A reader on Manhattan's Upper West Side spotted an IDT energy salesman going door-to-door this week. The tipster nabbed a copy of IDT's enrollment forms so you know what to look for when the scammy salesmen try to wrangle you into signing up for services that can triple the cost of your energy bill. The IDT representative said he was winding his way north to the tip of Manhattan with plans to reach 125th Street in time for Christmas.

Our tipster reports:

I'm an avid reader of The Consumerist so I knew exactly what to do when "the utility company" rang up to my apartment this week. I ran down to the front door where I found an IDT salesman. The guy was African American, somewhere between 30 and 40 with a really nice silk polka dot scarf. He was also wearing a large ID card that said in bold red letters "I Am Not A Utility Company Employee." The ID card was attached to a green necklace holder thing that said "Buy Greed." Odd, right? Anyway, I refused to let the guy in even though he promised to save me 7% on my energy bill (HA!), but I told him that I'd take his enrollment forms to look over. He said he wasn't supposed to give them to me, but then he did. Scans attached.

The guy said he was working his way up Manhattan and that he hoped to reach 110th street by Saturday and 125th Street by next week. After that, he plans to keep on going. He said he manages to cover three blocks a day, depending on the buildings. Hope that helps!

Good to see that IDT salesmen are no longer claiming to be ConEd representatives. That isn't stopping the New York City Consumer Protection Board and the Department of Consumer Affairs from demanding that the Public Service Commission:

• Develop mandatory marketing standards for ESCOs like IDT.
• Require ESCOs to clearly identify themselves.
• Compel ESCOs to clearly explain that they are not in any way associated with ConEd.
• Request the power to sanction ESCOs who use scammy marketing tactics.

Here are the scans of IDT's enrollment forms furnished by our tipster. If you see them, put away your pen and ask the salesman to immediately leave your building.

The enrollment form:

The fine print on the back, which surprisingly doesn't contain a mandatory binding arbitration clause:

The "I Wasn't Duped" declaration (Available in English only. Sorry other-language speakers!)

New York State and City Consumer Protection Agencies Call For Improved Marketing Standards for ESCOs [Department of Consumer Affairs]
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