Central Virginia Electric Cooperative

Thank you for the recent letter regarding the CVEC account 113221-for [redacted] I had the opportunity to review our account notes and saw that Mr [redacted] began receiving electric service on December 14, We sent a bill on January 5, and a second bill on February 5, that contained a disconnect notice for the past due amount from the December/January bill We also attempted three automated calls but there was no answer At that time, we received the bills as returned mail and had a service man hand deliver both bills on February 17, CVEC waited another week to hear from Mr [redacted] and then disconnected on February 25, Our records indicate that we were contacted the next day and restored service As a member-owned utility, disconnecting for non-payment is a last resort and one that we attempt to avoid We are willing to work with members and are available 24xby telephone [redacted] online at [redacted] and at our offices between 8:AM and 5:00PM I am going to have our Member Services group waive the disconnect and reconnect fee and apologize to Mr [redacted] that we were not successful in contacting him I understand that we have the correct billing address and current phone number and will work to ensure that our bills arrive in a timely manner and that he is contacted by phone if there is any issue with his account

Subject: RE: Nina [redacted] --Disconnection/Payment Complaint Please see attached documents as well Good evening [redacted] Below are the responses to the questions you sent on Tuesday You will also find an overview and detailed timeline of events at the bottom of my message There are several documents attached that will be helpful in this case Please let me know if you need additional information Thank you,Melissa SCC Questions: Did the customer contact the Company regarding the complaint issue? a Yes, we have spoken with both Mrand Mrs [redacted] on this matter as well as their granddaughter, [redacted] , who has account access What was the Company’s response to the customer? a We have explained to our members and their granddaughter the basis of adding the security deposit We have also agreed to waive the remaining installments of the security deposit as our members’ granddaughter agreed to sign up for e-bill notifications to help our member manage their account and because prior to this incident, our members had a solid payment history The installments of the security deposit paid will be held as protection against possible future instances of non-payment or debt and be refunded to the account in accordance with Company procedure as outlined in our Terms and Conditions Did the Company disconnect the service at the customer’s address? a Yes, [redacted] emailed Member Services of this disconnection of service for non-payment on 10/17/at 1:PM (see supporting email titled ‘Meter [redacted] ’ attached) Has the Company made any changes with regards to payment posting (policies, vendors)? a Effective 08/01/2016, our payment remittance address changed and has been reflected on all payment remittance slips from such date forward If so, please explain any changes made within the last few years to the abovea Effective 08/01/2016, our payment remittance address changed and has been reflected on all payment remittance slips from such date forward b It should be noted that our member’s 08/15/payment was processed by our new payment processing center without incident despite claims made by our members and their granddaughter that they were unaware of our payment processing remittance change Is the Company aware of any issues with payments posting to consumers accounts (late, misapplied, delayed)? a I am unaware of any issues with late, misapplied or delayed payment processing b It should be noted that our payment processing center has supplied a copy of the check our member contends was “mailed 10/06/2016”, the “day after receiving the bill” which was produced 10/05/ This check is dated 10/11/and was posted to the account 10/17/which appears to be a reasonable timeframe given the date of the check Our payment processing center does not keep the remittance envelopes to confirm a postmark date If so, please explain any known issues within the company or 3rd party vendor regarding payment processinga N/A What fees were assessed to the customer’s account as a result of the disconnection (deposit/reconnection)? a As outlined in our Terms and Conditions, the following fees were added to the account given the disconnection for non-payment: I A one-time fee of $ [redacted] for disconnection of a delinquent account; ii A one-time fee of $ [redacted] as the reconnection charge (paid during working hours); iii A security deposit totaling $ [redacted] the maximum liability of two months of usage based on the location history, was divided into equal installments of $ [redacted] each The security deposit amount is supported by the February bill of $ [redacted] and March bill of $ [redacted] Is the Company willing to waive any fees associated with the disconnection? a As our members’ granddaughter is aware per conversation on 12/15/2016, we have waived the remaining installments of the security deposit assessed b The disconnection and reconnection charges of $ [redacted] and $ [redacted] respectively remain and have been paid as of 10/17/at which time service was reconnected Provide any additional information applicable to the complainta Please see the attached supporting emails of documentation of our handling of this account Overview: Account [redacted] was in arrears for the 09/07/billed amount which was noted as delinquent on the 10/05/bill and due by 10/15/in order to prevent disconnection of service We spoke with our member on 10/11/and advised of the impending disconnection as arrears were coming due 10/15/and the account was subject for disconnecting beginning 10/17/ The courtesy [redacted] delinquent call of 10/12/was successful and answered to the only number on the account [redacted] *** Payment was not received by the day disconnection date of 10/15/and as such, service was disconnected 10/17/ Following the disconnection of service, payment for the arrears and related fees was made through our [redacted] phone system and service was restored; additionally, a check dated 10/11/and received by our payment processing center on 10/17/was posted to the account after the disconnection of service Given the disconnection for non-payment, a security deposit was assessed on the account, totaling $ [redacted] and broken into installments of $ [redacted] each Our member was billed and has paid of the installments Upon further review of the account at our member’s request, our member’s granddaughter – who was given account access – has agreed to assist our members in managing their account by receiving e-bill notifications to help prevent future late payments and possible disconnections of service Given this agreeable solution (signing up for e-bill notifications) and our members’ prior solid payment history, the remaining installments of the security deposit have been waived The installments paid will be refunded according to Company policy (at the end of months provided payments have been received on-time) Our member’s granddaughter was not pleased with this solution and also refused such offers as prepaid conversion which would give the account immediate credit for the security deposit installments already paid or auto payment or bank draft as other means to ensure payments on the account are received on time to prevent this situation in the future

