We do realize this was a frustrating situation for you and your family and apologize for the inconvenience the agent's error caused. You currently have a credit on your account in the amount of 74.57. This credit balance includes 44.00 for the reconnect charge, 22.00 for the disconnect charge and the late fees that were assessed for July, Aug and September. These will appear on your next billing statement. Your online account has been fixed and should reflect as it did prior to the error. If you have any questions regarding this situation or if you need assistance accessing your online account, please contact our Customer Service Department at 317.261.8222.
Good afternoon Mr. [redacted],We understand how important your power is to you and your family and apologize for the delayed response to your inquiry. I reviewed your account and found that on 3/23/16 our system automatically generated a letter to send to the property address due to unknown usage...
at this location. The previous party had ended service as of 3/14/16 and our system did not recognize anyone on service to bill, therefore generating the letter that service would be disconnected if there was not a party on service to bill. The service was disconnected on 4/13/16 and I do show that you called at 7:15am on 4/14 to inquire and get service transferred into your name as of your move in date of 3/14/16. Once service has been disconnected we do make every attempt to reconnect the same day, providing we have clear and safe access back to the meter, however we do have through the next business due to workload, weather, etc. I show that service was reconnected at 4:20pm on 4/15/16. I realize that it is very frustrating to be without power so we do attempt to restore services as quickly as we can. If you have any further questions or should need assistance in the future, please do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Department at 317.261.8222 or visit our website at www.iplpower.com. Please let us know if there is anything else we can do to assist you at this time.
Account [redacted] I've reviewed Mr. [redacted]s’...
concerns. I'm very sorry to hear of all his medical challenges. I hope he is able to find relief. There is no scientific or medical evidence to indicate specifically that smart meters create general public health and/or safety concerns. Indianapolis, Power & Light Company (IPL) has utilized Advanced Meter Reading (AMR) since the late 1990s. Our communications network allows IPL to utilize AMR and Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) Technology together on one network. AMR is a one-way, wireless, data transmission system. The AMR meter collects usage information and transmits it via a radio frequency (RF) wireless network to a receiver, usually mounted on a nearby utility pole. The receiver sends the information to a larger base station, which later sends it to IPL to use in billing. AMI technology allows real-time two way communication between metering endpoints and IPL. The AMI technology creates an RF mesh network, which provides self-healing redirection of data transmission in the event of network equipment failure. Highly accurate data, improved billing, higher reliability and improved outage management are just a few customer benefits of AMI. Safety is our first priority. We take the safety of our employees and our customers very seriously. Mr. [redacted]s had an AMR meter installed on his property until he chose to remove it and replace it with a meter than he purchased on his own. We replaced the meter he purchased with an AMI meter. It is necessary for the electric meter installed to be an IPL owned meter for billing, reliability and safety reasons. I've attached some additional documentation regarding the safety of smart meters. Thank you,Tammy
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined the response would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
I scheduled a payment for 11/29. Any prudent person when interpret this to mean that the money would be "deducted" on that day. It makes absolutely no sense for me to have scheduled a payment on 11/28 for 11/29 but it be deducted 11/28. If I knew this, or had your message been clear, I would have either paid it instantly on 11/28, or waited one additional day.Your practices are not in the best interest of your customer, nor are they anywhere near being ethical. I, or any other customer, do not know how the inner workings of your system operates. When a payment is scheduled for a future date, it is expected for that payment to be taken that day, not prior. Thank you for the future options, however, that does not help in this current situation. As you stated, $102 is substantial and has left me in a situation where I am short funds to provide necessities for myself and my child until my next pay period. I, in good faith, made an attempt that was reasonable to pay my bill, and I am now struggling because of this. I did not attempt to skim or cheat IPL. I did not schedule a bad payment or submit a bad check. I made a genuine attempt to schedule a payment that meet my due date and when I had the available funds. My payment history will reflect that I am continuously in good standings. This is an error and unethical practice of IPL.
