So I had just come back from a job interview Friday afternoon and was sitting at my computer drafting a thank you email to those who interviewed me, when I heard a loud knock at my door.
Hardly anyone comes knocking at my apartment door and unless I’m expecting someone from maintenance or am waiting on a delivery from Amazon, or it is my next door neighbor asking to borrow my meat thermometer or my snow shovel, or … I’m always leery of opening my door.
I looked through the peep hole and saw a guy dressed in what I would describe as “work clothes” and holding a clip board and wearing some sort of name badge, so cautiously I opened the door but leaving the chain on.
“Can I help you?”
He said, “Hello. I’m with your utility company. Are you in charge of the utilities at this location?”
I thought that was a weird question. What location? In charge of the utilities for the apartment complex, my building, my apartment? Not to mention the fact I have more than one “utility company” and he didn’t say he was from either First Energy or Columbia Gas.
(FWIW, I did have someone from First Energy come to my door a few weeks ago, showing me his picture ID and identifying himself, giving me his name and ID number, telling me First Energy was replacing/upgrading the electric meters in the building and that I might experience a brief power outage. But looking outside, I also saw two First Energy work trucks parked out front.)
So I asked this guy again, “What are you asking me?”
“Are you in charge of paying the utility bills here?”
“And WHY are you asking me this?”
“Did you receive our letter on the upcoming rate increase?”
“No” I said. “You didn’t receive our letter?” “No” I said again.
Since I do all my bill paying on line and do not get paper bills, 99% of the mail I receive goes straight to the shredder and then into the recycling bin. If I had received an envelope from either my actual electric or gas company, I would have opened it.
Then he held up his clip board which had behind a plastic sheet, what looked like a copy of an electric bill and a gas bill and said;
“I need to see a copy of your most recent electric bill and gas bill”.
“You NEED to see these – WHY???”
“I need to see them so we can determine if you are paying too much.”
Aside from the fact that he didn’t NEED to see a copy of my utility bills and the fact, again, I do everything electronically and I sure as heck wasn’t going to have him come inside while I logged on and printed copies out for him, I then noticed his name badge (and with no photo on it) had the name of some company I’d never heard of before – I don’t recall what it was but it started with a U – UCONO or USESSO or something like that. So I smiled and said, “Yea, like no - not interested” and slammed the door shut.
Here is the deal.
After doing some quick research on line, I found it’s a scam.
What these door to door “salesmen” or “saleswomen” do is misrepresent themselves as being from your gas and or electric company and after getting a copy of your gas and or electric bill and getting you to sign a form that they will tell you is just allowing them to search for getting you a better rate, what they do is use the information from your bill; your name, address and most importantly your account numbers and use that to switch your energy providers. It’s called “Slamming” and often ends up costing you a lot more.
If anyone comes to your door asking to see or to give them a copy of your gas and or electric bill or for your account number – DON’T DO IT! Also don’t give your account numbers to anyone over the phone. And of course never sign anything without reading thoroughly and understanding what you are signing. Also check your utility bill every month to check your supplier and if you’ve been illegally slammed.
Energy deregulation is not necessarily a bad thing but there are some bad and unscrupulous players out there.
http://www.wgal.com/article/8-on-your-side-electric-supply-scam-going-door-to-door/5939714http://ausenergy.com/2014/02/electric-slamming-and-how-to-prevent-it/