Thank you for the recent letter regarding the CVEC account 113221-002 for [redacted]
 
rgb(34, 34, 34); font-size: 12.8px; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">I had the opportunity to review our account notes and saw that Mr. [redacted] began receiving electric service on December 14, 2015.  We sent a bill on January 5, 2016 and a second bill on February 5, 2016 that contained a disconnect notice for the past due amount from the December/January bill.  We also attempted three automated calls but there was no answer.  At that time, we received the bills as returned mail and had a service man hand deliver both bills on February 17, 2016.
 
CVEC waited another week to hear from Mr. [redacted] and then disconnected on February 25, 2016.  Our records indicate that we were contacted the next day and restored service.  As a member-owned utility, disconnecting for non-payment is a last resort and one that we attempt to avoid.  We are willing to work with members and are available 24x7 by telephone [redacted] online at [redacted] and at our offices between 8:30 AM and 5:00PM
 
 
I am going to have our Member Services group waive the disconnect and reconnect fee and apologize to Mr. [redacted] that we were not successful in contacting him.  I understand that we have the correct billing address and current phone number and will work to ensure that our bills arrive in a timely manner and that he is contacted by phone if there is any issue with his account.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the offer and/or response 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.
[Provide details of why you are not satisfied with this resolution.]
Regards,
[redacted]
In the response from CVEC, they claimed that "Mr. [redacted]" was unreachable. Mr [redacted] was unreachable because Mr. [redacted] does not live at that address and Mr. [redacted] is NOT the account holder. The account through this company is with [redacted]. When my husband, Brent, set up the account, he gave them his correct PHONE NUMBER and his correct NAME and his correct MAILING ADDRESS. Somehow, the company took down his name incorrectly (the bill we eventually received had [redacted] on it... not [redacted]), they had the wrong mailing address (sending the statement to Troy, VA instead of Palmyra,VA) which is why we never received the bill and they had the wrong phone number which is why we never received their courtesy phone call informing us our bill was due.
They said in their response that electric was turned back on the next day. Yes, it was. we would have preferred to have gotten it turned on that same night BUT they were closed. We are not unwilling or unable to pay our bill. We do however, require that this company record the correct information from its customers and give reasonable notice before turning off electricity. Failing to get the bill in our hands and then waiting a few days before turning off electric is not reasonable notice. 
I appreciate they are willing to waive the fee. This was my biggest issue. Even though they made many mistakes, they were unwilling to waive the fee. We did, however, pay this fee. And so, until I see the fee reimbursed to our account (which has not occured yet), I do not have confidence in the company and would like the issue to remain opened. Especially since in the response from CVEC,  they referred to the account holder as "Mr. [redacted]" which is not the name on the account. 
Thanks for your help,
