Erie County Times

Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced that he has secured a settlement with Indra Energy that would stop illegal telemarketing tactics.

According to a release by Shapiro on June 30, an investigation found that there were 355,244 calls made to consumers who were on the “Do not call” list, with some being called more than 48 times over a month’s time. It was found that there were a “wide range of violations” for telemarketing operations committed by Indra Energy. The settlement is with retail energy suppliers who do business in Pennsylvania under the name Indra Energy that include PalmCo Energy PA, LLC and PalmCo Power PA, LLC. 

“Unwanted phone calls continue to harass and plague Pennsylvanians across the Commonwealth,” AG Shapiro said. “I want to thank all of the consumers who filed complaints about Indra Energy and brought their behavior to my attention. My Office is committed to putting a stop to these unwanted calls and with today’s settlement we help ensure that companies follow the law when calling consumers.”

Violations included in the settlement include: Indra Energy, through its vendors, repeatedly called numbers on the “Do not call” list; delivered pre-recorded messages to numbers on the list; failed to obtain an “express request” from consumers on the list before calling them; the company used misleading offers about energy savings and rebates; and Indra Energy used deceptive practices in requests to be contacted.

Indra Energy must pay $185,900, which includes $100 Payments to nine consumers who filed complaints. The company is also prohibited from making unwanted telemarketing calls.

The Pennsylvania Office of Consumer Advocate (OCA) recommends the following actions when it comes to switching an electric or gas supplier: research the OCA natural gas and electric shopping guides at ova.pa.gov, papowerswitch,com and pagasswitch.com; be sure to understand the terms of conditions in contracts; and monitor your account to make sure you are being charged correctly.

Those who are on the “Do not call” list but have received telemarketing calls can report the calls by calling 1-800-441-2555 or email scams@attorneygeneral.gov. It came also be done online at https://www.attorneygeneral.gov/submit-a-complaint/not-call-verification/.