Utility Scam
 

Be Aware!

When you arrive in Canada, move into your nice new home, condo or rental, you WILL get a knock on the door.

A nice guy with a clip board and ID card will say he is from the utility provider and he needs you to sign a form so that they can get the power and gas on. This is a scam ! !

In Toronto or GTA no one will get you to sign anything at the door. They will contact by phone or mail or you or your solicitor will contact them. Toronto hydro (leky)or enbridge (gas)

Summit, direct energy, and others will try to get you to sign for a 5 year fix rate plan. They are not from the utility company they are a more exspensive go between.

Eg.

Summit gas........35c per unit
Enbridge.............11c per unit

Google summit energy complaints and see for your self. We had these guys round and told em to go away. My neighbour, 3 years ago, got signed up when they moved in, and is paying 3 times more for both utilities now.

Just a warning. Be aware. This happens in Canadas free economy.

Re: Utility Scam
 

Didn't happen to us.

We sorted it before we moved into our new home.

Does anyone move into a new home without utilities sorted?

Re: Utility Scam
 

Are these guys in any way connected to the annoying people who phone saying that my "Windows" operating system is sending out viruses etc and that they can fix it for me etc:thumbsup:

Re: Utility Scam
 

Yes it's a world wide conspiracy.

Re: Utility Scam
 

Not if you bought your home. Even so, lets say you buy a house, a condo, or town house in a condo. They would still come round and say that thay need to check you are on the right rate, or some other excuse to see your bill. Then they switch you over.

If you renting then its the same. You need to have an accoumt with the big companies before they can swop your billing over.

As it says on all the web sites they pretend to be from the utilities, but Summit and Direct Energy are just a reseller who will lock customers into an inflated rate. Not that they will say they are summit.

If this thread warns some one then it is worth the few mins to type it out. Its hard coming to a new country with dif rules. Theres no condo's in the uk so how would you know?

Re: Utility Scam
 

Close....

Its also got links with the hot water rental scam in Ontario. We had both at the door when we moved last month. And they both were told to f off.

Thats how i found out next door got scammed and i kept putting off telling on here. But have done now.

Hope it helps some one not to get scammed.

Re: Utility Scam
 

:confused:

Re: Utility Scam
 

Is there a video?

Re: Utility Scam
 

Ok condo life in the uk is not as popular, in a terrace house (town hse here) is not usually a condo area. Well not up norf anyhow.

Re: Utility Scam
 

There very nearly was. But i forgot and just said f off twat instead.

If they ever return. There will be a video and it will go to the Ontario utility board first.

Re: Utility Scam
 

I've never seen this in Canada either :confused:

Re: Utility Scam
 

Condo's can be anything that the out side needs or is being kept by the condo managment. Whether it be a semi detached detached town or apartment. We lived in a town condo when we first arrived. We rented so the landlady paid the $300 month fee.

We got free rogers and no water bill. And the snow cleared from the garden and ice from the roof

Re: Utility Scam
 

I remember you, you're coolmum1's hubby? I thought I recognised the name...;) How are you all doing, apart from the scam stuff I mean? :D

Re: Utility Scam
 

You mean Strata

Re: Utility Scam
 

Elrico i can only tell it as i see it. And we lived in a condo town house unit. All the paper work had condo # 12 ? ? on it and a condo fee was paid. Maybe just an Ontario ting.

But that is not what this is about.

Its just a heads up for any new migrants to look out for this scam. When you move to your new chosen country the leaches will be out to get your cash.

Edit. Ok a quick wiki check and yes in BC it is known as a strata. In Ontario it is a condo unit. But a utility scam is still a utility scam, and they do operate in BC too.

Re: Utility Scam
 

The bastards. :thumbdown:

Don't know anybody who's had contact like this thank goodness

Re: Utility Scam
 

Where I used to work they would call in every three months or so. Always came mob handed and were really unpleasant. Impervious to being told to **** off I generally had to threaten to call the Police to get rid of them.

Re: Utility Scam
 

You're forgetting something...

the law states that there is a cooling off period. One of the items they take from you at the door is your phone number. These companies are legally required to call you to confirm that you were the one who signed the contract (this must occur within a certain number of days of the signature, I think it's 7 or 10).

So you must not only sign the contract at the door, but verbally acknowledge that you authorise the switch before the agreement is binding.

Cancelling on the phone still gives the seller at the door their commission.

Re: Utility Scam
 

Its 10 days.

Its called a reafermation call, and they ask you to say yes i signed a form for gas at the door last week.

But. When they call, you need to know its a scam to say no.

I have read that in some cases they still sign you up even if you say no, or just dont ring and go ahead any how.

Best not to let them in in the first place like james m did.