Regards,
[redacted]
Hello, [redacted] is not the customer of record here. Nor is a [redacted] authorized. As such, we are not able to provide any details. However, a customer who as fully authorized also filed an IURC case regarding payment of this account. Because he is authorized, we...
were able to provide details of the account in our reply to the IURC. If [redacted] should be on service here, please have her come to our Customer Service Center at 2102 N Illinois Street with government ID so that we can correct the name. We are open Monday-Friday from 8:00a to 5:00p. Thank you.
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined the response would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
The IPL person who visited the property the first time already confirmed that the meter assignment was incorrect. He informed me very clearly that the meter that I was being billed for was NOT for the common service. So I reject anything to the contrary that IPL may try to present in the future. The day he went out to the property he told me that he was reporting to IPL that the meter that was not assigned to the correct unit, so based off of that there should be no further investigation AND there definitely should not be a need to go in all units as the only issue was between the common service meter and the unit 3 meter. I also am formally requesting a refund of my entire deposit on file and a refund of any and all late fees applied to my account at this property. My credit was outstanding when I opened this account and there is no need for IPL to hold $400.00 as a deposit. I have had service with them at over 4 properties in the last two years and have NEVER been delinquent.
Regards,
[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.
Regards,
[redacted]
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this response/resolution is satisfactory to me.
Regards,
[redacted]
Revdex.com Case [redacted] [redacted]
[redacted]
[redacted] Account [redacted] Hello, I have reviewed Ms. [redacted]’s concern and her account. A payment of $99.00 posted to her IPL account 10/30/2017. I also see that it was set up and began processing...
10/27/2017. I’m very sorry to hear that she incurred fees from her bank as a result of her payment to IPL. I know that fees of any type can be frustrating, especially charges for non-sufficient funds. However, our website does indeed advise customers that funds may be removed one bank business day before the payment is due. The payment processed as indicated on our site. I see that Ms. [redacted] has been making her payments in this manner since September, 2014. Notes on her account in April, 2015 indicate that she had this issue then as well. As a one-time courtesy, an IPL Supervisor mailed a check to cover her returned check fees and explained how the online payments are processed. Our customers are given the options of making a payment immediately or scheduling it to post on either the due date or any other date they choose. We do offer short term extensions for customers who might need a few extra days to make a payment. Longer term extensions are also available to customers who are not on our budget plan. In addition to offering payments via our website, we also have agreements with a number of stores such as Walmart and Kroger who can take our payments. We also have 24-hour kiosks available at 2102 N Illinois Street for customers to make payments. Our kiosks accept cash, check or debit/credit card payments. We are not able to pay the customer for any insufficient fund charges as a result of the payment she scheduled on our website. I'm attaching a screenshot of the verbiage that we have on our website. In reviewing her account, I see that Ms. [redacted] received a bill 11/13/2017 that has not yet been paid. A second bill processed 12/13/2017. She is on the budget, and her amount due at this time is $201.18. To stay on the budget and avoid a disconnect notice, Ms. [redacted] would want to make her payment by her due date of 01/04/2017. Please let me know if you have any additional questions. Thank you, IPL Customer Services
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this response/resolution is satisfactory to me. I would like to know when I can expect my money back.
Regards,
[redacted]
Account [redacted]
Hello,
I have reviewed the customer’s concern and found the following:
IPL did place a deposit of $705 on the customer’s account 10/11/2017. This was done after the customer...
received his 3rd disconnect notice in a 12 month period not connected to an extension.
The disconnect notices were on the following statements:
10/10/2017
07/11/2017
06/09/2017
He also received a disconnect notice with the 04/10/2017 bill when the extension he had in place defaulted as we did not receive the amount due for the extension bill that printed 03/09/2017.
