Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Beware of Summitt Home Services

Apparently I am not to be trusted opening the door. If it hadn’t been for the well-placed suspicion of my husband, I would have signed us up for a scam deal tonight.

A woman showed up tonight on our doorstep, flashing her photo-id from Summitt Home Services. She said it was her job to inspect our rental water heater to check if we needed to be upgraded to an energy-star model.

Trustingly, I let her in to the basement and she jotted down the model number of our tank. She was well-informed, friendly and polite. She said that a new heater would be delivered at no cost to us, that it was our due as renters to have our heaters upgraded and inspected.

Then she asked for the account number off page 3 of our energy bill – which was when V really started to baulk. He said he’d rather not give that out.

“I’m not here to force you guys to get a new water heater,” she kept saying.

I admit that I was convinced she was just someone doing her job and that we were pretty much already part of this company and it was just a required upgrade. V, of course, saw through it.

He pressed her to answer his questions about cancellation and about rate increases. He also kept refusing to give his account number – countering with the suggestion that she leave the contract for us to look over and if we are interested, we could call and set up an installation appointment. She kept insisting we have the right as consumers to cancel anything we’ve signed at the door within 10 days, so we could sign up now, then look over the contract and call to cancel if we really didn’t want it.

Of course, she never handed over a copy of the contract she was trying to get us to sign.

V’s checked on-line and sure enough there are others reporting being scammed and being trapped in contracts with Summitt. So anyone reading this, be V smart (not me smart) when it comes to people showing up on your door offering some deal. Just say no and end the conversation.

11 comments:

  1. Anonymous6:16 PM

    We just had someone show up from the same company. My girlfriend told them we were not interested and they told her she didn't have a choice!

    This should be against the law. She then asked to call their company and provide the info herself and the representative left.

    Is it legal for someone to claim that we do not have a choice, per the government if that is not correct?

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  2. John1223312:01 AM

    These agents must have been new. I had a Summitt Home services Rep at my door, not Summitt Energy, and he clearly explained why he was there. Direct Energy has a tendancy of not servicing their clients. When the Hot Water tank market was deregulated in 2008, Canadian companies were alowed to inspect and upgrade direct energy tanks only because they had the monopoly. They are not scammers, they are simply making sure Canadians are getting the services they are paying for and not recieving from Direct. I recieved my tank from summitt a month ago and have seen the decrease in my bill by about 25%. I am also not locked in a contract as well, I'm now with a Canadian Company as opposed to the British owned utility company, Direct Energy

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  3. KanataBound12:36 AM

    I also had a sales rep knocking on my door from Summitt. I've had many "water heater" people at my door before such as LivClean National and Greensource. Summitt was the only one without scheduled rental increases as well as no contract. When they told me they could get me away from Direct Energy I was thrilled but still weary of this guy i have never seen before at my door. I spent a good 30min going over the agreement and decided to sign. The new tank was installed without a problem and direct energy is gone from my bill, with no extra cost to me. what a relief!

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  4. Ya they are not a scam whatsoever and I think you need to get more informed. They are a company that offers better services then the one you currently have. How is giving you a new water heater a scam....? You continue to rent it and you see a decrease in your gas bill. The ones that tried to scam you is direct energy when they sent you a contract in the mail saying if you didnt notify them by april 8th you would be on a automatic 10 year contract. This got cancelled because its highly unethical but they did this because of companies like summitt. It is clear that Direct is scared of summitt as well as other canadian companies taking their business. - Maz

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  5. Anonymous3:51 PM

    If its not a scam why do they lie about being payed by embridge to inspect the water heater ?

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  6. Anonymous5:53 PM

    These guys came to my door, pretended to be from Reliance Energy and convinced me to let them enter my house and "inspect" my water heater. When I finally figured out that they're from a rival energy company, they started throwing out all kinds of absurdities to convince me to sign the bill to replace my water heater. They even said my energy company was owned by an American bank which is owned by George Bush. What bullshit!

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  7. Anonymous11:59 AM

    All door to door marketers tend to be a little pushy.
    Home owners should take care of few basics when talking to them such as, always check their ID to confirm which company they are from. read the paper copy before signing especially termination policy and your rights under consumer protection act.

    My experience with Summitt was better than Direct or Reliance, simply because they don't lock you in a 10 year term contract, and they dont force you to buy out the equipment if you decide to cancel. They also gave me in writing that my price wont increase for the whole term of agreement.
    Direct raises their prices every year, and forces you to buy the equipment if you wish to cancel. Their service isnt free either. I needed a new chimney liner when I had my tank with them, they presented a 500 dollar bill to me for upgrading the liner, i refused to pay and decided to cancel and they tried to force me to buyout the tank. I threatened to report them to ministry of consumer affairs thats when the let me cancell without paying any money. I went with Summitt and they gave me a free chimney liner.

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  8. Anonymous3:29 PM

    I just want to warn everyone that SUMMITT ENERGY has been going around Ottawa (Avalon neighborhood in Orleans). I had someone at my door on July 17, 2013. He said he was affiliated with Ontario Energy Board and wanted to verify if I was paying HydroOne's "new price" or "old price". When he put me on the phone and they asked if I agreed to a 5 year contract, I hung up the phone and slammed the door in his face.
    Summitt Energy is a scumbag company and Carlo Cavaliere (rep no OK 1364) is a DISHONEST, MISLEADING, LYING jerk. If he comes to your door, tell him to get lost and call the police.

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  9. Anonymous7:55 PM

    August 28 2013

    Someone just showed up and tried to get info out of my father. I asked which company he was with and quick google search lead me to alot of bad info. Not liking what I was reading I told him that someone else deals with the tank and thank you. He tried to ask follow up questions and I cut him off with the search results I had found. He then tried to ask which internet provider I had to which point my father asked for identification and he had none. If this is a legitimate company they might want to hire people who know how to act professional when they are on the job.

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  10. Anonymous3:26 PM

    I've been with summitt home services for over 2 years now, I am very satisfied. This is not a scam, this is a legit company doing a legit job. They're rates never went up, and there is NO contract, its just a 10 year agreement, under a contract the rates would go up. Someone like national and reliance would do. I strongly suggest this company and am doing more upgrades soon.

    Hope this helps a few people here

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  11. A scam artist from Summitt let himself in my front door without knocking or trying the door bell. Told me he was there to replace my meters.

    OH REALLY? Since I know that's not the case at all, as scam artists, this was too freaking much. No ID, no idea someone from his company tried to swindle me before. Just entering my home without an invitation.

    And can you report him? Well of course not.

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