Info to help avoid a scam ...
Posted on the SPAM 'please block this number' forum :
2091847562 has called me several times in the past couple of days, so I picked up this afternoon. It turned out to be "Smart One Energy". She made it *sound* as if I was due a lowering of gas prices from PG&E (without actually saying that). She *implied* that she was calling from PG&E (without actually saying those exact words). That quickly failed as whenever she would ask me for info, I would say "you should already have that information - why are you asking ME?" It turns out that what they were really trying to do was to switch me to use THEIR company for natural gas, without actually telling me that is what they were doing. She (almost) never lied, she had their script down pat. When I asked if they were going to switch me to another gas provider, she said "PG&E will still be delivering gas to your home, just as before. PG&E will send you the monthly bill, just as before. Nothing will change." I pointed out that didn't answer my question, and she talked all around the issue without saying yes or no.
After wasting as much of her time as I could, I gave them a FAKE customer ID number, and they transferred me to a 'closure specialist' to verify that "she had the correct information". The guy started by saying that the call was being recorded "for quality assurance". I stopped him there, said "so this call is being recorded?" and when he said yes, started in again with the questions. I finally got him to admit that yes, I would be switched to a new gas provider (it only took me about 10 minutes of knocking down all of the pseudo-lies and half-truths he was spewing).
So, beware of anyone calling to get you "the discount you are entitled to". I never give info to anybody who calls and asks for it on the phone, but I had a lot of fun playing with them (I had 30 minutes of free time when they called). I wanted to let you all know about this latest scam, in case you hadn't heard of it before.
Posted on the SPAM 'please block this number' forum :
2091847562 has called me several times in the past couple of days, so I picked up this afternoon. It turned out to be "Smart One Energy". She made it *sound* as if I was due a lowering of gas prices from PG&E (without actually saying that). She *implied* that she was calling from PG&E (without actually saying those exact words). That quickly failed as whenever she would ask me for info, I would say "you should already have that information - why are you asking ME?" It turns out that what they were really trying to do was to switch me to use THEIR company for natural gas, without actually telling me that is what they were doing. She (almost) never lied, she had their script down pat. When I asked if they were going to switch me to another gas provider, she said "PG&E will still be delivering gas to your home, just as before. PG&E will send you the monthly bill, just as before. Nothing will change." I pointed out that didn't answer my question, and she talked all around the issue without saying yes or no.
After wasting as much of her time as I could, I gave them a FAKE customer ID number, and they transferred me to a 'closure specialist' to verify that "she had the correct information". The guy started by saying that the call was being recorded "for quality assurance". I stopped him there, said "so this call is being recorded?" and when he said yes, started in again with the questions. I finally got him to admit that yes, I would be switched to a new gas provider (it only took me about 10 minutes of knocking down all of the pseudo-lies and half-truths he was spewing).
So, beware of anyone calling to get you "the discount you are entitled to". I never give info to anybody who calls and asks for it on the phone, but I had a lot of fun playing with them (I had 30 minutes of free time when they called). I wanted to let you all know about this latest scam, in case you hadn't heard of it before.