We bill in arrears, which means by the time we send out a bill, the customer has already used a month’s worth of electricity. If the customer doesn’t pay the bill in full, a disconnect notice may generate with the 2nd bill. By this time, it is possible for the customer to have used 2 full month’s worth of electricity with no payment.
We are authorized to bill a deposit after the 2nd disconnect notice in a row, which actually happened on Mr. [redacted]s account in July, 2017. We can also bill a deposit if the customer receives 3 disconnect notices in a 12 month period. Instead of billing a deposit in July, we mailed a deposit warning letter to give Mr. [redacted] an opportunity to bring and keep his account current.
When the customer received another disconnect notice which fell within the guidelines of the 3 disconnect notices in a 12 month period, we billed the deposit.
Because we understand that billing a deposit when our customers already have an outstanding balance can create a financial hardship, we offer long term extensions for our customers. Those extensions are normally 3 or 4 months in length. In this case, a Manager in Customer Services made an exception, and granted the customer a 12-month extension to help bring his account current on 01/03/2018. This far exceeds our normal procedures.
The deposit that was billed was appropriate for the two services the customer has. It was warranted based on payment history. We have extended a tremendous courtesy to Mr. [redacted] in allowing him a 12 month extension on his deposit and past due charges.
Mr. [redacted]’s next bill will print 01/10/2018. It will be $98, plus whatever his usage charges are. I would encourage Mr. [redacted] to keep this arrangement each month if at all possible as this isn’t an offer we would be able to extend if the customer defaults on this arrangement.
Please let us know if there are additional questions. I have attached the disconnect notice bills for reference.
IPL Customer Services
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that the response would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
No one ever verified if this information is accurate in a day and time when ide no person or business trust credit reports
Regards,
[redacted]
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined the response would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
My dispute/complaint with Indianapolis Power & Light is not regarding whether or not I received disconnect notices. My complaint is regarding their policy of how/when to charge a deposit and how much of a deposit is being charged. My question/dispute/complaint, is what is the negative impact my late payments had to IPL that warrants a $705 deposit? I understand charging a late fee, but my service was not disconnected...no one was required to drive to my house to reconnect service, nothing after hours to pay workers overtime, no gas was used to come to my house....please explain what warrants me to have to pay $705? Other than the fact that IPL can charge that amount, because I have no choice but to pay it, if I want to have power....That allows them too much power to do what ever they want to do...why is the deposit so much...I'm asking someone to step in and question their policy and why the deposit so high. Again, an understandable policy if you are charging a deposit...only for disconnect notices (not an actual disconnect), might be something like $25 or $50 per disconnect notice. Or maybe based on someone's credit...and individual merit...not just a blanket policy for everyone. IPL is just assuming I'm going to cancel service and not pay my bill. I have good credit and pay my bills....this is just an unfair policy, IPL should not be allowed to do this just because they can...and consumers have no other choice but to pay them if they want to keep their service.
Regards,
[redacted]
Good afternoon Mr. [redacted],
I realize this is a frustrating situation and I will provide you with as much information as I can to assist you in getting this straightened out. In review of your account with IPL, I do show that per the Experian credit report (which we use for determining if an...
account warrants a deposit and also in researching credit issues) your social security number was reported for your current address but also on another address with the same first and last name as you as well as the same date of birth and spouse. I also show that that Indiana State Drivers License and Social Security card that you provided to our office have different signatures as well as different middle names. If you have been a victim of identity theft we can provide you with those individuals to call to file a police report and to pursue charges as well as reporting this to the credit bureaus to get this straightened out. At this time we would also need to see your birth certificate as the documentation that you already provided to is not a match. At this time we would not be able to remove this debt until further documentation is provided and/or fraud/identity theft charges are filed and a ruling is provided by the judge. Please contact our customer service department at 317.261.8222 if you need further assistance with resolving this matter.
Thank you
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this response/resolution is satisfactory to me.
