Just Energy

These jokers just left my porch. SCAM. I repeatedly said, no thanks, I don’t want this. The guy said «Yes you do!»…um, No I don’t and you don’t either

The solicitors for this company are HORRIBLE. NOT EXAGGERATING. I’ve seen various reps for this company before, and I understand they are trying to make a living. Or scam? Not sure, BUT this young woman (and I’ll use that term loosely), looked like an emancipated meth addict. Let me lay out the scene for you– my children and I heard someone yelling «hellooooo» from the screen door, all through the screened in porch, and through the living room. YES, that loud. Let me add that there is a «NO SOLICITORS» sign clearly posted to the right of the front door. When she asked me if I was the «lady of the house», I stated «NO» because I’m not. I reside here but I’m not the lady of the house. Then she said «well is the man of the house here?» I said «No» because he wasn’t. She then asked me when he’d be back (he is actually my DAD, not husband etc) and I stated «maybe tomorrow or Weds?» and I then pointed to and then said «the sign states no soliciting», and she said «I’m not selling anything» (LIE, really?- you’re going door to door w/​a lanyard, badge, and clipboard) and I said «regardless it doesn’t matter, I’m not interested» and she said this «Why do you have to be such a BITCH!!?» Now maybe you don’t care and the rest of the world because social media, the news, etc has desensitized the majority of people it seems– BUT it matters to me. My kids where no less then 10 feet away, and I didn’t curse, slam the door in her face, or anything remotely like that. That is how I get treated and talked to? Can you imagine how they treat and speak with there customers? I’m filing a complaint with the BBB. I worked in retail for almost 20 years and had some of the most MEANEST, CONDESCENDING customers and still kept my composure. This was really shocking to me, and I really wanted to punch her-​but I didn’t and then the other solicitor who was working w/​her (he was across the street) claimed he didn’t know her name, and didn’t even have a number. Total liar. BUT, based on the reviews on various website that is ALL this company is about. Not understanding how they can even be allowed to be in business anymore.

I came encounter with one of the guy reps with the company (mid age/​braces) & I have to give these people credit for what they do. It was FREEZING out & this guy was one of the most positive people/​sales person I’ve met. Yes, no one likes a sales pitch or solicitation right at your door step, but kudos for being out in this Chicago winter trying to make a paycheck dealing with not so nice people.
He was full of information but was not pushy. I cant speak on behalf of the company or if it’s a scam expressed by other reviewers but the sales rep does a good job representing this company.

My experience with their salesmen was better than most on here, but just kind of «off». I feel like talk fast and mumble is what they are trained to do … just confuse people and only say certain words clearly to convince people into switching without realizing. So here it is… two kinda shady looking men just showed up on my doorstep from «just energy». Same as many others have reviewed… got a strong, fast-​talking (translate unintelligible) sales pitch. I did not sign up. I only spoke to them through my door because I have 3 dogs. The 1^st gentleman gave the pitch so fast and mumbled that I had no idea what he said other than the phrase «this is my supervisor» & the words «Nicor» and «ComEd». He said something to the effect «I need to check your … make sure your meter… Nicor ComEd rates» while tilting and nodding his head and pointing as if to indicate he needed to come in… basically a bunch of mumbled junk that made it sound like I needed to let them in to check something… that was not gonna happen. I told them I had no idea what he was even saying or talking about, but I’m not interested. His «supervisor» proceeded to give the pitch again (a little less fast and slightly more clearly) while his partner rolled his eyes and stared off into space. That time I got that my new rate with «just energy» would be only $ 99/​mo combined for «unlimited electricity and gas» so unless your current bill is less than that… we can save you money. I just said I can’t talk to you right now because of my dogs (who were all going nuts barking at the door… probably got me out of a longer pitch bc they look rather menacing lol) I said give me your card so I can look it up online. He said just go to Nicor or ComEd and our link is there. I did and I can find this $ 99 unlimited claim on their website, but when I enter my zip code, it comes up with a lot of price/​therm and price/​kW plans and no mention of unlimited service… seems a little suspect to me. That combined with all the bad reviews was enough to turn me off and make me glad I said «NO THANK YOU». Also we did have a rather unpleasant experience a few years ago with this «alternate supplier» that involved my MIL with Alzheimer’s and suffice it to say it took over 3 months of almost daily calls and finally an outright threat to contact the IL attorney general before they would cancel because her electricity bill more than TRIPLED. She had their service for almost 2 years before we realized what had happened… I told them to consider themselves lucky that they got her money for that long and call it quits bc they could not supply a copy of a signed contract! Because of her condition, we will never know if she actually signed up or if they just took advantage bc they realized after talking to her that she wasn’t well enough to know what they had done :(

They came to my house and started leaning on my doorbell. I, thinking it was a package delivery rushed to the door, only to be met by a very pushy man stating he was from the gas company and needed to come in and make sure that I had the lowest rate available. After thinking about it for a moment I realized he was trying to get me to sign up to his company. I took his pamphlet and told him I would look it over and get back to him. After typing in company’s name and seeing all the negative comments I feel lucky to have escaped. They are well trained in the art of persuasion. Would have even given a used car salesman a run for his money.

