ComplaintsforGranger Waste Services

• Initial Complaint

  09/12/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Paying for weekly pick up of 1 cart (theirs) plus 3 bags. I live in the country, leaving loose bags of trash out would not make anyone happy. I rather doubt they will go around the countryside cleaning up garbage that is strewn about by the critters. I try very hard to never leave the drivers with a mess to deal with or put restricted items in the cart and I pay all my bills on time. I asked and got permission for a "personal cart" for the additional items and have been using it for years, no issue. Now all the sudden they refuse to pick it up because of their policy to not service "personal carts". They would be happy to charge me more for a second bin but cannot by policy service my persoal bin. I clearly pay for the "3 additional bags" already, why not provide a second bin for that? When I cancelled service - they bill to the end of the month (I surmised as much) but they add, as viewed many times on this site, a $60 fee to terminate service and pick up the bin. I offered to return the container to avoid the cost, they said I can do that but I would still be charged the "disconinuation cart fee". Granger refuses to remove the fee. I request that the $60 fee whatever they choose to call it, be removed. I keep the bin clean and it is not damaged in any way. To put this in perspective, that additional amount + the rest of September would add up to $90.68. The statement for September through November was $92.04 They also switched from quarterly billing to I am not sure what because that statement didnt include December but did include September. Due to the decrease in service and the increased cost for the same I wish to discontinue service, They say the fee is described in their statements and such but I don't recall reading that nor could I find it in my paperwork from them, though it may be there, it is still wrong. They are the reason I am leaving. Found a service with 2 bins of the same size for way less money.

  Business response

  09/13/2024

  As ******************** indicated, she used our regular cart service, which includes the option to place three extra bags out next to the cart at no additional cost each week. While we previously allowed customers to use personal ***********************, we no longer for safety and liability reasons.
  
  When ******************** canceled her service with us due to not being able to use her personal container, she was charged a cart removal fee of $60.
  
  The cart removal fee is referenced in our Terms and Conditions, where it states,For Residential Curbside Service only, you also agree to pay all container management and other fees posted from time to time to Grangers website at grangerwasteservices.com/welcome. Grangers Terms and Conditions are distributed to all new customers in a welcome communication, sent either via U.S. Mail or through an email link, according to customer preference. A link to the Terms and Conditions page also appears on most pages of the Granger website, including the home page. The welcome page referenced in the Terms and Conditions includes an Additional Fees section under Payment & Billing,which lists the fee Cart Removal Fee Upon Account Closure at $60. This fee is also included in the Frequently Asked Questions on the Customer Support page ***************************/customer-support/). 
  
  In our experience, this charge is neither unique nor unusual in our industry, nor is the amount of the cart removal fee.
  
  While we understand why ******************* is unhappy about this situation, we feel we are justified in charging her for this fee, and that it is appropriately referenced in our customer communications.

  Customer response

  09/13/2024

  I actually heard back from a manager at Granger and they have waived the $60 fee. If that is not reflected on the last statement or they do not follow through I will once again contact you. Thank you. This is a satisfactory settlement if they indeed follow through.

  Customer response

  09/16/2024

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************

• Initial Complaint

  09/10/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We signed up for services via phone and were never made aware of the cancellation penalty (disguised as a cart pick up fee).This is a bogus charge and there are numerous online complaints stating the same thing.

  Business response

  09/13/2024

  Mr.****** complaint stems from being charged for the remaining term of service on his customer agreement.
  
  The cart removal fee is referenced in our Terms and Conditions, where it states,For Residential Curbside Service only, you also agree to pay all container management and other fees posted from time to time to Grangers website at ****************************************************. Grangers Terms and Conditions are distributed to all new customers in a welcome communication, sent either via U.S. Mail or through an email link, according to customer preference. A link to the Terms and Conditions page also appears on most pages of the Granger website, including the home page. The welcome page referenced in the Terms and Conditions includes an Additional Fees section under Payment & Billing,which lists the fee Cart Removal Fee Upon Account Closure at $60. This fee is also included in the Frequently Asked Questions on the Customer Support page ********************************************************************************************************;
  
  In our experience, this charge is neither unique nor unusual in our industry, nor is the amount of the cart removal fee.
  
  While we understand why ******** is unhappy, we feel we are justified in charging Mr. ****** account for this fee, and that it is appropriately referenced in our customer communications.