In the response from CVEC, they claimed that "Mr. [redacted]" was unreachable. Mr [redacted] was unreachable because Mr. [redacted] does not live at that address and Mr. [redacted] is NOT the account holder. The account through this company is with [redacted] J. [redacted]. When my husband, Brent, set up the account, he gave them his correct PHONE NUMBER and his correct NAME and his correct MAILING ADDRESS. Somehow, the company took down his name incorrectly (the bill we eventually received had [redacted] K. [redacted] on it... not [redacted] J. [redacted]), they had the wrong mailing address (sending the statement to Troy, VA instead of Palmyra,VA) which is why we never received the bill and they had the wrong phone number which is why we never received their courtesy phone call informing us our bill was due.
They said in their response that electric was turned back on the next day. Yes, it was. we would have preferred to have gotten it turned on that same night BUT they were closed. We are not unwilling or unable to pay our bill. We do however, require that this company record the correct information from its customers and give reasonable notice before turning off electricity. Failing to get the bill in our hands and then waiting a few days before turning off electric is not reasonable notice. 
I appreciate they are willing to waive the fee. This was my biggest issue. Even though they made many mistakes, they were unwilling to waive the fee. We did, however, pay this fee. And so, until I see the fee reimbursed to our account (which has not occured yet), I do not have confidence in the company and would like the issue to remain opened. Especially since in the response from CVEC,  they referred to the account holder as "Mr. [redacted]" which is not the name on the account. 
Thanks for your help,Robin
In the response from CVEC, they claimed that "Mr. [redacted]" was unreachable. Mr [redacted] was unreachable because Mr. [redacted] does not live at that address and Mr. [redacted] is NOT the account holder. The account through this company is with [redacted] J. [redacted]. When my husband, Brent, set up the account, he gave them his correct PHONE NUMBER and his correct NAME and his correct MAILING ADDRESS. Somehow, the company took down his name incorrectly (the bill we eventually received had [redacted] K. [redacted] on it... not [redacted] J. [redacted]), they had the wrong mailing address (sending the statement to Troy, VA instead of Palmyra,VA) which is why we never received the bill and they had the wrong phone number which is why we never received their courtesy phone call informing us our bill was due.
They said in their response that electric was turned back on the next day. Yes, it was. we would have preferred to have gotten it turned on that same night BUT they were closed. We are not unwilling or unable to pay our bill. We do however, require that this company record the correct information from its customers and give reasonable notice before turning off electricity. Failing to get the bill in our hands and then waiting a few days before turning off electric is not reasonable notice. 
I appreciate they are willing to waive the fee. This was my biggest issue. Even though they made many mistakes, they were unwilling to waive the fee. We did, however, pay this fee. And so, until I see the fee reimbursed to our account (which has not occured yet), I do not have confidence in the company and would like the issue to remain opened. Especially since in the response from CVEC,  they referred to the account holder as "Mr. [redacted]" which is not the name on the account. 
Thanks for your help,Robin

Subject: RE: Nina...

[redacted]--Disconnection/Payment Complaint
 
Please see attached documents as well.
 
Good evening [redacted]
Below are the responses to the questions you sent on Tuesday.  You will also find an overview and detailed timeline of events at the bottom of my message.  There are several documents attached that will be helpful in this case. 
 
Please let me know if you need additional information.
 
