Verde Energy USA Inc.

emailed customer 2/4/15:
letter-spacing: normal; word-spacing: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; -ms-word-break: normal; -ms-word-wrap: break-word; background-color: rgb(250, 250, 250); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;">Dear [redacted]
This email is in response to the complaint you filed with the Revdex.com. When you enrolled with Verde Energy USA, you enrolled into a 12-MONTH FIXED rate of $0.0749/kwh. I have attached a copy of the verification recording to this email, for your reference. We also mailed you a welcome kit at that time, which included a Terms of Service which explained your rate and the period it was fixed.
On 8/12/14, we mailed you a letter reminding you that your 12-month fixed rate of $0.0749/kwh was about to expire on 9/18/14 and that if you wanted to continue with another FIXED rate, you would need to call us. Otherwise, your rate would automatically switch to our variable rate (as stated in the verification recording as well). As you know, Verde Energy has no contract and there are no cancellation fees.
As a one time courtesy, I have issued you a $317.52 refund check for the difference in rate from the variable you paid on your most recent two bills, to our current fixed rate. I have also processed the $50 rebate that was available for you to take advantage of during the first 6-months of your enrollment. You should receive these checks in the mail within 10-15 business days.
I have put in a cancellation request to your utility to have them cancel your enrollment with Verde Energy USA. It is up to National Grid to choose the actual drop date.
[redacted]
Customer Support | Verde Energy USA
[redacted] [redacted] [redacted]

We sent the customer the following email:
Mr. Hegman,
I reviewed your Revdex.com inquiry and your recent call into our customer support group.
You
were on a variable rate offer which recently increased because...

of
significant increases in energy supply costs.  You are now on a 6 month
fixed rate of $0.0999/KWH.  After your call into customer service they
entered a billing adjustment of $106.80 to lower the rate on your April
bill to this lower rate.  I also authorized today another adjustment of
$126.54 to lower the rate on your March bill.  You should receive both
checks in approximately 2 weeks.
Regards,
Tony Menchaca

I was sent 3 notices dated 12/30 (received 1/3), 1/1 (received 1/5) and a second notice dated 1/1 (received 1/8).  While the company failed to provide proper notice within the guidelines of the contract, the offer to refund the difference in rate so that the rate will be a $.098/kWh rate is acceptable.I will monitor the circumstances with the energy supplier for my bill in the next month and follow up with Verde Energy for any further details as necessary.  If a refund is deserved and Verde's actions prove unsatisfactory I will re-open the case.

replied via email 3/18/15:Dear [redacted],This email is in response to the complaint you filed with the Revdex.com. When you enrolled with Verde Energy USA, you enrolled into a 3-MONTH FIXED rate. On 1/8/15 that fixed rate expired and per your terms of service, was automatically switched to our...

variable rate.As a one time courtesy, we have issued you a $14.48 refund check for the difference in rate from the variable you paid on your most recent bill, to our transitional variable rate of .0899/kwh. Your account will be charged our current fixed rate of .0999/kwh on your last bill with us. You called on Feb. 25th, to cancel your account with Verde. Your Verde Energy Account was cancelled and the last day you will be with Verde is 4/07/15. Verde has no control over the final date you are with your third party supplier, that date is chosen by your utility.[redacted]Customer Support | Verde Energy USA
[redacted]

Complaint: [redacted]
 I am
rejecting this response because:
 I see no
reason  why I should settle for less than
the amount that I expect to receive if I take my complaint to the  Small Claims Court.
The Terms and
Conditions Verde sent me with their August 2010 letter state:1. Price: “...the rate may fluctuate with
month to month market conditions. Effective rate will not be higher than the
comparable rate from your local utility...”
Since Verde’s one
and only selling point was that they would always charge less than [redacted] I
cannot imagine that Verde ever believed that I would be willing to have Verde
as my supplier if they charged me more than [redacted].  Based on my
communications with Verde it is clear to me that it is Verde’s deliberate
policy to defraud the public by promising a lower price and, after a while,
raising the price above [redacted]’s, with the expectation that the customer
will never realize that he is paying more, rather than less than [redacted]
charges.
I Called the
local Small Claims Court and was told that I could expect the Court to award me
the full amount of the overcharges. I was also told that, if I am convinced
that it is Verde’s policy to defraud the public, I might consider contacting a
law firm that specializes in class actions.
Sincerely,
[redacted]

Responded via email on 2/24/15:Dear [redacted], This email is in reply to your complaint filed with the Revdex.com. On 10/1/2014, your 6-month fixed rate of $0.0869/kwh expired. Our fixed rate programs are fixed for a certain period of time as explained on your Terms of Service....

