Full Answer
Is the National Grid TCPA settlement a scam?
If you're one of the thousands of people in New York, Massachusetts, or Rhode Island who get their utilities from National Grid, you might have received an email last month about a settlement for the company's violation of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. Is the National Grid TCPA settlement a scam? No, it isn't a scam.
How much does it cost to file a lawsuit against national grid?
Settlement payments are estimated to be between $50 and $150. What if I want to file my own lawsuit against National Grid? You have the right to exclude yourself from the settlement or object to it.
What did national grid do wrong in the settlement?
Although National Grid reportedly denies doing anything wrong, it agreed to pay the settlement. The company has also changed its policies and procedures regarding customer calls, including now asking customers if they consent to receive automated collection calls. How do I know if the settlement applies to me?
How do I contact the National Grid Settlement Office?
or call (855) 784-1955. What does the Settlement provide? If the Settlement is approved and becomes final, National Grid will pay thirty-eight million five-hundred thousand dollars ($38,500,000.00) into a settlement fund.
What is a grid settlement?
In urban planning, the grid plan, grid street plan, or gridiron plan is a type of city plan in which streets run at right angles to each other, forming a grid. The infrastructure cost for regular grid patterns is generally higher than for patterns with discontinuous streets.
What is a TCPA settlement?
Companies violate the TCPA (Telephone Consumer Protection Act) by illegally contacting consumers, often via autodials and/or robocalls. These violations can lead to multimillion-dollar class action settlements.
Does National Grid ever call you?
If you are dealing with someone over the phone, please note that National Grid representatives will know your account number; never offer that information to a caller.
Why is National Grid knocking on my door?
If a company representative needs to inspect a gas or electric meter that is outside of a customer's home, we will knock on the door, show a National Grid picture ID, make the customer aware we are on the premises for official company business, and follow all CDC health and safety guidelines.
What does TCPA stand for?
Telephone Consumer Protection ActIn an effort to address a growing number of telephone marketing calls, Congress enacted in 1991 the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). The TCPA restricts the making of telemarketing calls and the use of automatic telephone dialing systems and artificial or prerecorded voice messages.
Can I sue for unwanted calls?
TCPA class action lawsuits allow consumers to sue for robocalls, or robotexts, to collect between $500 and $1,500 per call or text. The TCPA also lets consumers take legal action against telemarketers who don't honor the national do-not-call list and collect $500 per call, for every phone call beyond the first one.
How do I stop National Grid robocalls?
Most apps also allow you to create a whitelist of numbers to let through or blacklist of numbers to block or send straight to voicemail. Some of the apps can also guide you through steps of adding your number to the national Do Not Call Registry, which could prevent legal robocalls from calling you.
Does National Grid send people door to door?
The company does not conduct sales door-to-door and National Grid does not offer residential equipment inspection and maintenance service. Customers should always ask to see the identification of anyone attempting to gain entrance to their home -- especially if the customer did not initiate a service call.
Does national grid ask for Social Security?
Why do we ask for the last four digits of your SSN/TIN in addition to your account number? We use your account number and last four digits of your SSN (or your company's TIN) to protect your account information.
Can National Grid shut you off in the winter in NY?
The moratorium on utility service shutoffs during the COVID-19 state of emergency ended on December 21, 2021. However, New York State is offering financial assistance and consumer protections to help customers to maintain their utility service and to pay down their arrears.
Can energy companies knock on your door?
There are strict guidelines a Door to Door energy sales person must adhere to when attempting to make a sale. They must explain the reason for the visit and confirm if you wish to proceed.
Can National Grid turn off power during COVID-19?
You, the customer, must contact the utility company directly and ask for shutoff protection. You will have to self-certify with the utility provider that you had a change in financial circumstances or loss of income due to COVID-19.
What does the TCPA apply to?
The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) regulates telemarketing calls, autodialed calls, prerecorded calls, text messages and unsolicited faxes.
Will I get money from Wells Fargo lawsuit?
There are a number of possible benefits of this Settlement, including cash and non-cash compensation. There is no cap to the total amount of cash payments that will be made under the Settlement. The payments are calculated based on the type of impact that CPI may have had on your account.
What is a TCPA violation?
Unsolicited Automated Calls or Texts to Cellphones If a business, without prior express written consent, calls a cell phone using automated dialing or a prerecorded message for marketing purposes, that constitutes a TCPA violation.
What is not covered under the TCPA?
made for emergency purposes; not made for a commercial purpose; made for a commercial purpose but does not include or introduce an advertisement or constitute telemarketing; made by or on behalf of a tax-exempt nonprofit organization; or.
How do I know if the settlement applies to me?
The settlement applies to anyone in the U.S. who received automated calls on their cell phone from National Grid between March 9, 2011, and October 29, 2021. The prerecorded messages covered under the settlement include those that state:
How do I file a claim?
If you think you're included in the settlement, you can complete a claim form online or fill out a paper form. The emails National Grid sent out last month will have a Notice ID and Confirmation Code for you to use on your claim. However, you can still submit a claim even if you didn't receive a mailed or emailed notice about the settlement. All settlement claims must be submitted online or postmarked no later than May 12, 2022. Settlement payments are estimated to be between $50 and $150.
What to do if caller doesn't know account number?
If the caller doesn’t know your account number and phishes for help, take charge and hang up immediately. Do not take the bait. Scammers will not have access to your account information, and you should never offer that information if asked. National Grid representatives will know your account number.
What do imposters tell customers?
Imposters claiming to be National Grid employees may tell customers that they have past due balances on their utility bills, even promising a savings on their next bill. Customers who reported the scams, say they were contacted by telephone and email, and in some cases automated recordings.
How to contact National Grid?
Customers should always contact National Grid using the toll-free telephone numbers listed on their billing statements. If you are provided a phone number that does not match numbers on the statements, it is likely that the call is a scam.
What is the National Grid?
About National Grid: National Grid (NYSE: NGG) is an electricity, natural gas, and clean energy delivery company serving more than 20 million people through our networks in New York, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. National Grid is transforming our electricity and natural gas networks with smarter, cleaner, and more resilient energy solutions to meet the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Does National Grid know your account number?
National Grid representatives will know your account number. Scammers also may contact you by email and attempt to lure customers into clicking on a link, visiting a malicious website, revealing account information, or calling a phone number. While National Grid may ask for a payment to be made over the phone, the payment method will be left to ...
Does National Grid accept debit cards?
National Grid does contact customers with past due balances by phone to offer payment options, but never demands direct payment through the use of a prepaid debit card and never accepts payment through these cards.
Is National Grid a scam?
National Grid customers and local law enforcement are reporting utility billing and payment scams across upstate New York . National Grid is asking its customers to beware and know the signs of a scam.
