Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2014/09/05) */
September 5,
American Utility Management (AUM) received the complaint submitted by *** ***We would like to take this opportunity to respond and provide details to help in your investigation
AUM is a third party
billing providerWe are contracted with owners, landlords, and management companies throughout the United States to assist them with utility conservationPart of this assistance includes billing their residents for utilities on a monthly basis
When our invoices are mailed, residents have twenty-one (21) days in which to make full payment before a late fee is appliedThis information is clearly stated on each resident statementThis fee is only applied if a balance remains on the account after the indicated due dateThis may occur if the payment is not received and processed by the due date, or if the payment was a partial payment
An available option is to manage the account onlineEvery statement lists our web address and that the account can be managed onlineThe online service allows access to account information, bill payment and to set up for e-statementsOne can view and print statements, but is only charged a convenience fee when payment is received online with an approved credit card transaction
Another option available is to enroll in AUM's E-Statement ProgramIn order to enroll in this program, residents must visit the AUM website at www.aum-inc.com and click on the Resident TabAfter logging in and re-entering his/her email address, the e-statement option would have to be selectedOnce registering for the program he/she would receive an email with a link to confirm the registrationE-statements would begin once the resident has confirmed his or her registration
AUM currently has three main bill payment options for our customer's conveniencePayments can be made online along with a convenience fee and the payment would post to the account on the day of the transactionIf she feels that the online convenience fee is too high, there is the option to set up automatic paymentsWith written consent, payments can be automatically debited from her checking accountThe auto debit requires residents to complete an application and can take up to two months to processAnother option is to mail payments to our lockbox via the United States Postal Service
Resident payments are not mailed to AUM nor are they processed directly by AUMAUM contracts with a reputable lockbox service to collect and process all paymentsThe lockbox service typically processes payments within hours of receiptHowever, a delay in processing can occur if directions included on each statement are not followedEach statement notes to allow 5-business days when mailing payment, to not enclose written correspondence with payment, to return the payment coupon with payment and not to staple the payment coupon to the payment
In this particular case, payment was after the indicated due dateThus, a late fee was properly assessedHowever, as a courtesy this late fee was waived
Sincerely,
*** ***
Corporate Paralegal
FeesFeesFeesI received a 114$ utility bill from AUM for the period of MAY to MAY Of the 114$ that I owe, 64$ is fees10$ activation fee4$ admin feeThe admin fee is simply a fee to calculate the billYou have to pay to payAmazing50$ utility recovery feeI signed the lease for my apartment on MAY I started utilities on MAY I moved into the apartment on MAY AUM is charging me a 50$ fee to cover 5.71$ worth of gas used between - MAY So, 64.03$ worth of fees tacked on to 50.02$ worth of utilities for a grand total of 114.05$ How is this ok?
By far, the worst company I have ever seenThey charge obscene utility costs and dont have anything to provide the justificationThey charge for convenience feeCustomer service is as if it didn't exist
Best case in point, I have lived in my complex for about months nowfor some reason, in December, my bill dropped about 60%Nothing changed, my usage, my behaviors, nobody moved in or outSomehow I outsmarted them for 60%They tell me that since I am new they base it off of previous owner usageSounds legit company
I live in an apartment complex that uses AUM, they only offer ways to pay your billonline with a $convenience fee or through mailThe paperwork says allow 5-business days for the payment to reach themEvery other utility company I've ever used has the post marked date as a day of payment, even if it's the day the payment is dueHowever, AUM does not and doesn't tell you that other than allow 5-business days which is not very clearcould mean a couple different thingsThe late fee is $so either have to pay your bills weeks early to ensure it gets there by the due date or pay an online fee of the same amountWhen I realized I was getting the late payment fee and described to the customer service agent that the disclaimer about the business days is confusing she did agree to take late fee off our accountHowever it's still ridiculous that in they would be charging that much for an online fee when most places charge 4% for credit card transactionsDefinitely don't think this business should have an A+ rating and hopefully our next place we live at won't use AUM
The company only offers an online payment method that has a $"convenience" fee attached to itTo avoid the fee you may send in a payment like in the 1990'sMake a check, put in an envelope, mail it outThey bank on the fact that most customers will leave the invoice to the last minute and or be too lazy to send in a check and end up paying online and paying the $feeShould your $invoice be a day late, a $thats a 50% late penalty will be attached to your invoiceBravoThank you for *** *** for choosing such a great company to do business with
Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/09/17) */
September 17,
American Utility Management (AUM) received the complaint submitted by Monique***We would like to take this opportunity to respond and provide details to help in your investigation
AUM is a third party
billing providerWe are contracted with owners, landlords, and management companies throughout the United States to assist them with utility conservationPart of this assistance includes billing their residents for utilities on a monthly basis
AUM currently has three main bill payment options for our customer's conveniencePayments can be made online along with a convenience fee and the payment would post to the account on the day of the transactionIf a resident feels that the online convenience fee is too high, there is the option to set up automatic paymentsWith consent, payments can be automatically debited from a checking accountAnother option is to mail payments to our lockbox via the United States Postal Service
According to the Recurring Automatic Payment Authorization Terms and Conditions and the letter sent on August 19, 2015, the monthly AUM statement acts as the monthly notification of the automatic paymentMs.*** signed up for Auto-Pay after the August statement was already mailed (indicating to remit payment (Please write your account number on your check or money order made payable to AUMDo not send cashDo not staple this portion to your payment).)The next statement mailed on September 3, indicates Auto-Pay (Do not send payment...You are currently set for Auto-Pay Service)Each future statement will determine if Auto-Pay will be applied
In this particular case, AUM waived a late fee as a one-time courtesy on July 16, Therefore AUM is unable to waive another late fee
Sincerely,
***
Corporate Paralegal
November 4, 2015American Utility Management (AUM) received the complaint
submitted by *** C***. We would
like to take this opportunity to respond and provide details to help in your
investigationAUM is a third party billing provider. We are contracted with
owners, landlords, and management companies
throughout the United States to assist them with utility conservation. Part of this assistance includes billing their residents for utilities
on a monthly basis.Unfortunately AUM was unable to locate this individual in
our system. Therefore without additional
information such as an AUM account number, AUM is unable to properly respond to
this complaint.At this time AUM is unable to grant his refund requestSincerely, *** ***Paralegal
Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/07/16) */
July 16,
