Potentially False Mention Of Supplier By Doorstep Theft Suspect Prompts OCC To Seek Investigation
December 16,2016
The Connecticut Office of Consumer Counsel has requested that PURA open an investigation of Starion Energy after an NBC Connecticut report concerning alleged thefts of packages from doorsteps by individuals allegedly posing as door to door sales agents, with such NBC Connecticut report citing Starion as one of the companies the suspects allegedly told police they were employed by (suspects allegedly also cited Comcast and Eversource).
Starion told NBC Connecticut that the suspects were not employed by Starion
However, OCC asked PURA to investigate the matter further, asking PURA to determine if the suspects ever sold on behalf of Starion.
In support of its request, OCC cited in particular the NBC Connecticut report which said that the suspects allegedly told police they were employed by Starion
However, not only were the suspects not employees of Starion, Starion provided to RetailEnergyX.com copies of the police reports in the matter, which do not contain any reference to Station. RetailEnergyX.com has reviewed the police reports and confirmed that such police reports state the individuals allegedly stated they were supposed to be selling Comcast services at the time of their arrest, and the police reports do not state that the suspects said they were selling for Starion.
"During its ongoing review of this matter, Starion obtained a copy of the police report documenting the incident. The OCC’s motion is based on an article published by NBC Connecticut which states, among other things, that the individuals arrested were allegedly employed by Starion Energy. However, the police report does not make any reference to Starion and, in fact, states the two individuals were allegedly supposed to be selling Comcast services at the time of their arrest," Starion said in a statement
The Consumer Counsel in its request said, "OCC recognizes that there is a possibility that the two alleged perpetrators had no association with Starion. The article contains a reference that the pair also posed as representatives of Comcast. Still, given ... the reference by the alleged perpetrators to Starion, OCC believes that PURA should investigate and that Starion should be required to state in a contested hearing, under oath, whether the alleged perpetrators have ever worked with or on behalf of Starion, and what role, if any, they had on behalf of Starion on the date in question."