Thank you,Melissa
 
 
SCC Questions:
1.      Did the customer contact the Company regarding the complaint issue?
a.      Yes, we have spoken with both Mr. and Mrs. [redacted] on this matter as well as their granddaughter, [redacted], who has account access. 
2.      What was the Company’s response to the customer?
a.      We have explained to our members and their granddaughter the basis of adding the security deposit.  We have also agreed to waive the remaining 4 installments of the security deposit as our members’ granddaughter agreed to sign up for e-bill notifications to help our member manage their account and because prior to this incident, our members had a solid payment history.  The 2 installments of the security deposit paid will be held as protection against possible future instances of non-payment or debt and be refunded to the account in accordance with Company procedure as outlined in our Terms and Conditions. 
3.      Did the Company disconnect the service at the customer’s address?
a.      Yes, [redacted] emailed Member Services of this disconnection of service for non-payment on 10/17/2016 at 1:59 PM (see supporting email titled ‘Meter [redacted]…’ attached). 
4.      Has the Company made any changes with regards to payment posting (policies, vendors)?
a.      Effective 08/01/2016, our payment remittance address changed and has been reflected on all payment remittance slips from such date forward. 
5.      If so, please explain any changes made within the last few years to the above.
a.      Effective 08/01/2016, our payment remittance address changed and has been reflected on all payment remittance slips from such date forward. 
b.      It should be noted that our member’s 08/15/2016 payment was processed by our new payment processing center without incident despite claims made by our members and their granddaughter that they were unaware of our payment processing remittance change. 
6.      Is the Company aware of any issues with payments posting to consumers accounts (late, misapplied, delayed)?
a.      I am unaware of any issues with late, misapplied or delayed payment processing. 
b.      It should be noted that our payment processing center has supplied a copy of the check our member contends was “mailed 10/06/2016”, the “day after receiving the bill” which was produced 10/05/2016.  This check is dated 10/11/2016 and was posted to the account 10/17/2016 which appears to be a reasonable timeframe given the date of the check.  Our payment processing center does not keep the remittance envelopes to confirm a postmark date. 
7.      If so, please explain any known issues within the company or 3rd party vendor regarding payment processing.
a.      N/A
8.      What fees were assessed to the customer’s account as a result of the disconnection (deposit/reconnection)?
a.      As outlined in our Terms and Conditions, the following fees were added to the account given the disconnection for non-payment:
                                        ...⇄ one-time fee of $[redacted] for disconnection of a delinquent account;
                                        ...⇄ one-time fee of $[redacted] as the reconnection charge (paid during normal working hours);
                                        ...⇄ security deposit totaling $[redacted] the maximum liability of two months of usage based on the location history, was divided into 6 equal installments of $[redacted] each.  The security deposit amount is supported by the February 2016 bill of $[redacted] and March 2016 bill of $[redacted]. 
9.      Is the Company willing to waive any fees associated with the disconnection?
a.      As our members’ granddaughter is aware per conversation on 12/15/2016, we have waived the remaining 4 installments of the security deposit assessed. 
b.      The disconnection and reconnection charges of $[redacted] and $[redacted] respectively remain and have been paid as of 10/17/2016 at which time service was reconnected. 
10.  Provide any additional information applicable to the complaint.
a.      Please see the attached supporting emails of documentation of our handling of this account. 
 
Overview:
 
Account [redacted] was in arrears for the 09/07/2016 billed amount which was noted as delinquent on the 10/05/2016 bill and due by 10/15/2016 in order to prevent disconnection of service.  We spoke with our member on 10/11/2016 and advised of the impending disconnection as arrears were coming due 10/15/2016 and the account was subject for disconnecting beginning 10/17/2016.  The courtesy [redacted] delinquent call of 10/12/2016 was successful and answered to the only number on the account [redacted].  Payment was not received by the 10 day disconnection date of 10/15/2016 and as such, service was disconnected 10/17/2016.  Following the disconnection of service, payment for the arrears and related fees was made through our [redacted] phone system and service was restored; additionally, a check dated 10/11/2016 and received by our payment processing center on 10/17/2016 was posted to the account after the disconnection of service.  Given the disconnection for non-payment, a security deposit was assessed on the account, totaling $[redacted] and broken into 6 installments of $[redacted] each.  Our member was billed and has paid 2 of the 6 installments.  Upon further review of the account at our member’s request, our member’s granddaughter – who was given account access – has agreed to assist our members in managing their account by receiving e-bill notifications to help prevent future late payments and possible disconnections of service.  Given this agreeable solution (signing up for e-bill notifications) and our members’ prior solid payment history, the remaining 4 installments of the security deposit have been waived.  The 2 installments paid will be refunded according to Company policy (at the end of 12 months provided payments have been received on-time).  Our member’s granddaughter was not pleased with this solution and also refused such offers as prepaid conversion which would give the account immediate credit for the security deposit installments already paid or auto payment or bank draft as other means to ensure payments on the account are received on time to prevent this situation in the future.

