ComplaintsforCape Cod Oil Company

• Initial Complaint

  12/11/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I called Cape Cod Oil in early November 2021 to request an oil delivery. I spoke with a lady in the ************** who informed me I had a credit of $349.59 from the previous season. They delivered my oil and mailed me the **** and my copy of the delivery ticket, ticket #***** which shows the delivery was ***** gallons at $3.29 per gallon for a total of $382.63 minus my credit on file of $349.59 and my total due being $33.04 which they were suppose to charge to my debit card they have on file. On Thursday, December 9, ************************************* the mail from Cape Cod Oil showing my balance due of $33.04 outstanding. I called to have that charged, as it should have been on delivery day. I spoke with a lady ****** who informed me I owed $542.00 not $33.04 and she asked permission to charge the full amount immediately to clear up my outstanding ****. I said absolutely not. I need proof and to understand how my **** went from $33.04 to $542.00 with not other purchases. On Friday, December 10, 2021 I received a telephone call from the Office Manager ***, who was quite abrasive and I could immediately tell had a chip on her shoulder as we started to speak. She snapped at me saying "oh you've never made a mistake before", and I said everyone makes mistakes but show me, explain to me, don't just demand over $500 more than I expected to pay. She then said "well if you are refusing to pay your **** I may just have to call Uncle ****** and tell him about this because he will be responsible to pay your **** as the owner of the property if you don't pay it" (I rent my house from my Uncle and being a small town she is aware. Sure enough, this nasty bully called my Uncle to tell him my business and our dispute. I have never been treated with so much disrespect. I simply want to be shown and to understand what money I truly owe so that I can get this matter cleared up. I am trying to resolve this problem, not be belittled, harassed, and bullied by ***.

  

  Business response

  12/17/2021

  We have a community program that helps locals pay their fuel bills with us (*******************). We got a check from this company and it was posted to this customers account by accident. The payment did not belong to his account but someone elses. When reconciling payments the mistake was found and the payment was moved off of this account and to the correct one. This was explained thoroughly to the customer who was still upset even though it wasn't their money.

  This customer then called the community program to get help with his **** which he is receiving so there is no issue. That payment will be applied to his account when we receive it. Cape Cod Oil did nothing to hurt the customer - we did not overcharge him or try to collect money that was not owed to us. A simple bookeeping mistake was rectified. 

  Customer response

  12/26/2021

  Better Business Bureau:I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered. 

  [You must provide details of why you are not satisfied with this resolution.  If you do not enter a reason for your rejection, your complaint will be closed as Answered.]
  

  My complaint, as filed, is still true and honest.  This reply is simply a smoke and mirrors response from the guilty party who is ruining this business that a really great man started years ago.  I am sure he is rolling in his grave at her nasty, bullying, rude, and unprofessional manner in which she treats co-workers and customers.

  This company is a complete failure when it comes to the office end of it, due to 1 individual person who sadly runs the office.

  I called for oil in November.  When I called I was told that I had a credit of $349.59, which I did not understand so I asked where it came from.  I was told it was a credit on file and probably from fuel assistance.  I was not aware of it but someone told me that sometimes if they have extra money left they provide a little more assistance to the folks that qualify for fuel assistance.I asked for my barrel to be filled to start the winter off with a full tank.  I also confirmed that my debit card was on file to charge the balance to it.  After the tank was filled I received in the mail a statement and the paper printout from the fuel truck which showed my fill, gallons used, unit price, total of fill, minus my credit on file, and that my balance was $33.04 which was clearly stated on both receipts.  Then on Thursday, December 9th I received a monthly statement with the $33.04 still showing due.  As I ******* I pay cash for oil at all times, and in almost 4 years with this company I have never charged or owed them a single *****.  I called to get the $33.04 charged as it should have been.  The last said "oh there is a problem here, let me call you back".  She then called right back and said due to a clerical error I owed $572 not $33.04 and could she charge the amount to my debit card.  This was a total shock.  I said no, definitely not.  I will be contacting an attorney.  The next morning the office manager called, with a chip on her shoulder, looking for an arguement.  With a bad attitude she snapped at me "oh you have never made a mistake in your lifetime".  I said naturally I have, we all make mistakes, we are human.  I explained nothing was ever explained and I was just expected to pay over $500 on the spot with no proof of anything.  If they can make this type of an error, this could itself be another one of their errors. She then called my landlord, my Uncle and told him I refused to pay my oil **** which is a gross and untrue statement, and actually defamation of character.  My Uncle suggested that she send a yearly statement so I could see what she was talking about and understand their claim.  That is the first and only time I received anything on this error.  Come to find out this error was made on September 17, 2021.  The statement is a mess and totally unable to understand.  I even took it to my Uncle and he looked it over twice and shaking his head said I have no ideal what all this mess means.  Must statement reads as follows:

