Superior Fuel Company

Review: On 05/21/2014 the following email was sent to Superior Fuel's [redacted] and the [redacted], and almost three weeks have passed without any response from this company:

We are very disappointed in Superior Fuel's lack of addressing customer concerns. You will find our concerns in our attached email below dated April 28, 2014 and also in the certified letter that we sent to Superior Fuel the week of May 12, 2014. Due to the misleading and erroneous information we received during several conversations with various Superior Fuel representatives as outlined in our previous communications, we felt that our only option was to discontinue our propane service with Superior Fuel. During a phone conversation with your sales representative he led us to believe that he was sending forms for us to sign to discontinue service. That didn't happen. He also stated that we would be credited for the remaining unused fuel in the tank, and we were led to believe the credit would be for the amount originally charged to our account. We can see by your [Superior Fuel] response that instead of crediting our account for the higher original amounts charged for disputed deliveries, Superior Fuel has credited the account at the current, considerably lower [redacted]et rate.

We are disputing the amount of credit being applied to our account. We believe the credit should represent the [redacted]et rate at the time the charges were applied. Therefore our account should be credited an additional amount of $988.51 for fuel remaining in the tank due to deliveries which occurred after we requested the auto fill to be stopped. We also dispute the $250 charge for tank removal. Our request to discontinue service is solely the result of Superior's lack of response to our original concern regarding a scheduled delivery which did not occur on 1/9/2014 before the [redacted]et price spiked, but instead occurred several weeks later when the [redacted]et price spiked and was favorable to Superior Fuel; misleading and conflicting answers regarding our request to stop auto deliveries after our budget fuel amount was met and we knew we wouldn't need additional fuel for the season; Superior Fuel's phone call in March and a letter in April regarding a disputed account balance which stated that the bill was past due, when in fact the budget period for which auto payments were being applied each month was not due to expire until April 30, 2014. We dispute the auto payment of $179.90 that occurred after service with Superior Fuel was discontinued. We dispute the finance charge for $18.15 [updated amount $34.39], which was posted prior to the budget period end date. After consideration of these disputed amounts our account balance would reflect a credit balance in the amount of $155.65, which we expect to be refunded to us immediately. If dispute resolution isn't within your authority, please forward our concerns to whomever can authorize these credits.

Dispute summary:

Current Statement Balance: $1117.25

Additional Credit of original charges -988.51

Credit Tank Removal Charge -250.00

Credit unauthorized finance charge - 34.39

Refund Credit Balance -155.65Desired Settlement: Credit account balance for remaining fuel in tank at the originally charged rates and refund resulting balance of $155.65:

Current Statement Balance: $1101.01

Additional Credit of original charges -988.51

Credit Tank Removal Charge -250.00

Credit unauthorized finance charges - 34.39

Refund Credit Balance -155.65

Business

Response:

Review: I went to the company with all necessary bank statements and refueling slips to prove payment, ended up paying 810.00 more on my credit card in July 2013. Received another letter saying I now owed another 260.00 and I called to say it was satisfied earlier. Received a billing from my credit card with the 260.00 charge in November 2013 which I never authorized.Desired Settlement: To be free of unethical practices!

Business

Response:

Customer was on a monthly budget program, and had used a greater amout than was covered by the monthly payments.

The $810.56 was the amount owed for the propane that was purchased, and was not covered by the budget payment.

The $260.31 charge was for canceling the agreement and finance charges. The contract clearly states what the charge will be and when it will be charged.

A copy of the agreement, signed by the customer, can be sent to customer if their copy has been lost, so they understand the charge.

Consumer

Response:

Review: I received a phone call a few weeks ago from this company telling me that they delivered fuel to my house and asking how I was going to pay for it. I was shocked by the phone call because this is not my fuel company. The delivery driver said he delivered 70 gallons of fuel to my house. I told the delivery driver that I had no way to know he was there and delivered fuel. The driver never left me a slip and I never called this company to have fuel delivered. I told the driver that I found it funny that he was able to get 70 gallons in the tank because I know that my current fuel company had just been to my house and delivered fuel. I told the driver that I have no way of knowing what he is saying is true because there is no slip. I asked to talk to [redacted] and the driver said he would have [redacted] contact me. I have never heard from the manger but I have received two more phone calls from this company threatening me about getting this bill paid. They told me they would send this to collections if I didn't pay it. I keep telling them that I never contacted them to deliver fuel to my house and that I have no slip to prove that they actually delivered fuel. They even threatened to take the 70 gallons out of my tank. I told them they better not touch my tank & remove fuel. I use to have this company in the past but dropped them due to issues I was having with them at that time. Next thing I know they sent me an email with a bill attached. I don't know how they can bill me with having an account with them when I don't. I feel like they are trying to get me to pay for something that I have no way of knowing I received or that I had requested from them.Desired Settlement: I don't feel that they delivered fuel to my house since I have no proof of it being delivered and never requested it to be delivered. I think they need to stopping contacting me on this issue. If they indeed delivery it, it was their error and not mine and they should eat the cost of their mistake if that's what happened.

