Modern Gas Sales, Inc.

Review: I have been a customer of Modern Gas for several years. When I called to have my furnace pilot lit, the men proceeded to turn off my system including the hot water. I made payment to them for a tank of gas which they have taken from the tank and not refunded. I have been without hot water or heat for the past two days resulting in sickness to my child. I called the office and spoke to [redacted] and [redacted] Vice President of Operations who refused to rectify the situation. I have photographs of the men who came and photographs of the man who turned off my gas from the unit which has already been paid for. I also have a photograph of the date with the [redacted] Record showing a full tank of gas on the unit. Today I received a call from ###-###-#### an employee of Modern Gas who informed me he was there to take the Gas out of the unit. We are now without heat, hot water and the money paid for the Gas.Desired Settlement: I want a check for the amount of $1500 for the gas paid and pain and suffering caused to myself and child.

Business

Response:

Review: My complaint concerns Modern Gas Sales located in Northeastern, Pa. I have been a customer for over 10 years and recently received a rental charge for the onsite gas propane tank for $125. In all the previous years and current year, the rental charge was included in the per gallon cost of propane delivery. There is a rental charge because my consumption is low, so additional fees are attached to the per gallon cost of the propane. All bills were paid. The additional $125 is in addition to all other fees I have paid.

I asked Modern Gas sales to remove my tank which they did and will presumably pay me for the 87.5 gallons remaining in the tank at $3.80 per gallon for a total of $332.50. However, they are deducting a stocking fee of $69.57, a service fee of $103.85 and the rental charge of $130.83 ($125.00 plus interest of $5.83). The total to be refunded is $28.25. My complaint is for the unreasonable rental charge of $130.83. Since I have already been paying higher rental fees in the per gallon cost of the propane over and above the standard going rate for over 10 years, I feel there should be a refund of the additional $130.83.Desired Settlement: I believe the company should refund the rental fee of $130.83.

Business

Response:

This could have been resolved very easily had the customer simply paid the tank rent. As a business we are still required to insure the equipment at the customers location regardless of if they use any propane at all. Since 2011 this customer only purchased a total of 105.6 gallons. There was a service charge to pick up the equipment and once the tank was brought back to our facility we had to remove the propane that was remaining in the tank. Had the customer simply paid the tank rent fee they would have been able to use the propane up, but their refusal left us no choice but to pick up the equipment because of their refusal to pay the tank rent fee.

Consumer

Response:

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]

Review: [redacted]

I am rejecting this response because:

Been a long time customer of Modern Gas. The last 2 orders for propane for last Winter did not come in a timely manor. On a will call, they tell the customer to reorder at between 20-30%. I did. Still almost ran out. I watched them drive right by my house. I called. Got excuses as to why no delivery that day.
This Sept., I asked for a new tank & a fill. The day they were scheduled to come and replace the tank, a no show. I called the next day. No apologies, just excuses. New appt., a week later. The tech came swapped out tanks. He called for fill. Days later, still no fill. They are really going downhill.
My recommendation: go with another company!

Review: I am disputing a questionable charge I received from this business and the poor manner in which they responded to my issues with the charge. The company has failed to provide a satisfactory explanation for this charge and have threatened confiscation of their gas tank if the bill is not paid. This would result in their taking of the gas in the tank which I own and paid for. **. [redacted] whom I spoke to on the phone from the company succeeded in annoying me more than the bill I received, by making several misstatements and hanging up on me just after telling me to do what I have to do to resolve the matter.Desired Settlement: They should rescind the charge and offer me an apology for the rude way they responded to my issues with the charge.

Business

Response:

I have been Hospitalized and will not be back to work until July 8th.

Consumer

Response:

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]

Review: [redacted]

I am rejecting this response because:

The gentlemen from the company who is handling this complaint said he is hospitalized until July 8th. That appears to be the only response. I guess that means I will have to wait until after that date for this matter to be resolved.