  Customer response

  09/13/2024

   
  Complaint: 22264355
  
  I am rejecting this response because: We signed up and the customer ********************** **** never once mentioned this outlandish fee. They also charged us for the end of the month despite not providing service.

  I've telephoned 7 waste removal companies that service ************** and NONE charge a cart pick up fee - which clearly is in place to dissuade customers from cancelling ********************'s ********************.

  Its a bogus fee, out of industry norms, and is poor business. ******************* my foot!

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ******* ******

• Initial Complaint

  08/28/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We at American Anchor, **** Newaygo MI decided to cancel a trash pickup service with Granger due to their failure to pick up trash in January and February 2024 on scheduled days. They stated that we had to be here when the truck went by at 6:30 am. Multiple times we were here and they still did not pick the trash up. Further, we paid ALL fees for December, January, and February even though they did not pick up ten of those weeks. Upon cancellation, they TOLD us we were liable for the remaining trash hauling fee for the rest of the calendar year. We disagreed. Even though we have them as a trash hauler at another of our store's locations, and we pay THAT bill monthly and on time. They have sent us a bill for $1,643.45 for what they say we owe. We never received that service, cancelled in advance and DO NOT have a written contract. We would like the billing and collections letters to stop.

  Business response

  09/04/2024

  ************* complaint stems from being charged for the remaining term of service on his customer agreement.
  
  All ******************** customers receive numerous communications from Granger indicating that continuing service with us constitutes agreeing to adhere to our Terms and Conditions.
  
  The contract term is referenced in our Terms and Conditions in the Term section as follows: This Agreement shall remain in effect during the term specified in the Service Agreement, and if no term is specified, until the end of the current calendar year (the Term). The Term shall automatically renew for additional Terms of 12 months each unless either Party gives written notice of termination at least 90 days, but not more than 180 days, before the Term expires.
  
  Paying for the reminder of the contract is specified in our Terms and Conditions in the Termination section as follows: If you terminate this Agreement prior to the expiration of any Term for any reason other than Grangers default, or if Granger terminates this Agreement under this paragraph, you agree to pay the most recent monthly charges multiplied by the number of months remaining in the Term. You will remain responsible for all amounts due for Services performed prior to the date of termination.
  
  We feel we are justified in these charges due to them being explicitly stated, but we do understand how these terms could be overlooked by a customer and how these charges could be somewhat unexpected. This has undoubtedly been frustrating for **************. Furthermore, due to the specific circumstances regarding this account, we will not be making any further attempts to collect the balance. We consider this matter to be closed.
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  06/21/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On April 25th I requested a commercial size dumpster and paid $638.28 upon the request. The email came and the dates it was available werent going to work for our family. I called to cancel the drop off and request a refund and give them my current address since the drop off address is not my mailing address. I was told the refund would be processed and mailed within 2-4 weeks. Working in property management, I understood the turn around wouldnt be immediate, and I felt that turn around was acceptable. The 4 week **** hit and I had not received anything, so I called to get the status. Im not sure of the exact date, my apologies. I was told the check had been printed and was in the mail, however my address had never been updated. Not a huge deal, the owner of the home is a family friend. I still hadnt received it on June 13th, so I emailed customer **********************, and received a response the next day that check number ****** had been mailed May 29th and that commercial mail tends to take longer to receive, and that I should get it any day. As of today, June 21, 2024, I still have not received check ******. There hasnt been anything at the address the dumpster was requested for either. Seeing as when I called and the email I received gave me 2 different printed dates, and after reading ****** reviews, as well as the reviews on here, I felt the best resolution would come from a formal complaint. I have emailed a second time on this matter, and in their defense, it was after I got out of work so outside of their business hours.

  Business response

  06/26/2024

  ************* original check was cut on May 24, but was not picked up by the mail courier until May 28, so would have been mailed on May 29. Since the check had not yet been received on June 21, nearly a month later, we believe the check is lost in the mail. We have voided the original check and will be cutting a new check in our next check run (June 28) and will send it to ************** mailing address on July 2. Unfortunately, we anticipate it may take up to two weeks for her to receive the check in the mail.
  
  While we understand that this situation has been very frustrating for ************ and apologize for any inconvenience and misunderstanding caused by our company, much of this situation was out of our hands and at the mercy of the postal service.  

