On 12/22/15 a company representative provided the customer with a voice message in regards to the concerns expressed. On 12/28/15 another representative provided written correspondence to the customer in order to address the multitude of misconceptions expressed by the customer.
During the past 2 years, the customer has experienced twenty-five (25) sustained power outages, of which they called in trouble tickets 12 times, 15 caused by trees-out-of-ROW, 3 trees-in-ROW, 2 equipment failures, 2 scheduled for maintenance or repair, 1 unknown/non-weather, 1 weather-ice, and 1...
vehicle accident which was a public excavator which pushed a tree over onto the power line from outside ROW. Of these outages, 4 were part of major events. The customer is located in a 9th protective zone of the Distribution Circuit, which has nearly 152 total miles of overhead primary voltage lines and normally serves approximately 2050 customers. The customer’s residence is located approximately 20 line miles from the station. The Company is in the business of providing electric service and vegetation management/tree trimming is a means to that end. Therefore, the Company must evaluate the complainant's request and prioritize any necessary work according to its benefit to the provision of electric service to ALL customers. Since relatively few of the outages experienced by the complainant over the past 2 years were attributable to trees inside the R/W, and those locations were mitigated during service restoration, the R/W conditions and reliability indices do not indicate that the need for vegetation management in this area is as great as in those areas where we are presently working. The circuit has been patrolled by a forestry representative and possible locations for additional hot spotting have been noted and these will be prioritized as appropriate.
The company unsuccessfully attempted to contact the customer on several occasions in regard to the deposit billed to the account. The first attempted contact occurred on 9/22/16 @ 4:02pm and the customer advised [they] could not discuss the matter while at work and requested a call back after...
5:00pm. On 9/22/16 @ 6:17pm a 2nd contact was attempted with the customer and the company provided a voice message requesting a call back with an extension, so the customer could reach the person leaving the message directly. The 3rd attempt to reach the customer was on 9/23/16 @ 5:30pm and another message was provided for the customer to callback with the same extension and contact number as left previously. The customer failed to respond to the company as of 9/26/16. The customer was advised of the potential deposit added to the account, in writing, on the August 16, 2016 electric bill. The company reviewed the payment history on the account and only 12 out of 24 on-time payments have been received in the last 24 months. Since the customer did not have a previous security deposit on the account and multiple / consecutive late payments, the company billed a deposit for $120.00. The deposit is divided over 3 installments due with the customer’s current bill. The first deposit installment is due on 10/6/16. The account will be eligible for the deposit to be applied back to the account after the deposit is paid in full and the account has been paid on-time for 12 consecutive months, or the customer discontinues electric service with American Electric Power, whichever occurs first. The deposit will also earn interest (deposit must be held a minimum of 90 days to earn interest) and is applied to the account in December at a rate determined annually by the state Corporation Commission (rates effective 1/1/16 are 0.4%).
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
It says right in their attachment where they decline to waive the deposit on my account that if the deposit is $40.00 or more, and mine is $492.00, that is just a tad over $40.00, that the deposit can be paid longer than in 3 installments so as not to cause "undue hardship". If my deposit was calculated at $492.00 and three installments of $164.00 extra on my electric bill for the next 3 months, then I would request that the deposit be divided into at least 6 months, more if possible, because yes, paying an extra $164.00 each month on top of my already high electric bill does cause "undue hardship". This option was never offered during my conversation with the AEP representative.
Regards,
[redacted]
A company representative contacted the customer on 10/20/15. An explanation was provided the first $177.00 installment of the $532.00 deferred deposit was included in the payment arrangement. The second installment was not included in the payment arrangement because it had not yet billed at the...
time of the call. The next deposit installment billed with the 10-1-15 bill, adding an additional $177.00 to the balance due. The customer was advised if the account remained current, the company would remove the deferred deposit and if the account is paid late in the future the deferred deposit will be reassessed. The customer requested the payment arrangement remained for 3 months. As a result of removing the deferred deposit, the payment arrangement amount was lowered from $243.95 to $188.72 for 3 months. The customer declined an offer to initiate a budget on the account at this time.
