*UPDATE* I'm dropping the rating to "0" now. I received a voicemail from Direct Energy, after I posted this and emailed their "customer service". They essentially tried to brush me off by saying that they are switching billing systems and that's why I have problems with my account, and they will fix it in 1 or 2 "billing cycles". But they completely failed to address my complaint, and told me if I have any issues to call their billing department, failing to acknowledge that what has angered me about them so much is the way they I have been treated, and the fact that they won't let me sever this disgusting relationship. I feel like I am being held hostage, forced to pay for something I want nothing to do with. *ORIGINAL REVIEW* : Worst customer service ever. Direct Energy Home Services should be ashamed of themselves, but I really doubt they care as long as they keep roping people into their contracts. I had a problem with my bill, and tried to get through to the right department. I called the number from their website and chose the option for "Billing". After I got through to someone, I gave them all my details, told them my issue, and was put on hold. Then I was transferred to someone else and I needed to give my details all over again. They started looking into it and then hung up on me. So I had to call back and go through it all again. Then I was told that they are moving to a new billing system, and it's "complicated". Finally got someone who could start to explain what was happening with my account, but he couldn't help me. He said I needed to speak to "Direct Energy Billing" (I thought I *WAS* speaking to them!) He gave me a new phone number to call (was not able to transfer me) but when I called the number it was out of service! I finally tracked down the number and found that he had given me an incorrect number. I went through it all again and was so disgusted by the whole process that I wanted to cancel my service. That's when they dropped the "verbal agreement" bomb on me - they said I had verbally agreed to a 1 year contract that automatically renews each year. If I want to cancel, I have to pay out the year. They are the most unhelpful and ridiculous department I have ever dealt with. So beware: when you sign up, make sure to read the fine print. If you don't want the service to automatically renew, you have to tell them up front. Also, if you plan on moving, understand that they will force you to pay out the balance of the year, even if you plan to move the service to your new address! This can be quite expensive if you have several months left. I have never been more disgusted with customer service, ever. The only reason I give them a "1" instead of a "0" is because I want it to be clear that I gave them that ranking and hopefully others will see this and take it as a warning.
- Approximate cost of services:
- $168.00
- Company Response
Hi MP,
We do care. And we want to talk to you about your experience. We have already sent this review to our escalation team so they can investigate your issue, but, we need you to provide us with you name, address, and phone number (by private message) so we can pull all the call recordings and find out exactly what happened. As for your plan, you are correct, protection plans are one year terms and if a customer wishes to cancel the plan they must pay out the remainder of the term. This is very clear in the terms and conditions and our agents must disclose this to our customers. It’s unfortunate that you had such a bad experience, please send us your information so we can investigate your situation and use it as an opportunity to improve our customer service.