  4/30 ROA $203.05

  4/30 Consolidation forward $266.59

  5/31 Consolidation forward $266.59

  5/31 Consolidation credit $266.59

  6/18 Fuel $438.00

  7/23 Check $257.00

  9/16 Posting Error $257.00

  9/17 Check from ******************* $521.00

  11/04 Fuel $382.63

  12/1 Posting error $521.00

  And at the bottom it show my total $350.99

   

  So 2 **** say $33.04.  I was verbally told $572. on the phone.  Then I was total $542 on the phone.  Then I told to ****** who said she was looking at a **** different than what I received days earlier and it shows I owe $544.  And, besides all this mess, in January 2021 when I had oil delivered they charged me $364.50, and then $364.50 a second time the same day.  And then a credit of $364.50.  They also made a error with my landlords payment and credited his check for $1,000 and did not find it until he complained.  This company is totally improperly run.  Their errors are not acceptable.  But even less acceptable is the way they handled it.  Not once did they ever call, send a statement, or explain in any way about the error with the check from *******************.  It wasn't until I reached out to them that they offered a half baked explanation.  My complaint was filed asking for an explanation of charges, which I now have 5 of, and non of them match.  This company is totally irresponsible and being run by idiots.  Due to their inability to treat me as a customer, I reached out to ******************* to confirm the issue.  The lady I spoke to, when I said I had just got off the phone with a uneducated bully, she chucked and said you must have spoken to ***.  Seems she is known Cape wide for her unprofessionalism and mean demeanor.  While speaking with ******************* I thanked the lady, and she said for what you have been through, let us go ahead and pay this **** for you.  I was not looking for that, but this was just 2 weeks before Christmas, and I have a dental appointment on December 28, 2021 which I need about $2,000 cash for.  My intent was to force Cape Cod Oil into a payment arraignment, but ******************* surprised me, and came to my rescue, at their offering.

  I have also filed multiple complaints with other organizations and am waiting for one to follow up on these inappropriate procedures.

  This is the most disgustingly run local company we have here in town.
  
  FAQ
  
  Regards,

   

  *******

   

   

  

  Business response

  12/27/2021

  We will always work with our customers on payment arrangements and especially if it were due to a clerical error like occurred in the instance below. As mentioned in the complaint, there was a fuel assistance payment applied to ********* account when it did not belong there. Because of this clerical error, one of our office administrators believed ****** had a credit on his account when he should not have. The mistake was found and when that payment was reversed he owed a balance. Of course we would work with him if he needed a payment plan but we were made aware Lower Cape would be paying the ****. 

  Note that the debit card on file is usually charged since tenants are cash on delivery, but as the customer may have noticed we switched software systems on 6/1/2021 (our invoices, statements, tickets all look very different). With this system switch we lost some payment details and need to reenter this upon deliveries to establish the correct settings on the account. These settings were not set up yet on his account - and would never hurt the customer (we have not been posting finance charges on unpaid balances for accounts we are still in need of editing).   

   

  At the time of our system conversion, there was a credit balance of ****** on the account. Then the following activity occurred:

   

  6/1/21 Opening Balance             -******

  6/18/21 150 Gallon                     438.00

  9/17/21 Lower Cape Check         -521.00    (Posted to wrong account)

   

  BALANCE OFFICE SAW at 11/4 delivery request:              -349.59

   

  11/4/2021 ***** gallons              382.63

  12/1/2021 Rvrse Lower Cape        521.00     (Correcting error did not below to *******)

   

  BALANCE 554.04

   

  I am unsure what this customer would like from the complaint he filed. We corrected a clerical error and a third party is paying his **** so I see no damages that we can rectify on his behalf. If there is anything that can be done or he wishes to see on his account differently we would love to work with him. In the original complaint he mentioned wanting to see what he owed and the transactions leading to that. I hope the itemized detail above gives him that answer and if not we can provide more details.

   

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