Complaint Review: Direct Energy

 My experience with Direct Energy has been horrible. I had just moved to TX from CA. For starters in CA the utility companies don't operate on long-term contracts. Everything is month to month. With that history, I didn't have the knowledge that it was any different here.

So this salesman came to my door (at a very busy time of night for me so I was a bit distracted) and he insisted that Direct Energy had the best plan for me. He insisted I would save money with them. I asked if I might incur any cancellation fees with the other company I was using (for just 2 months) and he insisted that there would be no cancellation fees. He also insisted there would be no hidden fees. So I signed up. He left me with an envelope that he said was full of information and would answer any further questions I might have after he left. He even opened the envelope and pretended to be writing specifics on the paperwork such as my new account number and his name (wouldn't you think?). At the end of his visit at my house, he insisted that I confirm signing up with a 3rd party calling service. He called the service, I went through the recording, and signed up (meanwhile finishing cooking dinner for my family and attempting to keep my special needs child on track with homework).

Within 1-2 weeks after the salesman's visit, I received a cancellation notice from my old company and was charged a $200 cancellation fee. I immediately called Direct Energy to complain and insist they pay that bill. I was placed on hold, waiting for a supervisor for 10 minutes. When the supervisor finally came over the phone, she took the facts of my complaint. However, at that point, I looked into the onvelope that the salesman had left me and it was something similar to a flier. It had no hand-written information on it at all. His name wasn't there and I didn't have any new account information. I advised her that the salesman was deceptive, that he made promises that he clearly wasn't prepared to keep, that I was misled and that I was not paying that $200 fee to the other company. I insisted that was Direct Energy's bill. The supervisor rudely gathered my facts, said that she'd call me with a decision regarding my complaint, and that was it.

I received a call from a different supervisor days later and she condescendingly advised me that since I hadn't recorded the conversation between the salesman and me, I didn't have a case and there was nothing they would do for me. She was so incredibly condescending and belittling and I was the customer who had just gotten screwed! It was like I had made her day because their company was able to screw me! And one of the crazy things is that the company doesn't even keep track of the salesman doing these jobs because they had no trace of who was at my door that night!

On top of all of that nonsense, I had to call them again just a few days ago to transfer my service in a move. I was on hold (having not gotten a hold of a single live person) for 14 minutes! When I finally spoke to someone live, she was as incompetent as can be. It took her an additional 16 minutes to make the transfer happen. All she needed from me was the date of turn off and its location and the date and location where they needed to turn on my new serice! Much of the 16 minutes I was on the phone with her, she'd ask me a question and then work silently in the background for minutes at a time. I can't even count how many times I had to say, "Excuse me, are you still there?" This girl had no people skills and even the tone in her voice was lazy and blase.

I don't know how this company remains in business. Their deceptive, unethical practices are absolutely absurd and their customer service is completely rude and lacking. I will cancel this contract the very day I hit my 2-year contract end date with them.