Village of Park Forest issued the following announcement on June 7.
With warmer weather here, numerous residents have reported solicitors going door-to-door to engage residents on natural gas or electrical services. It has been reported that representatives claiming to be partners of the Village ask to view resident's bills, take images of the bills, and later switch resident's services without their authorization.
To be clear, the Village does not officially endorse any particular company which might be going door-to-door to ask for your business.
The Village's role in the process of solicitor permitting is to screen companies so that background information can be reviewed for the purpose of either issuing a solicitor's permit or rejecting a company's application.
All individuals going door to door in Park Forest to solicit must have a Park Forest issued solicitor's permit.
The issuance of a Park Forest solicitor's permit does not imply that the Village of Park Forest has endorsed any particular company that holds one. The permit simply indicates that the company and been vetted by the Village and been made aware of, and agreed to, exhibiting the proper conduct when engaging residents.
Residents are alerted that anyone going door-to-door should have a clearly legible name badge and a Park Forest issued solicitor's permit. If neither are present, the Village discourages any conversation with individuals soliciting at your door.
If a resident is not interested in having solicitors come to their door, please consider posting a notice that alerts solicitors that they are unwelcome.
Residents may recall changes to the law in recent years that have allowed more competition in the electrical and gas markets which has given rise to door-to-door solicitors who sometimes make false claims to win the business of unsuspecting residents.
Should any vendor come to your door and act in an improper way, please call police immediately. Any individual stating that they are authorized by the Village to enter your home for any purpose should be verified by police first also. Residents with questions can call the Village Manager’s Office at 708-748-1129.
Original source can be found here.
Source: Village of Park Forest
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