Power Company Refunds Customers After Sending Them CFLs They Didn't Ask For And Charging Them For It
The power company that sent customers CFLs they didn't ask for and them charged them for the favor has agreed to refund its customers. Allegheny Power attorney Jeffrey P. Trout says the company "screwed up the implementation" of the CFL distribution. Some have speculated that the CFLs were a smokescreen and instead the company was trying to force in a rate increase disguised to look like an energy conservation program. Either way, the chorus of outraged consumers and grumpy politicians helped show Allegheny Power the error of their ways.
Allegheny agrees to pay for energy-efficient light bulbs [AP] (Thanks to Robert!)
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Comments:
@MDSasquatch:
I'm not down with Maryland politics, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't the Governor who raised taxes, it was the legislature that you elected that approved the ta, which the Governor (also elected by you) signed.
@thirdgen: Just because "we the people" elect the politicians based on their (mostly empty) campaign promises, doesn't mean they actually do what they say.
Check your facts; we are constantly reminded how slots will solve Maryland's woes, then hit with more tax increases, doesn't take a genius to compare this years taxes to last years when you file.
I, didn't vote for the new Governor, and for the record, the politicians I did vote for opposed the increases, even tried to oppose them in court because of some inappropriate actions during the special session. Here are the folks I voted for: [www.carrollcountytimes.com]
Wasn't there some federal law that says that if you recieve unordered goods, you can keep them with no obligation?
@MDSasquatch:
@thirdgen:
Um, at the end of the day, I'd say that it was both the governor and the legislature that raised our taxes. Reminds me of the "old saying" about arguing on the Internet: even if you win, you're still retarded. In our case, whether it was the governor or the legislature, we're still boned. I've lived in Maryland for over 10 years now. I'm now in the process of looking for a house in Northern Virginia. Hey, that reminds me of that "old saying too!"
One other point, I think that it was the Governor that demanded the tax increase in this case, and due to the budget laws, the legislature had little choice but obey. One more note: the legislature actually ended up passing a LOWER income tax rate than the Governor was originally looking for...
@aikoto: yeah consumerist said something like that, one guy in the comments even provided a link, but I thought it was that you don't have to make an effort or pay anything to send it back
I am looking at Pennsylvania
@aikoto: Although the article doesn't say, I'm guessing the bulb charge was tacked on as a fee in the customer's power bill.
I think they agreed to the refund, because they would have lost in court. There's no way it can be legal for somebody to send you unsolicited product and then bill you for it, and have you on the hook for the value they set.
Utter nonsense.
What on God's Green Earth is a CFL!
agreed...what on earth is a CFL? (not all of God's earth is green --some is blue, some is brown, and some is...well...i'm not sure what color you call that)
CFL = Compact Fluorescent Lamp. Google is your friend, unless you give them all your info. ;)
What's next? CFLs burn too much energy so they send out candles and matches to the masses. MD power rates are too high already, and our Governor just raised everyone's taxes The last thing anyone needs is a force-feeding from people that have no idea what even a small increase in our out-of pocket expenses does to our already-tight budgets.
Politicians save a couple hundred thousand customers less than a dollar a month and now they want to be touted as heroes, where were these elected officials when the power companies imposed a 50% across the board rate increase?