"Direct Energy is not working in conjunction with the City of East Lansing and is not a licensed vendor to solicit within the city," the alert read. "Any problems with Direct Energy should be reported to the East Lansing Police Department."

East Lansing City Clerk Marie Wicks said the clerk's office was contacted by community members, who she said have become very adept at spotting questionable activities like this.

"'I am well aware of this business' terrible reputation,'" Wicks read from an email sent by an East Lansing resident. "She tried to send this person away, they were extremely aggressive and said if she didn't sign up with (the company's) protection plan, the company would stop by (the resident's) house every day until (she) did."

Direct Energy is not licensed in the City of East Lansing because individuals have to go through a process to get a peddler's license. The process includes a background check, which the individuals from Direct Energy failed. 

"If you're going to have young ladies and young men going door to door to your grandmother's house, your girlfriend's house, you want to make sure that they've got a clean criminal history that wouldn't preclude them from doing that," Wicks said.

East Lansing has experience with the company before, including an attempt to get a peddler's license last year. After failing to get the license, which Wicks said is an easy process with a nominal cost, the individuals from the company went ahead without permission.

"In the past they've had a lot of people that have criminal histories and/or warrants out of their arrests going door to door trying to solicit for this Direct Energy firm," East Lansing police Lt. Scott Wrigglesworth said.

Lawyers from the City of East Lansing took the issue up with Direct Energy's executive office who seemed to also dislike the conduct of their employees, Wicks said.

"In my opinion it's kind of a ruse," Wrigglesworth said. "They're scheme or their spiel is that they're going to lower you're energy rates, I believe, by signing up with them or doing something but most of the time they're either trying to get a glimpse into your house to see anything you have or have you sign up and they get your pertinent banking information or credit card numbers."

Representatives from Direct Energy could not be reached early Friday afternoon.