American Utility Management (AUM) received the complaint submitted by***We would like to take this opportunity to respond and provide details to help in your investigation
AUM is a third party billing
providerWe are contracted with owners, landlords, and management companies throughout the United States to assist them with utility conservationPart of this assistance includes billing their residents for utilities on a monthly basis
When our invoices are mailed, residents typically have twenty-one (21) days in which to make full payment before a potential late payment charge is appliedThis information is clearly stated on each resident statementLate payment charges are only applied if a balance remains on the account after the indicated due dateThis may occur if the payment is not received and processed by the due date, or if the payment was a partial payment
An option available is to manage his account onlineEvery statement lists our web address and that the account can be managed onlineThe online service allows access to account information, bill payment and to set up for e-statementsHe can view and print all of his statements, but is only charged a convenience fee when payment is received online with an approved credit card transaction
Another option available is to enroll in AUM's E-Statement ProgramIn order to enroll in this program, residents must visit the AUM website at www.aum-inc.com and click on the Resident TabAfter logging in and re-entering his/her email address, the e-statement option would have to be selectedOnce registering for the program he/she would receive an email with a link to confirm the registrationE-statements would begin once the resident has confirmed his or her registrationIf after signing up for e-statements and no receiving them, AUM recommends checking his/her email spam folderAs certain email accounts consider the e-statement spam
AUM currently has three bill payment options for our customer's conveniencePayments can be made online along with a convenience fee and the payment would post to the account on the day of the transactionThe online convenience fee is for each approved credit card transaction and is disclosed several times on the websiteEach user must check acknowledging that there is a fee and agrees to pay itIf Mr.*** feels that the online convenience fee is too high, he has the option to set up automatic paymentsWith his consent, payments can be automatically debited from his checking accountThe auto debit requires residents to complete an application, which can be done onlineAnother option is to mail payments to our lockbox via The United States Postal Service
It appears that Mr.*** main concern is that the administrative fee is too high for someone managing an account using an alternative delivery methodThe inclusion of a monthly administrative fee is a customary way for service providers to maintain their operations and provide exceptional serviceAUM's monthly administrative fee supports every aspect of our services and is not limited to the printing and mailing of statements
AUM does thank Mr*** for his recommendation of changing the online convenience fee and administrative feeHowever, we will continue to charge a fee for any payment transaction made online and an administrative fee for every statement generated regardless of delivery method
Sincerely,
***
Paralegal
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 7, 2015/07/23) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
"The inclusion of a monthly administrative fee is a customary way for service providers to maintain their operations and provide exceptional service."
In order for this statement to be true, you must provide exceptional serviceAll customer accounts point to AUM having the lowest possible standards of customer serviceIt does not take much searching online to find the honest and scathing reviews of AUMI still have not found anyone with something positive to say about your "exceptional service"My personal experience aligns with the masses on this matter
Final Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2015/08/06) */
We are sorry to hear that his experience is not satisfactoryAUM thanks Mr*** for his recommendation, but we will continue to provide our services without a change in any billing policyAs previously stated, AUM is unable to grant Mr.*** refund request
November 13, 2015American Utility Management (AUM) received the complaint
submitted by *** ***. We would
like to take this opportunity to respond and provide details to help in your
investigationMr*** contacted AUM regarding a refund and it
was
mailed on October 6, 2015. However, the
address was incorrect and AUM’s policy is a day waiting period. Therefore, on November 6, 2015, AUM mailed
the refund to Mr*** at his correct address.AUM apologies for the confusion and any inconvenience this may have
caused.Sincerely, *** ***Paralegal
May 9, American Utility Management
(AUM) received the complaint submitted by *** ***. We would like to take this opportunity to respond and provide details to help in your investigation
AUM is a third party billing provider. We are contracted with owners, landlords, and management companies throughout the United States to assist them with utility conservation. Part of this assistance includes billing their residents for utilities on a monthly basisAUM currently has three main bill payment options for our customer’s convenience. Payments can be made online along with a convenience fee and the payment would post to the account on the day of the transactionIf a resident feels that the online convenience fee is too high, there is the option to set up automatic payments. With consent, payments can be automatically debited from a checking account. Another option is to mail payments to our lockbox via the United States Postal Service.
*** *** is currently set up for auto-pay and according to the Recurring Automatic Payment Authorization Terms and Conditions (which is agreed to when signing up for auto-pay), the monthly AUM statement acts as the monthly notification of the automatic payment. The statement dated March 10, with a due date of March 31, indicates Auto-Pay was activated stating Auto-Pay (Do not send payment…You are currently set for Auto-Pay Service). Therefore even if any additional payment was made the auto-pay would still deduct the amount listed on the statement.
AUM is unable to waive the NSF fee as it was properly assessedSincerely,
*** ***
Corporate Paralegal
American Utility Management (AUM) received the complaint and we would like to take this opportunity to respond and provide details to help resolve this matter
12pt;">First, we apologize for length of time this has taken to address the issue. We have been working with the property staff to determine the cause of the higher than expected usage measured by the submeter. While the investigation is ongoing, we have credited the account. As the property collects payments, this credit should be reflected on the residents ledger. As soon as we find a resolution to the situation, we will be in touch with the resident with our findings. As always our AUM’s Customer Service Representatives are available to answer question about the billing and the residents account. They can be reached by calling *** 8:00a.mto 7:00p.m(CST) Monday through Friday
March 8,
"margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">American Utility Management (AUM) received the complaint submitted by *** ***. We would like to take this opportunity to respond and provide details to help in your investigation
AUM is a third party billing provider. We are contracted with owners, landlords, and management companies throughout the United States to assist them with utility conservation. Part of this assistance includes billing their residents for utilitiesSince each apartment does not have an individual gas or water meter, bills must be calculated on an allocation basis
After reviewing Ms*** account, it appears that she may have been incorrectly charged on her first statement. Unfortunately any possible refund/credit would not be listed on the AUM statement, nor refunded/credited by AUM. For this particular property, AUM only generates and mails the resident statements and does not collect payment for these charges. The property should be able to provide this information.