After review of the account and complaint, it appears the customer’s primary concern was with the bill due date on 8/31, rather than the Checkless Payment Plan or the bank draft process.
All electric meters are read on a 21-day cycle and bills generated. The due date for the customer bill in...
question complied with the tariff and rate schedule approved by the State Corporation Commission of Virginia. Additionally, in compliance with banking industry regulations, Appalachian Power provided at least 10 days notification prior to drafting customer’s payment from their bank account. This notification allowed customer an opportunity to cancel or stop the bank draft for any reason.
In order to avoid similar banking issues in the future as described in the complaint, the customer should consider other options for bill payment that would allow them to schedule payment when funds are available in their bank account. A company representative will attempt to contact the customer by phone to discuss other options for bill payment.
Following is a more detailed explanation of the company’s meter reading and billing process for this customer:
The company reads meters every 21 working days, and the bills are due 20 days later. This customer’s meter is read monthly normally around the 9th – 12th of the month, which means their bill will either be due at the end of a month or within the first 3 days of the following month. Holidays will affect the reading dates because they are not counted as part of the 21 day bill cycle. The attached billing information displays for each revenue month (to the left) there is a payment in between, therefore, 2 bills were due in August, one is for the July billing (7/10), and the other is for the August billing (8/10). Going forward, the customer will have a bill due on 9/30, 10/29, 11/30, and 12/30, so the customer may question why 2 bills in August. Beginning with the bill for 01/15, a payment was not due until 2/2/15 so there was no bill actually due in January, but the 2 payments in August, along with the 4 remaining payments this year, will have the customer making 12 payments for the year.
We thank you for contacting Appalachian Power and for giving us an opportunity to investigate your concerns. According to our records we contacted the customer at 7:57 PM to make the customer aware about an emergency power outage to make repairs to our electrical system. The message was as follows: This is an outage message from AEP-Appalachian Power at (current time). To maintain our electrical system in a safe and efficient manner it is necessary to conduct an emergency outage within the next hour in your area. We apologize for the inconvenience caused by this power outage. AEP-Appalachian Power appreciates the opportunity to serve you. Thank you for your patience. Good-bye. Thank you again for allowing us to examine and respond to your concern and for being your trusted energy advisor.
On 8/26/16 a company representative advised the customer of the reason for the continued billing of the Extended Payment Arrangement installments in addition to “regular” monthly payments. An explanation was provided that the company issued two bills with a zero balance due because of a prepaid...
credit created by the overpayment of the balance due on the payment arrangement. The overpayment was applied to the balance due each month leaving the deferred balance. The company offered to reset the EPA and break the balance up into five installments. The customer agreed with the adjusted payment plan.
On 8/26/16 a company representative spoke with the customer and explained why the deposit was added. The customer was advised the June termination notice stated; “In the event your service is terminated, a reconnection charge will be required and a deposit may also be required”. However, the June bill also contained a deposit warning. The customer was in possession of the June bill and indicated agreement the deposit warning was on the bill. The representative also explained the deposit was added because the total bill was not paid by the due date. The customer indicated an understanding and no longer disputed the deposit.
I have reviewed the response offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
Thank you for looking in this matter of great concern....
That was not what the call about. He asked about paying my bill. I do not believe that AEP has the manpower to call every customer about a power outage.
Regards,
[redacted]
The company delayed the request for service because the household has apparently remained intact for several months. The applicant failed to provide proof of previous residency and...
after claiming the “ex-spouse” had been incarcerated for several months, the “ex-spouse” applied for service at the premise on 02/12/2015. Since the applicant’s “ex-spouse’s” alleged incarceration, a female presenting herself as the previous account holder has called several times to inquire on balances and set up payment arrangements. The “previous account holder” has even inquired in regard to applying for service on 05/06/2015. As a result, the company suspects either the “ex-spouse” is no longer incarcerated, or someone is trying to gain service under false pretenses. The company unsuccessfully tried to confirm the dates of incarceration.
The landlord was also unable to provide the date when the previous account holder was incarcerated, and when the applicant took complete possession of the property. The owner was also unable to verify the applicant actually submitted an application to rent or lease the property.
