ComplaintsforMFA Oil Company

• Initial Complaint

  04/24/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  APRIL 23, 2024 Today at 2:00pm I entered BREAK TIME Store# ********.I went to the Hot food side of the gas station and placed an order that came to the sum total of $13.99. I made a purchase and it declined; however, it was taken out of my account. The purchase was made complete on my account. I showed them that it was debited from my account and not pending.The transaction was at 2:13pm.I ultimately was taken to the front while a representative reviewed the declined receipt with a manager. Meanwhile, I had already spoke to a Live Agent with my bank at that time, whom stated that the amount was purchased by BREAK TIME in the amount of $13.99. It was not declined.A young manager came out to tell me that it will be returned by my bank. They were extremely unprofessional. I informed them that I already talked to my bank and that it wouldnt. They told me to check my bank. I told them I did. By this time both of us were yelling at the top of our lungs drawing attention from the entire store, as we went back and forth. They were very disrespectful, condescending, and unprofessional.A manager whom was older, whom I believed to be of senior management, called me over and showed me the breakdown of the transaction details-that the transaction appeared to have declined on their end for some reason. This particular manager was much more professional than the first. I took both forms of the print outs and went and purchased my food for a second time and left.

  Business response

  04/30/2024

  ********************** bank card was declined when he attempted to make a purchase at Break Time 3172 at ******************************************************************************************. Our business did not collect money from his account on 4/23, nor have we collected any money since 4/23 from his account. While we do not know the processes for each specific bank, we can assume based on typical past interactions with banks, that what he was viewing as a charge was a hold for $13.99 since he attempted to charge $13.99 at our business. The verbal interaction between ****************** and our store manager and her supervisor escalated to a point where ****************** was asked to leave. He refused to leave and continued the verbal exchange. We stated simply that if he did not leave the premises, we would be inclined to call law enforcement.

  Since this incident, ****************** has emailed us, left voicemails, spoken to our director of operations, ***********, and most recently spoken with our regional manager, ********************* on 4/29. He share with her that the $13.99 was returned to him by his bank and that all was fine now. He indicated to her that he would continue to shop at our store as it is near his workplace.

  We consider this matter to be fully resolved.

  Customer response

  04/30/2024

  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

  01/04/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  In April 2009 ******** installed a 500 gallon H373534373337**3333H tank. There was a $300.00 deposit at the time. I was told it was refundable at the end of service.In December 2022, Gyar&#**;s customers found out he went out of business and left all of us stranded. *********************** allowed us to get gas from other H373534373337**3333H dealers so we did.On December 21, 2023 a.m. out of no where a H32303235**303035**32H named:MFA Oil Propane P.O. Box 96 ******, ** ***** ************ They pulled up, put a tag on my tank and handed me a short letter. (copy enclosed)I tried to get any and all information I could as I was totally caught off guard. I told him he can get the tank but I need my $300.00 deposit and money for the gas inside the tank refunded. He saw 53% full which is about $2.45 a gallon times a little over 265 gallons. This comes to approximately $649.25.When I said go on you can get the tank but I need my refund on tank and gas money he then said no deposit refunded and they will charge me for the removal of the gas.Really, are you kidding!None of this is my fault but I keep getting the repercussions of other people&#**;s failures.I didn&#**;t even no until today, December 21, 2023 that a new H32303235**303035**32H now owned what use to be ********.I&#**;m 73. I&#**;m on social security and live month to month. I&#**;m sure a lot of other folks that fell into this. I know I&#**;m not the only one. (Footnote:)I feel they bought the H32303235**303035**32H and all the problems that come with it. I should not have to pay to have the gas removed so they can transport the tank. That should be part of their transition.

  Business response

  01/31/2024

  ******,

  We are sorry to hear you are displeased. We are responding to clear up the confusion regarding your situation. You are correct that Gov. ********************* issued an executive order that allowed registered ******** liquefied petroleum gas companies to fill containers previously owned by ******** due to its closure. That waiver expired on January 31, 2023.

