Shocked by Voltex “dirty electricity” cleaner

“A Clever new technology can help average consumers reduce their electric bills by up to 90% a month after the first month.”

“I’ve researched “dirty electricity” and in this article I explain why I strongly believe that it’s part of a scam made up by a few unscrupulous businesses …”

How I’ve missed slumming thru dubious websites. I’ve just stumbled on a real doozy of a site. The first quote is by Voltex. The second is from a tasty blog by Lou Guerreiro.

Advertised on SmartNews, Voltex offers a gourmet feast of classic web scammer ploys. And it accidentally reveals glimmers about how this seedy business works. Okay, here’s how you can get in touch with the Voltex people:

Company: UAB Commerce Core
Address: Savanorių pr. 363, LT-51480 Kaunas, Lithuania
Website: https://getvoltex.com/
Email: support@getvoltex.com
Phone: +1 1-361-320-6947 

Similar: PowerVolt, MiracleWatt

February 28, 2021: There may be nothing illegal or wrong with the following business practices. But they suggest to me that the seller is not to be trusted. I’m using my Trustworthy scoring system; -1 means true (bad), +1 means false (good), and 0 means undetermined. I penalize the seller for statements made by shills.

Ridiculous claims:  TRUE (-1):

• “Just this year, a new study suggested that most Americans are overpaying for electricity by a whopping $27.6 billion dollars per year.” Study not found.
• “Big Energy is running a massive racket, and as long as they are not regulated, they’ll continue to get away with it.” Kooky.
• “(Power companies) have been trying to hide Voltex from the everyday consumer and have even banned it in retail shops.” Unlikely.

Suspicious location: TRUE (-1):

A pleasant small-town shopping neighborhood, in Lithuania.

Onerous terms: TRUE (-1):

• If it arrives damaged, talk to “your” shipper.
• If it’s otherwise unsatisfactory, then you have 30 days from the date you receive the product to ask for an exchange or refund.
• In this case, send your unused product in its unopened original packaging to Lithuania* at your expense. Replacements are likewise shipped at your expense.
• They don’t guarantee that anything they say is true.
• They don’t promise that the product will meet your needs.
• T&Cs are under the governing laws of British Columbia, Canada, where you would have to go to sue them.

*: “Our main return center happens to be in Lithuania.” -Rachell Mendoza, Customer Service Representative.

Ads, spam, robocalls:  TRUE (-1):

True to its species, this web site will make a little money off you even if you don’t buy anything.

• They’ll collect all the data they can suck out of your browser, including everything you look at on their website and everywhere you move your mouse. For starters, you’re supposed to click on your state on a map of the US in exchange for free shipping. Or you could click the big green button on the bottom instead of revealing your state and get free shipping plus a 50% discount. (But I found that I was able to score the 50% discount either way.)
• They’ll keep any personal data you give them. (I used Donald Trump‘s email and Palm Beach address for research purposes.)
• They’ll text you; you can opt out.
• They’ll robocall and spam you.
• They’ll sell your personal data to other companies that will do the same.
• The website itself will receive a cut of any of your purchases. That implies that the website is run by a different company. So you’re not even looking at the seller’s own website yet.

Lying and deception:  TRUE (-1):

• They advertise a 1 year warranty. But the Terms and Conditions only allow a 30-day return or exchange.
• The device in the SmartNews ad is different from the device offered on the website.

The author is so good looking that he sells pictures of himself on Adobe Stock. Or is it the other way around?

Wait a minute — that’s not an electric bill?

Obfuscation:  TRUE (-1):

• “Make sure you get yours while you can, due to recent media attention and mounting pressure from Big Energy, these handy little gadgets may become impossible to find in the near future.” Too urgent to think about it. Just buy it!
• You have to drill through three web pages to see the price; $59 for one unit.

Phony reviews: TRUE (-1):

“Juliette” from the second of ten reviews sure gets around, as I can see from Google Image Search. But supposing that this made-up woman owns a company is a gracious nod to feminism, Mr. Freeman.

Crummy product:. Undetermined (0).

• I couldn’t find any third-party reviews.
• But this user complaint about a similar product on Amazon isn’t very encouraging: “At this rate my electric bill will be more than double last months bill which was $103.00 . I have since as of this date received my new bill. IT WAS $30.00 HIGHER & am now averaging 30 to 33 Kwh a day with just a refrigerator & TV. I DO NOT recommend this product under ANY circumstances!!”

Overpriced: TRUE (-1):

After the 50% discount, they want $59 for one unit. Similar products sell on Amazon for $12 each.

Bad service: Undetermined (0):

• I couldn’t find any 3rd-party reviews or complaints.
• I emailed them a question on a Sunday. I got an autoreply a few hours later. I got a reply from a human on Wednesday that didn’t answer my simple question.

Total score: -8

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Unauthorized charges: I found no evidence of this. However, PayPal (a good defense against credit-card theft) is not supported.

Conclusion: Don’t buy a power conditioner. But if you must, choose one that’s supported within the country you live in.

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Bloopers:

• “Real people, real results;” see “Lying and deception” above
• “Once you order, all you have to do is plug it in and you start saving on enery costs!”

Final word:

Now that we’ve explored the seamy interior of the power conditioning racket, let’s take a harder look at this Voltex claim: “A Clever new technology can help average consumers reduce their electric bills by up to 90% a month after the first month.”

If you’re like me, you look at your monthly electric bill to compare your consumption to last year’s. Suppose you buy a Voltex and stick it in the wall. At the end of the month you look at your bill; not much effect. So you give it another month. Bupkis. So you demand a refund. But by now you’re way past the 30-day limit on refunds and exchanges (see “Onerous terms” above).

Related:

• “Dirty Electricity;” a hilarious read for nerds.
• “10 Things You Should Know about Surge Protectors.” “You probably don’t need a power ‘conditioner.'”
• An Australian electrical supply wholesaler named “Voltex” (which I see is highly regarded) has nothing to do with this web marketing company.