Wish I could have the option for 0 stars. This company is a scam, their reps are rude, pushy and prey on the elderly. I’m thankful I was visiting, otherwise my 94 year old grandmother would’ve been suckered. Was extremely nice to the rep, but the representative was rude and EXTREMELY shady. Wound up calling the police on her, going to file further complaints tomorrow. This is just upsetting and unacceptable. Please be careful, Rogers Park is not safe from scammers.

One of your employees just tried to get me to sign up for your services. After I refused a few times, he told me, while on MY property, to «just look at the damn papers.» He’s lucky he was able to walk off my porch.

Our mentally disabled brother was hired by Just Energy or Tara to sell door to door. He is a 65 year old white man with a hip injury. He Was dropped off on the south side of Chicago in Roseland, and was told to knock on doors to sell and then had to get his own transportation home with no money in his pocket. Of course he wasn’t paid a penny for the time he knocked on doors. They not only take advantage of people buying but of the people that they «hire» and don’t pay!

A young lady rang my doorbell at dinner time representing «Tara Energy.» She wanted to see my bill from Comed to make sure we were receiving the lowest rate possible for our energy. She kept flashing her badge and kept reassuring me she was legit. Also made references to all my neighbors signing up and taking advantage of the savings.
Warning signs: Asking for my account number. That’s personal information. No
Asked for information to review later after dinner. She said her manager had all the brochures and only showed me the contracts and paper with scribbled writings on it. No
Asked for a website to verify the legitimacy of the company. None. Scam alert tingling in my senses.
It just snowed 18 inches and feeling bad for this poor soul just doing her job to make a buck I told her I’d look into my energy cost and supplier and sent her along the way. It wasn’t necessary to be rude or slam the door in her face.
ComEd has a list of approved energy companies to deliver our goods. Tara Energy is not. Turns out my current provider is the cheapest even though they have a monthly service charge. Something the girl said I shouldn’t be paying. I rather pay that with peace of mind then another company with a history of fraud and complaints.

I was home today waiting for an important package from FedEx and since our buzzer occasionally sticks, I left a note out front telling them I was home and to press the buzzer hard. My door buzzed and I went down to the front gate to get what I thought was my package. Instead two of these door to door energy salespeople came in like bugs through a crack in the door. They must have seen the note and buzzed my door. I told them I already knew who they were and wasn’t interested and that they came in the building under false pretenses and needed to leave. They didn’t leave the complex but buzzed at the other 2 buildings.
I then went down to check on my note to see that they didn’t mess with it given the nasty looks I got when I shut them down. At my door was a THIRD person who seemed to know I was the one that shut the others down. I told her to leave and went to the front gate… apparently I hadn’t shut the door to my building all the way and she let herself in.
I found her on the landing on the third floor and told her she was trespassing and asked if she had permission from the landlords to be here… she had gotten in past 2 locked gates without actual permission… she simply said «You do know you are paying too much for energy»
I told her to GET OUT. She did. But first she knocked on all the other
I watched her.
Eventually they left.
So not only will they scam you. They will trespass doing it.
Once you see those blue jackets. Just shut the door and lock it.

Be careful with this company called «Just Energy» they walk around the neighborhood with aggressive tactics to get you to sign up for their program. I do not know who the company is. But I do know that if someone is bullying me to show them my gas and electric bill it is not good news.
«I am just here to make sure you are getting your discounts, go inside and give me your bill» — Just Energy representative
What?&^(&(%^(^

OMG… what has my husband done to us. He just signed up for this shit while I was out getting our car repaired. I have heard so much bad stuff about these folks and they come knocking on our door today and my husband falls for their LIES. I have sent an email and will call them first thing in the morning and get this crap cancelled. I hope I have success in getting this cancelled. I will keep you posted

someone came to my house, said the was from the Gas company and asked if I was aware that I could save money by going to variable rates. I asked him what he was trying to sell me. He said «nothing — the gas company wanted to inform me». I said «If I call Nicor what will they say?» and he said Nicor provides the distribution but they (hois company) is the supplier”. Then he again said that I could save money by going to variable rates. I said that the major TV stations in town have exposed variable gas rates as being a scam. Then, I told him I was not interested and he moved on. I’m not saying NICOR is perfect, but at least they are regulated. These folks? There’s an awful lot of information available saying they are scammers.

Renita from Lombard couldn’t have said it any better – STAY AWAY from Just Energy. Seriously, slam the door in their face and don’t answer their calls. We WAY overpaid for gas during the worst months of this winter because of this awful company. When we called to cancel, only then did they offer us a lower rate – why not just give us the good rate you already promised during the sales call? Jerks.
Just use Nicor’s gas supply and don’t even consider using another company.