We mailed you a reminder letter on 7/10/14, letting you know that your fixed rate was about to expire and that you should call us to set up a new fixed rate period. I already issued you a refund for the difference in rate from the variable you paid from your 12/4/2014- 1/06/2015 billing cycle, to our fixed rate. You received and cashed this $69.82 check on 2/18/15.I have calculated an additional refund of $146.37, for the difference in rate from your 1/6/2015-2/4/2015 billing cycle, to our current fixed rate. Your account with Verde is closed and you will no longer see Verde on any of your bills.[redacted]Customer Support | Verde Energy USA[redacted]

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
Sincerely,
Jianping Kong

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response...

because:
Sincerely,
[redacted]
I returned [redacted] call from Verde Energy regarding the complaint I submitted to BBC. 
My account number was [redacted] before I closed it and my vendor name is [redacted]
[redacted], Vendor ID:   [redacted].
I was told person I spoke with I'd be reimbursed the total amount I paid
and received $3.95 in the mail.
Thank you,
[redacted]

Horrible, terrible, false advertising, etc. Do yourself a favor and stay away from this outfit. You'll pay anywhere from 10 to 50% more per KW/HR. They jack up their rates and you'll have to take notice on your bill - then you call them and they make up some mumbo-jumbo about your previous rates were locked in for some period (usually 3 to 6 months), then once it is up (without any notification from them) they automatically switch you to a "variable" rate (i.e. higher rate!). What a racket!

We sent the customer the following email today:
[redacted]
I reviewed
your recent inquiry.  [redacted] did not post your July supply charges
which is why you had two months of usage on your August bill.  We...

will
issue you a billing refund of $285.25 to lower your effective rate to
$0.1199/KWH for both months.  You should receive a check within 2
weeks.  I say your account will leave service with Verde at the end of
the current billing cycle on 9/19/14.
We apologize for the billing issue.
Regards,
[redacted]
Verde Energy USA

This account was enrolled in December 2011 under a monthly variable rate offer which can change with market conditions.  The account entered service on 2/16/12 at a rate of $0.0810/KWH and this rate held steady thru June of 2013 when it began to increase because of increases in Verde's energy...

supply costs.  Thre account was dropped per the customer's request on 2/15/14 and will leave service at the end of the current billing period on 3/19/14.
As a good will gesture we have redeemed the customer's $50 cash bonus and are also proving a $39.04 billing refund for the February bill which takes the rate down to $0.0929/KWH.  The customer will receive both checks within 2 weeks.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and I'll live with this resolution because I did not fully comprehend their change in policy and I have to take responsibility for that. 
However, I do find that this business practice, while legal, to be a bait and switch tactic used in a number of industries.  Essentially, by cashing their $25 check, I agreed to be overcharged by more than 70% over the standard rate.  It is akin to hiding rate increases in the fine print.  If this were an item of choice, rather than an item of necessity, it would not bother me as much.  But electricity is a basic need and is not an optional purchase.  I can afford this overcharging, but many cannot, and this is much like predatory lending in that respect.  I'm sure other companies in this same business have done the same thing.  The intent of deregulating utilities like this was to lower the cost to consumers, but in fact, it raises the cost and thus also raises the cost of living and thus reduces the number of jobs and economic growth.  Verde has a fiduciary responsibility to their stockholders to increase profits and do this legally, which they have done.  While this process is legal, it is not highly moral.
I've lost over $800 in a year because I didn't monitor the rates as I should have since I pay these bills with an automatic monthly charge.  There was really no change in suppliers, just billing companies.  In the end, Verde, and other companies like it, did not provide a service, but were simply another form of loan sharking.  I know this is not the forum to address political financing and unbridled deregulation, but someone should address the larger issue.  If a policy does not have the desired effect, it should be scrapped.  I would hope the Revdex.com would let politicians and the public know of this issue.
I do appreciate Verde refunding a small part of the money I paid -- something they did not have to do.  I will now scruitinize my monthly bill more closely after this "educational" process which cost me over $800.  And I thought my education expenses were paid for long ago.
Sincerely,
[redacted]

We sent the customer the following emailMs. [redacted],We received a copy of your inquiry.Your
account entered service with Verde on 9/19/13 in a 12 month fixed rate
of $0.1049/KWH for 100% renewable energy.  We mailed you a notice on
8/19/14 indicating that the fixed rate would end in October...

and become a
variable rate.  We also allow any variable rate customer to switch to
our then current fixed rate offer for new customers at any point in
time.I see that you have cancelled your account with
Verde.  As a courtesy we will send you a billing adjustment check for
$153.00 which lowers the effective rate for your most recent bill to
$0.1049/KWH.Regards,Verde Energy Customer Support

