TXU Energy - may be impossible to cancel service

While in the process of signing up for service online I accidentally checked

the box for household wiring insurance. It would not let me uncheck the box

so I called the given phone number and almost immediately was greeted by a

cheerful live person. I told her about the difficulty and she informed me

that I was already approved and would not have to pay for the insurance.

I told her that since I had not completed the application that I did not

want the service. She said she was not authorized to cancel it and gave me

a telephone number to call. Someone at that number said I needed to call TXU

to cancel. I tried to do this for an hour or so and gave up in frustration.

Then I got an email "receipt" for my new service with TXU. It said I

had 3 days to cancel the service. I sent an email saying that I wished to

cancel. A day later I got an email reply saying I needed to type my message

between two specified lines. It was impossible to make the cursor go between the

lines, and I sent another email repeating my request to cancel and telling

them that I could not make the cursor go between the specified lines. A day

later I received another email saying I needed to type my message between the

specified lines.

I somehow (it was so difficult that I cannot say how) finally found a

telephone number that was for TXU but the person answering said they were for

the Dallas area and would connect me to the Houston area. Unfortunately, I

soon heard the dial tone.

I eventually found another number and after being on hold for 8 minutes

was able to talk to a real person. She said that since I was still within

the 3-day time frame that she could submit a request for cancellation for me.

She put me on hold and 3 minutes later said she had submitted the request for

cancellation. I asked her if that meant it actually would be canceled. She

repeated that she had submitted a request for cancellation and gave me a

number where she said I could check the status of the request for cancellation.

I'm afraid I have been automatically signed up for two years unless I

pay a $200 penalty.

It's hard to believe that public companies are allowed to operate in

this manner. (As long as this email was, I left out a lot of the steps I went

through trying NOT to sign up with TXU Energy)