Richland Partners

Review: Leffler Energy in [redacted] installed a new furnace, outside oil tank and line just over a year ago. I spent $8000.00. On Jan 4 the oil line froze. They sent out a repairman to clear the line. I told him I didn't want this to happen again. He said the oil needed additive. I told him my oil company already added it. He added some more. He said if they were called back out for the same problem I would not be charged. I was charged $243.00 and he was here about 1/2 hour. Jan 22 the line froze again. Another guy came out and cleared the line. I asked him what I could do to fix this. He said I needed a heater for the line. I told him I've lived here 12 years and my old line never needed a heater. He had no answer to why this one was freezing. After he left I went to look at the oil line. At one point the line is bent at a 90 degree angle to go around the chimney. At this point the line was tight up against the chimney which is why it was freezing. The chimney brick was cold and at the point it was touching line and this made the line even colder. I pulled the line away from the house and put insulation on it it's been fine ever since. I then received a bill for an additional $227.00 for the second visit. I called and explained that the oil line was not installed properly and that I was hoping they would take responsibility for the error. They wouldn't. I also pointed out that the first repairman said if I had to call them out again with the same issue I would not be charged. They said that wasn't true. The guy I talked to when I called in was rude and I hung up on him. His name was [redacted] and his number is [redacted]. I called the main office at [redacted] and the woman I talked to was very nice and said she would have a guy named [redacted] call me back. That was yesterday morning (2/7) and I haven't heard anything yet. I'm left with a $470.00 bill that could have been avoided if the line had been installed correctly.Desired Settlement: I think the company should take responsibility for the installation error and I should not have to pay for their error.

Business

Response:

February 17, 2014

Dear [redacted],

Thank you for allowing Leffler Energy to respond to the consumer complaint assigned ID#[redacted]. On 10-26-12 Leffler Energy installed for the consumer a new furnace, air conditioner and oil tank for the sum of $6740.00. The consumer called Leffler Energy two times in January 2014 when he had no heat, the 4th and 22nd. On each call the technicians found his fuel line had gelled outside and restricted the flow of oil into his burner causing the furnace to stop working. On each service call the technicians were there for 1 hour, thawed and cleared the line of the blockage. A bottle of fuel additive was also put into the outside tank by the first technician who explained to the consumer with an outside oil tank burning #2 fuel oil the fuel supplier needs to be putting fuel additive into the tank at every delivery. Leffler Energy does not supply the oil to this consumers outside tank so we have no control over the quality ofhis fuel. Leffler Energy performs quality service repair work and if the second no heat call would have been within days of the initial service call, we would have labeled it as a call back, but it was 2 1 \2 weeks later during extremely frigid outside temperatures and we have no control of the quality of his fuel. We do not know if his supplier puts additive in with his deliveries and we have no control over the weather.

The consumer's statement that the oil line was installed improperly is totally false, outside temperature is outside temperature. The oil line being run along the chimney brick would not make it colder. The facts are the consumer has his oil tank and oil line outside. All outside oil tanks condensate (sweat) and form moisture (water) that combined with the extreme cold low temperatures on these days, Jan. 4th -2 low and Jan 22nd 0 low caused his line to gel and he had no heat. All outside tanks are susceptible to gelling in extreme low sustained temperatures. Fuel additive must be mixed in at every delivery and still the possibility will always exist for a line freeze-up at extremely low temperatures with fuel tanks located outside.

Leffler Energy for its automatic delivery customer's who get the additive added at every delivery and have a service plan are covered for oil line freeze-ups, because under those conditions we the supplier can control many of the factors that cause a line freeze-up, except for the extreme weather. In this consumers case we the service provider could control none of the factors and that is why the consumer was billed for both the service calls. We have had more outside line freeze-ups in the past 8 weeks than any other time in the past 20 years.

Leffler Energy, as a good faith gesture and show of good will to this consumer has credited him $75. Leffler Energy was correct to bill the consumer for both service calls and admits to no wrong doing.

Review: I paid $324 for a 1 year service contract on June 19, 2013. The tenant moved out in October 2013. I called Leffler to set up an appointment to clean my furnace, and they said that they will not clean my furnace because the service contract has been canceled. I contacted their customer support and they wouldn't help me. Also, in June 2011 I was told by [redacted] (Leffler energy employee) that in order to get the service contract I needed to replace one of my (2) 275 gallon tanks. He also told me the other tank should be replaced. I now have (1) 275 gallon tank(cost $1,900 to replace 1 tank). I paid an additional $571 for other services that the Leffler employees said had to be done. I asked **. [redacted] why both tanks had to be removed, and he said that he had a gauge that measures tank wall thickness. I requested this measurement data several times, but I never saw any data on **. [redacted] measurements. I believe this to be fraud.Desired Settlement: I want to be refunded $324.I want the data that was collected that stated that both of these tanks had to be replaced.

Business

Response:

Dear [redacted],

We attempted to contact **. [redacted] to address all of his concerns with no success. We did however pro-rate the service plan that he had on his account. All service plans require automatic delivery. So when **. [redacted] closed his account to purchase oil at a lower price from a cash on delivery company, he lost the service plan.

**. [redacted] had the 24/7 coverage from June 1st until September when he closed his account. The service plan was $324.00, so we prorated the plan for the four months of coverage that he had. We issued a refund for $216.00 for the difference.

Please feel free to contact us with any additional questions. I'll also send a letter to **. [redacted], stating the same.

Thanks for you attention to this matter,

Review: I cancelled my service with Leffler at the end of February 2013. At that time, I was told I would receive a refund of $291.71 left in my account. I called one week later and was told they had not requested the refund. I called one week later and was told the refund had been requested. I called 2 weeks later and they said it was requested.Desired Settlement: I would like to receive the full refund of 291.71

Business

Response:

Please see attached letter.

Consumer

Response:

[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response. If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

Regards,