• Initial Complaint

  06/19/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  They discriminate against customers with disabilities!! Does not pick up my garbage. I've called multiple times, they know of my disability. Not being able to get cart by road. They say no problem, yet still does not pick up. I've called to cancel services, moving out of state they still charge $60 for cart. They never gave any credits when they did not pick up the garbage. Worse company ever!!!

  Business response

  06/26/2024

  We were notified in February of a need for house side service for **************. With house side service, we pick up the cart from the home, rather than requiring it be put at the street. After receiving her request, we approved it and changed her service to house side service. We picked it up consistently at her home until the week prior to her complaint, when it was missed due to some confusion with a substitute driver on the route. After being alerted to the mistake, we sent a truck back to pick it up the following day. We apologize for any inconvenience with the missed pickup, but believe we took appropriate action to rectify the situation.
  
  Additionally,due to the circumstances, we waived the cart removal fee for **************. 
  
  We believe this matter has been appropriately resolved.

• Initial Complaint

  04/28/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I called Granger Waste Services in March to cancel my garbage service as I found garbage pick up for $75.00 per quarter and Granger was $116.00 per quarter. I had paid for my service in full thru the end of March. I then receive a bill for $60.00. When I called to find out why, I was told that I had to pay $60 for them picking up the cart. That is ridiculous. Nothing was ever said to me about a charge to pick it up. I do not feel I should have to pay for them to pick up their own cart.

  Business response

  05/01/2024

  Ms.********************s complaint stems from being charged a cart removal fee of $60 when closing her account with us.
  
  The cart removal fee is referenced in our Terms and Conditions, where it states,For Residential Curbside Service only, you also agree to pay all container management and other fees posted from time to time to ********************s website at grangerwasteservices.com/welcome. ********************s Terms and Conditions are distributed to all new customers in a welcome communication, sent either via U.S. Mail or through an email link, according to customer preference. A link to the Terms and Conditions page also appears on most pages of the ******************** website, including the home page. The welcome page referenced in the Terms and Conditions includes an Additional Fees section under Payment & Billing,which lists the fee Cart Removal Fee Upon Account Closure at $60. This fee is also included in the Frequently Asked Questions on the Customer Support page ***************************/customer-support/). 
  
  In our experience, this charge is neither unique nor unusual in our industry, nor is the amount of the cart removal fee.
  
  While we understand why Ms. ******************** is unhappy about this situation, we feel we are justified in charging Ms. ********************s account for this fee, and that it is appropriately referenced in our customer communications.  

• Initial Complaint

  04/26/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  On March 4, 2024, I canceled my service with Granger. On March 25, 2024, I had what I thought was my last bill deducted from my bank account in the amount of $6.11. On April 25, 2024, another bill was auto deducted from my account in the amount of $78.34. $60 was for cart removal, which I was never told that there would be a charge for that, and I was charged $18.34 as a remaining contract obligation. Today (April 25). I was told that sometimes the cart removal fee is waived, if for example, you move out of state, but if you choose to cancel your service, they do charge a cart removal fee because youve made the choice to cancel service. I guess moving out of state is a forgivable choice, but just not wanting to do business with a company anymore is not. I paid $78.34 for services I did not receive.

  Business response

  05/01/2024

  Ms.Blisss complaint stems from being charged for the remaining term of service on her customer agreement and a cart removal fee of $60 when closing her account with us.
  
  Both charges are referenced in our Terms and Conditions, as seen below.
  
  Paying for service for the full month is referenced in For Residential Curbside Service only, the Term shall be the current calendar month, and shall automatically renew for additional Terms of 1 month each unless either Party gives written notice of termination before the Term expires.

  The cart removal fee is referenced in our Terms and Conditions, where it states, For Residential Curbside Service only, you also agree to pay all container management and other fees posted from time to time to Grangers website at grangerwasteservices.com/welcome. Grangers Terms and Conditions are distributed to all new customers in a welcome communication, sent either via U.S. Mail or through an email link, according to customer preference. A link to the Terms and Conditions page also appears on most pages of the Granger website, including the home page. The welcome page referenced in the Terms and Conditions includes an Additional Fees section under Payment & Billing which lists the fee Cart Removal Fee Upon Account Closure at $60. This fee is also included in the Frequently Asked Questions on the Customer Support page ***************************/customer-support/). 
  
  In our experience, neither charge is unique or unusual in our industry, nor is the amount of the cart removal fee.
  