Regards, I didn't mean that I could pay 200.00 a week cause I can't but I will try to keep the arrangements cause I am disabled and have no means to pay a bill that's why it hasn't been paid in 3 months
[redacted]
Revdex.com Case [redacted] [redacted]Account [redacted] Hello, I have reviewed Mr. [redacted]’s concern and his account. A payment of $101.68 posted to his IPL account 06/08/2018. I also see that it was set up and began...
processing 06/07/2018. I’m very sorry to hear that he incurred fees from his bank as a result of his payment to IPL. I know that fees of any type can be frustrating, especially charges for non-sufficient funds. However, our website does indeed advise customers that funds may be removed one bank business day before the payment is due. The payment processed as indicated on our site.I see that Mr. [redacted] has been making his payments in this manner since August, 2014. Notes on his account in October, 2017 indicate that he had this issue then as well. A supervisor explained to Mr. [redacted] how online payments are processed.Our customers are given the options of making a payment immediately or scheduling it to post on either the due date or any other date they choose. We do offer short term extensions for customers who might need a few extra days to make a payment. Longer term extensions are also available to customers who are not on our budget plan.In addition to offering payments via our website, we also have agreements with a number of stores such as [redacted] and [redacted] who can take our payments. We also have 24-hour kiosks available at 2102 N Illinois Street for customers to make payments. Our kiosks accept cash, check or debit/credit card payments. We are not able to pay the customer for any insufficient fund charges as a result of the payment he scheduled on our website. I have attached a screenshot of the verbiage that we have on our website.Please let me know if you have any additional questions. Thank you, IPL Customer Services
BB Case [redacted] [redacted] [redacted]
[redacted]
Account [redacted] It was found and agreed up during our project cooperation,a collaborative effort of Indianapolis Power and Light Company and itscustomers, that it was not feasible for the utility to prune...
individual treesmore often than once every 3 years. Due to this we do our routinemaintenance in a 3 year cycle. We attempt to prune the trees in such amanner that, assuming the expected growth rate of the species of the tree, theMargin of Safety will be present until the next cycle. Ms. [redacted] section was last trimmed on 06/21/2013 and isscheduled to be trimmed again during the second quarter (April-June) of2016. Barring any emergency maintenance this is the next time we will bedoing routine maintenance of Ms. [redacted] vegetation. Any other routine maintenance of the vegetation would be theresponsibility of the customer. Please let me know if I can provide any additional information. Thank you, Jamie
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that the response would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
I am not satisfied with response because I should not have to take time out of my busy work week trying to contact the office to schedule an appointment. I prefer to be contacted by IPL and need a Saturday appointment for this unless they have someone available during the week that can come out at 6pm? Also I have to turn the temperature on a minimum of 75 just for heat to kick on and sometimes that still won't turn it on.
Regards,
[redacted]
Revdex.com Case [redacted]
Ms. [redacted] is correct that we ask customers for a phone number when making a trouble report. The phone number is recorded so that our technicians can contact the customer if he has trouble locating the pole/address or has additional questions that would help diagnose the issue. I can understand wanting a phone call to advise of status. We do offer an automated call once a repair has been completed that our customers can choose to receive. The customer can also choose to speak to a Representative to place a repair ticket instead of going through our automated system to report an outage. When speaking to a person, our customers can request a call from a technician, and our agents can enter that request into the repair request. Our technicians will make an effort to contact the customer if it is noted. However, there are times, especially in the winter, that we have a number of outages (we can receive hundreds of calls in a short time), and taking the time to actually call each customer just isn't possible.Our technicians perform tests when we receive reports of street light outages, so we don't do only a simple drive by.IPL will be replacing the light. Weather permitting, we will have it replaced within the next 10 days. If Ms. [redacted] continues to have issues with the light, she is welcome to email any concerns to [email protected] with "Attention: Tammy" in the subject field, and I can work to make sure her concerns are addressed.
