Consumerist
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scams
Another Story About IDT Energy's Door-To-Door Scams
Here's another report of IDT Energy using the old "We need to make sure you got a discount on your last energy bill, just sign here" tactic to trick people into switching to IDT Energy. In this post written by Amanda, a blogger in the Adirondacks, she describes how a guy with a badge and clipboard showed up at her door, saying he was checking to make sure she got a discount off her last bill. He had her go get her latest bill, then,
"He proceeded to tsk tsk tsk about the absence of my discount. "Not a problem. I can take care of this for you and make sure you get the discount you signed up for." He was writing on a form, covering the majority with his arm. I craned my neck to look. He pivoted.
(snip part where salesman acts super creepy...) More »
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complaints
IDT Energy Still Scamming New York Residents
It looks like IDT Energy sales reps are back to their old tricks of getting customers to switch from ConEd by posing as ConEd workers and using misleading sales tactics. S.J. in Brooklyn has the report... More » -
new york
How To Spot IDT As They Snake Up Manhattan's Spine
A reader on Manhattan's Upper West Side spotted an IDT energy salesman going door-to-door this week. The tipster nabbed a copy of IDT's enrollment forms so you know what to look for when the scammy salesmen try to wrangle you into signing up for services that can triple the cost of your energy bill. The IDT representative said he was winding his way north to the tip of Manhattan with plans to reach 125th Street in time for Christmas. More » -
investigations
Consumerist Undercover At IDT Energy: Table Of Contents
In case you missed any of 7-part undercover report on IDT-Energy, Midtown Promotions, and the fabulous worlds of energy resale and multi-level-marketing, here's a recap: More » -
investigations
Consumerist Undercover At IDT Energy: The Confession
After only three days with Midtown Promotions, I could already tell that I'd wait weeks, maybe months or a full year before coming upon hard evidence of fraud, if I found any evidence at all. After leaving James and Doreen in the Bronx, I took the afternoon off and went to work on these diaries. More »
3:35 PM on Fri Jun 8 2007
By consumerintern
12,781 views, 48 commentsLatest by waddsworth: I think the problem with this article is that it set out to find a specific piece of evidence to more »
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investigations
Consumerist Undercover At IDT Energy: The Meltdown
From the moment I met up with James, and Doreen, who was going our way, things began to fall apart. Eric told me to follow James, not Carl, who was going solo. I was to listen to James' instructions, follow his example, and go to wherever he decided we should spend the day. Today was Mt. Vernon, NY, almost 90 minutes from the offices of Midtown Promotions. More »
5:53 PM on Thu Jun 7 2007
By Ben Popken
14,674 views, 68 commentsLatest by Ben Popken: Mantari, never ever do that again. Thank you. more »
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investigations
Consumerist Undercover At IDT Energy: Status Report
If you're just now tuning in, we've been doling out daily pieces of our multi-part investigation into IDT-Energy. They're an energy reseller in the New York area and we've received multiple complaints about their salesperson's dressing as ConEd workers and doing other funny stuff at the door to get people to sign over. So we sent in Brian Fairbanks undercover to get hired at Midtown Promotions, a direct-sales marketing company IDT-Energy contracted to get subscribers. More »
3:11 PM on Thu Jun 7 2007
By Ben Popken
2,334 views, 24 commentsLatest by jurgis: Yeah, "the Meltdown" was posted yesterday after this... most of us did complain that it was fairly weak investigative journalism more »
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new york
IDT Energy Scammer Spotted On Upper East Side
A reader living on the Upper East Side describes almost being scammed not an hour ago by an IDT Energy salesman pretending they were from ConEd. This was around 62nd street between 1st and 2nd avenues. If you live in the area, keep an eye, and maybe a camera lens, out for as an African-American male in his 20's wearing khakis, dress shoes, and a buttoned up shirt and probably carrying a binder. Jeremy writes:
I work from home and was in the middle of a busy period when a young man came to my door saying that he worked for ConEd or that he was doing some work for ConEd — he definitely identified himself with ConEd. Anyways, he told me he that he was doing work in the building and that he needed to see my bill to check if I had a message on it indicating that I was one of the ones in the building who would be getting a discount next month. Well, chock it up to me being distracted or just plain gullible, but I never even thought for a second that it was a scam. He seemed like he was merely performing a check, not anything more. He then proceed to tell me that I was, in fact, one of the lucky ones, and that I'd be seeing a 7% discount starting next month (all the while making notations on my bill, supposedly indicating where the savings would come from).
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investigations
Consumerist Undercover At IDT Energy: The Meeting
Before the morning meeting started, I left my man-purse on a set of boxes right by the blackboard, with the microphone discreetly poking out of the pocket. More »
1:38 PM on Wed Jun 6 2007
By Ben Popken
13,457 views, 34 comments -
consumer alert
Questions To Ask Before Switching To An Energy Reseller
A guy may come to your door pitching the fabulous savings you'll get by switching to an energy reseller. But before you sign on the line which is dotted, ask these questions: More »
idt energy
New York, 2:29 AM
Fri Dec 5
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