  We listened to the recording of this call and learned that our customer ********************** representative did a poor job of explaining the cart removal fee. While there are some extenuating circumstances in which we might waive this fee, it is not our normal practice to do so, and the customer ********************** representatives description of these circumstances was not accurate. We apology for any confusion this may have caused.  
  
  While we understand why ************** is unhappy about this situation, we feel we are justified in these charges for the cancellation of services, and that they are appropriately referenced in our customer communications. 

  
  

  Customer response

  05/02/2024

   
  Complaint: 21631101
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  1.   Granger admits that their customer ********************** representative did a poor job of explaining the fees.  In fact, the customer ********************** representative I spoke with never mentioned a $60 cart removal fee, and the dollar amount I was told I would be responsible for was more than I would pay for my three month billing cycle.  Because the customer ********************** representative was not able to articulate the breakdown of the charges, I thought she was mistaken as she did not sound like she had been well trained to answer customers' questions.  I only received one week of service out of the three month cycle, yet the final charges exceeded the cost of a 3 month billing cycle  I also believe Granger is misleading in their response when they say that $60 is a typical fee for cart removal for most in the industry. In my research, that is simply not true (at least for waste management companies serving the greater ************ area).

  2.  On two different occasions, two different customer ********************** representatives misstated or poorly explained charges as admitted by Granger's response. It seem that Granger holds its customers to higher standards than their own employees whose job it is to know their policies and charges. If they cant accurately explain their own companys policies and fees, how are customers to know? 

  3.  I was a Green Valley customer who was transitioned to ******************** when ******************** acquired Green Valley. I do not recall ever receiving a terms and conditions document from them. 

  4.  They auto-deducted the disputed charges from my bank account. I signed up for autopayment with them, however, at the time they deducted the charges, I hadn't been a customer for nearly two months.  I did not go on their website to cancel my authorization for auto deduct because I was no longer a customer, so did not think I would need to do that.  I canceled my service on March 4, 2024.  They auto deducted what appeared to be one week of service on March 25, which made sense to me since I received one week of service for the month of March.  The disputed amount was deducted from my account on April 25, 2024.

  It's very disappointing that Granger leadership doesn't live up their own mission.  As stated on their website:  Our mission statement says it all: Granger is a Christian, family business, guided by the Golden Rule.  I sincerely doubt that they would want others to do unto them as they have done unto me.

  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

  Business response

  05/10/2024

  In response to **************, we would like to reiterate that we believe we have appropriately communicated our Terms and Conditions to our customers. In ********* these Terms and Conditions were created, we communicated the following to our customers on their invoice: Please note that continuing your service with Granger indicates your consent to our new terms and conditions. Additionally,as we indicated in our earlier response, a link to the Terms and Conditions page appears on most pages of the Granger website, including the home page. Our goal is always to be fair and transparent with all our customer ********************** practices and any corresponding charges.
  
  A customers autopay is typically canceled once any final charges remaining on the account have been taken care of. In Ms. ****** case, due to the way her account was closed, her final charges for service and her cart removal fee were charged at two different times. We agree that the way this was charged made it confusing.
  
  We believe our customer ********************** representatives are very well trained to assist our customers and, in most cases, do a great job of communicating. However, we agree that in this situation our customer ********************** fell short of the ***** We appreciate ************** calling attention to it and have made use of the opportunity to do some follow-up training with the representatives involved. We believe this will improve their communication with customers in the future.
  
  After further evaluation, we feel that waiving the cart removal charge is warranted due to the miscommunication by our customer ********************** representatives. The $60 cart removal charge will be refunded. 

  Customer response

  06/06/2024

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

• Initial Complaint

  04/12/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have had Granger waste service for over a year know and my bill has been ***** a month. I just received my bill for this month and it more than doubled in price up to ***** a month. I called them and they told me that it was operating cost increase. I then asked them to cancel my service and come pick up the dumpster and they told me I was under contract for a year and will continue to be charged. I never signed a new contract and don't feel as this is right. I would like to know if I have any legal recourse.

  Business response

  04/22/2024

  Thank you for the opportunity to respond to ****************** complaint.
  