Thank you,
We do realize this was a frustrating situation for you and your family and apologize for the inconvenience the agent's error caused. You currently have a credit on your account in the amount of 74.57. This credit balance includes 44.00 for the reconnect charge, 22.00 for the disconnect charge and the late fees that were assessed for July, Aug and September. These will appear on your next billing statement. Your online account has been fixed and should reflect as it did prior to the error. If you have any questions regarding this situation or if you need assistance accessing your online account, please contact our Customer Service Department at 317.261.8222.
Good afternoon Mr. [redacted],We understand how important your power is to you and your family and apologize for the delayed response to your inquiry. I reviewed your account and found that on 3/23/16 our system automatically generated a letter to send to the property address due to unknown usage...
at this location. The previous party had ended service as of 3/14/16 and our system did not recognize anyone on service to bill, therefore generating the letter that service would be disconnected if there was not a party on service to bill. The service was disconnected on 4/13/16 and I do show that you called at 7:15am on 4/14 to inquire and get service transferred into your name as of your move in date of 3/14/16. Once service has been disconnected we do make every attempt to reconnect the same day, providing we have clear and safe access back to the meter, however we do have through the next business due to workload, weather, etc. I show that service was reconnected at 4:20pm on 4/15/16. I realize that it is very frustrating to be without power so we do attempt to restore services as quickly as we can. If you have any further questions or should need assistance in the future, please do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Department at 317.261.8222 or visit our website at www.iplpower.com. Please let us know if there is anything else we can do to assist you at this time.
Account [redacted] I've reviewed Mr. [redacted]s’...
concerns. I'm very sorry to hear of all his medical challenges. I hope he is able to find relief. There is no scientific or medical evidence to indicate specifically that smart meters create general public health and/or safety concerns. Indianapolis, Power & Light Company (IPL) has utilized Advanced Meter Reading (AMR) since the late 1990s. Our communications network allows IPL to utilize AMR and Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) Technology together on one network. AMR is a one-way, wireless, data transmission system. The AMR meter collects usage information and transmits it via a radio frequency (RF) wireless network to a receiver, usually mounted on a nearby utility pole. The receiver sends the information to a larger base station, which later sends it to IPL to use in billing. AMI technology allows real-time two way communication between metering endpoints and IPL. The AMI technology creates an RF mesh network, which provides self-healing redirection of data transmission in the event of network equipment failure. Highly accurate data, improved billing, higher reliability and improved outage management are just a few customer benefits of AMI. Safety is our first priority. We take the safety of our employees and our customers very seriously. Mr. [redacted]s had an AMR meter installed on his property until he chose to remove it and replace it with a meter than he purchased on his own. We replaced the meter he purchased with an AMI meter. It is necessary for the electric meter installed to be an IPL owned meter for billing, reliability and safety reasons. I've attached some additional documentation regarding the safety of smart meters. Thank you,Tammy
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined the response would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
I scheduled a payment for 11/29. Any prudent person when interpret this to mean that the money would be "deducted" on that day. It makes absolutely no sense for me to have scheduled a payment on 11/28 for 11/29 but it be deducted 11/28. If I knew this, or had your message been clear, I would have either paid it instantly on 11/28, or waited one additional day.Your practices are not in the best interest of your customer, nor are they anywhere near being ethical. I, or any other customer, do not know how the inner workings of your system operates. When a payment is scheduled for a future date, it is expected for that payment to be taken that day, not prior. Thank you for the future options, however, that does not help in this current situation. As you stated, $102 is substantial and has left me in a situation where I am short funds to provide necessities for myself and my child until my next pay period. I, in good faith, made an attempt that was reasonable to pay my bill, and I am now struggling because of this. I did not attempt to skim or cheat IPL. I did not schedule a bad payment or submit a bad check. I made a genuine attempt to schedule a payment that meet my due date and when I had the available funds. My payment history will reflect that I am continuously in good standings. This is an error and unethical practice of IPL.
