Suburban Propane, L.P.

The tank was plugged after trying to reach the customer for over a month both by phone and mail. A notification of shut off was sent notifying the customer of the shut off if no response was made by 6/27.
We will offer to credit the gas in the tank and not charge a restocking fee if the customers...

chooses not to sign a contract.

The CSC Manager called and discussed  and has agreed to credit 24 gallons due to the leak at the regulator and low usage over the past 7 years.

Hello
I would be more than happy to consider your offer if you would supply a phone or email contact for [redacted].
I am rejecting this response because:

The customer will be paid once the tank is picked up, we will weigh the tank and the propane will be assessed at the same price per gallon that was originally billed. Please contact the office to provide an address the refund should be sent to.

As stated previously, Suburban does not do warranty work for [redacted] and the delay in repair was due to parts not received from their company.

I am rejecting this response because:
Thank you for the contact information. I will attempt to directly contact [redacted] in order to seek a solution to the complaint.
Her contact information does NOT in and of itself provide any closure to the original complaint. I will inform Revdex.com if and when such a solution is reached and close the complaint at that time.
Thank you.

[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.]
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in...

reference to complaint ID 11631768, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
Regards,
Laura Wootten

The issue has beeen resolved to the customers satisfaction.

The manager discussed with the customer and updated her account with correct balance and sending new statement.

There is no rating that I can give for Suburban Propane. I was an established customer since 1999 - had to reestablish myself upon separation with my spouse (since he was listed as primary). On 11/29, I signed a new contract - then had to acknowledge a revised price amount since contract was done incorrectly. On 12/19 - still no propane delivery. I called again - the person Ramona Weekly tried to tell me she never got the returned contract - which she did - forwarded two emails - she talked over me and I continued to talk over her - almost a month later no propane - my promised delivery date is not 12/26. I will believe when I see it. Don't choose this business - no follow through - incompetency.

Review: On December 12th 2013 Suburban Propane of Maine made an unrequested delivery of 52.7 gallons of propane gas to my residence at[redacted]. Subsequently, the price charged on the invoice was double the average market price at the time. I want to know why!I neither wanted this delivery nor needed it. Since the original installation of the propane tanks by [redacted] in 2010 (taken over by Suburban Propane effective August 1, 2012) I have been and still am scheduled for annual automatic deliveries in August, not December. I was charged $5.499 per gallon, almost DOUBLE the average price for propane ($2.85 per gallon) as reported in the [redacted] Energy Office report of December 11th 2013, the same week of the delivery! [redacted]) I called the Portland office of Suburban Propane and asked why this delivery was made without my consent and why the price was so high but just received a runaround. I have emailed [redacted] a Suburban Propane Manager ([redacted]) twice, but to date have received no reply.I have reluctantly paid the account but want to know: 1.Who scheduled this delivery without my consent, and why? And more importantly2.Why was I charged such an outrageously high price?Desired Settlement: Unless a valid justification for overcharging me, I would like a refund for the difference between their price and the market price for that week as shown in the Maine Governor's Energy Office report, as well as late fees.

Business

Response:

The manager has indicated he has worked with the customer to resolve their issue.

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,

Review: I have been a customer of [redacted] for over 15 years, and have always had a locked in price on the price of their propane. This past week, they came out and filled our propane tank. The price per gallon of propane they charged was $1.31 per gallon MORE than what it was selling for (average for the state). Other propane distributers for this area were charging their customers $3.29 per gallon (I called others and checked). I immediately called [redacted] (Suburban) when they put the bill in my storm door after they left. They were RUDE and when I asked them WHY they were charging so much, they replied: "haven't you heard about the price of propane, and don't you know there is a shortage?" I replied "no". I told them other propane distributors in this area were charging $3.29 per gallon. I asked to speak to the manager, but he wasn't in. They said he was a "working manager", so they did not know when he would return my call. It is now 3 days later and he still has not called. I have been with [redacted] for 15 years and told them I had always had a "locked in" price. They said my contract had "expired" in March. I told them I was unaware of that and no one had mailed me a new contract. IF there was a shortage of propane, then I wanted to know why they filled up my tank instead of just putting 100 or so gallons in. They put in 318.7 gallons in at a price of $15464.24! That's over $500 MORE than what other dealers would have charged to fill the tank. If there was indeed a shortage, they should not be filling up anyone's tanks! Obviously they are price gouging their customers and taking advantage of the high prices to increase their profits. I have always been on "auto fill" with them, but under the circumstances with the shortage of propane as they described, I should not have had my tank FILLED at all during this time. Again, I have always been under a locked in price with them, but now they say I was not. Bottom line is they charged $1.27 MORE PER GALLON than the other propane distributors in this areaDesired Settlement: I want to be charged $3.29 per gallon (the price OTHER distributors were charging their customers). Either that or they should come out and pump out the 318.7 gallons they put in my tank (at NO cost to me). I have been taken advantage of! I should have been ASKED IF I wanted my tank filled at $4.559 per gallon BEFORE they automatically filled the tank. If my "contract" had indeed expired, that should have included the "automatic fill" policy as well! I was charged $500 TOO MUCH.

