Alleged vendor hired by PECO wants to come in my house (transfer, living)

[Tracysherm]

I don't know if this is a scam or legitimate.

We got a notice on our front door last week from a vendor named VSI saying they have to come in and change the battery on our gas meter. There is a little PECO logo on the notice, but it's not from PECO. Now they've left a message on my machine to call them. Before I call them, I'm gonna call PECO first, but since that will be a several-hours-long ordeal, I figured I ask people here first.

I'm suspicious.

Number one, wouldn't PECO have notified us before sending some vendor we've never heard of to our house? Any freak with a self-made badge could show up and ask to come in the house.

Number two, our meters for gas and electric are on the OUTSIDE of the house. This was done years ago so we wouldn't have to be home during the day to let a meter reader inside. So why do they want to come inside?

Number three, if VSI was indeed hired by PECO, wouldn't they know that our meters are outside?

Number four, as far as I know, the meters are hooked into the electrical system and don't run on batteries. We've lived here almost 8 years and never heard about any batteries. Has anyone heard of such a thing?


Our bill gets paid promptly every month, so there's no chance that a meter stopped working due to a dead "battery."


Any advice?

[PeeAye Native]

I'd call not only PECO, but your local police. This has scam written all over it.

[bambiying]

Looking at an old article that I Googled it looks like PECO might own them. VSI sold to Philly utility co. - Baltimore Business Journal:

[thekish]

Originally Posted by TracySam

Any advice?

Call Peco direct and ask them.

[Tracysherm]

Call PECO? Hahahahaha!!!! Have you ever tried that?
Wait, wait, I'm laughing so hard I might pee. Oh, man, you really cracked me up with that joke!


I did contact this VSI company and they sort-of made a little sense. Apparently all of us in my town who had the special gas meter (that gets read remotely, so they don't have to come in the house) put in 7 years ago are all due for new batteries, so PECO contracted with VSI to come out and do my whole town. But I asked why PECO didn't send out a letter if this battery thing was being done all over my town, to let us know who VSI is, and that it's legitimate, and they said, "Oh they are sending out a letter; I think it goes out today." Great, that's helpful.

Apparently, if you have one of those gas meters that gets read remotely so that they don't have to come in your house, it has a battery, which they need to come into your house to change. (Hmmm, the "not coming in my house thing" was the whole reason I got the darn thing).

They could not, however, give me a good explanation as to why it has a battery, since, oh, I dunno, it's freaking hard-wired into my house and THEY supply the electricity.

So they said to wait till the official letter from PECO comes and then set up the appointment through PECO, who will then just transfer my call to VSI. I'll just wait them out and see if the letter comes...

[thekish]

No I never called Peco. Calling VSI is stupid.

Caller: Hi, this is a potential scam victim. Are you trying to scam me?
VSI: No we work for Peco.

[Tracysherm]

I didn't say I bought their story; I just wanted to see what they had to say, and still could not get a living human being at PECO.

That's why I said they made a little sense. When I gave my street address, they were able to give me my name and PECO account number, and the exact date I apparently had the remote gas meter installed 7 years ago. So they somehow have some way of getting PECO's info.
I did not schedule an appt with them, but told them I'd just wait for PECO's letter.

I even joked with the guy, saying "Hey, if you are scammers, at least you're friendly and answer your phones. Too many scammers these days have horrible customer service." He laughed and said he totally understood why I'd be suspicious, and said no problem, wait till I hear from PECO.

[seanw65]

FYI - The gas meter IS NOT hard-wired to anything. The little panel attached to the top front of the gas meter contains the battery.

As to why they would need to come inside - makes no sense.

[Tracysherm]

Hehehe, just saw my thread re-opened after a year.

Well, it's a year later, and I never had them come into my home, and no batteries have died, and the meter-police have not come beating down my door. I just decided that if PECO wants to change a battery, they need to send me something in writing on PECO letterhead. I don't need to take the verbal word of some random company I've never heard of. That's how home-invasion robberies happen.

I'm sure that if the battery for the remote reading device does die at some point, PECO will send me an estimated bill (like in the old days when the meter man couldn't get into your house in a given month) and make up the difference when they can get an actual reading the following month after they tell me in writing they need to come into my home.

[seanw65]

I agree wholeheartedly! The entering the house was very odd indeed. I'm glad you had the sense to question it all!

I know it was a year, just wanted to let people reading know where the battery is.

Now, if you're in the Suburban Water company area and have a remote water meter, not sure where that battery is, but I hope it would be in the block installed on the outside of the house as well.

Glad to know all is well. --- They'll get their money anyway!!