Regards,
[redacted]
Hello, [redacted] is not the customer of record here. Nor is a [redacted] authorized. As such, we are not able to provide any details. However, a customer who as fully authorized also filed an IURC case regarding payment of this account. Because he is authorized, we...
were able to provide details of the account in our reply to the IURC. If [redacted] should be on service here, please have her come to our Customer Service Center at 2102 N Illinois Street with government ID so that we can correct the name. We are open Monday-Friday from 8:00a to 5:00p. Thank you.
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined the response would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
The IPL person who visited the property the first time already confirmed that the meter assignment was incorrect. He informed me very clearly that the meter that I was being billed for was NOT for the common service. So I reject anything to the contrary that IPL may try to present in the future. The day he went out to the property he told me that he was reporting to IPL that the meter that was not assigned to the correct unit, so based off of that there should be no further investigation AND there definitely should not be a need to go in all units as the only issue was between the common service meter and the unit 3 meter. I also am formally requesting a refund of my entire deposit on file and a refund of any and all late fees applied to my account at this property. My credit was outstanding when I opened this account and there is no need for IPL to hold $400.00 as a deposit. I have had service with them at over 4 properties in the last two years and have NEVER been delinquent.
Regards,
[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.
Regards,
[redacted]
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this response/resolution is satisfactory to me.
Regards,
[redacted]
Revdex.com Case [redacted] [redacted]
[redacted]
[redacted] Account [redacted] Hello, I have reviewed Ms. [redacted]’s concern and her account. A payment of $99.00 posted to her IPL account 10/30/2017. I also see that it was set up and began processing...
10/27/2017. I’m very sorry to hear that she incurred fees from her bank as a result of her payment to IPL. I know that fees of any type can be frustrating, especially charges for non-sufficient funds. However, our website does indeed advise customers that funds may be removed one bank business day before the payment is due. The payment processed as indicated on our site. I see that Ms. [redacted] has been making her payments in this manner since September, 2014. Notes on her account in April, 2015 indicate that she had this issue then as well. As a one-time courtesy, an IPL Supervisor mailed a check to cover her returned check fees and explained how the online payments are processed. Our customers are given the options of making a payment immediately or scheduling it to post on either the due date or any other date they choose. We do offer short term extensions for customers who might need a few extra days to make a payment. Longer term extensions are also available to customers who are not on our budget plan. In addition to offering payments via our website, we also have agreements with a number of stores such as Walmart and Kroger who can take our payments. We also have 24-hour kiosks available at 2102 N Illinois Street for customers to make payments. Our kiosks accept cash, check or debit/credit card payments. We are not able to pay the customer for any insufficient fund charges as a result of the payment she scheduled on our website. I'm attaching a screenshot of the verbiage that we have on our website. In reviewing her account, I see that Ms. [redacted] received a bill 11/13/2017 that has not yet been paid. A second bill processed 12/13/2017. She is on the budget, and her amount due at this time is $201.18. To stay on the budget and avoid a disconnect notice, Ms. [redacted] would want to make her payment by her due date of 01/04/2017. Please let me know if you have any additional questions. Thank you, IPL Customer Services
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this response/resolution is satisfactory to me. I would like to know when I can expect my money back.
Regards,
[redacted]
Revdex.com Case [redacted]
[redacted]
[redacted]
[redacted]
Account [redacted]
Hello,
I have reviewed the customer’s concern and found the following:
IPL did place a deposit of $705 on the customer’s account 10/11/2017. This was done after the customer...
received his 3rd disconnect notice in a 12 month period not connected to an extension.
The disconnect notices were on the following statements:
10/10/2017
07/11/2017
06/09/2017
He also received a disconnect notice with the 04/10/2017 bill when the extension he had in place defaulted as we did not receive the amount due for the extension bill that printed 03/09/2017.