  On June 26, 2023, MFA Oil acquired the assets of ********, including many of the companys customer ******************** tanks. We have lease contracts for the customer tanks that prove our ownership. We sent letters to all former ******** customers with our acquired tanks or equipment. Additionally, the acquisition was announced on June 30 and shared with local media in your area (***********************************************************). 

  Regarding the tag we have placed on your tank, the ******** container law does not allow anyone other than the owner to fill, evacuate, or move a propane tank that does not belong to them without the owners permission. We installed a filler tag to prevent unauthorized companies from filling the tank. The tag does not prevent you from using the propane remaining in the tank, and we encourage you to continue to use the propane you have already purchased until it runs out. Additionally, it was not our company that said we would charge you to pump the remaining propane out of the tank. That was one of our competitors and the company who delivered the propane in your tank.  Since you do not wish to buy your propane from us, we ask that you let us know once you have emptied the tank, and we will then come to retrieve it.

  We are unable to refund your tank deposit because it was paid to ******** and not transferred to us when they went out of business. We did not buy ********; we only bought some of its assets. We are sorry ******** went out of business before you could collect your deposit, but we are not liable for any unpaid debts incurred.

  Thank you,

  *******************************
  District Manager

  Customer response

  01/31/2024

  Attached are copies of my resolutions to let you know everything turned out to my satisfaction.

  Also I wanted to thank you so much for your support.  I truly don't think this would have been a success without your help.

  You all are awesome. 

   

  Letter from business attached:

  Per our phone discussion, you can keep the 500 gallon above ground propane tank, serial number ******, at your residence of ***********************************************************

  Find enclosed the bill of sale for said tank.

  Please contact our office with any questions at **************.

  Have a great day!

• Initial Complaint

  11/28/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I asked MFA oil and propane to come and put 200 gallons in my propane tank. It was completely empty and so legally they are supposed to do a leak test and they did not. Then come a week later I got to the house and the smell of propane was so strong I had to call them and there was I fact a leak! They had to come out three times. I lost 50 gallons of propane they are denying and lying about what they did and/or found. They took all my money and won’t refund or replace the propane that was lost because they didn’t do what they were supposed to do and now also charging me for a leak test that should have been done prior. Manager lied continuously and I want my money back. I have children and this is ridiculous. My family has been completely through the ringer and I want a FULL refund of 350$ so I can actually go and get propane to keep my family warm since they won’t or do i trust them!! Manager is the biggest liar of them all and it’s sad they can treat customers like this!

  Business response

  12/06/2022

  Ms. ********* account of her experience with our company does not align with our records. We delivered 200 gallons of propane to her on Aug. 15, 2022, in response to an out-of-gas call. Our driver performed a leak test for nine minutes and found no leak. For context, the industry standard for a leak check is a three-minute test. If the system holds a consistent pressure for a full three minutes, the system is considered leak-tight. Our driver also noted that the tank gauge might not be functioning properly as it read as 50% full after the 200-gallon delivery.
  
  We received another call from Ms. ******* on Aug. 31, 2022, regarding an odor of gas. We sent a service technician and driver back to her property to investigate. They found a small leak at the water heater, which they repaired. A leak check was performed afterward, and the repair passed the test.
  
  Ms. ******* called in again to say she could smell gas. Plant Manager *** ******** went to Ms. ********* home and conducted another round of leak checking. After more than 15 minutes, a tiny leak was shown. ******** noted that the minuscule size of the leak made it extremely difficult to detect. He called in a service technician to help identify the location of the leak, and after three hours of searching, they found it on the hot water line using an electronic gas detector. The leak was so small that it did not present itself during industry-standard soapy water tests that usually create bubbles to identify the leak location. At the same time, ******** found the water heater flue was plugged and not venting properly to the outside. MFA Oil advised the customer to have the flue cleaned out. After it was cleaned, we returned the next day to put the water heater back into service.
  
  Additionally, ******** and the technician rechecked the propane tank and re-leveled it. No other leaks were found. After leveling, the tank gauge said it had 20% remaining.
  