We sent the following email to the customer today:
Mr. Vinjamuri,
I reviewed your Revdex.com inquiry and your recent call to our customer service center.
As
a goodwill gesture we will issue a refund check for...

the $164.90 amount
that you requested.  You will receive this check within 2 weeks.  We
will also enroll your account in our 6 month fixed rate offer of
$0.1049/KWH for 100% renewable energy.  You can cacnel at any time in
the future with no cancellation costs.
Regards,
Tony Menchaca

Verde Energy has tried to make contact with customer via telephone. We await [redacted]'s return phone call to our billing specialist, Stephanie  [redacted]. 
vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1.3; word-break: normal; word-wrap: break-word; width: auto; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Karen M[redacted]
Customer Support | Verde Energy USA
[redacted] [redacted] [redacted]

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because: Verde is still lying. Verde told me I was rejected by [redacted] not [redacted]. They also said that I was sent paper bills and again I haven't received any paper bills since I signed up with Verde in February because they changed my bills to email bills instead of paper. I did not change my bills to emails and neither did [redacted]. Verde was the only other one that could have access to my account. They sent me the $75 check but once again I was unable to get assistance from [redacted] due to my low income because of health issues. I have a paper bill that was just sent to me for $137.09 due by 5-18-15. I firmly believe that Verde is responsible for this bill since I was given incorrect information from them and them telling me that [redacted] rejected them. I canceled with them last week and made [redacted] aware of this change. Since I thought they were my supplier I was taking direction from them. Why would they be in such a hurry to send me a check if they weren't at fault and they know it? 
Sincerely,
[redacted]

We sent the customer the following email today
[redacted]
I received a copy of your inquiry.
You
were enrolled on a 6 month fixed rate of $0.0899/KWH which then became a
monthly variable rate.  We actually held the rate fixed for 7 months...


and offer all variable rate customers the opportunity to contact us and
enroll in our then current fixed rate for new customers.  Although you
cancelled your enrollment as a courtesy we will send you a billing
adjustment check for $176.66 which lowers the effective rate on your
last bill to $0.1299/KWH which is our current fixed rate for new **
customers.  You will receive this check in 2 weeks.
Regards,
[redacted]

Responded directly to customer via email:
rgb(51, 51, 51);">Dear [redacted],
 
This email is in response to the complaint you filed with the Revdex.com. I have looked up your account and see that Patricia enrolled the account with Verde Energy for a 4-month fixed rate of $0.1299/kwh. You received that rate for 4 billing cycles. After your fixed rate expired, per the Terms of Service mailed to your address, the account switched automatically to our variable rate.  
As requested, I am emailing you a voice recording of your enrollment with Verde Energy USA.
Call Time: 1/12/2015 1:43:26 PM . 
I also see that you called our 800 number to cancel your account. We are waiting to hear back from [redacted] with a service end date.
We are processing a $20.73 refund for the difference in rate from your highest billing. Verde Energy is not required to offer any refunds on the variable rate pricing and we do so only as a courtesy. As an additional courtesy, we have processed the $75 rebate that was available for you to take advantage of during the first 6-months of your enrollment. You should receive these checks in the mail within 10-15 business days.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reply to this email.
 
 
 
Karen M[redacted]
Customer Support |Verde Energy USA
[redacted]

I have left a detailed voicemail for customer and I am also replying to complaint here:Customer originally became active with Verde 11/19/15. Service end date of  that original account was 9/21/16.Our telemarketing group called customer on 9/14/16 and customer re-enrolled account with...

the 7.49/kwh rate agreement. Third Party Verification recording attached. At time of 2nd enrollment, we offered a $100 cash back bonus rebate, which I have processed. Customer should receive two $50 checks within 15 business days.Final day with Verde Energy will be 9/20/2017 (date provided by utility: [redacted])I have also added customer's phone number to Do Not Call list.Karen M[redacted] Customer Support |Verde Energy USA[redacted] | [redacted] | Norwalk, CT 06851

emailed customer 4/16/15
Dear [redacted],
 
This email is in response to your rejection of our Revdex.com response. As I have promised, a $54.03 refund check was mailed to you directly from the bank. As well as the $50 rebate that was available for you to take advantage of during the first 6-months of your enrollment. You should get both of these checks in the mail any day now.
I have adjusted your account to our fixed rate of .1599/kwh for your remaining billing cycle with Verde Energy. [redacted] has given us a service end date of 4/20/2015. If you have any questions/concerns please don’t hesitate to reply to this e-mail.
[redacted]
Customer Support | Verde Energy USA
[redacted]