Business

Response:

Charge was removed from account.

Review: They are trying to charge us for work they did not do.Desired Settlement: Remove charges

Business

Response:

Miscommunication with our staff. The charge was removed.

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: When I signed my 2 year contract with Superior Fuel I was told that I would never be charged more than $1.799 but if the price of propane dropped I would get that price. They have been gouging me on my last 5 fills. I was just filled a few days ago at a rate of $1.649. I looked into the prices of their competitors and found that everyone else is cheaper. The lowest prices were $1.149 per gallon, which is $0.50 cheaper than Superior Fuel. When I contacted them to ask about this they told me that was their market price. I can't believe that they are paying that much more than other companies. They also restarted my contract and are telling me that I have 2 more years left with them. I never signed anything to prompt this.

They advertise with their preferred pricing that you will "never get stuck paying more than you have to, with preferred pricing from Superior Fuel Company." They go on to say "If prices go down, you will pay our Low, Fair, and Honest market rate."

I have looked at state averages and my last 5 fills have been above that.

date state avg superior fuel

1-20-16 1.21 1.649

11-25-15 1.15 1.549

7-21-15 1.05 1.249

3-19-15 1.68 1.799

2-4-15 1.70 1.799

The three most recent fills have been ridiculously high. I have paid 348.85 more than I should have for propane since 2-4-15. For a company that prides itself on claims of offering low, fair, and honest pricing they are anything but. They have been extremely dishonest.Desired Settlement: I would like to be refunded the price difference, a total of 348.85, and I would like to be released from my contract.

Business

Response:

At Superior Fuel, we try to take the volatility out of the gas pricing. When we sign up a new customer, we pre buy the total gallons needed for the length of the contract to ensure the customer is not paying outrageous prices during that contracted time. With this program the customer is getting piece of mind regardless if the market exceeds their ceiling price. If the market goes to 4-5$ like it did in the past, the customer will not pay more than their contracted price located on their specific contract. The customer was not charged the height of the ceiling. The market rate that Superior Fuel locked in for the contracted gallons, is not what the market is today. When the gallons were locked in, there was a premium to be paid to ensure them at that price. At Superior Fuel, relationships matter. We take pride in our history of great customer service and relationships. We treat each customer, no matter the gallon usage, with the utmost respect and sincerity. Please call [redacted] ###-###-#### if any further questions.

Consumer

Response:

Review: On 07/12/12 I went to the Superior Fuel Company to order a fill of my then 2 propane tanks at [redacted]. A representative at the desk asked if I would be interested in pre-buying my propane for that winter. My account # [redacted] was a garage heater and a tank for cooking and clothes dryer in the house. Previous years on the account show I was only using around 300 gallons @ year. I asked for a fill of 200 gal. @ $1.399. The representative said he would sell me 600 gals $1.499 over and above the original purchase. I told him I would never be able to use that much in one season. He looked at my account usage and said it could be carried over. The winter ended up mild so I did not burn any of the 600 pre-buy gallons. Due to my age and health we decided to sell our home relocate near the [redacted]. I am a total and permanently disabled war Veteran. I paid $899.40 for 600 gals and they only returned $234.88. The contract small letters on rear says"If Eighty per cent of the Pre-Buy gallons are not delivered by the end of the program you will be responsible to pay the difference between what has been delivered and the eighty per cent agreed to under this agreement." Of course the sales representative did not mention that. On the contrary he said it would be left on account. About a week before the the closing of our property a Sales Representative contacted me to reorder more pre-buy propane for the next season. I explained that I still had 600 gallons on account. She accused me of buying fuel from another company. I told her our house was being sold to a buyer and that I would need a refund. She said that I should arrange to have the account taken over by the new buyer and selling the remainder of the fuel to them. I did not feel comfortable with that and told her so. She said I had to come to the office to resolve the issue. Following the closing I did that. Now the next person took me in his office and told me he would decide at a later time after reviewing my contract what amount would be refunded. I understand that contractually they have me in a tough spot. There was a allot of misrepresentation verbally. My usage was a matter of record through past years of service. This purchase should never been offered since they fully knew I would never use that much. It would decent if this company could be merciful to this old Veteran and his wife and return $664.52 as a gesture of good will for my combat service to this country. We need this money for our winter heating bill.Desired Settlement: Careful consideration and merciful compassion.