  Given the length of time it took for the leak to present itself during testing, it is highly improbable that Ms. ******* would have lost the volume of propane she claims to have lost because of a leak. The more likely explanation for the difference in her propane volume would be a faulty tank gauge that is providing inaccurate readings. While we will not issue a full refund, we are willing to refund the remaining balance of $159.75 on the customer's account. Additionally, we would advise the customer to seek out a new propane supplier.
  
  It should be noted that the primary heating source for Ms. ********* home is wood that she burns in her wood stove, not propane, so her ability to heat her home has been unaffected.

• Initial Complaint

  10/18/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I lived at ************* and have moved to ************* and it is not on propane. have been moved for 2 months and have not received my refund for the propane that was left in the tank 33 percent, that they have taken back. so it shouldn't take almost 3 months to get my refund. I need that money because my husband passed away 2 months before that. I have called the local mfa in ********* , **. about every week for that long and have gotten all kinds of excuses. Please get this taken care of and sent me my refund. thank you ***********************.

  Business response

  10/20/2022

  We apologize for the delay. A refund of $271.20 will be issued next week.
  
  Thank you.

  Customer response

  10/21/2022

  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

  04/24/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Product of farm dyed diesel was quoted and delivered on 12/08/21 for 293.9 units x 2.61=$767.08 on delivery ticket 48656, paid with check number 1226 (have receipt) Was later invoiced at a higher price than quoted on 12/30/21 for 293.9 units x 2.99=878.76 plus taxes (we have an agricultural exemption- so do not think the tax portion is correct either) and were billed at $959.85 I have in good faith called once (with a promise for a call back which did not occur) and stopped by our local office twice with my receipt to get resolution on this issue but at this point the company is still billing me $174.47 and has charged me 18% interest on the bill and instead of calling me for resolution have sent me a threatening letter to turn the bill over to a collections agency.

  Business response

  04/25/2022

  We apologize to the customer for the difficulty he has had resolving this issue. The purchase in question happened during our company’s acquisition of the customer’s former fuel supplier. During that transition, the customer’s agricultural exemption for off-road diesel fuel was not transferred to our possession. Without an exemption on file, our accounting department charged him for road tax. We understand he does have an exemption and we are working to acquire it so that we can ensure he is not charged road tax in the future. Once we receive the exemption, we will adjust the billing on this account (removing the road tax). The other discrepancies in the quoted price and what the customer was billed are due to miscommunication between his former supplier and our company. We are waiving the $174.47 remaining on his invoice.

• Initial Complaint

  04/20/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Unresolved

  More info

  I bought a cabin in Grove, Oklahoma Sept 2022 which has a 500 Gallon propane tank in the front yard which is used to heat the cabin. As a new owner, I attempted to get service from other propane dealers, but after 3 visits from other companies they all stated I was only able to use MFA because of the MFA sticker on the tank. MFA sent someone to the house, when I was not present, to fill the tank. However i notified MFA during the new customer set up that the tank smelled like gas fumes around the entire unit. MFA filled up the tank and has sent me a bill to fill it up (which I would be happy to pay), except there is a leak in the tank. I called MFA three times afterwards to try and resolve the bill (again I'm happy to pay for the portion of oil that hasnt leaked out as a possible resolution), however I cannot get a commitment from MFA as to when someone can come out and take a look at it. Any help provided to help resolve this would be greatly appreciated. I used the MFA distributor located in ***** ********* ***** * *** ***** *****

  Business response

  04/25/2022

  We are sorry for any confusion or frustration the customer has experienced. The customer purchased her property from one of our former customers and the propane equipment should have been included in the sale. She owns the tank and the only sticker on it from MFA Oil is a bar code. There should not be any stickers on the tank indicating our ownership.

  During our initial conversations with the customer, we were not made aware of a potential leak. She requested a delivery after noon on Feb. 22, which we accommodated, but she was not present on the day we said we would arrive to fill her tank. We tried contacting her at the time without any luck. We left a voice message with the customer, requesting a call back so that we could schedule a leak check (which requires the customer to be present). We then traded several voice messages before eventually making contact. 