Scam scam scam scam.
I had a rep come to my house at 9PM, which is when I’m sleeping due to midnight shift. I was very out of it and allowed myself to be talked into something very wrong.
He stated that he was with the suppliers, wanted to see my bill, and my account number. He said my bill would be reduced to 7.9 cents per kWh. I was half asleep and thought «Great!» …until the next day when I looked up what ComEd was currently charging me. 5.5 cents. Huge ripoff.
I managed to cancel but WOW scary, almost greatly increased my utility bill for the next 5 years.
KICK THE GUY OUT OF YOUR HOUSE!!! Wish I had gotten a chance to google it and see the hundreds of others who were once in my position. This company is a ripoff. Nicor/​ComEd are already charging the LEGAL MINIMUM for the state, the supplier cannot do anything but raise the price.

You know the saying «If you can’t be a good example, then you’ll have to serve as a horrible warning»?
Let me be your warning. (Although «horrible» may be a bit strong.)
I do not consider myself an idiot, but like all humans, I have my moments. There were people walking around our neighborhood and sure enough a woman from Just Energy knocked on my door.
Here’s what I did right: she wanted to see a copy of our Nicor bill, and since we get bills online (no paper copy at all), I did not have one handy. I deferred and she said she would come back.
Here’s what I did wrong: I looked up our bill/​account number, I looked at a page that said not to give your account number out to door-​to-​door salespeople, and I got confused and did it anyway.
She was a slick talker. She claimed that they «already supplied» our gas and «just wanted to make sure» we were getting the lowest rates.
Here’s an all-​caps style fact, people: Nicor and other public utilities are NOT allowed to mark up the cost of natural gas. They HAVE to sell it at the price they pay for it. (The actual delivery charge can be increased by state legislature, but not just willy-​nilly at the utility’s whim.) You are ALREADY paying the LOWEST amount possible. If you sign up for one of these «alternative providers,» especially one who comes to your door, your rate is likely to go up because they ARE jacking it up.
But somehow, I fell for it. I signed up, and here’s the primary reason: she told me, and it said in writing on the agreement, that there was NO CHARGE to cancel and I could do so at any time. There is also a state law that says consumers have ten days after receiving notice of a utility switch to cancel WITHOUT PENALTY.
(I apologize for the all caps here, but I can’t bold-​face. Alas.)
So I fell for it – but immediately regretted it after googling the company. (Yes, I should have done that the first time; I mis-​remembered the name and came up with a different, more legit company.)
And as I was filled with regret, I immediately e-​mailed customer service to put in writing that I wanted to cancel, and also made a note to call Nicor first thing in the morning.
The good news is that, with fingers crossed and wood knocked, they confirmed my cancellation less than 24 hours later, and Nicor made a note on my account just in case anything shady happens.
But the bad news is that the woman basically lied to me, misrepresented herself, and I fell for it.
Don’t be me. If you get any sort of door-​to-​door solicitation, tell them to go away. Learn from my hopefully short-​lived, but terrible, mistake.

Keep away from Just Energy.
Just Energy sells fixed price contracts to replace your natural gas supplier. Their rates in downtown Chicago are ~20 –25% higher than the regulated utility, and they will charge you break-​up fees once you realize this and decide to switch.
They are under no obligation to accurately represent their prices during their door-​to-​door sales pitch, nor on the phone when you call to cancel.
Again, stay away from these sales pitches. Some energy companies can offer you better rates than the regulated utility, however Just Energy’s strategy has nothing to do with saving you money.

Read the fine print. A bunch of bull.
Try cancelling see what happens. don’t be stupid. My grandfather got scammed big time.

My grandfather recently passed away and I was going through his bills. I found a notice from Just Energy demanding prompt payment of $ 335.86, or else the account will be declared in default and sent to a collection agency. Further investigation revealed that his electric and gas services are with regular utilities, and that he has paid every bill each month for the past decade. What kind of service was Just Energy providing?
Turns out nothing. Everything I found online claims this company is a scam. Worse, it turns out most of their victims are seniors. My grandfather was 82 years old. There is no way I am paying this false charge.

«Just Energy» is NOT a Better Business Accredited organization and the BBB has given them an «F» for:
* 493 complaints filed against business
* Failure to respond to 15 complaints filed against business.
* 38 complaints filed against business that were not resolved.
* Overall complaint history with BBB.
* Government action (s) against business.
* BBB does not have sufficient background information on this business.
* Business has failed to resolve underlying cause (s) of a pattern of
complaints.
* One serious complaint filed against business.
The majority of complaints were regarding sales practices of the company, as well as billing, collection and contract issues.
February 8, 2008 press release– Attorney General Lisa Madigan filed a lawsuit Thursday in Cook County Circuit Court against U.S. Energy Savings Corp., for allegedly selling fixed-​rate gas contracts using deceptive sales tactics that falsely promise significant consumer savings in violation of the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act.
BACK AGAIN to haunt Chicago door-​to-​door under a slightly different name, preying particularly on the elderly and ESL. They try and sell an unrealistic fear factor Energy Run-​Up Future Energy Bills over the next 5 years that is NOT supported by ANYONE.
Be insulted that they are trying to sell it in Chicago, so PASS THIS ON.
Do NOT give them your bill or let them waste any of your time.
Loong BBB link.
SeeYelp Reviews under old «US Energy Savings» name…