Business

Response:

Trying to reach customer by phone to resolve the issue. Will work the matter out when able to contact the customer.

Business

Response:

Resolved issue with customer via phone call.

Consumer

Response:

Review: I had signed up for this company's payment plan in Feb 2013. I paid 104.94 per month and my tank was kept filled. In October I was married and moved to Grand Rapids. In November called Superior Fuel and gave them my new address and new checking account information so they could continue to automatically deduct my monthly payment from my checking. In January I had a letter forwarded to me at my new address. Superior Fuel had send a notice to my old address indicating I was two months behind on my payments as my old account had been closed. My wife immediately called Superior Fuel and again gave them my new address and new account information. Superior Fuel then automatically withdrew $209.88 from our grand rapids checking account on January 1st. Then in February we received another letter from Superior which was again sent to our old address. This was a bill for 628.73. We called Superior Fuel immediately. This was on 2/17/14. They said they did notify us that our payment plan was ending but the papers were returned to them because they did not have our current address. We then gave them our new address a third time in writing and asked them to send us a new contract for a new payment plan and we paid the 628.73. We also told them we did not want the tank filled again because the house was vacant and propane was over $5.00/gal. They went out the next day and filled it again. Our bill this time was over $1300.00. We called and told them we did not want this propane. We had told them we didn't want it. Sharon(?) in the office said she was sorry because "sometimes people in their office take notes and never forward them to anyone else". We told them to come take the fuel back and their tank. They did not. In June we wrote to them again to come get their tank, which they did and charged us $250.00 to do. We were charged for a product we said we did not want because at the time it was at a historically all time high. All because their office did not communicate to their driver.Desired Settlement: We should not have to pay for a product we said we did not want, we did not need and asked them to take back and they didn't. We wouldn't have received this product if their office staff had changed our address when we requested it to be and if they would have told their fuel delivery truck that we did not wish to have our tank filled because the house was vacant.

Business

Response:

Review: We have been on a monthly payment / keep-fill plan for two years. I was informed when I first opened the account that if our propane usage was more or less than originally estimated, adjustments would be made to the monthly payments. We have been paying $126 per month since then. Last winter, our usage was up. The cost of propane was up also. Our deliveries continued as normal. The receipts we received with each delivery stated that "This delivery is covered under your current payment plan". In April we received a letter telling us no more propane would be delivered until we paid $2600 for the propane we had purchased over and above our original estimated usage. This was the first we had heard of this. If we had exceeded our limit, why had no one ever contacted us to make adjustments to our monthly billing? If we had exceeded our limit, why did they keep delivering propane? Why did our receipts state that the deliveries were covered? We contacted the company to make a payment plan and were informed that even if we were on a plan to cover this overage, there was still no way we would receive any deliveries of propane until the $2600 balance was paid off. Then in May we received a Preferred Pricing Agreement to sign for the upcoming season. The agreement listed an increased monthly payment which included paying off the outstanding balance. We contacted them to make sure that if we went along with this agreement, they could resume making regular propane deliveries. We were told that the agreement they sent us to sign and return was a mistake, and they had no intention of honoring it.Desired Settlement: We want them to STICK TO THE AGREEMENT THEY SENT US, which allows us to pay off the outstanding balance with our monthly payments, and to keep us on the keep-fill plan. And to stop making "mistakes" and changing the rules every time we talk to them.

Business

Response:

We have addressed the compalint with Mr. [redacted], and appologized for the mistake on our part.

Review: We like most families in the Northland are having a difficulty paying to heat our homes. We did not budget for high heating prices and unusual extreme cold temperatures. Since we are not at the government poverty level there isn't much help out there to help families like ours. We did pre-buy propane last spring and felt good about where we were at financially. As February 2014 came around our pre-buy balance was almost gone, and we were getting worried and the temp's were not warming up. I contacted Superior Fuel Company to let them know my concerns. [redacted], a representative of Superior Fuel Company, assured me that they have many ways to accommodate families like ours, and that the same concerns are common. She said that market prices are at $4.499 per gallon - but that she could help us. They offered two options: pre-buy 1600 gallons at $2.699 per gallon or pre-buy 1600 gallon at $2.799 and make 18 or so monthly payments. She sounded genuinely concerned and that she wanted to help. She sent the contract in the mail. After going over the contract with my husband we both knew it was going to be difficult either decision we made. A family member who knew that we were having difficulties heard of a funding that [redacted] was getting together for families like ours. I got together with Jackie from the Salvation Army in Cloquet, she assured me that the Salvation Army was going to pay $400 towards our heating bill. I was so relieved. I contacted [redacted] from Superior Fuel Company and told her what about the program. Meanwhile the contract we had not signed was coming due in a couple of days, [redacted] urged us to sign it right away and get it in. She assured me that it would not affect the help we were going to receive from the Salvation Army. We had to re-write the contract to purchase $1,619 of fuel so we wouldn't get stuck paying $5 a gallon for fuel (what it had risen to since our last conversation). So I called a few family members for help, we were thankful that they could lend us money to get through the heating season. We sent in the payment. The first week of March came around and we got a call from Jackie at the Salvation Army, we were not going to receive the help from Salvation Army because we had a pre-buy balance. There was nothing they could do for us. I contacted Superior Fuel, they would not help us either-but we could end our contract with them but they would charge us over $300 to do that.Desired Settlement: To receive the payment that we were promised, to have Superior Fuel admit they were wrong. They took away something we were relying on to get us through this difficult heating season.

