Just before Christmas, I came down to the French Quarter to prepare my newly purchased condo for Christmas. My wife, myself and some of our family were going to spend Christmas and New Years in the French Quarter, in our new place. I called Entergy to switch the electric from the previous owner, into my name. I was refused and called a three year old. I was told my social was three years old. I explained that my social security was only 3 years old, as I had recently immigrated from Canada. To that the verification department answered, ” you’re a 3 year old sir a three year old.” The next day my electricity was cut off. I called Entergy and pleaded with them to turn it on. I was told that I needed to fax a copy of my proof of purchase for the condo ( which was endorsed and notarized by a lawyer) and my driver’s license. That I was told, would get my power hooked up. So I did as they asked and I was still left in the dark. I was told that my power would not be hooked up. I asked why? I did as they asked and was refused service. They wanted specific information which I provided, and then refused to turn on my electric. I explained that I had $200 worth of Christmas groceries in the refrigerator, and my heat and hot water was electric. They still refused. They said, “now we want more information. We want a copy of your social and green card. ” I explained that it was in my permanent home in NYC, and that Friday afternoon my wife was at a funeral there, and unable to get it to them. I also explained that I had already given them the information they requested. I asked them to take a $500 deposit from my visa card until this information could be faxed to them from NYC. They refused. I frantically called my wife in NYC, and begged her to leave her dead friend and fax my social security and green card to them. She was distraught, but it had to be done, as it was Friday afternoon. She left the funeral called Entergy and they told her that now they wanted more information. They said that they wanted a copy of her social and green card as well, even though she was not on the bill. She was crying over their pushiness and provided them with that information too. Then she called me and said that the power would be turned on and went to the wake. The power was not turned on. I called Entergy and asked why? They told me that it would be 6 days before they would hook up my power. I asked Why? They gave me no explanation. That night my guests arrived to darkness, and the coldest winter in New Orleans in 15 years. I pleaded with Entergy several times and I did not understand why I was to endure 6 days of torture, since they now had everything they needed to verify my account. I gave them everything but a DNA sample. They asked me to jump and I jumped they asked me to jump through hoops and I did that too. Then they refused me. After two days of freezing nights and no hot showers, I was forced to buy a generator, before my food spoiled, and my niece got sick. I paid $600 and started it up. Within a few hours the condo chairman told me it was too loud and I would have to shut it off. I tried to return it, but since it was working and full of gas I was refused refund. After a few days my niece became sick from the cold, and my guests left. My food had spoiled. On the fourth day, I demanded that Entergy turn on my power and they did. Now I’m out $800. My wife flew in the following afternoon to find an empty spoiled Christmas. Now we had heat and no food. If they were not a monopoly I would have gone else where. I was put out insulted and treated so bad for no reason. It’s cost me over a $1000 in lost expenses to do business with Entergy. I’ve tried to get reimbursement for my expenses but Entergy denies their actions caused me any distress.How can these monopolies get away with this?

Ryan McCullough