Every year, victims of heat pump scams number in the thousands. How do unscrupulous companies manage to take advantage of a public energy renovation policy to deceive their customers? To find out, a young journalist from “Complément d’Enquête” applied for a job as a telemarketer in one of these companies. In hidden camera, an edifying extract from a document released on March 2, 2023.
Simon is a young journalist from the “Complément d’Enquête” team. He has no experience in energy renovation, and no idea how a heat pump works… Never mind: after an interview of a few minutes, he will be able to get hired in a company “specialized” in energy renovationa “heat pump box”as presented by the manager who receives it.
The ad to which he replied concerns a job as a telemarketer, responsible for canvassing individuals by telephone (an activity strictly prohibited in the energy renovation sector at the time of this shoot). The goals set for it? Land around 20 meetings a week. Simon does a trial day 48 hours later.
Pretend to be “the departmental design office”
In the open space, eight other telemarketers face their screen, with a file of contact details of individuals, everywhere in France. First instruction for Simon (who has equipped himself with a hidden camera): above all not to present himself as a “salesman” but as a “consulting technician” working for “the departmental design office”.
If the interlocutor suspects that he is dealing with a heat pump seller, continue to claim to be employed by an “independent body”. Once he is confident, make him believe that benefiting from renovation aid is a chance – when everyone is eligible for it, and these telephone advisers know it perfectly… How? By making him wait while we pretend to check his eligibility using totally fictitious software.
– Why do we never do it on the software?
– Because there is none, software! It’s just to make like we’re calculating “Oh great, you’re eligible!”On a telephone canvassing platform“Further Investigation” (hidden camera)
Simon’s table neighbor has been there for three weeks, and he no longer has any illusions: the goal here is to “make big margins”. For example “when a big pigeon is OK to pay 25,000” a heat pump that we “can have for 9,000 euros with installation”.
“We’re not on the nice side, there, when you call. The trick is to try, a little, to scam people, and that’s why there are a lot of of retirees.”
A telemarketer“Further Investigation” (hidden camera)
Questioned by the journalists of “Complément d’Enquête” after the infiltration, the boss of the telephone platform denied any scam and affirmed to respect the regulations.
Extract of ” Energy renovation: billions spent for nothing?”, a document published in “Complément d’Enquête” on March 2, 2023.
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