The usage at the address also does not indicate the property was vacated. The company is requesting payment for services already supplied to the household before switching names.
I have reviewed the response offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.I strongly disagree with AEP's billing practices. It's misleading, you have a set date to get your bill in and if it's not in on that date they have a set late fee - like a few dollars. Not four hundred and forty two dollars. AEP is scamming poor people out of thousands of dollars. It's time we all stood up and be counted. There's poor people who is on a fixed income. Who doesn't draw much over four hundred dollars a month. I'm speaking for myself. I cannot pay four hundred and forty two dollars that I don't owe.I think scamming old sick people is illegal and should be handled like any other crime.
Regards,
[redacted]
I have reviewed the response offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.AEP I have read your letter and understand that you do not pay for problems caused by customers or their equipment. My situation was outside the realm of your letter. If you review my phone calls and listen to what your representatives told me to do, it is clear. Firstly, I did not originally call seeking compensation, I called to report my power blinking on and off. Your representative began asking questions and told me what I was experiencing was not a normal condition and ''Don't get rid of your Television, because I will send someone out to look at things, and if the problem is on our side of the meter we will replace your equipment.'' He then gave me a number I thought was a reference point to my situation that would be dealt with. After waiting for over a week, with no response, I was experiencing the same issue and this time damaged my tablet. So I started calling again and finally was called back by your rep. [redacted]. I asked why nobody had came out to fix the issue and she sent someone out that evening. She said I cannot pay on any claims until someone checks for problems and then sends me a report. She said she would call me first thing in the morning. In a couple hours the AEP tech. pulled up and I went out to meet him. He ran couple tests and completed a visual inspection and asked if my neighbors were experiencing problems as well. I informed him that no one currently lived in he other 2 homes so I did not know. He said ''The connections at the meter are fine but the type of connection at the pole was suspicious and since I was only experiencing trouble during windy conditions that would explain things." He went on to tell me the connectors used at the pole were a different type and didn't always perform as well. He also removed some vines and said they could also cause problems. He ended up removing the entire service line and replacing it and making all new connections. After completing this he installed a test rig in place of my meter and let me observe the readings. As he ran the test he showed me that now there was no drop in power with the new lines and equip. as there was before. He said when he first ran the test ,before performing any work, there was a considerable drop in voltage when running the test. He said this caused him to determine that I had a bad connection that was affected when the wind blows. I thought everything is fixed and we found the problem and took care of it. So the next morning came and went, still no call back from [redacted]. So I called her and received a message saying she would be out till the 6th. Well I wasn't very happy, but I figured things happen in life I'll wait and she'll call back. Well I was wrong, I had to keep calling her until I eventually called a different number and asked that person to patch me through. She told me there were no problems found at my residence and there was nothing she could do about my equipment. I suddenly began to realize that all evidence of a problem left with the repairman that day and either she was telling me a lie or this is how AEP handles damage claims. Send someone out, remove the evidence, then treat the customer like there stupid and keep telling them nothing was wrong and we always replace power lines and connections as a ''Precaution''. I have never heard of such a thing. They want me to believe the technician removed perfectly good line and connections for no reason at all, just a precaution. Whether you pay on claims or not, stop treating people like the stupid, and come up with a better lie. Regards,
[redacted]
The disconnection of service referenced by the customer occurred during May 2015. An attempt was made to restore service via use of a fraudulent Community Action pledge and other somewhat misleading circumstances. However, when the customer paid the amount negotiated to restore service, an amount...
that was less than the requested total arrears, he declined to pay the weekend/holiday reconnection rate. However, due to an outage in the area, a company servicer was able to restore the customer's service on 5/23/15, Saturday. Since a servicer was not called out specifically to restore service to the customer, the company determined it is appropriate to charge the normal business hours reconnection fee of $50. The account will be adjusted accordingly.
A company representative contacted the customer and explained the deferred deposit policy. The customer conveyed after initiating online payments the account “fell behind”. Company records indicate the customer paid on time prior to electronic payments and had since returned to mailing the...
payments. After review of the circumstances leading to the late payments the representative agreed the deferred deposit would be canceled. The customer was advised in the event of future late payments, a deposit would be required. The customer indicated an understanding of the policy and appreciated the resolution.
