted his story-line to ask where is truck was parked; and I'd like to see his identification to call the gas company to verify. He said the truck was down the street, and he must have left his ID in the truck.

When he tried to bring the subject back to seeing my bill, I interrupted him again and told him to "go get it, NOW!"

I watched as he walk down the block a bit, where he stood for a while, stalling for time or maybe to figure what to do next. Eventually he got into a car and drove away. I called the sheriff's department with the car's description and tag, and his deception.

I do get on a regular basis wasteful mailings.

If someone tries again, I'll snap a pic with my cell phone, and call the Attorney General's office, which I should have done in the first place.

[bridgit]

33. Sounds like an updated 'traveler' scam

[etherealtruth]

38. I walked up to my mother's door to find one of these asses

They were pressuring her into finding her gas bill ... the fellow left after I requested he vacate the premises (perhaps there was an expletive or two thrown in ... do NOT "F" with my kids or my 70+ year old mother!)

[ColbertWatcher]

42. Kick. n/t