If you’re just now tuning in, we’ve been doling out daily pieces of our multi-part investigation into IDT-Energy. They’re an energy reseller in the New York area and we’ve received multiple complaints about their salesperson’s dressing as ConEd workers and doing other funny stuff at the door to get people to sign over. So we sent in Brian Fairbanks undercover to get hired at Midtown Promotions, a direct-sales marketing company IDT-Energy contracted to get subscribers.
Here’s his filings to date:
Day One
The Job Interview
The Day Of O
Let’s Get Juiced
The Meeting
NEXT: The Meltdown
We’ve also gone through these posts and added in more explicit info about how some of what Brian saw at Midtown Promotions tracked parallel to complaints about offices once affiliated with DS-MAX (now known as Innovage) — alleged to have been an Amway-like sleazy multi-level -marketing operation.
Add the Undercover at IDT-Energy tag to your RSS reader and watch as the story continues to unfold before your eyes like a splayed deer in the sun. — BEN POPKEN
Note: No definitive ties have been established between Midtown Promotions and DS-MAX/Innovage.
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Now you are just teasing us, post the final installment!
Seriously, the comment bomb will continue until I’m satiated…or, once again until my commenting account is deleted.
BTW, how does one get intouch with Consumerist Executive Customer Service?
seriously, let’s have the meltdown…it’s already complete, post it already! Don’t be a bunch of sensationalist journalists!
@Wormfather:
Gawker Media
76 Crosby
New York, NY 10012
(212) 655-9524
Gah, I’ve been waiting all day at my ho-hum job for the update — it’s worse than being in line at the DMV!
C’mon, Consumerist, don’t fail me now!
@Kifune: I completely empathize, I have been looking forward to ‘the meltdown’ since breakfast! It’s not like i actually do anything at this job of mine.
Ben; one thing I don’t think I’ve read yet is why Brian did this. Was he paid? Was he bored? Or do you have nudie photos of him and managed to blackmail him into doing it?
@gondaba:
Exactly…I’ve been checking back all day waiting for “The Meltdown”…Come on Ben, let’s have it!!
let’s go people..I want to read about this ‘HORNSWAGGLE”.
Hey, what’s with the delay tactics? Let’s have The Meltdown!
come on dammit. post the final chapter already!
My computer is in the shop, so I’ll have to stay here at the office until “The Meltdown” is posted.
My Thursday evening is in your hands, Consumerist.
Hey all…
Not sure why today’s post is not up yet. I’m impatient, too, so don’t worry. I’m not abandoning you. Rumors of my death are greatly exaggerated.
Also, because Day 4 was split up, today is the second-to-last post. There will be a Day 5 post tomorrow.
Enjoy…
PS Oh yeah… and I did it for the money. Ha!
@brianfairbanks: Oh I see how it is, we’re being hogsnaggled (I made that up
Let’s burn the Consumerist down.
@brianfairbanks:
they’re gonna lose me if they don’t post it soon! I leave work here in a lil bit and I’m taking tomorrow off!
Must…….have………meltdown!
C’mon, what’s the hold up?
*spoilers*
.
.
.
.
.
He has a meltdown!
And now I have to leave for the day. Pox on both your houses!
mmmmm PAX.
Damnit, the suspense is killing me.
>_>
No Juice to whoever is responsible for this unbearable suspense!
weak sauce
Should have read the fine print, “Updates will post at normal rate after introductory ‘discount’ period wears off.”
Clever… clever.
@Wormfather:
… will someone please disable this idiot’s account? He is posting this crap in EVERY SINGLE STORY even if the story is totally unrelated.
Wait– why was “the Meltdown” posting taken down? Does this mean the conclusion won’t post either?
Yeah, “the Meltdown” was posted yesterday after this… most of us did complain that it was fairly weak investigative journalism (SPOILER: he bails out before really learning anything), maybe they decided to remove it to preserve their image.
I am sure this will get taken down too, sorry Consumerist, but “the Meltdown” was rather weak.