Hometown Hauling

This letter is in response to the above referenced complaint
A "restart" can was delivered to the customer on July 29, He called and informed us that the can had maggots in itThe customer service representative suggested to the customer to throw bleach in the can to kill the maggots and
that we would exchange the can on his next pick up day (8/5/15)Per my records, the can was exchanged on August 5,
The customer's desired outcome was replacement of the can which we have already done and which he was told we would do
Sincerely,
*** ***
VP - Admin
Hometown Hauling Company, Inc

The customers account has been zeroed out and removed from collections. Hometown Hauling

[redacted]
 
The issue has been resolved they replaced the other trash canister with a clean one, thank you

Re: [redacted]   The customer moved to his new address in September 2017. He had one of our cans and he also used a personal can which is allowed. His new address is on a busy road near a curve. Our trucks are automated where an arm on the truck picks up our can but personal cans have to be...

manually emptied by the driver. Our driver did not feel safe getting out of the truck due to the curve in the road right before the stop. We discussed this with the customer and offered to supply him with another one of our cans at no additional charge for him to use instead of the personal can. He agreed.   On Friday, November 10, 2017 there was a sub on the route and the customer was missed. He called in and we scheduled someone to come back for it the next business day. He had out the 2 cans that we provide and the personal can. Our driver, his normal driver, emptied the 2 Hometown cans but left the personal can. The customer called in upset and I explained the safety issue again. He informed me that he thought our driver had something against him. I said no, it was just a safety issue and to please not use the personal can as we would not empty it. He said if we weren’t going to empty it he would go find another service provider. I said that might be the best solution.   The customer in his complaint claims that the driver didn’t want to do his job. That is not true. The driver wants to do his job but in a safe manner. We provided another can to use that the truck could pick up in lieu of the personal can. We won’t empty the personal can. The customer insists on using the personal can. I didn’t see any solution going forward so it was agreed for the customer to find service elsewhere. The customer also states in his complaint that he wants to speak with a manager. I was the one who spoke to him so he has spoken with a manager.   I am sorry that the customer is upset about the personal can. We always try to make our customers happy but I cannot do so at the expense of keeping our drivers safe.

First, I apologize that the customer had a negative experience with our company. There appears to have been a miscommunication as to whether the customer was cancelling or not. However, since the customer now is requesting a refund and also called inquiring about the refund, we will assume that the...

customer now wants the account cancelled. I have reviewed the complaint letter and also the notes on the account. We always refund any service paid but not delivered. The yard waste service has ended but since there was a yard waste problem near the end of the season, I am going to authorize a refund of one month of yard waste to compensate for the missed pick up. I was not able to talk with the customer the week the complaint came in as I was out of town for the holiday. I was not aware that the customer wanted a call back or I would have done so. Once again I apologize for the negative experience and for the missed yard waste pick up. All refunds due to the customer will go out within the week. Sincerely, [redacted] VP – Admin Hometown Hauling

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the 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.
Regards,
[redacted]I called and advised the last week of June and no longer was service necessary. [redacted] died 2/24/17, the house was cleaned out mid June and explained the circumstances. As a clerical error occurred apparently I'm sorry. I am not responsible for my [redacted]'s bills.  The estate closed, there were no funds remaining.

The customer began service with us on August 11, 2017. When the driver got to the address, he called into the office and reported an excessive amount of trash. Our weekly limit, which is on our welcome letter and website, is our 96 gallon can and 2 bags or 2 personal 33 gallon cans. We will also...

take one large item a month at no charge. The driver emptied our can, a personal can, and took some of the bags. The driver reports that there was enough trash out to fill a dumpster. We called the customer to let them know the situation but had to leave a message. The customer called the office later upset that we hadn’t taken all of the garbage. He chose to cancel the service. We have a three months of service minimum, which is also stated on our welcome letter and website. This was explained to the customer and he was told there would be no refund.The customer could have kept the service for the remainder of the three months or he could have paid extra to have the extra trash removed. He chose to cancel the service.If this had been a service issue, such as we kept missing the customer, I would reconsider the policy and probably issue a refund. However, this is a case of a customer wanting us to pick up an excessive amount of trash but not paying anything extra for the service. The three month minimum is to offset the cost to us of delivering a garbage can and then having to remove the can. Any customer, who cancels their service with us after 3 months, is refunded for any service not used. Sincerely,[redacted]

January 20, 2017Re: [redacted]Ms. [redacted] called in inquiring about a contracted rate being sold by a door to door salesperson. That campaign had ended and we don’t normally offer the special rate after a sales campaign has ended. Ms. [redacted] implied in her letter that we had intentionally not offered the...

special rate to her. I don’t know the exact circumstances since I wasn’t there but it could have simply been that she wasn’t home when the salesperson came through. While Ms. [redacted] was on the phone with one of our representatives, her husband emailed me and inquired about the special rate. I agreed that if he signed a contract, he could have the discounted rate. In the desired outcome section, Ms. [redacted] wanted the special rate. That rate was offered to her husband before the complaint letter came in. Sincerely,[redacted]VP – AdminHometown Hauling Company Inc.