I have reviewed the response offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For...
your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
A completely uncaring response from a soulless organization.
Regards,
[redacted]
A company representative contacted the customer on 4/23/15 to discuss the reason for the 2/24/15 bill estimation and the calculation methodology. The electric usage history and average appliance usage was also discussed. The customer was offered a meter test for accuracy.
On 4/27/15 the...
representative followed up to determine if the customer wanted the meter tested. The customer declined since the meter was tested a couple of years ago. The representative suggested in the future the customer call the company if the bill is estimated and request an actual reading or call in an actual reading so that the bill will be based on an actual usage.
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me. I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved.
Regards,
[redacted]
The Company extends a payment arrangement as long as the account does not have more than two defaulted payment plans in the past 12 months. Company records do not support the customer’s claim of being told a new payment plan would be extended after March 2016. However, the only way that could...
occur would be if the most recent payment plan was current every month until paid in full.
Unfortunately, the most recent payment plan has also defaulted. The plan was paid timely until February 2016. The payment of $251.90, due 3/8/16, was not received by the time the March bill was created on 3/15/16, which caused the September plan to default. Although the March 2015 default now falls outside the parameters, there is still a default from June 2015, and now the September 2015 default; therefore, the account is not eligible to extend again until after June 29, 2016.
The customer’s March bill, which included the new March billing of $167.38, also included an unpaid February bill and payment plan installment of $251.90 and the defaulted remainder of the September payment plan, $270.31. These amounts total $691.39. Of that, the account is subject for disconnection for the total past due, $524.01. To prevent disconnection of service, that amount is due no later than 3/31/16.
The company will investigate the customer’s claim of improper handling and rude treatment, and certainly offer the Company’s sincere apologies for any less-than satisfactory service.
Please note that as a regulated utility, the company is unable to provide "discounts" or other remuneration as part of a resolution to this inquiry.
A company representative will attempt to contact the customer to address the concerns.
On 12/22/15 a company representative provided the customer with a voice message in regards to the concerns expressed. On 12/28/15 another representative provided written correspondence to the customer in order to address the multitude of misconceptions expressed by the customer.
The company requests an account number for the disputed account balance so we can properly investigate the customer's concern.
During the past 2 years, the customer has experienced twenty-five (25) sustained power outages, of which they called in trouble tickets 12 times, 15 caused by trees-out-of-ROW, 3 trees-in-ROW, 2 equipment failures, 2 scheduled for maintenance or repair, 1 unknown/non-weather, 1 weather-ice, and 1...
vehicle accident which was a public excavator which pushed a tree over onto the power line from outside ROW. Of these outages, 4 were part of major events. The customer is located in a 9th protective zone of the Distribution Circuit, which has nearly 152 total miles of overhead primary voltage lines and normally serves approximately 2050 customers. The customer’s residence is located approximately 20 line miles from the station. The Company is in the business of providing electric service and vegetation management/tree trimming is a means to that end. Therefore, the Company must evaluate the complainant's request and prioritize any necessary work according to its benefit to the provision of electric service to ALL customers. Since relatively few of the outages experienced by the complainant over the past 2 years were attributable to trees inside the R/W, and those locations were mitigated during service restoration, the R/W conditions and reliability indices do not indicate that the need for vegetation management in this area is as great as in those areas where we are presently working. The circuit has been patrolled by a forestry representative and possible locations for additional hot spotting have been noted and these will be prioritized as appropriate.
The company unsuccessfully attempted to contact the customer on several occasions in regard to the deposit billed to the account. The first attempted contact occurred on 9/22/16 @ 4:02pm and the customer advised [they] could not discuss the matter while at work and requested a call back after...
