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Door-to-Door Sales People

Do you know the facts?

Last year, an estimated 600,000 households in Ontario were visited by door to door sales for a new rental hot water tank. A new report Staying In Hot Water – Consumers Need Better Information commissioned by EnerCare Solutions, finds that contracts for rental water heaters are being signed by consumers who have an incomplete understanding of contract terms and overestimate the extent of possible energy savings.

For more information, please visit the official Hot Water Facts website*.

10 things every home owner needs to know.

In order to help you protect yourself and avoid long-term commitments, high rates and hidden exit fees, EnerCare Solutions has prepared these top ten tips to dealing with sales people.

  1. It’s your home! You are under no obligation whatsoever to answer the door, let alone allow a sales person into your home. Trust your instincts. If you get an uncertain feeling from someone at your door, or you’re home alone, simply ignore them or ask them to leave. If they become aggressive or threatening, lock the doors and call the police.
  2. Ask for identification. If you’re prepared to speak to a sales person, insist on seeing some identification first. Request a valid company ID. Ask them who they represent and how you can verify their identification. If you feel uncertain about what you’re seeing, ask them to leave immediately.
  3. Take charge of the conversation. Once you are convinced they are legitimate representatives, ask a handful of basic questions before you listen to their pitch. Sales people should have no problem answering basic questions about the company they represent, such as how long they’ve been in business and how many customers they have.
  4. Beware of bogus claims. There a several things unscrupulous sales people often say in order to “close the deal”. Look out for claims that prices are expected to rise dramatically. Another common trick is to represent themselves as your current service provider and to suggest that the transaction they are proposing is mandatory. It’s not!
  5. Protect your personal information. Unscrupulous sales people often start their pitch by asking to see your current bills. You do not need to share any information containing private and secure information or provide copies to anyone with whom you do not feel 100% comfortable.
  6. Take your time. A legitimate sales person will give you all the time you need to read through the materials they provide. You can always ask them to leave materials behind and get them to come back later, after you have had time to research their company or offer online.
  7. Ask lots of questions. Before you consider signing anything, there are questions you should ask. Do you offer 24/7 assistance or service by phone? What is the term of the contract? What happens if I need to break the contract – what kind of fees will I pay? What if my needs change and I want a bigger or smaller tank? How much higher are your rental rates?
  8. Watch out for “guarantees”. Unscrupulous sales people want to lock you into a long-term contract at higher rates. They often refer to these locked-in terms as a guarantee and maintenance plan. Similarly, guaranteed cost savings can often simply be untrue. Be careful!
  9. Know your rights! If you sign a contract at your home and end up regretting it, you are entitled to a ten-day “cooling off” period, in which you can cancel the contract for any reason. That’s a detail most unscrupulous sales people often forget to mention!
  10. Call EnerCare Solutions for advice. If you receive a visit from a salesperson with an offer and want someone you can trust to talk about it before or after you sign, you can always contact EnerCare Solutions' or visit hotwaterfacts.ca*. We’ll help you separate fact from fiction.

*Disclaimer: You will see links to third party sites on the hotwaterfacts.ca site, which are provided to you for information purposes only. The owners of such third party sites are solely responsible for the content of such sites and, including ensuring that they comply with relevant legislation. We accept no responsibility for the content on such third party sites, including, without limitation, any error, omission or inaccuracy therein.