Re: [redacted]The customer became a Hometown Hauling customer in October 2007 due to the purchase of Dixie Sanitation. She has not had a rate increase that entire time even though she went from one can service to two can service in 2012. Any agreement that was made in 2012 for the second can was not...

intended to last into perpetuity. Our current sign up rate for one can is $57 and for two cans is $72 every three months. After a review of the customer’s account, a rate increase to $60.00 was made which is well below the 2 can rate of $72.00. When the customer called in and wanted her old rate back, we let her know that we would only be able to empty one can at that rate. She decided to cancel the service. We have cancelled the service and removed both cans.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the 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.The person outright lied in this response. I never cancelled my service, they came and took the cans on their own. The people I spoke with at Hometown hauling were at best, Rude and Disrespectful in speaking with me. In speaking with Manager/owner, in his own admission, said he could not get into the system to investigate my bill because he "is just not smart enough to figure out the computer" and he "was not a very smart man". I had told him that I had pictures of all the bills showing that I had a 2 toter service and the price of 41.58. As stated in my original complaint, they said they had no idea I had a 2 tote service until their guys called and told them when they picked up my trash. Another outright lie since it has been on my bill everytime.  I had the owner/manager on speaker phone the whole time I spoke with him so that I had witnesses to what was being said and they heard everything. I was supposed to have this same rate per their own admission because of some major issues with service early on in their takeover. They really need to work on their people skills because they have terrible ratings in dealing with customers and they do not care and that is why they are losing customers to [redacted] Services and they are stating the same reasons for leaving. They lost a long time customer in me and they could not care and I have spoken to my family and neighbors as well in this regard. I have had the same insurance agent since 16, same cable company, same phone company both home and cell ect. I stay with the same company once I start with one and it takes a lot for me to leave but I refuse to be disrespected and talked to like I am nothing. I have since contacted a new trash company and set up a service since Hometown came and took my cans and left me with not having anything for my trash at all. That was very childish and unreal and then for them to state that I canceled my service is a blatant LIE. I have witnesses that will state just that in any way you feel is necessary. If I need to get an affidavit from them, they will comply. I do not feel that a company should be allowed to treat their people like this especially ones that have been with them for a long time and never late on a bill. As far as them saying that they charge 70+ for service is crazy because no one would spend that. With my new service through [redacted], I am only paying 34.70 every 3 months and I knew that is what I could have gotten it for before now but I do not like changing companies and I would not have now until this happened. It is a shame really and I feel Hometown should owe me the 49.70 that I had to pay to get this new service started since they took my cans in retaliation of me filing this report and left me high and dry until I get the new cans delivered next week.
Regards,
[redacted]

This matter is resolved by all. Thanks [redacted]

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me.  I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved.
Regards,
[redacted]
  We have agreed on the quarterly rate, guaranteed for 1 year, after that 5% each year, $13 cancellation fee. 1-96 gallon tote can, no fuel surcharges, no environmental fees, no insurance fee's. I was told about $5.00 referral .... Signed paperwork... Looking forward to doing business with Hometown Hauling. [redacted] and [redacted]

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the 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.
I have 4 Survalence Cameras,...

which I informed the Manager I spoke to about, that all capture the front area of the property including where the garbage cans are located. I told her that I could PROVE that the cans were put out, by providing the footage of the cans being put out the night before scheduled pickup and the cans sitting out all day, WHILE the garbage truck drove right by them failing to stop and pick them up. We have been a customer of this company's services for over a year and have NEVER had a incident until now. We know the rules and agreed to them and have never had to call in and complain before this incident. I would not have a complaint if it was NOT for our loaction having COLOR VIDEO FOOTAGE of the truck driving right by the cans and NOT stopping to retreve them.
Regards,
[redacted]

August 10, 2016Re: [redacted]The customer was sent a bill for $51 due April 1, 2016 for services for April, May, and June 2016. On April 19, 2016, a reminder letter was mailed to let the customer know that the invoice was still outstanding. On May 5, 2016 an email was sent to the email we had on file...

for the customer, letting them know that a payment had still not been received and it one wasn’t received by that Friday, service for Monday would be suspended and any cans would be removed. On Monday, May 9, 2016, the can was removed for non-payment. On Tuesday, May 10, 2016, the customer called in upset that the can had been removed and cancelled the account. Hometown Hauling cancelled the account and adjusted the account for the cancellation. A bill was sent out due June 1, 2016 for $38.00: $25.50 for service from April 1 – May 9, 2016, $5.00 late fee, and $7.50 for the nonpayment can removal. When that bill went unpaid, we assessed another $5.00 late fee and a $12.00 collections fee and turned it over to collections (the bill originally due in April was now 60 days past due). The $38.00 adjusted bill plus the additional $17.00 makes up the $55.00 that was sent to collections. The bill for the $55.00 was also sent to the customer.I explained this to the customer when she called on August 2, 2016. The customer states in her complaint that I hung up the phone on her. That is not true. In my notes, I recorded that as I was explaining the charges on her account, the line went dead. I assumed she was angry and hung up on me. Her account has been adjusted for services she did not receive due to her cancellation and she has received bills reflecting this adjusted balance. Once payment is received, we will notify the collections agency that the account is paid in full. [redacted]VP – AdminHometown Hauling Company, Inc.

[redacted]  [redacted] Hometown Hauling has a weekly limit on the amount of trash we will take. Our limit is the Hometown Hauling can that we provide and 2 personal 33 gallon cans or bags. The customer was way over the limit both weeks. The limit is gone over on the phone when the customer...

signs up and is also in the welcome letter that we send out to new customers. We took over the limit both weeks but were not able to take all of her trash due to the excessive amount. We normally do not refund within the first three months to cover the cost of delivering and removing a can, but in this instance, I will make an exception. If the customer would please have the can at the street on Wednesday February 10, 2016, we will remove the can. Once we have the can, I will process her refund.