Review: My complaint is regarding firstly, a deposit required to transfer service (disregarding the original $97 deposit I made), and secondly the customer service I received from several employees of CVEC. [redacted] quoted me 2 deposits, one of $200, and the other of $400; following my several attempts to reach her [redacted]. I have both quotes recorded and saved for my records, however, cannot attached via Revdex.com. I reached out to [redacted]. Nobody could explain the $200 deposit. [redacted] stated that it was due to the estimated increase in electricity at the new home. However, I find that hard to understand considering there is one less A/C unit at the new home. *After running around in circles, I spoke with [redacted], who also had no answers for me; he forwarded me back to [redacted]. I hesitantly agreed to pay the additional $200 deposit in installments. Upon receiving my first months bill at my new location, the mailing address was changed, the deposit was added to my account, however the service address was not changed effective 04/05/2013 as requested. This was the entire purpose of me calling in.*I truly feel like I have been jerked around, and ignored as a consumer. This is borderline monopolistic, in that there is not another service provider to switch to. I work with utilities all day, and have NEVER experienced this horrific of customer service. Isn't this company supposed to be member owner?? Not only have I been effected, but also 2 other CVEC members as well. I tried reaching out, but that got me absolutely nowhere. Someone in charge and responsible, needs to be aware.Desired Settlement: I would like to speak with someone other than those whom I have already spoken with, who can give me an logical explanation of the increased deposit, explain to me why I was quoted two different deposits, and why my services was not change on the date requested.

Business

Response:

To whom it may concern at the

Last week we received your letter regarding what you

describe as Revdex.com Case#[redacted]. The question was related to a Central

Virginia Electric Cooperative member who was moving to a new address but who

would still receive service from the CVEC distribution system.

There were three questions associated with the transfer, and

we will take each in order.

#1. Why was my deposit increased?

Central Virginia Electric Cooperative requires all members

who do not have clean credit histories for a minimum of one year to establish a

security deposit. This deposit limits the risk exposure to the other

members of the cooperative by limiting the chance of a significant unpaid bill

being left that would then be rolled into the rates for other members of the

cooperative. As a not-for-profit cooperative, there are no profits, and

no shareholders to bear the burden of uncollectible debts, but instead it directly

affects bills of all members. Through our use of this deposit system, we

have kept our write-offs due to uncollectible bills very low by industry

standards, providing benefits to all CVEC members.

Our member who raised the question of a higher deposit moved

from an abode with historically lower usage to one with higher historical

usage. Our software sets the required deposit based on the highest two

consecutive months usage at the specific location in which the member

resides. We bill after the product has been consumed, which sets cash

flow one month behind automatically. If the bill is not paid by the due

date, the next bill is rendered with a late fee and disconnect notice. At

this point, the member is two months behind before we begin collections

actions. It is usually several weeks after the second week that actual

disconnection takes place, which exposes the cooperative to a potential

shortfall of almost three months charges. Due to the timing of this

process, a two month total is used for the deposit.

The deposit is based on historical usage for the specific

account, not for the specific member. For instance, if a member resides

in a one bedroom apartment with gas appliances, they may have very low bills

and a very low deposit amount. If the member marries, adds two

stepchildren and moves to a new three bedroom all electric home, clearly the

bills from CVEC would increase. For this reason, historically we have

found the best match of actual usage is previous history of the location, not

of the member.

After twelve months of no missed payments or late payments,

the entire security deposit plus interest will be refunded to the member.

#2. Why was I quoted two different deposits?

Our records indicate that the member was quoted the same

amount each time there was contact. Clearly, there was miscommunication,

either in our verbal response versus our what our written documentation

indicates or in the understanding of what we were communicating. No

matter where the problem lies, we offer our sincerest apologies. The

deposit that was set matches the only quote we show in our records and it is

the same calculated amount that anyone who moved into the location would be

quoted in the absence of a strong credit history. Internally, we have reviewed

our processes for delivering this information to assure we are clear and

consistent.

#3. Why was my service not changed on the date

requested?

There was confusion in the new service date due to a

conflict in directives from the member. Our records indicate that on the

29th of March, the member called and requested a transfer of service

to the new location but noted disappointment with the deposit amount. Our

records further note that the member indicated their spouse would visit a local

cooperative office and apply for the service in the spouse’s name. The

spouse did not visit the office. We did not complete the transfer due to

the confusion regarding which of the couple would apply. Clearly, this

could have been handled more proactively at CVEC however there was confusion

beyond that of a straightforward request for a transfer. Due to our

ability to read each meter daily, we were able to make proper corrections to

the member’s bill to assure that only the appropriate charges were applied.