  As **************** states in her complaint, her account (account holder name: *********************) came to us from Less Sanitary Service when we purchased this business.Less had many residential customers using a 1.5-yard rear-load container.Since these containers and the way they are serviced pose a safety risk for our drivers, we have been gradually switching them for the customers choice of a larger size, front-load container or one or more residential carts. Our records indicate that on numerous occasions we attempted to contact the account holder at this address by phone to explain the situation and offer the customer a choice of **********************. Unfortunately, we were unable to reach the account holder by phone so we sent a postcard asking him to call and provide us with a better number so we could provide important information about his account. Since we received no response, we replaced the container with a front-load container.
  
  There was a subsequent price increase due to two factors: 1) the larger container (the size container we stock thats most comparable in size to the one the customer had) and 2) the fact that the price Less was charging did not cover the cost of providing service. This led to a significant price increase.
  
  Additionally,when the container was changed, the account became a commercial account, which is subject to the contract term referenced in our Terms and Conditions in the Term section as follows: This Agreement shall remain in effect during the term specified in the Service Agreement, and if no term is specified, until the end of the current calendar year (the Term). The Term shall automatically renew for additional Terms of 12 months each unless either Party gives written notice of termination at least 90 days, but not more than 180 days, before the Term expires.
  
  However,due to the circumstances by which the account was changed to a commercial account and the inability to reach the account holder by phone to discuss the situation, we are willing to waive the Terms and Conditions specification in this instance and will not hold the account holder to the terms of the commercial contract. **************** should feel free to cancel service and not be held to the commercial contact term. 

• Initial Complaint

  07/06/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I, too, canceled when I was told that they would no longer be doing bag tags (especially as their prices are MUCH higher than the competitor). I called, discussed it with the representative, and CANCELED (which I should not have had to do, as I never signed up for any service other than bag tags). Imagine my surprise when I discovered that I was suddenly charged, and the money taken out of my account. I called, and was told that no one ever 'submitted my cancelation', but they would do so immediately and refund my account. Ok, fine, I'm not happy, but it'll be resolved. TWO WEEKS LATER, I still don't have my money back, which nearly caused me to overdraw my account. I called again, and was told it would take FOUR weeks to get my money back. This is unacceptable!! I need that money, and I need it now. Pure theft as far as I'm concerned. You only had my bank account information for the purchase of BAG TAGS. That's it. You were not authorized to withdraw from my account for a non-existing service!!

  Business response

  07/11/2023

  After researching this call, we believe that the customer ********************** representative who spoke with ************** misinterpreted her intention to cancel, assuming she would look for another provider and then call back to cancel when she had found one.However, it appears that ************** intended to cancel at that time. We believe the customer ********************** representative should have asked more questions and better clarified Ms. ****** intention with her at the time. We have taken this situation as a training opportunity and addressed it with the customer ********************** representative who took the call.

  
  When she called the second time, we processed Ms. ****** refund. It does take a few weeks for the refund to go through and be refunded from the card, and in this case, it took a bit longer due to the Independence Day holiday. Our records indicate that the charge was refunded from her card on July 5.

  
  We apologize for any inconvenience caused to ************** and we thank her for calling this matter to our attention so we could resolve it. We now consider this matter to be closed.

• Initial Complaint

  06/08/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I recieved a bill (see attached) from Granger for a service I do not and have never had. I called the company to ask why I recieved a bill for a service that I did not ask for and have never had. They stated that because I purchased tags ( over a year ago keep in mind) in the past they automatically set me up for a small cart and a weekly service. They also mentioned that they have done this to anyone that ever ordered tags in the past even though we never had an actually cart or monthly charge. I will not be paying this bill as I hope no one they are scamming does. Please address this with Granger asap!Thank You for your time!*******************

  Business response

  06/15/2023

  We recently discontinued our pay-as-you-throw trash service, bag tags. We automatically converted any customers in our database who had used this service in the past six months to our small cart service as a replacement.

  Since our records indicated that **************** had used the service within the past six months, we converted his service to small cart service. On April 19, prior to converting his account, we mailed **************** a letter informing him of this change. In the letter, we indicated that if he didnt want the service, he should contact us prior to June 1 so as not to be billed for the service. Since we didnt hear from him prior to that date, we billed his account for small cart service.

  It sounds like **************** *** not have received that letter and for that we apologize. We do have records that it was sent by our mailer. It also appears that the customer ********************** representative he spoke to *** not have given him the correct information or all the information involving this situation. We apologize for any miscommunication that *** have occurred during the conversation.
  

  We have closed **************** account and removed him from the cart delivery list. We believe that should resolve this matter.  

  
  

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