Unfortunately, AUM is unable to grant Ms*** request
Sincerely,
*** ***
Paralegal
On 5.10.16, I had gone online to pay my billWhen I entered my payment information and clicked the button to process the payment, there was a long delayI did not click it again, or click it repeatedly to try to force the processI ended up getting an error message that stated that the payment has failed and could not be processedI had entered the correct information and my finances are in order, so I clicked the button againThe payment went through with no further errorsUpon checking my bank account later, I had noticed that there were two charges for $to AUM, so I called them up
When I spoke with a rep to address my concerns, she sounded impatient and condescending Her tone was less than satisfactory and antagonistic in manner when she stated that she only saw one charge on my account, and that their system didn't work that wayShe stated that I had to wait and see and that the charge would not be reflected on my bank account because one of the pending charges would go awayI process cards and have to deal with pending payments at my job, so that reasoning made sense
On 5.12.16, both charges posted with my bankI called them up and got the "This number is not in service" error message like some other people here got, so I emailed them with a snip picture of my bank statement showing both chargesI got a response later from a manager named Jennifer Spagnola stating that they didn't see a problem, so they asked their IT department to look into itShe also stated that her IT department confirmed that I had, in fact, been charged twice
She also said that they don't know why it happened but that they would implement a fixShe followed that by stating that my account now had a credit and that my next month's bill would be deducted from that credit
I responded stating that I did not want a credit on my account and that I wanted my money backShe stated that they are unable to process refunds to credit/debit cards
(if you can process cards, you can issue refunds)
She essentially dismissed my concerns by saying that they could send me a check that would take weeks to process and that by then my next bill would have generatedThen she recommended disputing the charges with my bank for an immediate refund (which is a process that takes up to weeks)
Rather than have a back and forth email conversation, I called AUM again and asked for JenniferThe rep Christina put me on hold and came back stating that Jennifer was on the phone and couldn't talkI explained the situation to her and she pretty much echoed what Jennifer was sayingShe kept trying to rush me off the phone and offering to push me through to leave a voicemail with JenniferThen she stated that she had to deal with other customers and asked me to call backI refused and asked to be transferred to another department or another manager because I want my moneyChristina stated that there weren't any other departments and that Christina was the only managerI asked how a company operates with only one managerI then asked to speak with Jennifer again
Christina asked to put me on hold again, but I guess she never put me on hold because I still heard voicesShe came back and stated that Jennifer was in a meeting and couldn't talk to meI asked her why she told me that Jennifer was on the phone when she was in a meetingShe said that Jennifer was on the phone, then she went into a meetingI asked Christina why Jennifer went into a meeting when she had an escalated client on the phone responding to her communicationsShe stated that she didn't know and repeated that Jennifer was in a meetingI asked her what kind of meeting she could be in if she's the only manager at the officeShe replied that it was probably a meeting with managers from other departments like the invoice departmentFunny how AUM magically has other managers and other departments nowI asked to speak with them and she refused, stating that they don't speak with customers
tldr; error in their billing system charged me twice, admitted to charging me twice, then refused to void the payment or issue a refund
This is the WORST utility company I have ever worked with. They tell you to register and then you can't sign in, you have them send you a notification in case you forgot your phone number. That doesn't work. They only way to get to your account is to create a new account EVERY SINGLE TIME. I called their customer service to get this resolved and she didn't sound like she cared, saying just create a new account. Today I tried to call customer service at 866.520.1245 and it is a NON WORKING NUMBER. They are there to charge you $7 to pay your bill and they are there if you are late charging you a ridiculous "Non Compliance" fee of $20. I'm not non compliant I just couldn't get on their stupid system to pay and a check wouldn't have arrived on time.
Initial Business Response /* (1000, 8, 2015/02/04) */
February 4, 2015
American Utility Management (AUM) received the complaint submitted by [redacted]. We would like to take this opportunity to respond and provide details to help in your investigation.
AUM is a third party...
billing provider. We are contracted with owners, landlords, and management companies throughout the United States to assist them with utility conservation. Part of this assistance includes billing their residents for utilities on a monthly basis.
When our invoices are mailed, residents have twenty-one (21) days in which to make full payment before a late fee is applied. This information is clearly stated on each resident statement. This fee is only applied if a balance remains on the account after the indicated due date. This may occur if the payment is not received and processed by the due date, or if the payment was a partial payment.
An available option is to manage the account online. Every statement lists our web address and that the account can be managed online. The online service allows access to account information, bill payment and to set up for e-statements. One can view and print statements, but is only charged a convenience fee when payment is received online with an approved credit card transaction.
Another option available is to enroll in AUM's E-Statement Program. In order to enroll in this program, residents must visit the AUM website at [redacted] and click on the Resident Tab. After logging in and re-entering his/her email address, the e-statement option would have to be selected. Once registering for the program he/she would receive an email with a link to confirm the registration. E-statements would begin once the resident has confirmed his or her registration.
AUM currently has three main bill payment options for our customer's convenience. Payments can be made online along with a convenience fee and the payment would post to the account on the day of the transaction. If he feels that the online convenience fee is too high, there is the option to set up automatic payments. With written consent, payments can be automatically debited from his checking account. The auto debit requires residents to complete an application and can take up to two months to process. Another option is to mail payments to our lockbox via the United States Postal Service.
Resident payments are not mailed to AUM nor are they processed directly by AUM. AUM contracts with a reputable lockbox service to collect and process all payments. The lockbox service typically processes payments within 24 hours of receipt. However, a delay in processing can occur if directions included on each statement are not followed. Each statement notes to allow 5-7 business days when mailing payment, to not enclose written correspondence with payment, to return the payment coupon with payment and not to staple the payment coupon to the payment.
AUM has no control over a third party such as the U.S. Postal Service; however we do offer other options in order to receive statements and or make payments in a more timely and efficient manner. Those options were discussed in this correspondence and include online viewing of account/e-statements, direct debit or online payment.
Regarding the electric recovery charge and the utility recovery charge, when a resident moves into West Brent Apartments that person is responsible for the electric charges from that day forward. However when the electric charges are not correctly changed over to the resident, the property receives electric usage charges that should have been charged directly to the resident. When that happens, the resident is then charged on their AUM statement along with a utility recovery change. If the resident can provide proof of being charged directly by the provider for those same days, AUM will waive those charges. But it has to be for those exact service dates.
In this particular case, no statements have been returned to AUM as undeliverable and AUM waived a late fee on January 13, 2015. We hope the information listed above will assist with future payments.