  We scheduled a second trip to her property for our driver to meet the customer and perform the leak check, however, she did not show up. We again tried calling her several times that day without success. 

  We then received an email from the customer indicating she had a leak and a refusal to pay for propane that had leaked out. We dispatched a service technician to inspect the tank on March 1. When the tech arrived, he noted the tank still had gas and was approximately 25% full. The propane delivery on Feb. 22 would have left the tank approximately 38% full. The technician did note a small leak at one of the gauge bolts, which he tried to tighten.

  Because we have been unable to meet the customer for the leak check, we informed her we would be temporarily taking the tank out of service until an inspection could be completed due to safety concerns. We are happy to return to the customer's tank to perform the leak check at a time when she can meet our staff.

  Customer response

  04/26/2022

  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  Dear Sir/Madam:
  
  This letter is in response to MFA stating that they attempted numerous times to reach out to customer (me) to get a time for filling.  I am attaching in this response, call records and email records for review.
  
  1.     On 2/7/22: MFA emailed new customer paperwork stating “We will need to do a safety inspection/leak test when we make first delivery. There is no charge for this test but someone over the age of 18 with access to home and applications that run on propane must be present”.
  
  I filled out the paperwork and as seen in customer paperwork, the main address used is not the address with propane tank request to fill because there is not a full time resident at the filled propane tank address.
  
  This document is attached for your records.
  The tank was filled by MFA on 2/22/2022.
  There was no attempt to preschedule delivery of oil to this address and work with the me, the customer.
  
  2.     I am attaching my entire phone record from 2/1-4/21 from ATT.    All phone numbers to anyone in GROVE are highlighted in Yellow.  Calls made to/from MFA oil at 918-786-2467 has the entire row highlighted in yellow.  The only calls made from MFA to me were on:
  ·      2/7/22 at 5:26pm 8 minutes long
  ·      2/10/22 at 9:18am 8 minutes long
  ·      2/10/22at 1:44pm 3 minutes long
  
  The tank was filled on 2/22/2022.  There are no phone calls to my phone number (the only phone number listed on the customer account) in or around 2/22/2022. The last call I received from MFA was on 2/10/2022.
  
  There is one phone number from the MFA driver that called me on 2/22/2022 at 9:55am from 918-801-8096.  I explained that we thought there was a leak on the tank, but I was not at the house.  He filled up the tank at that time.  I called back to MFA on 2/22/2022 at 12:11pm.  However, from the invoice that the tank was filled the morning of 2/22/2022, and there was NO attempt to schedule a time with me to fill and conduct a leak test beforehand.
  
  3.      I did call MFA on multiple times.  The ATT call logs (attached) show I called MFA on
  ·      2/1/2022 at 8:01am 1 minute
  ·      2/3/2022 at 1:16pm, 2 minutes
  ·      2/4/2022 at 9:45am, 2 minutes
  ·      2/4/2022 at 3:04pm, 3 minutes
  ·      2/7/2022 at 12:44pm 2 minutes
  ·      2/7/2022 at 5:26pm 8 minutes
  ·      2/8/2022 at 9:12am, 1 minute
  ·      2/8/2022 at 3:46pm, 2 minutes
  ·      2/9/2022at 2:44pm, 3 minutes
  ·      2/10/2022 at 11:42am, 1 minute
  ·      2/22/2022 at 12:11pm, 2 minutes
  ·      2/28/2022 at 12;40pm, 2 minutes
  
  For a new customer set up, I had to work very hard for MFA to set me up.  It was an excruciating process and never should a customer have to work this hard to try to work with a company.
  
  There were two gentleman that met me at the Grove, OK location on Monday 4/25/2022. The confirmed a leak in the top of the tank, and the tank is less than half of what it was at time of filling.  In order for MFA to fix the leak, they said I would need to pay $100 fee to remove the propane, and then the cost to fix the leak, and then they would file a report that the tank was too close to the neighbor’s property so they wouldn’t fill it back up.
  
