Alliance Dental Center

Initial Business Response / [redacted] (1000, 6, 2016/11/15) */ Contact Name and Title: [redacted] ***, General Manager Contact Phone: XXX-XXX-XXXX Contact Email: ***@taneywater3.com Public Water Supply District like PWSD #are set up under state statute, RSMO in the case of PWSD #All decisions concerning rate increases are discussed in open meetings at a Board of Directors meeting before rates are increasedIn the case of PWSD #the rates are increased annually on June 1st by 4%, a policy established by the Board of Directors in before the rate increase that yearWhile the rates increased by that 4% on June 1, 2016, no other rate increases have been made since thenAs mentioned earlier, Board meetings are open to the publicOther than the minutes of a Board meeting, no other notifications or mentions of rate increases are made As to the matter of changing billing systems, this was an business decision made during the course of business for PWSD #While no "pre-warning" was made, the customers saw a bill with considerably more information printed on it, a full sized sheet of paper, than the previous bills, a post card billingThis billing method seems to be well received by a majority of the customers who express an opinion The billing system change was treated the same as other business matters concerning the day to day operation of the District in that formal notifications to the customers weren't made when a change was undertakenThis type of change happens regularly within course of business Initial Consumer Rebuttal / [redacted] (3000, 8, 2016/11/16) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) To say that they have public board meetings is nothing to do with the fact that the customers are kept in the dark until they actually notice a rate increase on their bill, & no one was complaining about the old postcard method in the 1st place, it also allowed us to call in & pay our bill over the phone The new method means we have to pay a $"convenience charge" for using our card, so that in itself is another sneaky price rise, & many old people do not know how to use a computer & have no car to get them to the water district #offices which are several miles out of Branson anyway As Mr [redacted] admits, no "pre-warning" was made about any of the recent price hikes & this could have been done easily with an ad in the local paper or an attachment to the bills, but Mr [redacted] doesn't respect his customers enough & would rather not inform us of ad hoc price rises I for one can vouch that the local water district #customers are NOT happy with the new billing method no matter what Mr [redacted] says, & after speaking with the local Board of Directors, he showed some dismay at the way this new GM is conducting himself! Final Business Response / [redacted] (4000, 10, 2016/11/17) */ The matter of rate increases has been adopted by the Board in As mentioned earlier, the rate increase is an annual rate increase of 4% which started in June of and will continue until the Board approves a different rate structure at a future open meeting A credit card processing fee has always been paid by the District, amounting to about $10,annuallyWhile these fees are paid on behalf of the customers who choose to use credit/debit cards for payment, it becomes an expense of the district which then factors into the amount of rate increase neededThis becomes a scenario where all customers subsidize those who choose to use credit/debit cardsThe new system has only those using credit/debit cards paying for their usage Final Consumer Response / [redacted] (4200, 12, 2016/11/18) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) The response regarding credit & debit card increased fees is an out & out lie!!! WHATEVER the annual increase agreed was in past times, it factored in the expense to the water district the fees charged by the card companies to compensate because card fees have been charged for many years now by the banks This $"convenience fee" is yet another sneaky hike to our bills & the only one who benefits from this so called "convenience" is the water district! You are also saving money by getting rid of the lady who used to take our payments over the phone, so it shows the GM giving himself a win-win situation all through this unsavioury debacle that he has created & nothing but a lose-lose situation for the customers!

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 6, 2016/11/15) */
Contact Name and Title: [redacted], General Manager
Contact Phone: XXX-XXX-XXXX
Contact Email: [redacted]@taneywater3.com
Public Water Supply District like PWSD #3 are set up under state statute, RSMO 247 in the case of PWSD #3. All decisions...

concerning rate increases are discussed in open meetings at a Board of Directors meeting before rates are increased. In the case of PWSD #3 the rates are increased annually on June 1st by 4%, a policy established by the Board of Directors in 2015 before the rate increase that year. While the rates increased by that 4% on June 1, 2016, no other rate increases have been made since then. As mentioned earlier, Board meetings are open to the public. Other than the minutes of a Board meeting, no other notifications or mentions of rate increases are made.
As to the matter of changing billing systems, this was an business decision made during the course of normal business for PWSD #3. While no "pre-warning" was made, the customers saw a bill with considerably more information printed on it, a full sized sheet of paper, than the previous bills, a post card billing. This billing method seems to be well received by a majority of the customers who express an opinion.
The billing system change was treated the same as other business matters concerning the day to day operation of the District in that formal notifications to the customers weren't made when a change was undertaken. This type of change happens regularly within normal course of business.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 8, 2016/11/16) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
To say that they have public board meetings is nothing to do with the fact that the customers are kept in the dark until they actually notice a rate increase on their bill, & no one was complaining about the old postcard method in the 1st place, it also allowed us to call in & pay our bill over the phone.
The new method means we have to pay a $2 "convenience charge" for using our card, so that in itself is another sneaky price rise, & many old people do not know how to use a computer & have no car to get them to the water district #3 offices which are several miles out of Branson anyway.
As Mr [redacted] admits, no "pre-warning" was made about any of the recent price hikes & this could have been done easily with an ad in the local paper or an attachment to the bills, but Mr [redacted] doesn't respect his customers enough & would rather not inform us of ad hoc price rises.
I for one can vouch that the local water district #3 customers are NOT happy with the new billing method no matter what Mr [redacted] says, & after speaking with the local Board of Directors, he showed some dismay at the way this new GM is conducting himself!
Final Business Response /* (4000, 10, 2016/11/17) */
The matter of rate increases has been adopted by the Board in 2015. As mentioned earlier, the rate increase is an annual rate increase of 4% which started in June of 2015 and will continue until the Board approves a different rate structure at a future open meeting.
A credit card processing fee has always been paid by the District, amounting to about $10,000 annually. While these fees are paid on behalf of the customers who choose to use credit/debit cards for payment, it becomes an expense of the district which then factors into the amount of rate increase needed. This becomes a scenario where all customers subsidize those who choose to use credit/debit cards. The new system has only those using credit/debit cards paying for their usage.
Final Consumer Response /* (4200, 12, 2016/11/18) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
The response regarding credit & debit card increased fees is an out & out lie!!!
WHATEVER the annual increase agreed was in past times, it factored in the expense to the water district the fees charged by the card companies to compensate because card fees have been charged for many years now by the banks.
This $2 "convenience fee" is yet another sneaky hike to our bills & the only one who benefits from this so called "convenience" is the water district!
You are also saving money by getting rid of the lady who used to take our payments over the phone, so it shows the GM giving himself a win-win situation all through this unsavioury debacle that he has created & nothing but a lose-lose situation for the customers!