We bill in arrears, which means by the time we send out a bill, the customer has already used a month’s worth of electricity. If the customer doesn’t pay the bill in full, a disconnect notice may generate with the 2nd bill. By this time, it is possible for the customer to have used 2 full month’s worth of electricity with no payment.
We are authorized to bill a deposit after the 2nd disconnect notice in a row, which actually happened on Mr. [redacted]s account in July, 2017. We can also bill a deposit if the customer receives 3 disconnect notices in a 12 month period. Instead of billing a deposit in July, we mailed a deposit warning letter to give Mr. [redacted] an opportunity to bring and keep his account current.
When the customer received another disconnect notice which fell within the guidelines of the 3 disconnect notices in a 12 month period, we billed the deposit.
Because we understand that billing a deposit when our customers already have an outstanding balance can create a financial hardship, we offer long term extensions for our customers. Those extensions are normally 3 or 4 months in length. In this case, a Manager in Customer Services made an exception, and granted the customer a 12-month extension to help bring his account current on 01/03/2018. This far exceeds our normal procedures.
The deposit that was billed was appropriate for the two services the customer has. It was warranted based on payment history. We have extended a tremendous courtesy to Mr. [redacted] in allowing him a 12 month extension on his deposit and past due charges.
Mr. [redacted]’s next bill will print 01/10/2018. It will be $98, plus whatever his usage charges are. I would encourage Mr. [redacted] to keep this arrangement each month if at all possible as this isn’t an offer we would be able to extend if the customer defaults on this arrangement.
Please let us know if there are additional questions. I have attached the disconnect notice bills for reference.
IPL Customer Services
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that the response would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
No one ever verified if this information is accurate in a day and time when ide no person or business trust credit reports
Regards,
[redacted]
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined the response would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
My dispute/complaint with Indianapolis Power & Light is not regarding whether or not I received disconnect notices. My complaint is regarding their policy of how/when to charge a deposit and how much of a deposit is being charged. My question/dispute/complaint, is what is the negative impact my late payments had to IPL that warrants a $705 deposit? I understand charging a late fee, but my service was not disconnected...no one was required to drive to my house to reconnect service, nothing after hours to pay workers overtime, no gas was used to come to my house....please explain what warrants me to have to pay $705? Other than the fact that IPL can charge that amount, because I have no choice but to pay it, if I want to have power....That allows them too much power to do what ever they want to do...why is the deposit so much...I'm asking someone to step in and question their policy and why the deposit so high. Again, an understandable policy if you are charging a deposit...only for disconnect notices (not an actual disconnect), might be something like $25 or $50 per disconnect notice. Or maybe based on someone's credit...and individual merit...not just a blanket policy for everyone. IPL is just assuming I'm going to cancel service and not pay my bill. I have good credit and pay my bills....this is just an unfair policy, IPL should not be allowed to do this just because they can...and consumers have no other choice but to pay them if they want to keep their service.
Regards,
[redacted]
Good afternoon Mr. [redacted],
I realize this is a frustrating situation and I will provide you with as much information as I can to assist you in getting this straightened out. In review of your account with IPL, I do show that per the Experian credit report (which we use for determining if an...
account warrants a deposit and also in researching credit issues) your social security number was reported for your current address but also on another address with the same first and last name as you as well as the same date of birth and spouse. I also show that that Indiana State Drivers License and Social Security card that you provided to our office have different signatures as well as different middle names. If you have been a victim of identity theft we can provide you with those individuals to call to file a police report and to pursue charges as well as reporting this to the credit bureaus to get this straightened out. At this time we would also need to see your birth certificate as the documentation that you already provided to is not a match. At this time we would not be able to remove this debt until further documentation is provided and/or fraud/identity theft charges are filed and a ruling is provided by the judge. Please contact our customer service department at 317.261.8222 if you need further assistance with resolving this matter.
Thank you
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this response/resolution is satisfactory to me.