Regards,

Business

Response:

See attached response

Consumer

Response:

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]

Review: [redacted]

I am rejecting this response because: I do not accept **. [redacted]'s explanations and justifications for this arbitrary and discretionary charge referred to by Modern Gas as an "automatic tank rent". I would like to go on record first that I filed a complaint last year with the Revdex.com (Complaint no. [redacted]) over the same issue when I had 2 -100 gallon propane tanks. As I stated in that complaint that was the first time I had received this "automatic tank rent" charge in all the years I was a loyal Modern Gas customer at both my residence and business . I took issue with the charge then and again am taking issue with the exact same charge. ($125.00 per tank) now. For **. [redacted] to give the impression that I have been willingly paying these "automatic tank rent" charges over time and only now is bringing up the issue is totally misleading. Further, to take up another defense of his action and which he seems to emphasize by highlighting it in bold type in the response letter is the matter of the Modern Gas delivery ticket. Please note **. [redacted] is putting himself on record that every delivery ticket includes this policy. However, to the contrary nowhere on my last delivery ticket does it state there is an "automastic tank rent" or minimum use charge policy despite **. [redacted]'s insistant claim that it is on every delivery ticket. I will furnish a copy of my most recent delivery ticket should **. [redacted] or the Revdex.com care to see it for proof that this is not so. In addition, I did not use 300 gallons of gas per tank every year prior to last year and receive an automatic tank rent charge. For this reason I conclude that this is a very discretionary policy or has been a recent policy. Further, I would appreciate being provided a copy of the contract I signed with Modern Gas at the inception of opening my accounts with them at both my residence and office. I would be very much surprised should they be able to produce documentation that I agreed to this charge then or whenever the policy was implemented. Last year I reluctantly agreed to negotiate a compromise with **. [redacted] over a $250.00 automatic tank rent charge and downsized to one tank. I dealt with a [redacted] in his local office and was lead to believe that since I downsized to 1 tank and would use some gas that I would not be subject to this charge again. Because there is no service associated with this charge I consider it a minimum use penalty and do not understand why some customers can be charged this so called rental fee and others not. That is not how the cable companies or the electric companies I have dealt with do business. My satellite TV provider charges me a fixed amount per month whether I watch TV or not and the electric company I have been paying for years and previous electric companies I've dealt with have a flat customer service fee paid by all customers regardless of the amount of electricity used. The satellite dish company does not charge an automatic dish rent for me having their dish and not using it. **. [redacted]'s examples fall far short of what is occurring here. If he would like to take his tank back he can feel free to do so provided Modern Gas compensate me in full for the gas within the tank remaining which I paid for in full and own. However, Modern Gas also has a policy that there is a no refund for unused propane in returned tanks as well as a penalty policy for terminating an account. These policies I'm sure do not exist in the TV or electric industries. Finally, I want to again go on record with **. [redacted] that he charged my credit card on file in their office for this $125.00 rental charge in question on June 28th, days after the complaint was filed with the Revdex.com which I feel is entirely inappropriate for a reputable company interested in customer satisfaction to do so. Though aware of this matter I have yet to hear from Modern Gas that they have credited back to my credit card the $125.00 pending the outcome of my complaint.

I hope this response has answered all of **. [redacted]'s misunderstandings toward my dissatisfaction with Modern Gas and their onerous customer policies.

Regards,

Business

Response:

If **. [redacted] is unhappy with our Rental fee we will refund his credit card of 125.00 and pick up our equipment. Or he can purchase the tank for 595.00

Consumer

Response:

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]

Review: [redacted]

I am rejecting this response because he still fails to address the issues I raised. **. [redacted] took over a week to issue a terse answer. He should refund the credit card charge unconditionally as it was inappropiate for him to have charged my credit card in the first place. Also, he failed to address the points which were made in my previous response. And if he takes away the tank he would also be taking away my propane which would result in another loss. He still fails to acknowledge that his company's policy regarding tank rental is not on every delivery receipt and rather is an arbitrary and discretionary policy. I would hope that through the Revdex.com he would be more forthcoming. I await my refund and waiver of the charge and his unconditional apology.

Regards,