Southland Propane, Inc.

At no time did propane smell enter the house.  Our neighbor was in the backyard and said he smelled propane; that was the first time I called.  I was told it was normal and told my neighbor as well.  The tank sits back in the yard away from the house; I don't go out there unless necessary.  It was several weeks before my husband and I went out in the back yard to clean up.  That was the first we smelled it-and it was not a strong smell.  At first, we thought it was just because it was recently filled until my husband went over to look at it and notice it was down.  Our neighbor probably thought it was normal and didn't call us the second time.  I do not like to be accused of something I did not do on purpose.  That was just the way the circumstances fell for us.  As they can see by their records, we only get one fill per winter.  It is all we can afford.  We keep the temp low in the house.  This winter was harsh.  And it was so very aggravating to see that tank out there full of propane and no way to use it.  We tried to think of any way we could without hurting ourselves but couldn't.  When I first told them to pick up the tank-I was told then we would get at least $200 back and that they put out checks monthly.  When I called back to find out about getting the money as we needed heat-I was told they wouldn't pay anything until the tank was picked up.  That left us with no heat money for the winter.  My classmates took up a gathering to get us a kerosene heater and fuel for the winter or we might have frozen.  It was very nice but it doesn't heat 2200 sq. feet and we were very cold and very angry at the circumstances.  If I had known the furnace would not turn on; I would not have filled the tank.  And then was told they couldn't pick it up until it warmed up!  Fine-but don't charge me a rental fee for leaving it sit there until it is convenient for you to pick up.  I should be able to charge a storage fee then for it sitting in my yard until it was convenient for you.  I had also called and talked to the owner of the company who had also promised me I would be getting some money back.  That was in March-still no money and that's why I filed the complaint.  We now have to come up with $9,000 to replace the furnace and ductwork.  I have a gofundanything account set up to try to raise money for the furnace; that is our situation and not because we went to another company.  We have no heating system at this time.  And two of us have physical disabilities and being cold makes it worse on us.  There is no foul play involved here-just unfortunate circumstances that happened all at once.

I am writing this in response to complaint #[redacted].  The customer did call in August of 2013 and tell us they smelled propane.  We asked how much propane was in the tank and they replied 5%.  At 5% the odorant in the propane will smell strongly in the house.  At this time...

they scheduled a delivery for their route day in September.  We delivered the propane and did not hear back from them after the delivery about smelling propane.  If the leak was bad enough to leak out that amount the smell of propane would have been very strong in the house, yard, and around the tank.  On October 14,2013, we received a faxed letter from the customer telling us the tank was down to 15%.  This was exactly a month after the propane delivery.  As I said before there is no way to leak out 162 gallons of propane in a month and not smell a very strong smell.  The customer has a responsibility to report smelling propane and they would have had to smell it.  The payment for the original delivery was returned for insufficient funds.  We were just clearing that up when we received the letter that the customer had lost all their propane.  On October the 13th, I sent the driver out to the customer to determine if their was a leak.  He found that the regulator was leaking and we replaced 150 gallons of propane.  Shortly after that the customer called back and told us their furnace was not working and they wanted their tank picked up and a refund on gas.  We advice customers that we cannot pick up tanks during cold weather or our busy months.  We have to do that during warmer weather.  That goes for all customers.  We also have a policy not to refund propane.  There is cost associated with each delivery, the returned check, the 150 gallons we replaced, and picking up a tank full of propane.  By law, that tank has to be taken to our nearest tank yard and has to be picked up by a driver with hazmat license.  It can't be emptied or taken to another customer's house.  You do not expect to get a refund on gasoline you put into your vehicle if your vehicle breaks down.  The owner is reviewing this incident and may refund some of the money but it is very unfair for the customer to expect full refund.  We charge 125.00 for picking up a tank with propane in it.  That would be deducted from the refund first.  We are actually buying the propane back.  We will not pay more than what the market cost is. We have customers that decide to swap companies every time they find a better price.  They request that the tank be picked up with propane in it.  We also hear every sad story there is to hear about people's situations.  Customers frequently tell us that they're not using their heat or other gas appliance but that all their gas is gone and want us to refund their money.  We try to be fair but we have put policies into effect because as a business we have to make sure our expenses are covered.  Customers do not understand this always.  I hope I have answered this complaint thoroughly.  As I said the owner is reviewing this case and may refund some of the money.
 
Sincerely,
[redacted]
Office Manager