Sincerely,
[redacted]
Corporate Paralegal
This company is the worst. I used to have direct debit from my bank account to pay the bill, but they just debited my bank account 1 day after I get the statement. Wow! Then I switched to a check payment. Last month, I sent the check 10 business days before the due date. While my bank confirmed the delivery date was 3 business days prior to due date, they applied the payment 1 business days after the due date. So they charged $16 late fees. Funny! I sent an email and dispute the late fees showing all the proof and they credited the $16. Today, it happened again. My due date is 11/11. I sent the check on 10/28 and delivery confirmation was on 11/3. I called them and they said they have not received the check. Should I blame the [redacted] LOL. AUM should have filed bankruptcy if they are so desperate on getting extra $16. LOL!!!
American Utility Management (AUM) received the complaint and we would like to take this opportunity to respond and provide details to help resolve this matter.
serif;">AUM is hired by the apartment complex and/or their management company to bill residents for their share of the property utility expenses such as water, sewer and trash. The monthly statement simply reflects the resident’s portion of the overall bill for the property. Reviewing the account information, our records indicate that the electric service was not placed in the name of the tenant as required by the lease. The result is that the property remained the customer of record and was obligated to pay the electric bill each month. In addition to the lease agreement, each monthly AUM statement that contains these types of charges also instructs the resident the place the utility service in their name. As our Customer Service Representative explained on the phone as well as via email, if the service was properly placed in the residents name during the time period after move-in, she can forward copies of those paid utility bills for review. They will be reviewed and the account adjusted accordingly. Unfortunately, we are unable to make any adjustments until such time. It appears that the electric account is now in the residents name as the property is no longer receiving electric bills for this apartment. As always our AUM’s Customer Service Representatives are available to answer question about the billing and the residents account. They can be reached by calling [redacted], 8:00a.m. to 7:00p.m. (CST) Monday through Friday.
For some reason, AUM makes it extremely difficult for their customers to pay utility bills. The hefty fees associated with making payments online or by phone make those 2 options not viable. So you are left with either mailing in a check every single week (in 2015 !!!!!) or signing up for automatic withdrawal which takes an abysmal 45 to 60 days to set up and another 45-60 days to cancel whenever you decide to. How can any company be competitive with these kinds of policies?? It baffles me.
I signed up for the automatic withdrawal and somehow, something went wrong, there was a mixup with my account information and 2 payments did not go through. They charged me 70 dollars in returned fees. Which does not even make sense because by their own admission, when one payment does not go through, they suspend the automatic withdrawals. Yet they couldn't explain to me why I got charged twice. When I called them to try to figure out what went wrong, not only did I get terrible and rude customer service but they essentially told me that they would carry out an investigation which would take an undisclosed amount of time to be carried out. Yet regardless of the results of their so called investigation I still had to pay the 70 dollars and I was threatened with more fines and late payment fees if I did not.
They are inefficient, inflexible and have some of the worst customer service I have ever experienced. I am very disappointed and I hope i'll never had to deal with this company again. It is a shame that my apartment building essentially forces its residents to sign up through AUM, but if I ever have a choice I'll definitely NOT use AUM and if you want to save yourself the headache and inconvenience, so should you.
Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/03/13) */
March 13, 2015
American Utility Management (AUM) received the complaint submitted by [redacted]. We would like to take this opportunity to respond and provide details to help in your investigation.
AUM is a third party billing...
provider. We are contracted with owners, landlords, and management companies throughout the United States to assist them with utility conservation. Part of this assistance includes billing their residents for utilities on a monthly basis.
While AUM has verified the mailing address, occasionally statements may take longer than normal to reach Ms. [redacted] when traveling by the[redacted]. We have no control over this third party; however we do offer other options in order to receive statements and or make payments in a more timely and efficient manner. Those options include e-statements, direct debit or contacting our Customer Service Department.
When our invoices are mailed, residents typically have twenty-one (21) days in which to make full payment before a late fee is applied. This information is clearly stated on each resident statement. This fee is only applied if a balance remains on the account after the indicated due date. This may occur if the payment is not received and processed by the due date, or if the payment was a partial payment.
An available option is to manage the account online. Every statement lists our web address and that the account can be managed online. The online service allows access to account information, bill payment and to set up for e-statements. One can view and print statements, but is only charged a convenience fee when payment is received online with an approved credit card transaction.
Another option available is to enroll in AUM's E-Statement Program. In order to enroll in this program, residents must visit the AUM website at www.aum-inc.com and click on the Resident Tab. After logging in and re-entering his/her email address, the e-statement option would have to be selected. Once registering for the program he/she would receive an email with a link to confirm the registration. E-statements would begin once the resident has confirmed his or her registration.
AUM currently has three main bill payment options for our customer's convenience. Payments can be made online along with a convenience fee and the payment would post to the account on the day of the transaction. If she feels that the online convenience fee is too high, there is the option to set up automatic payments. With written consent, payments can be automatically debited from her checking account. The auto debit requires residents to complete an application and can take up to two months to process. Another option is to mail payments to our lockbox via the United States Postal Service.
Ms. [redacted] always has the option of contacting AUM's Customer Service for her balance, due date and remittance address. They can be reached by calling XXX-XXX-XXXX, 8:00a.m. to 7:00p.m. (CST) Monday through Friday.
Ms. [redacted]'s AUM account currently shows a balance of $55.74 due on March 31, 2015. A zero balance would show after a complete payment is made and before the next cycle is billed. An example of this is with the statement mailed on February 10, 2015 and due on March 3, 2015. She made full payment on February 11, 2015, so a zero balance would show until the next charges are generated. In this case was March 10, 2015. Since full payment was received by the due date, no late fees were assessed.
In regards to the online convenience fee, it is for each approved credit card transaction. This fee is disclosed several times on the website and each user must check acknowledging that there is a fee and agrees to pay it. AUM would like to thank Ms. [redacted] for her suggestion. However, AUM's current policies are not changing at this time. We will continue to provide our services in the same manner in regards to online convenience fees.
All late fees and online convenience fees were properly assessed in this particular case. However AUM waived a late fee as a one-time courtesy. We hope the information stated above will assist Ms. [redacted] with alternative ways of receiving her statements and making future payments.
Sincerely,
[redacted]
Corporate Paralegal
This company is the worst of the worst. There is absolutely no way that their charges are accurate for the utilities used each month. I'm fairly certain they make up bills at random and nobody can stop them from doing it. They need to be investigated and prosecuted for scamming their customers.
Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2014/09/05) */
September 5,
American Utility Management (AUM) received the complaint submitted by *** ***We would like to take this opportunity to respond and provide details to help in your investigation
AUM is a third party
billing providerWe are contracted with owners, landlords, and management companies throughout the United States to assist them with utility conservationPart of this assistance includes billing their residents for utilities on a monthly basis
When our invoices are mailed, residents have twenty-one (21) days in which to make full payment before a late fee is appliedThis information is clearly stated on each resident statementThis fee is only applied if a balance remains on the account after the indicated due dateThis may occur if the payment is not received and processed by the due date, or if the payment was a partial payment
An available option is to manage the account onlineEvery statement lists our web address and that the account can be managed onlineThe online service allows access to account information, bill payment and to set up for e-statementsOne can view and print statements, but is only charged a convenience fee when payment is received online with an approved credit card transaction
Another option available is to enroll in AUM's E-Statement ProgramIn order to enroll in this program, residents must visit the AUM website at www.aum-inc.com and click on the Resident TabAfter logging in and re-entering his/her email address, the e-statement option would have to be selectedOnce registering for the program he/she would receive an email with a link to confirm the registrationE-statements would begin once the resident has confirmed his or her registration
AUM currently has three main bill payment options for our customer's conveniencePayments can be made online along with a convenience fee and the payment would post to the account on the day of the transactionIf she feels that the online convenience fee is too high, there is the option to set up automatic paymentsWith written consent, payments can be automatically debited from her checking accountThe auto debit requires residents to complete an application and can take up to two months to processAnother option is to mail payments to our lockbox via the United States Postal Service
Resident payments are not mailed to AUM nor are they processed directly by AUMAUM contracts with a reputable lockbox service to collect and process all paymentsThe lockbox service typically processes payments within hours of receiptHowever, a delay in processing can occur if directions included on each statement are not followedEach statement notes to allow 5-business days when mailing payment, to not enclose written correspondence with payment, to return the payment coupon with payment and not to staple the payment coupon to the payment
In this particular case, payment was after the indicated due dateThus, a late fee was properly assessedHowever, as a courtesy this late fee was waived
Sincerely,
*** ***
Corporate Paralegal
FeesFeesFeesI received a 114$ utility bill from AUM for the period of MAY to MAY Of the 114$ that I owe, 64$ is fees10$ activation fee4$ admin feeThe admin fee is simply a fee to calculate the billYou have to pay to payAmazing50$ utility recovery feeI signed the lease for my apartment on MAY I started utilities on MAY I moved into the apartment on MAY AUM is charging me a 50$ fee to cover 5.71$ worth of gas used between - MAY So, 64.03$ worth of fees tacked on to 50.02$ worth of utilities for a grand total of 114.05$ How is this ok?
By far, the worst company I have ever seenThey charge obscene utility costs and dont have anything to provide the justificationThey charge for convenience feeCustomer service is as if it didn't exist
Best case in point, I have lived in my complex for about months nowfor some reason, in December, my bill dropped about 60%Nothing changed, my usage, my behaviors, nobody moved in or outSomehow I outsmarted them for 60%They tell me that since I am new they base it off of previous owner usageSounds legit company
I live in an apartment complex that uses AUM, they only offer ways to pay your billonline with a $convenience fee or through mailThe paperwork says allow 5-business days for the payment to reach themEvery other utility company I've ever used has the post marked date as a day of payment, even if it's the day the payment is dueHowever, AUM does not and doesn't tell you that other than allow 5-business days which is not very clearcould mean a couple different thingsThe late fee is $so either have to pay your bills weeks early to ensure it gets there by the due date or pay an online fee of the same amountWhen I realized I was getting the late payment fee and described to the customer service agent that the disclaimer about the business days is confusing she did agree to take late fee off our accountHowever it's still ridiculous that in they would be charging that much for an online fee when most places charge 4% for credit card transactionsDefinitely don't think this business should have an A+ rating and hopefully our next place we live at won't use AUM
The company only offers an online payment method that has a $"convenience" fee attached to itTo avoid the fee you may send in a payment like in the 1990'sMake a check, put in an envelope, mail it outThey bank on the fact that most customers will leave the invoice to the last minute and or be too lazy to send in a check and end up paying online and paying the $feeShould your $invoice be a day late, a $thats a 50% late penalty will be attached to your invoiceBravoThank you for *** *** for choosing such a great company to do business with
Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/09/17) */
September 17,
American Utility Management (AUM) received the complaint submitted by Monique***We would like to take this opportunity to respond and provide details to help in your investigation
AUM is a third party
billing providerWe are contracted with owners, landlords, and management companies throughout the United States to assist them with utility conservationPart of this assistance includes billing their residents for utilities on a monthly basis
AUM currently has three main bill payment options for our customer's conveniencePayments can be made online along with a convenience fee and the payment would post to the account on the day of the transactionIf a resident feels that the online convenience fee is too high, there is the option to set up automatic paymentsWith consent, payments can be automatically debited from a checking accountAnother option is to mail payments to our lockbox via the United States Postal Service
According to the Recurring Automatic Payment Authorization Terms and Conditions and the letter sent on August 19, 2015, the monthly AUM statement acts as the monthly notification of the automatic paymentMs.*** signed up for Auto-Pay after the August statement was already mailed (indicating to remit payment (Please write your account number on your check or money order made payable to AUMDo not send cashDo not staple this portion to your payment).)The next statement mailed on September 3, indicates Auto-Pay (Do not send payment...You are currently set for Auto-Pay Service)Each future statement will determine if Auto-Pay will be applied
In this particular case, AUM waived a late fee as a one-time courtesy on July 16, Therefore AUM is unable to waive another late fee
Sincerely,
***
Corporate Paralegal
November 4, 2015American Utility Management (AUM) received the complaint
submitted by *** C***. We would
like to take this opportunity to respond and provide details to help in your
investigationAUM is a third party billing provider. We are contracted with
owners, landlords, and management companies
throughout the United States to assist them with utility conservation. Part of this assistance includes billing their residents for utilities
on a monthly basis.Unfortunately AUM was unable to locate this individual in
our system. Therefore without additional
information such as an AUM account number, AUM is unable to properly respond to
this complaint.At this time AUM is unable to grant his refund requestSincerely, *** ***Paralegal
Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/07/16) */
July 16,