Again, we apologize for any misunderstanding or miscommunication.

We regularly survey our members to determine their

satisfaction with our service. Using standard measures that apply across

industries, CVEC stands out near the top of the utility industry.

Specifically, in the last quarter our scores for new account service were at

the very top of the nation’s scores across all industries. We take our

service seriously and we strive to meet the members’ expectations. In

this case there was confusion that resulted in our falling short of our goals

for member service, and falling short of the specific member’s

expectations. We have dissected this case as a learning opportunity and

will use it to move improve our performance in pursuit of 100% satisfaction of

our membership.

Review: We recently moved to our home and set up electric service with central Virginia coop (which is our only option for the area). After 1.5 months of having service on we noted we had not received a bill from the company. The company has limited hours and so it was difficult to find a time during business hours to call. Finally, a week later, on Thursday Feb 18th, someone hand delivered our bills. On the bill was a disconnect date for February 16th. The bills totaled for over $550, so we started making arrangements to pay the bill. However, not even a full week later, the company disconnected our electric service with no further warnings. We did not learn of the disconnect until we arrived home at 630 pm on Thursday Feb 25th. We could not call until the following morning at 8am to discuss getting our electric back on. We spent the entire evening with our three children that are 4 years and under in our house with no heat and no running water because we have well water which requires electric to run. The next day, my husband paid the bill on full minus a $85 disconnect fee that he requested they waive because of the misunderstanding. They refused to waive the fee even though they took down the wrong mailing address and took down the wrong phone number for their records. They also misspelled my husbands name on the bill. They will acknowledge no wrong doing even though they were able to find the correct address just fine for reading our meter.Desired Settlement: I believe an appropriate outcome for this situation would be for the company to waive the $85 disconnect fee (since they took down the wrong mailing address and the wrong phone number) and in the future, a courtesy call should be provided at least 48-72 hours before disconnecting the electricity or a very clear letter stating the date it will be turned off. If the company is unable to contact a customer and has NEVER contacted that customer because of a new account, I believe they should take responsibility for fully ensuring that have established communication before turning off that customers electricity. Coming home to a home with no electric connection In the middle of winter with children is disorienting.

Business

Response:

Thank you for the recent letter regarding the CVEC account 113221-002 for [redacted] I had the opportunity to review our account notes and saw that Mr. [redacted] began receiving electric service on December 14, 2015. We sent a bill on January 5, 2016 and a second bill on February 5, 2016 that contained a disconnect notice for the past due amount from the December/January bill. We also attempted three automated calls but there was no answer. At that time, we received the bills as returned mail and had a service man hand deliver both bills on February 17, 2016. CVEC waited another week to hear from Mr. [redacted] and then disconnected on February 25, 2016. Our records indicate that we were contacted the next day and restored service. As a member-owned utility, disconnecting for non-payment is a last resort and one that we attempt to avoid. We are willing to work with members and are available 24x7 by telephone [redacted] online at [redacted] and at our offices between 8:30 AM and 5:00PM I am going to have our Member Services group waive the disconnect and reconnect fee and apologize to Mr. [redacted] that we were not successful in contacting him. I understand that we have the correct billing address and current phone number and will work to ensure that our bills arrive in a timely manner and that he is contacted by phone if there is any issue with his account.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the offer and/or response 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.

[Provide details of why you are not satisfied with this resolution.]

Regards,

In the response from CVEC, they claimed that "Mr. [redacted]" was unreachable. Mr [redacted] was unreachable because Mr. [redacted] does not live at that address and Mr. [redacted] is NOT the account holder. The account through this company is with [redacted]. When my husband, Brent, set up the account, he gave them his correct PHONE NUMBER and his correct NAME and his correct MAILING ADDRESS. Somehow, the company took down his name incorrectly (the bill we eventually received had [redacted] on it... not [redacted]), they had the wrong mailing address (sending the statement to Troy, VA instead of Palmyra,VA) which is why we never received the bill and they had the wrong phone number which is why we never received their courtesy phone call informing us our bill was due.