Amaysim Energy pays $600,000 for alleged sales agent fraud
20 April 2020
Amaysim Energy (also trading as Click Energy) has paid penalties totalling $600,000 after a sales agent allegedly faked customer details to sign them up without their consent.
The Essential Services Commission has issued 30 penalty notices to Amaysim Energy after a sales agent allegedly entered 19 customer’s details into an online form without their permission, to sign them onto new energy contracts.
Commission chairperson Kate Symons says gaining customers through fraudulent means undermines trust in the market.
“Consumers must have confidence they will only be switched from one energy retailer to another after they are properly informed and have given their consent to the switch,” she said.
Ms Symons says it’s the second time this year a retailer has paid the penalty for the allegedly fraudulent actions of a sales agent.
“Retailers are responsible for their sales agent’s actions and we will not hesitate to act to stamp out energy retailers gaining customers by allegedly fraudulent means,” she said.
Despite the alleged fraud being spotted due to a high number of sales being processed by the responsible agent, the company went ahead with transferring and even billing the affected customers.
“The company also pursued some customers for unpaid bills and, adding insult to injury, disconnected their electricity.
“Victorian consumers have suffered distress that should have been prevented,” Ms Symons said.
Editors’ note: The commission can issue energy industry penalty notices where it has reason to believe a business has committed an energy industry contravention. The payment of a penalty specified in the energy industry penalty notices is not an admission of a contravention of their retail licences.