Consumer

Response:

Superior Fuel Company and I have come to an agreement. I am very happy with their response and sincerity with solving this issue.

Review: She wrote certified letter that Superior Fuel could no longer pull from her bank and closed account after they pulled addt'l, unauthorized funds. Company official was not responsive to gas line pipes being placed too high so they were disturbed by other equipment such as lawnmowers. Client repeatedly asked for this to be resolved. Pipe buried deeper. Client believes that not code, but does not have documentation stating that, only word of mouth of several people who have visually inspected the pipe. Official at Superior Fuel offered more than once to come out in the spring to bury the pipe deeper, but now that the bill has been paid in full for the tank, the company has said they want nothing to do with client. Company advised that the payoff amount was $205.00 over phone with [redacted] Line as a witness. Client paid that amount with a cashier's check. Company took another $121.00 dollars out of her account after payoff occurred. There was an initial approval for Superior Fuel to auto withdrawal 12.50 ea month until the client's gas tank was paid off. Client does not believe they were authorized or should have withdrawn another 121.00 after paid in full. She closed the account at the bank. Superior Fuel has since also asked for an additional payment for a Sales tax. She will pay the sales tax as she now owns the tank.Desired Settlement: Desired outcome:Client does not know or understand what the 121.00 was pulled from her account for. She would like an explanation and possibly reimbursement. Client does not want to pay anything more and client wants Superior Fuel to make good on the promise to come out in the spring and bury her gas pipe

Business

Response:

Superior Fuel Company drafted $121.41 out of [redacted]'s Checking Account. This was the remaining balance for a delivery with a total of $422.35, Fuel Assistance agreed to pay for $300.94 of that delivery. Superior Fuel Company drafted the remaining $121.41 out of Checking-[redacted]. Miss [redacted] then called into Superior Fuel Co. offices and said that she was unable to afford holiday expenses due to the payment being drafter from that account. In the phone call recorded on 12/3 [redacted] was informed that Superior Fuel would draft any funds out of her account within 7 days of the delivery. Superior Fuel then delivered the fuel on 12/6, drafted the funds on 12/13. Superior Fuel Company then refunded the $121.41 back to Checking-XXXX[redacted] on 12/24. On 12/27 Fuel Assistance paid off her additional balance of $121.41. So in response Superior Fuel Company has already refunded the $121.41 payment. The customer paid off her tank on 1/6/14 and has already received a letter from Superior Fuel Company stating that she now owns and is responsible for all components of her LP gas system.

Attached is a screenshot for the Authorize.net : The top two lines show the funds coming out and going back.

The second page is an email confirmation that the money was refunded.

Consumer

Response:

Consumer only gave permission to pull $12.06 per month for payments for tank. (see attachment) Superior fuel had received a payment of 100.00 from AEOA (local agency aiding consumers with cost of fuel) after consumer received a quote from Superior Fuel. Superior Fuel then pulled $150.00 directly from consumer account causing hardship as account was drained unnecessarily and without consumer consent. Superior Fuel was not authorized to pull other monies beyond the monthly tank payment. Superior Fuel. Tank line was placed between two slabs of cement; not buried - SF did not lift cement or bury line deeper which caused issues when lawn has been mowed the line was nicked in the past. Superior Fuel representative has indicated in the past that they would bury the line deeper in the spring so that this does not happen again. Ultimately, promises have been made and not kept and personal accounts have been used for purposes beyond the intent and contract authorized by the consumer.

Business

Response:

In our last response to the compalint, we clearly explained what the $121 charge was for, and showed that the sum was refunded after assitance paid the balance. The attached documents show the transactions that occured, and there for, we have no other additinal documents to present. The amount was refunded to complaintant. Please consider this matter closed.