Business

Response:

The manager spoke to the customer and they agreed on a price of $3.299 on the last delivery because he did not receive the lock in paperwork

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,

Review: In late 2013, I was up against a deadline to close on my new house due to a rate lock that was going to expire. I needed heat in my home and the natural gas company would be unable to hook me up to their line main about about a month and a half after I requested. I was told about propane heating and this company Suburban Propane. The person I spoke to initially was great, I believe his name was [redacted]. I told him that I just needed a temporary setup for 2 months at the most. He got everything together and the delivery was made of my 100 gallons of propane. When I was told of the delivery date, I was never told that my builder had to have someone there in order to "unlock" the tank. So my builder shows up a half hour later after the delivery was made and tells me that the tank is locked. I call up Suburban and they tell me well its $150 to have someone come back out and unlock the tank (after spending $700 on the propane tank. Quite annoyed, I had no choice but to have them come back out. After using approximately 30% of the tank, my natural gas is installed. I call Suburban Propane I believe 12/29/13 and tell them the tank is ready to be picked up, they say ok no problem. The tank sits there for 5 days before it is picked up!! Then a month later I get a bill in the mail for $200 saying that the "regulator" was not on the tank when they picked it up. After calling twice I was told that I'd have to get a call back, which never came, by now they had jacked my bill up to $271 for a $50 regulator, after I only used 30-40 gallons of the 100 gallons of propane I purchased. Finally I was able to speak to someone in collections who basically told me I have to pay for it or he will "do what he has to do."

In my opinion this company takes advantage of people and tacks on outrageous charges with very little effort on their end. I paid the money because my credit score is 815 and did not want any negative impact and but I am totally disgusted with this company.Desired Settlement: I would like the company to refund me the $271 they stole from me over a $50 "regulator" they say was no longer on the tank after they let the tank sit outside on a job site for 5 days after I told them it was ready to be picked up. I advised them at the time of the call this was not a home I was living in, it was a house that was being built. Never mind the bogus $150 "unlock" fee and the 60 gallons of propane they got back in the tank after I paid $700 for 100 gallons and didn't even use half. And they will say that "it's in the contract" and all that but it shouldn't be. I see about a zillion complaints for Suburban on this website for same type stuff, you think they'd realize they have a problem here.

Business

Response:

The customer requested temporary propane service because his natural gas provider could not establish service when it was needed. Mr [redacted] called on 12/9/2014 seeking this temporay installation and signed a proposal and temporay Heat/Gas service agreement.The installation was completed with a safety test on 12/13/2013, which includes checking the operation of the appliances, since the inside appliances were not ready at the time of installation an additional visit to perform this work was done on Saturday 12/14/13 . The customer informed us verbally on 12/23/13 that he was ready for us to pick up the tank. We normally require 30 days written notice for removals. Even though we did not receive written notification and were experiencing one of the worst winters in recent memory, we managed to remove the tankwithin days of the customers call in between two holidays. When we removed the tank, the regulator we installed was missing. The signed contract states there would be costs associated with missing equipment and unused product would not be credited. If the equipment can be located, we would pick it up and be happy to reverse the bill for the missing item.

Review: Suburban charged us over $2/gallon higher than the next closest competitor. They failed to deliver for six months, waited until pricing was sky-high, then filled the tank at winter prices. After calling to challenge the pricing, I was told our price was based on our usage rather than the wholesale cost of propane. That the propane was "premium" propane like [redacted] is premium coffee.Desired Settlement: I would like the price adjusted to market appropriate rates of $3/gallon for the 89 gallons they delivered. I would then like the early termination fee waived so that I can do business with a more reputable business.

Business

Response:

The customer was offered a reduced early Termination Fee by 50% if she wanted to go with an alternative supplier.

Review: Suburban Propane purchased [redacted] LLP, who was my propane carrier. My propane tank was empty as of March 2013. Suburban could not give me a comparable rate so I went with an other distributor. I had their tank on my property from March, until they picked it up in December (9 months). Upon pick up, I have now been sent an invoice for $40 plus tax for a restocking fee. I should not be billed for them to pick up their tank. If anything, they abandoned the tank and I should have just kept it or sent them a bill for storage.Desired Settlement: I want to receive an adjusted invoice showing I have a zero balance with them.

Business

Response:

A work order was placed on Dec10th and the tank was picked up on Jan. 7th. The account will be adjusted to show a 0 balance.

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.

Review: [redacted] gas does not fallow safe practices

All propane companies I speak with say they MUST check the pressure of the system when it is totally empty.we lost about 20% of our purchase before I was able to cut it off. The receipt also confirms the tank was empty.it also states that I paid a "safety and training fee". The date was 11/18/13 . Acc.[redacted] . Paid by check $333 .06 to the delivery driver. This was VERY dangerous .this company scares me.Desired Settlement: I want a refund of $333 .06 , and their equipment removed from my property.

