Dealing With Salespeople

Dealing with Salespeople is one of the most common ways to switch your energy provider. A salesperson or sellers either offer the deals over the phone or at your home. Be guided to avoid buying or just saying yes to a raw deal.

Salespeople from energy retailers might call and contact you or knock on your door.

They must:

• tell you the purpose of the phone call or visit
• help and make you understand what you are about to agree on to
• inform you about cooling off period in case you change your mind
• stop calling or visiting you once you requested

They must not:

• be pushy or force you to sign up
• give you false promises
• try to agree or sign up to anything you don’t understand

If they knock on your door, Reps must show you an ID:

• Name
• Name and Address of the organization they represent

If they contacted you through phone, Salespeople must tell you:

• Name
• Name and Address of the organization they represent

When can salespeople contact you?

They can’t just contact you whenever they want.

Salespeople can only knock on your door between:

• 9 am and 6 pm Monday to Friday
• 9 am and 5 pm on Saturday

They can only call you between:

• 9 am and 8 pm Monday to Friday
• 9 am and 5 pm on Saturday

They must not ring you or knock on your door on:

• Sunday
• Public Holidays

How can you tell sellers to stop contacting you?

As per law, you can stop them to contact you.

• Stick on a “Do not Knock” on your front door or gate.
• Tell them to put your number on its ‘no contact list’ or ‘do not call lists’.
• Get on the Australian Government’s Do Not Call Register. Go to donotcall.gov.au or phone 300 792 958.

How do I complain about salespeople?

To complain about a salesperson, try to write down:

• Name
• The company they work for
• Date and Time, they contacted you
• The information they gave you

If you think they’re not honest, contact the:

• Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), or
• Consumer protection agency in your state or territory

Remember:

ACCC can’t fix problems between you and a retailer, but they can act against energy retailers whose salespeople do not follow the law.

How do I sign up to a plan?

Signing up to an energy plan doesn’t always require a piece of paper.

You can sign up through:

• Over the phone
• Online
• Face to Face with a salesperson

The retailer must give you written information about the plan (Copy of Sales Agreement):

• Price
• Terms and Conditions, including the Cooling-off period

Signing up to an energy plan can really be easy but make sure you have checked all the options possible to make sure you get the best deal. Econnex can help you get the best energy plan in your area.