American Utility Management (AUM) received the complaint submitted by***We would like to take this opportunity to respond and provide details to help in your investigation
AUM is a third party billing
providerWe are contracted with owners, landlords, and management companies throughout the United States to assist them with utility conservationPart of this assistance includes billing their residents for utilities on a monthly basis
When our invoices are mailed, residents typically have twenty-one (21) days in which to make full payment before a potential late payment charge is appliedThis information is clearly stated on each resident statementLate payment charges are only applied if a balance remains on the account after the indicated due dateThis may occur if the payment is not received and processed by the due date, or if the payment was a partial payment
An option available is to manage his account onlineEvery statement lists our web address and that the account can be managed onlineThe online service allows access to account information, bill payment and to set up for e-statementsHe can view and print all of his statements, but is only charged a convenience fee when payment is received online with an approved credit card transaction
Another option available is to enroll in AUM's E-Statement ProgramIn order to enroll in this program, residents must visit the AUM website at www.aum-inc.com and click on the Resident TabAfter logging in and re-entering his/her email address, the e-statement option would have to be selectedOnce registering for the program he/she would receive an email with a link to confirm the registrationE-statements would begin once the resident has confirmed his or her registrationIf after signing up for e-statements and no receiving them, AUM recommends checking his/her email spam folderAs certain email accounts consider the e-statement spam
AUM currently has three bill payment options for our customer's conveniencePayments can be made online along with a convenience fee and the payment would post to the account on the day of the transactionThe online convenience fee is for each approved credit card transaction and is disclosed several times on the websiteEach user must check acknowledging that there is a fee and agrees to pay itIf Mr.*** feels that the online convenience fee is too high, he has the option to set up automatic paymentsWith his consent, payments can be automatically debited from his checking accountThe auto debit requires residents to complete an application, which can be done onlineAnother option is to mail payments to our lockbox via The United States Postal Service
It appears that Mr.*** main concern is that the administrative fee is too high for someone managing an account using an alternative delivery methodThe inclusion of a monthly administrative fee is a customary way for service providers to maintain their operations and provide exceptional serviceAUM's monthly administrative fee supports every aspect of our services and is not limited to the printing and mailing of statements
AUM does thank Mr*** for his recommendation of changing the online convenience fee and administrative feeHowever, we will continue to charge a fee for any payment transaction made online and an administrative fee for every statement generated regardless of delivery method
Sincerely,
***
Paralegal
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 7, 2015/07/23) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
"The inclusion of a monthly administrative fee is a customary way for service providers to maintain their operations and provide exceptional service."
In order for this statement to be true, you must provide exceptional serviceAll customer accounts point to AUM having the lowest possible standards of customer serviceIt does not take much searching online to find the honest and scathing reviews of AUMI still have not found anyone with something positive to say about your "exceptional service"My personal experience aligns with the masses on this matter
Final Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2015/08/06) */
We are sorry to hear that his experience is not satisfactoryAUM thanks Mr*** for his recommendation, but we will continue to provide our services without a change in any billing policyAs previously stated, AUM is unable to grant Mr.*** refund request
November 13, 2015American Utility Management (AUM) received the complaint
submitted by *** ***. We would
like to take this opportunity to respond and provide details to help in your
investigationMr*** contacted AUM regarding a refund and it
was
mailed on October 6, 2015. However, the
address was incorrect and AUM’s policy is a day waiting period. Therefore, on November 6, 2015, AUM mailed
the refund to Mr*** at his correct address.AUM apologies for the confusion and any inconvenience this may have
caused.Sincerely, *** ***Paralegal
May 9, American Utility Management
(AUM) received the complaint submitted by *** ***. We would like to take this opportunity to respond and provide details to help in your investigation
AUM is a third party billing provider. We are contracted with owners, landlords, and management companies throughout the United States to assist them with utility conservation. Part of this assistance includes billing their residents for utilities on a monthly basisAUM currently has three main bill payment options for our customer’s convenience. Payments can be made online along with a convenience fee and the payment would post to the account on the day of the transactionIf a resident feels that the online convenience fee is too high, there is the option to set up automatic payments. With consent, payments can be automatically debited from a checking account. Another option is to mail payments to our lockbox via the United States Postal Service.
*** *** is currently set up for auto-pay and according to the Recurring Automatic Payment Authorization Terms and Conditions (which is agreed to when signing up for auto-pay), the monthly AUM statement acts as the monthly notification of the automatic payment. The statement dated March 10, with a due date of March 31, indicates Auto-Pay was activated stating Auto-Pay (Do not send payment…You are currently set for Auto-Pay Service). Therefore even if any additional payment was made the auto-pay would still deduct the amount listed on the statement.
AUM is unable to waive the NSF fee as it was properly assessedSincerely,
*** ***
Corporate Paralegal
American Utility Management (AUM) received the complaint and we would like to take this opportunity to respond and provide details to help resolve this matter
12pt;">First, we apologize for length of time this has taken to address the issue. We have been working with the property staff to determine the cause of the higher than expected usage measured by the submeter. While the investigation is ongoing, we have credited the account. As the property collects payments, this credit should be reflected on the residents ledger. As soon as we find a resolution to the situation, we will be in touch with the resident with our findings. As always our AUM’s Customer Service Representatives are available to answer question about the billing and the residents account. They can be reached by calling *** 8:00a.mto 7:00p.m(CST) Monday through Friday
March 8,
"margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">American Utility Management (AUM) received the complaint submitted by *** ***. We would like to take this opportunity to respond and provide details to help in your investigation
AUM is a third party billing provider. We are contracted with owners, landlords, and management companies throughout the United States to assist them with utility conservation. Part of this assistance includes billing their residents for utilitiesSince each apartment does not have an individual gas or water meter, bills must be calculated on an allocation basis
After reviewing Ms*** account, it appears that she may have been incorrectly charged on her first statement. Unfortunately any possible refund/credit would not be listed on the AUM statement, nor refunded/credited by AUM. For this particular property, AUM only generates and mails the resident statements and does not collect payment for these charges. The property should be able to provide this information.