Business

Response:

The customer requested a delivery of 100 gallons of propane from our company that was delivered by our drivr on 11/18/13. At the time of the delivery the customers tank registered at 2% on the guage and was not empty. After delivery of the 100 gallons the customers guage read 52%. We have a copy of the gas ticket showing the ending percentage on the tank.) On 11/19/13, the customer contacted our company stating he smelled an odor in his yard. ( We have a copy of the work order). Our service tech was dispatched the same day in response to Mr. [redacted]'s request. The service tech performed a leak test on the gas system. The leak test did result in finding a leak in the line that runs from the propane tank to Mr. [redacted] house which is approximately 40 to 50 feet in length. Mr. [redacted] was informed of the leak line in the yard. We offered to repair the line for a fee . Mr. [redacted] informed our Service tech that instead of paying our company to repair the line he would take it upon himself to do the repairs. He agreed to notify our company when the line was installed so we could perform the appropriate safety tests and place his tanks back in service. The service technician locked the propane tank off per company policy. A few days later Mr. [redacted] called us back and wanted to have our company repair the line but at no charge to him. We informed Mr. [redacted] that we would not be able to run a new line at no charge and there would be a fee associated with the repairs because the company is not responsible for maintaining yard lines.

Review: I recently ordered Suburban propane to fill my LP Propane Underground tank. They bought out my local gas company, [redacted] Gas, and now service my account. The delivery came on January 3rd, 2014. I was quite amazed to see I was charged an unethical amount per gallon for the propane ($4.84/gallon) for 177 gallons of propane. I consulted with neighbors, who paid 2.82 per gallon one week earlier, and also [redacted] Propane that said they were charging only 2.55/gallon at that time. They charged nearly double.

I have called and left messages with the billing department now two times. My phone calls have been ignored.Desired Settlement: Please adjust my account to a reasonable amount of cost per gallon, in line with the industry and locality.

Business

Response:

Renegotiated customer owned tank price.

Review: I had a yearly contract with [redacted] and [redacted] and during the year Suburban Propane bought out the company. When my yearly contract was up, I decided I did not want to continue with Suburban Propane. I called the company to let them know and asked that they send me a check for the $225.73 credit on my account. I was told a check would be sent. I called in September, October and again this morning after being promised a check, but receiving nothing. I spoke with [redacted] this morning and asked her what my account status was. She said I had a $225.73 credit - but when I asked if my account had been closed she said it had not. Immediately after that she said her computer crashed and she would call me right back. I never received a call. When I tried to call again I was put directly on hold and was never able to get through.Desired Settlement: I would like my account closed and would like to receive a check in the amount of $225.73 - the credit on my account.

Business

Response:

We sincerely apologize for the delay. The customers refund check was cut today in the amount of $225.73 and should be received my next Friday. The CSC manager also left a message for the customer at her contact phone number to inform her of this.

Review: Company failed to cancel a take away order in their system after I paid the bill in full. I contacted the company and they were not willing to restore my service in a manner that would be appropriate to my schedule.Desired Settlement: Restore service at no additional cost to me on a day that I will be at my residence.

Business

Response:

The manager discussed with the customer and the tank will be re-set

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.

Review: At the time of our contract renewal, I priced another company and got a cheaper quote. To give Suburban Propane a chance to compete, I asked them if they could match the competitor's price. They said they would match the competitor's price, so I allowed them to refill the tank. When I asked for a match, I meant an exact match. However, when I received the bill, it was not as promised. The rate per gallon was wrong and there were additional fees added. Also, the rental fee was more than the competitor's fee. At first, they corrected the price per gallon but refused to remove the extra fees. After much arguing and complaining, they adjusted some of the fees, but the total cost I owe them is still not an exact match to the competitor. I have already filed a complaint with the Attorney General, but they still refuse to adjust the bill to my satisfaction.Desired Settlement: I want to receive a final fill with the correct amount totaling $326.00 including gas, tank rental, and tax. There should be no additional fees added.

Business

Response:

It has been confirmed that Suburban did in fact, agree to lock the customer into a price per gallon of $2.59 for a period of one year. The customer was initially invoiced an incorrect Price per gallon, but that has since been corrected. Suburban also agreed to a one time reduction of tank rental and one time removal of the Safety Practices and Training Fee in the interest of customer retention. The customer signed an Equipment Rental and Propane Purchase Agreement on July 21, 2011. The agreement sets forth the annual tank rental fee of $60.00, plus tax. Furthermore, our records confirm that Suburban's Terms and Conditions mailing was sent to the customer Oct. 22 2013. Suburban will remove the late fee of $ 0.75 which brings the account balance to $336.40 due and owing. We have concluded there is no basis for further relief to be granted.

Consumer

Response:

I am rejecting this response because: a match is a match, and a promise is a promise. I was not told up front that the quote from [redacted] Propane would not be exactly matched. If I had known that the bill would be more than what [redacted] quoted, I obviously would have switched to [redacted] since they had the cheapest price. I gave you a chance to match their price to keep my business, and you promised you would. Now that you have deceptively retained my business, you want to go back on your word. I do not accept this. The quote we received from [redacted] Propane is $326.00, and that is what I agreed to pay and not a penny more.

Business

Response:

Suburban has adjusted the customers price per gallon to $2.59 for the period of one year as well as a reduced Tank rental fee and removal of the Saftey Practices and Training fee. We have determined there is no basis for additional relief to be granted.