5:00pm. On 9/22/16 @ 6:17pm a 2nd contact was attempted with the customer and the company provided a voice message requesting a call back with an extension, so the customer could reach the person leaving the message directly. The 3rd attempt to reach the customer was on 9/23/16 @ 5:30pm and another message was provided for the customer to callback with the same extension and contact number as left previously. The customer failed to respond to the company as of 9/26/16. The customer was advised of the potential deposit added to the account, in writing, on the August 16, 2016 electric bill. The company reviewed the payment history on the account and only 12 out of 24 on-time payments have been received in the last 24 months. Since the customer did not have a previous security deposit on the account and multiple / consecutive late payments, the company billed a deposit for $120.00. The deposit is divided over 3 installments due with the customer’s current bill. The first deposit installment is due on 10/6/16. The account will be eligible for the deposit to be applied back to the account after the deposit is paid in full and the account has been paid on-time for 12 consecutive months, or the customer discontinues electric service with American Electric Power, whichever occurs first. The deposit will also earn interest (deposit must be held a minimum of 90 days to earn interest) and is applied to the account in December at a rate determined annually by the state Corporation Commission (rates effective 1/1/16 are 0.4%).
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
It says right in their attachment where they decline to waive the deposit on my account that if the deposit is $40.00 or more, and mine is $492.00, that is just a tad over $40.00, that the deposit can be paid longer than in 3 installments so as not to cause "undue hardship". If my deposit was calculated at $492.00 and three installments of $164.00 extra on my electric bill for the next 3 months, then I would request that the deposit be divided into at least 6 months, more if possible, because yes, paying an extra $164.00 each month on top of my already high electric bill does cause "undue hardship". This option was never offered during my conversation with the AEP representative.
Regards,
[redacted]
A company representative contacted the customer on 10/20/15. An explanation was provided the first $177.00 installment of the $532.00 deferred deposit was included in the payment arrangement. The second installment was not included in the payment arrangement because it had not yet billed at the...
time of the call. The next deposit installment billed with the 10-1-15 bill, adding an additional $177.00 to the balance due. The customer was advised if the account remained current, the company would remove the deferred deposit and if the account is paid late in the future the deferred deposit will be reassessed. The customer requested the payment arrangement remained for 3 months. As a result of removing the deferred deposit, the payment arrangement amount was lowered from $243.95 to $188.72 for 3 months. The customer declined an offer to initiate a budget on the account at this time.
After review of the account and complaint, it appears the customer’s primary concern was with the bill due date on 8/31, rather than the Checkless Payment Plan or the bank draft process.
All electric meters are read on a 21-day cycle and bills generated. The due date for the customer bill in...
question complied with the tariff and rate schedule approved by the State Corporation Commission of Virginia. Additionally, in compliance with banking industry regulations, Appalachian Power provided at least 10 days notification prior to drafting customer’s payment from their bank account. This notification allowed customer an opportunity to cancel or stop the bank draft for any reason.
In order to avoid similar banking issues in the future as described in the complaint, the customer should consider other options for bill payment that would allow them to schedule payment when funds are available in their bank account. A company representative will attempt to contact the customer by phone to discuss other options for bill payment.
Following is a more detailed explanation of the company’s meter reading and billing process for this customer:
The company reads meters every 21 working days, and the bills are due 20 days later. This customer’s meter is read monthly normally around the 9th – 12th of the month, which means their bill will either be due at the end of a month or within the first 3 days of the following month. Holidays will affect the reading dates because they are not counted as part of the 21 day bill cycle. The attached billing information displays for each revenue month (to the left) there is a payment in between, therefore, 2 bills were due in August, one is for the July billing (7/10), and the other is for the August billing (8/10). Going forward, the customer will have a bill due on 9/30, 10/29, 11/30, and 12/30, so the customer may question why 2 bills in August. Beginning with the bill for 01/15, a payment was not due until 2/2/15 so there was no bill actually due in January, but the 2 payments in August, along with the 4 remaining payments this year, will have the customer making 12 payments for the year.
We thank you for contacting Appalachian Power and for giving us an opportunity to investigate your concerns. According to our records we contacted the customer at 7:57 PM to make the customer aware about an emergency power outage to make repairs to our electrical system. The message was as follows: This is an outage message from AEP-Appalachian Power at (current time). To maintain our electrical system in a safe and efficient manner it is necessary to conduct an emergency outage within the next hour in your area. We apologize for the inconvenience caused by this power outage. AEP-Appalachian Power appreciates the opportunity to serve you. Thank you for your patience. Good-bye. Thank you again for allowing us to examine and respond to your concern and for being your trusted energy advisor.