Unfortunately, AUM is unable to grant Ms*** request
Sincerely,
*** ***
Paralegal
On 5.10.16, I had gone online to pay my billWhen I entered my payment information and clicked the button to process the payment, there was a long delayI did not click it again, or click it repeatedly to try to force the processI ended up getting an error message that stated that the payment has failed and could not be processedI had entered the correct information and my finances are in order, so I clicked the button againThe payment went through with no further errorsUpon checking my bank account later, I had noticed that there were two charges for $to AUM, so I called them up
When I spoke with a rep to address my concerns, she sounded impatient and condescending Her tone was less than satisfactory and antagonistic in manner when she stated that she only saw one charge on my account, and that their system didn't work that wayShe stated that I had to wait and see and that the charge would not be reflected on my bank account because one of the pending charges would go awayI process cards and have to deal with pending payments at my job, so that reasoning made sense
On 5.12.16, both charges posted with my bankI called them up and got the "This number is not in service" error message like some other people here got, so I emailed them with a snip picture of my bank statement showing both chargesI got a response later from a manager named Jennifer Spagnola stating that they didn't see a problem, so they asked their IT department to look into itShe also stated that her IT department confirmed that I had, in fact, been charged twice
She also said that they don't know why it happened but that they would implement a fixShe followed that by stating that my account now had a credit and that my next month's bill would be deducted from that credit
I responded stating that I did not want a credit on my account and that I wanted my money backShe stated that they are unable to process refunds to credit/debit cards
(if you can process cards, you can issue refunds)
She essentially dismissed my concerns by saying that they could send me a check that would take weeks to process and that by then my next bill would have generatedThen she recommended disputing the charges with my bank for an immediate refund (which is a process that takes up to weeks)
Rather than have a back and forth email conversation, I called AUM again and asked for JenniferThe rep Christina put me on hold and came back stating that Jennifer was on the phone and couldn't talkI explained the situation to her and she pretty much echoed what Jennifer was sayingShe kept trying to rush me off the phone and offering to push me through to leave a voicemail with JenniferThen she stated that she had to deal with other customers and asked me to call backI refused and asked to be transferred to another department or another manager because I want my moneyChristina stated that there weren't any other departments and that Christina was the only managerI asked how a company operates with only one managerI then asked to speak with Jennifer again
Christina asked to put me on hold again, but I guess she never put me on hold because I still heard voicesShe came back and stated that Jennifer was in a meeting and couldn't talk to meI asked her why she told me that Jennifer was on the phone when she was in a meetingShe said that Jennifer was on the phone, then she went into a meetingI asked Christina why Jennifer went into a meeting when she had an escalated client on the phone responding to her communicationsShe stated that she didn't know and repeated that Jennifer was in a meetingI asked her what kind of meeting she could be in if she's the only manager at the officeShe replied that it was probably a meeting with managers from other departments like the invoice departmentFunny how AUM magically has other managers and other departments nowI asked to speak with them and she refused, stating that they don't speak with customers
tldr; error in their billing system charged me twice, admitted to charging me twice, then refused to void the payment or issue a refund
This is the WORST utility company I have ever worked with. They tell you to register and then you can't sign in, you have them send you a notification in case you forgot your phone number. That doesn't work. They only way to get to your account is to create a new account EVERY SINGLE TIME. I called their customer service to get this resolved and she didn't sound like she cared, saying just create a new account. Today I tried to call customer service at 866.520.1245 and it is a NON WORKING NUMBER. They are there to charge you $7 to pay your bill and they are there if you are late charging you a ridiculous "Non Compliance" fee of $20. I'm not non compliant I just couldn't get on their stupid system to pay and a check wouldn't have arrived on time.
Initial Business Response /* (1000, 8, 2015/02/04) */
February 4, 2015
American Utility Management (AUM) received the complaint submitted by [redacted]. We would like to take this opportunity to respond and provide details to help in your investigation.
AUM is a third party...
billing provider. We are contracted with owners, landlords, and management companies throughout the United States to assist them with utility conservation. Part of this assistance includes billing their residents for utilities on a monthly basis.
When our invoices are mailed, residents have twenty-one (21) days in which to make full payment before a late fee is applied. This information is clearly stated on each resident statement. This fee is only applied if a balance remains on the account after the indicated due date. This may occur if the payment is not received and processed by the due date, or if the payment was a partial payment.
An available option is to manage the account online. Every statement lists our web address and that the account can be managed online. The online service allows access to account information, bill payment and to set up for e-statements. One can view and print statements, but is only charged a convenience fee when payment is received online with an approved credit card transaction.
Another option available is to enroll in AUM's E-Statement Program. In order to enroll in this program, residents must visit the AUM website at [redacted] and click on the Resident Tab. After logging in and re-entering his/her email address, the e-statement option would have to be selected. Once registering for the program he/she would receive an email with a link to confirm the registration. E-statements would begin once the resident has confirmed his or her registration.
AUM currently has three main bill payment options for our customer's convenience. Payments can be made online along with a convenience fee and the payment would post to the account on the day of the transaction. If he feels that the online convenience fee is too high, there is the option to set up automatic payments. With written consent, payments can be automatically debited from his checking account. The auto debit requires residents to complete an application and can take up to two months to process. Another option is to mail payments to our lockbox via the United States Postal Service.
Resident payments are not mailed to AUM nor are they processed directly by AUM. AUM contracts with a reputable lockbox service to collect and process all payments. The lockbox service typically processes payments within 24 hours of receipt. However, a delay in processing can occur if directions included on each statement are not followed. Each statement notes to allow 5-7 business days when mailing payment, to not enclose written correspondence with payment, to return the payment coupon with payment and not to staple the payment coupon to the payment.
AUM has no control over a third party such as the U.S. Postal Service; however we do offer other options in order to receive statements and or make payments in a more timely and efficient manner. Those options were discussed in this correspondence and include online viewing of account/e-statements, direct debit or online payment.
Regarding the electric recovery charge and the utility recovery charge, when a resident moves into West Brent Apartments that person is responsible for the electric charges from that day forward. However when the electric charges are not correctly changed over to the resident, the property receives electric usage charges that should have been charged directly to the resident. When that happens, the resident is then charged on their AUM statement along with a utility recovery change. If the resident can provide proof of being charged directly by the provider for those same days, AUM will waive those charges. But it has to be for those exact service dates.
In this particular case, no statements have been returned to AUM as undeliverable and AUM waived a late fee on January 13, 2015. We hope the information listed above will assist with future payments.
