Direct Energy Services review: Protection plan rip off 8

I worked for DE for some period of time. It is true - the plans are usually a scam. Most people don't benefit from them. Plans are designed that way - that's how DE makes money! I will never ever ever join a plan. Not after working for these crooks. Also, just to let you know, the agents on the phone are FORCED to try and sell to you. It is not an option. Agents are brainwashed into thinking they are doing you a favor by looking after your best interests in joining these multiple-exclusionary plans. Go ahead, check your Terms and Conditions of the plan...Here are just a small number of things not included:
1) Heat Exchangers - this is the most expensive part of the system. NOT COVERED.
2) Condensator coils/compressors - most expensive part of the air conditioning. NOT COVERED.
2) Radiators, bleeding radiators, programmable thermostats. NOT COVERED.

DE doesn't tell you this when you join. Total home is even more of a rip off.
I was even told by my supervisor to make up things, like how happy I am that I have DE as a service provider. I had to lie or they would fire me. I quit my job. I refuse to lie. I refuse to work for this company.

I have moved and am being billed for the rest of the term. They claim this is legal but of course its in the fine print apparently. They have never covered anything for the heating protection plan other than annual service and cleaning and I am not even sure if the person doing this was a certified technician. This is a rip off and do not be taken in! You have only a small window of time to cancel a contract once you sign on so please don't be duped like I was. They are not willing to negotiate at all...pay up that's it!

I sold my house and made a call to Direct Energy. I got a bill for the rest 11 months ahead for the cancellation of the protection plan when I had a chance to call 2 months before when I sold my house. As I found out later the Direct Energy has the policy that customer has to notify 30 days in advance to cancel the plan otherwise it's going to be automatically renewed and the customer might not even know about it. They never notified the Customer ahead about this rule when it comes to the protection plan agreement initiation. So I didn't ever had a clue about this cancellation rule. So the Customers should pay for nothing done. I didn't even use their service for the maintenance. They don't discover it on the purpose to make a charges in case of cancellations. The Direct Energy should notify the customer that the renewal date is approaching and the customer has the option to opt out. They never do it and the customers have to be stack with this plan for another year.
If the phone's plans get cancelled the customer paid rest of amount owing for the phone device. It makes sense.
But why I had to pay for the service that was never was provided.
That is huge scam under Enbridge Gas name as the bill from Direct Energy came as sum with gas total amount and customers has to pay it to avoid late charge fee.

I have also experienced most of what was said above. Even though they are now called Enercare, the same deceitful practices continue. I was marketed a new "Heating Protection Plan" before my "Maintenance Plan" expired. Not many customers would even remember when their plan expires (this is by design I am sure). The marketing strategy allowed Enercare (in their minds) to bill me an "adjustment" as they referred to it to "pay out" the remaining months for the old plan and pay again for the SAME months under a new plan that so conveniently includes maintenance coverage I had before. I call this double billing. I have looked back at my records and it's not the first time that I was sold a new "plan" before the old one expired (including when I got free maintenance e.g. when I bought a new furnace. The way Enercare bills monthly for an "annual" plan is designed to make the customer think that it's a month-by-month subscription, so when a customer cancels the plan, the "cancellation" or "payout" fee is a big surprise. DO NOT SIGN UP FOR ANY MAINTENANCE OR PROTECTION PLAN FROM ENERCARE.

I too sold my house and just received a bill for the balance, 9 months heating protection plan . I called Enercare and they refuse to reconsider the cancellation cost of 9 months remaining on the contract. This is unfair as the cancellation of contract under these terms can be anything from one month to eleven months. This is unfair and inequitable. I have searched on tine and can't seem to find much information on resolution. Where do I go next, any suggestions would be appreciated. Has anyone received any money back from these thieves?

Register your complaint through BBB. I did that and Enercare refunded me the smaller amount (for 3 months) I paid out on the old plan. I am still fighting for the 7 month pay out amount on the newer plan. I also discovered that they get you to schedule more than 1 maintenance in a year - when you call them in response to their reminder to schedule maintenance - that's when they pounce on you with a new plan and new maintenance appointment, so that you use up the maintenance as soon as the new plan is signed up. I read somewhere a review from a customer who got back about $400 from them.

If I could give this company/service zero stars I would! I have NEVER had to have more than annual inspections done, have paid for the most expensive plan monthly for more than 3 years, and today got the worst "maintenance" service in the history of customer service! The technician was here at 930 am and less than 10 minutes later, came down from the attic and told me my furnace was leaking gas everywhere due to cracks in the metal. I asked him if he had shut it off, what i should do and he told me it would "be fine for now." He then said he had to go get a part and then left. I did not hear from the company until I started calling them at 230 pm. FINALLY at 6 pm I was told by Carlos at Direct Energy that I would need a new furnace. When I asked how I go about getting that done given that we are to have temperatures in the 20s in 24 hours he said "I have to find a company, buy the furnace have it installed and submit a receipt to get my 500 dollars towards the replacement! My plan covers up to 2000 dollars a year in service and is supposed to cover replacement costs! I called back again to Direct Energy after trying multiple companies to buy a furnace from today and have installed tomorrow, and was told by Chris that I was not supposed to get my own company i had to go through Direct Energy?!?!?!? When I explained Carlos had told me Direct Energy does not have companies that sell and replace furances Chris said "I misunderstood what Carlos said..." ummm no I did not, and even if I did the phone was on speaker and the person standing next to me heard the same thing! So I have spent roughly 1700 dollars in the last 3 years to pay for one 10 minute visit? THIS IS A JOKE! DO NOT FALL FOR THIS "PROTECTION PLAN!" the only people they protect is themselves!

I wouldn't recommend that anyone trust that this company will fix your covered items. They spend time trying not to cover contracted items. Recently I was asked to show proof that my microwave wasn't in manufactures warranty because I mentioned that it was not an old microwave. So I had to dig up a receipt to prove that it was purchased two years ago. In fact they authorized reimbursement for the same microwave but never sent the money. After numerous attempts I just decided that this was causing too much stress for me. So I stopped calling and emailing them my receipt.

Same issue with my dishwasher. They found a way not to repair that either. The dishwasher is not working so they found a clause about maintenance not being properly done. I don't know what kind of maintenance they wanted me to do with the unit. I am not trying to go through their dispute process before I go to small claims court with them.

Stay away from this company. Read the reviews.