On 8/26/16 a company representative advised the customer of the reason for the continued billing of the Extended Payment Arrangement installments in addition to “regular” monthly payments. An explanation was provided that the company issued two bills with a zero balance due because of a prepaid...
credit created by the overpayment of the balance due on the payment arrangement. The overpayment was applied to the balance due each month leaving the deferred balance. The company offered to reset the EPA and break the balance up into five installments. The customer agreed with the adjusted payment plan.
On 8/26/16 a company representative spoke with the customer and explained why the deposit was added. The customer was advised the June termination notice stated; “In the event your service is terminated, a reconnection charge will be required and a deposit may also be required”. However, the June bill also contained a deposit warning. The customer was in possession of the June bill and indicated agreement the deposit warning was on the bill. The representative also explained the deposit was added because the total bill was not paid by the due date. The customer indicated an understanding and no longer disputed the deposit.
I have reviewed the response offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
Thank you for looking in this matter of great concern....
That was not what the call about. He asked about paying my bill. I do not believe that AEP has the manpower to call every customer about a power outage.
Regards,
[redacted]
The company delayed the request for service because the household has apparently remained intact for several months. The applicant failed to provide proof of previous residency and...
after claiming the “ex-spouse” had been incarcerated for several months, the “ex-spouse” applied for service at the premise on 02/12/2015. Since the applicant’s “ex-spouse’s” alleged incarceration, a female presenting herself as the previous account holder has called several times to inquire on balances and set up payment arrangements. The “previous account holder” has even inquired in regard to applying for service on 05/06/2015. As a result, the company suspects either the “ex-spouse” is no longer incarcerated, or someone is trying to gain service under false pretenses. The company unsuccessfully tried to confirm the dates of incarceration.
The landlord was also unable to provide the date when the previous account holder was incarcerated, and when the applicant took complete possession of the property. The owner was also unable to verify the applicant actually submitted an application to rent or lease the property.
The usage at the address also does not indicate the property was vacated. The company is requesting payment for services already supplied to the household before switching names.
I have reviewed the response offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.I strongly disagree with AEP's billing practices. It's misleading, you have a set date to get your bill in and if it's not in on that date they have a set late fee - like a few dollars. Not four hundred and forty two dollars. AEP is scamming poor people out of thousands of dollars. It's time we all stood up and be counted. There's poor people who is on a fixed income. Who doesn't draw much over four hundred dollars a month. I'm speaking for myself. I cannot pay four hundred and forty two dollars that I don't owe.I think scamming old sick people is illegal and should be handled like any other crime.
Regards,
[redacted]
I have reviewed the response offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.AEP I have read your letter and understand that you do not pay for problems caused by customers or their equipment. My situation was outside the realm of your letter. If you review my phone calls and listen to what your representatives told me to do, it is clear. Firstly, I did not originally call seeking compensation, I called to report my power blinking on and off. Your representative began asking questions and told me what I was experiencing was not a normal condition and ''Don't get rid of your Television, because I will send someone out to look at things, and if the problem is on our side of the meter we will replace your equipment.'' He then gave me a number I thought was a reference point to my situation that would be dealt with. After waiting for over a week, with no response, I was experiencing the same issue and this time damaged my tablet. So I started calling again and finally was called back by your rep. [redacted]. I asked why nobody had came out to fix the issue and she sent someone out that evening. She said I cannot pay on any claims until someone checks for problems and then sends me a report. She said she would call me first thing in the morning. In a couple hours the AEP tech. pulled up and I went out to meet him. He ran couple tests and completed a visual inspection and asked if my neighbors were experiencing problems as well. I informed him that no one currently lived in he other 2 homes so I did not know. He said ''The connections at the meter are fine but the type of connection at the pole was suspicious and since I was only experiencing trouble during windy conditions that would explain things." He went on to tell me the connectors used at the pole were a different type and didn't always perform as well. He also removed some vines and said they could also cause problems. He ended up removing the entire service line and replacing it and making all new connections. After completing this he installed a test rig in place of my meter and let me observe the