Sincerely,
[redacted]
Corporate Paralegal
This company is the worst. I used to have direct debit from my bank account to pay the bill, but they just debited my bank account 1 day after I get the statement. Wow! Then I switched to a check payment. Last month, I sent the check 10 business days before the due date. While my bank confirmed the delivery date was 3 business days prior to due date, they applied the payment 1 business days after the due date. So they charged $16 late fees. Funny! I sent an email and dispute the late fees showing all the proof and they credited the $16. Today, it happened again. My due date is 11/11. I sent the check on 10/28 and delivery confirmation was on 11/3. I called them and they said they have not received the check. Should I blame the [redacted] LOL. AUM should have filed bankruptcy if they are so desperate on getting extra $16. LOL!!!
American Utility Management (AUM) received the complaint and we would like to take this opportunity to respond and provide details to help resolve this matter.
serif;">AUM is hired by the apartment complex and/or their management company to bill residents for their share of the property utility expenses such as water, sewer and trash. The monthly statement simply reflects the resident’s portion of the overall bill for the property. Reviewing the account information, our records indicate that the electric service was not placed in the name of the tenant as required by the lease. The result is that the property remained the customer of record and was obligated to pay the electric bill each month. In addition to the lease agreement, each monthly AUM statement that contains these types of charges also instructs the resident the place the utility service in their name. As our Customer Service Representative explained on the phone as well as via email, if the service was properly placed in the residents name during the time period after move-in, she can forward copies of those paid utility bills for review. They will be reviewed and the account adjusted accordingly. Unfortunately, we are unable to make any adjustments until such time. It appears that the electric account is now in the residents name as the property is no longer receiving electric bills for this apartment. As always our AUM’s Customer Service Representatives are available to answer question about the billing and the residents account. They can be reached by calling [redacted], 8:00a.m. to 7:00p.m. (CST) Monday through Friday.
For some reason, AUM makes it extremely difficult for their customers to pay utility bills. The hefty fees associated with making payments online or by phone make those 2 options not viable. So you are left with either mailing in a check every single week (in 2015 !!!!!) or signing up for automatic withdrawal which takes an abysmal 45 to 60 days to set up and another 45-60 days to cancel whenever you decide to. How can any company be competitive with these kinds of policies?? It baffles me.
I signed up for the automatic withdrawal and somehow, something went wrong, there was a mixup with my account information and 2 payments did not go through. They charged me 70 dollars in returned fees. Which does not even make sense because by their own admission, when one payment does not go through, they suspend the automatic withdrawals. Yet they couldn't explain to me why I got charged twice. When I called them to try to figure out what went wrong, not only did I get terrible and rude customer service but they essentially told me that they would carry out an investigation which would take an undisclosed amount of time to be carried out. Yet regardless of the results of their so called investigation I still had to pay the 70 dollars and I was threatened with more fines and late payment fees if I did not.
They are inefficient, inflexible and have some of the worst customer service I have ever experienced. I am very disappointed and I hope i'll never had to deal with this company again. It is a shame that my apartment building essentially forces its residents to sign up through AUM, but if I ever have a choice I'll definitely NOT use AUM and if you want to save yourself the headache and inconvenience, so should you.
Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/03/13) */
March 13, 2015
American Utility Management (AUM) received the complaint submitted by [redacted]. We would like to take this opportunity to respond and provide details to help in your investigation.
AUM is a third party billing...
provider. We are contracted with owners, landlords, and management companies throughout the United States to assist them with utility conservation. Part of this assistance includes billing their residents for utilities on a monthly basis.
While AUM has verified the mailing address, occasionally statements may take longer than normal to reach Ms. [redacted] when traveling by the[redacted]. We have no control over this third party; however we do offer other options in order to receive statements and or make payments in a more timely and efficient manner. Those options include e-statements, direct debit or contacting our Customer Service Department.
When our invoices are mailed, residents typically have twenty-one (21) days in which to make full payment before a late fee is applied. This information is clearly stated on each resident statement. This fee is only applied if a balance remains on the account after the indicated due date. This may occur if the payment is not received and processed by the due date, or if the payment was a partial payment.
An available option is to manage the account online. Every statement lists our web address and that the account can be managed online. The online service allows access to account information, bill payment and to set up for e-statements. One can view and print statements, but is only charged a convenience fee when payment is received online with an approved credit card transaction.
Another option available is to enroll in AUM's E-Statement Program. In order to enroll in this program, residents must visit the AUM website at www.aum-inc.com and click on the Resident Tab. After logging in and re-entering his/her email address, the e-statement option would have to be selected. Once registering for the program he/she would receive an email with a link to confirm the registration. E-statements would begin once the resident has confirmed his or her registration.
AUM currently has three main bill payment options for our customer's convenience. Payments can be made online along with a convenience fee and the payment would post to the account on the day of the transaction. If she feels that the online convenience fee is too high, there is the option to set up automatic payments. With written consent, payments can be automatically debited from her checking account. The auto debit requires residents to complete an application and can take up to two months to process. Another option is to mail payments to our lockbox via the United States Postal Service.
Ms. [redacted] always has the option of contacting AUM's Customer Service for her balance, due date and remittance address. They can be reached by calling XXX-XXX-XXXX, 8:00a.m. to 7:00p.m. (CST) Monday through Friday.
Ms. [redacted]'s AUM account currently shows a balance of $55.74 due on March 31, 2015. A zero balance would show after a complete payment is made and before the next cycle is billed. An example of this is with the statement mailed on February 10, 2015 and due on March 3, 2015. She made full payment on February 11, 2015, so a zero balance would show until the next charges are generated. In this case was March 10, 2015. Since full payment was received by the due date, no late fees were assessed.
In regards to the online convenience fee, it is for each approved credit card transaction. This fee is disclosed several times on the website and each user must check acknowledging that there is a fee and agrees to pay it. AUM would like to thank Ms. [redacted] for her suggestion. However, AUM's current policies are not changing at this time. We will continue to provide our services in the same manner in regards to online convenience fees.
All late fees and online convenience fees were properly assessed in this particular case. However AUM waived a late fee as a one-time courtesy. We hope the information stated above will assist Ms. [redacted] with alternative ways of receiving her statements and making future payments.
Sincerely,
[redacted]
Corporate Paralegal
This company is the worst of the worst. There is absolutely no way that their charges are accurate for the utilities used each month. I'm fairly certain they make up bills at random and nobody can stop them from doing it. They need to be investigated and prosecuted for scamming their customers.