Regards, I didn't mean that I could pay 200.00 a week cause I can't but I will try to keep the arrangements cause I am disabled and have no means to pay a bill that's why it hasn't been paid in 3 months
[redacted]
Revdex.com Case [redacted] [redacted]Account [redacted] Hello, I have reviewed Mr. [redacted]’s concern and his account. A payment of $101.68 posted to his IPL account 06/08/2018. I also see that it was set up and began...
processing 06/07/2018. I’m very sorry to hear that he incurred fees from his bank as a result of his payment to IPL. I know that fees of any type can be frustrating, especially charges for non-sufficient funds. However, our website does indeed advise customers that funds may be removed one bank business day before the payment is due. The payment processed as indicated on our site.I see that Mr. [redacted] has been making his payments in this manner since August, 2014. Notes on his account in October, 2017 indicate that he had this issue then as well. A supervisor explained to Mr. [redacted] how online payments are processed.Our customers are given the options of making a payment immediately or scheduling it to post on either the due date or any other date they choose. We do offer short term extensions for customers who might need a few extra days to make a payment. Longer term extensions are also available to customers who are not on our budget plan.In addition to offering payments via our website, we also have agreements with a number of stores such as [redacted] and [redacted] who can take our payments. We also have 24-hour kiosks available at 2102 N Illinois Street for customers to make payments. Our kiosks accept cash, check or debit/credit card payments. We are not able to pay the customer for any insufficient fund charges as a result of the payment he scheduled on our website. I have attached a screenshot of the verbiage that we have on our website.Please let me know if you have any additional questions. Thank you, IPL Customer Services
BB Case [redacted] [redacted] [redacted]
[redacted]
Account [redacted] It was found and agreed up during our project cooperation,a collaborative effort of Indianapolis Power and Light Company and itscustomers, that it was not feasible for the utility to prune...
individual treesmore often than once every 3 years. Due to this we do our routinemaintenance in a 3 year cycle. We attempt to prune the trees in such amanner that, assuming the expected growth rate of the species of the tree, theMargin of Safety will be present until the next cycle. Ms. [redacted] section was last trimmed on 06/21/2013 and isscheduled to be trimmed again during the second quarter (April-June) of2016. Barring any emergency maintenance this is the next time we will bedoing routine maintenance of Ms. [redacted] vegetation. Any other routine maintenance of the vegetation would be theresponsibility of the customer. Please let me know if I can provide any additional information. Thank you, Jamie
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that the response would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
I am not satisfied with response because I should not have to take time out of my busy work week trying to contact the office to schedule an appointment. I prefer to be contacted by IPL and need a Saturday appointment for this unless they have someone available during the week that can come out at 6pm? Also I have to turn the temperature on a minimum of 75 just for heat to kick on and sometimes that still won't turn it on.
Regards,
[redacted]
Revdex.com Case [redacted]
Ms. [redacted] is correct that we ask customers for a phone number when making a trouble report. The phone number is recorded so that our technicians can contact the customer if he has trouble locating the pole/address or has additional questions that would help diagnose the issue. I can understand wanting a phone call to advise of status. We do offer an automated call once a repair has been completed that our customers can choose to receive. The customer can also choose to speak to a Representative to place a repair ticket instead of going through our automated system to report an outage. When speaking to a person, our customers can request a call from a technician, and our agents can enter that request into the repair request. Our technicians will make an effort to contact the customer if it is noted. However, there are times, especially in the winter, that we have a number of outages (we can receive hundreds of calls in a short time), and taking the time to actually call each customer just isn't possible.Our technicians perform tests when we receive reports of street light outages, so we don't do only a simple drive by.IPL will be replacing the light. Weather permitting, we will have it replaced within the next 10 days. If Ms. [redacted] continues to have issues with the light, she is welcome to email any concerns to [email protected] with "Attention: Tammy" in the subject field, and I can work to make sure her concerns are addressed.
Thank you,
IPL Customer Services