readings. As he ran the test he showed me that now there was no drop in power with the new lines and equip. as there was before. He said when he first ran the test ,before performing any work, there was a considerable drop in voltage when running the test. He said this caused him to determine that I had a bad connection that was affected when the wind blows. I thought everything is fixed and we found the problem and took care of it. So the next morning came and went, still no call back from [redacted]. So I called her and received a message saying she would be out till the 6th. Well I wasn't very happy, but I figured things happen in life I'll wait and she'll call back. Well I was wrong, I had to keep calling her until I eventually called a different number and asked that person to patch me through. She told me there were no problems found at my residence and there was nothing she could do about my equipment. I suddenly began to realize that all evidence of a problem left with the repairman that day and either she was telling me a lie or this is how AEP handles damage claims. Send someone out, remove the evidence, then treat the customer like there stupid and keep telling them nothing was wrong and we always replace power lines and connections as a ''Precaution''. I have never heard of such a thing. They want me to believe the technician removed perfectly good line and connections for no reason at all, just a precaution. Whether you pay on claims or not, stop treating people like the stupid, and come up with a better lie. Regards,
[redacted]
The disconnection of service referenced by the customer occurred during May 2015. An attempt was made to restore service via use of a fraudulent Community Action pledge and other somewhat misleading circumstances. However, when the customer paid the amount negotiated to restore service, an amount...
that was less than the requested total arrears, he declined to pay the weekend/holiday reconnection rate. However, due to an outage in the area, a company servicer was able to restore the customer's service on 5/23/15, Saturday. Since a servicer was not called out specifically to restore service to the customer, the company determined it is appropriate to charge the normal business hours reconnection fee of $50. The account will be adjusted accordingly.
A company representative contacted the customer and explained the deferred deposit policy. The customer conveyed after initiating online payments the account “fell behind”. Company records indicate the customer paid on time prior to electronic payments and had since returned to mailing the...
payments. After review of the circumstances leading to the late payments the representative agreed the deferred deposit would be canceled. The customer was advised in the event of future late payments, a deposit would be required. The customer indicated an understanding of the policy and appreciated the resolution.
I have reviewed the response offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For...
your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
A completely uncaring response from a soulless organization.
Regards,
[redacted]
A company representative contacted the customer on 4/23/15 to discuss the reason for the 2/24/15 bill estimation and the calculation methodology. The electric usage history and average appliance usage was also discussed. The customer was offered a meter test for accuracy.
On 4/27/15 the...
representative followed up to determine if the customer wanted the meter tested. The customer declined since the meter was tested a couple of years ago. The representative suggested in the future the customer call the company if the bill is estimated and request an actual reading or call in an actual reading so that the bill will be based on an actual usage.
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me. I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved.
Regards,
[redacted]
The Company extends a payment arrangement as long as the account does not have more than two defaulted payment plans in the past 12 months. Company records do not support the customer’s claim of being told a new payment plan would be extended after March 2016. However, the only way that could...
occur would be if the most recent payment plan was current every month until paid in full.
Unfortunately, the most recent payment plan has also defaulted. The plan was paid timely until February 2016. The payment of $251.90, due 3/8/16, was not received by the time the March bill was created on 3/15/16, which caused the September plan to default. Although the March 2015 default now falls outside the parameters, there is still a default from June 2015, and now the September 2015 default; therefore, the account is not eligible to extend again until after June 29, 2016.
The customer’s March bill, which included the new March billing of $167.38, also included an unpaid February bill and payment plan installment of $251.90 and the defaulted remainder of the September payment plan, $270.31. These amounts total $691.39. Of that, the account is subject for disconnection for the total past due, $524.01. To prevent disconnection of service, that amount is due no later than 3/31/16.
The company will investigate the customer’s claim of improper handling and rude treatment, and certainly offer the Company’s sincere apologies for any less-than satisfactory service.
Please note that as a regulated utility, the company is unable to provide "discounts" or other remuneration as part of a resolution to this inquiry.
A company representative will attempt to contact the customer to address the concerns.