  
  Now MFA is holding me hostage.  They will not fix the leak, unless I pay to empty the tank which would not have been filled in the first place if they followed their own procedure as documented in their email to me on 2/7/2022.  They have also turned off the tank by adding a lock inside, so I cannot sell the tank, and cannot remove the tank unless I pay the bill in full. 
  
  There is no one living at the property and the tank has drained out half of the gas.  With the lock in 3 months the tank will be empty of all fuel at the rate it is leaking.
  
  As I’ve stated multiple times, I am willing to pay for the oil and do not want anything for free. However I am not going to pay to have the oil removed to fix the leak when their own process would have required the leak detection and repair BEFORE filling.  MFA needs to fix the leak, and remove the lock, and then I will pay the bill on the remaining oil in the tank.  Or, we can meet out at the property again in 3 months to take photos of the empty tank.
  
  These photos were taken yesterday by the MFA service men and I am also including in this response as well. These are on MFA Response Word Document attachment.  

  
  In closing, I am happy to pay what I owe for the oil.  I am happy to pay for remaining oil on the tank.  However I will not be paying to drain the tank and then to refill the tank as this is a double charge to me is was a mistake on the part of MFA, not me.
  
  At this time, I would like resolution on the interior lock that MFA installed on the tank last week as well.  I don’t have anything turned on in the cabin so nothing needs power from the propane, however this is a bad business tactic because they need to try and resolve the issue instead of lying about the facts and trying to cover up thier mistakes.
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ******* ******

• Initial Complaint

  11/13/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On June 6th I contacted my local MFA Oil company to report a leak on my propane tank. I own my tank however I have been a customer of MFA for several years and they have done all service to my tank in the past. In Feb 2021 I had just had a full fill with them. On June 6th I noticed there was a leak on my gauge and reported it. That week a service man came out and looked at the tank, attempted to tighten some screws and they were to put an order in for a repair and replace. After several weeks I received no communication so I contacted the office and I was told they would follow up and repair soon. Never heard back from them until August when a truck showed up to do a summer fill for customers on the list. Before the fill was done i had the service man inquire about the repair status. I was told that he saw where the order was placed but no action had been done. At that point I declined the summer fill price as why would I fill a leaking tank? That week I contacted the office again to inquire about repair status and was told a repairman would be sent. In September a a repairman named ***** showed up. Order for new gauge was put in again. On 11-10-21 he showed up to repair the tank and broke off a bolt, attempted to drill it out and broke off the tap. Left it and at that point he called and left a message on my phone and said that I was "out of luck" and they are not repairing my tank, set it aside and installed their own tank that they want me to rent from them, The next day I contacted the office manager Jay to see what could be done and was told I would have to find someone else to repair their mistakes because they were "too busy to repair my tank from their mistakes and I that I can just rent a tank from them." I have since had to hire someone to drill out the tap that their serviceman damaged and still without my tank fixed, loss of propane since at least June with rising propane prices and being charged for the repair of their mistakes done and left.

  Business response

  02/17/2022

  MFA Oil is currently working with the customer to repair the propane tank as requested. On Nov. 15, the local MFA Oil manager reached out to the customer to resolve his complaint. The manager tried calling the customer and had to leave a message because the customer didn’t answer. On the same day (Nov. 15), the manager drove to the customer’s home to attempt to talk to him in person, but he was not home. While the manager was there, he dropped off materials needed for repair that the customer had requested next to the tank because the customer had said he had a neighbor who works as a machinist who was going to try fixing the issue.
  

  
  Later that week, the manager received a phone call from the customer who stated that he had been out of town for work and hadn’t had a chance to call sooner.  The manager asked if the customer had seen the items he had dropped off, but the customer said he hadn’t been out to the tank and hadn’t seen them yet. The manager informed the customer that he had dropped off the requested bolts, gauge, and gasket. The manager then let the customer know that if his neighbor could not fix the tank’s issue, the customer should let MFA Oil know and that we would pick it up and take it in for repairs elsewhere. MFA Oil is currently waiting on a response and the manager has left messages on the customer’s phone requesting an update.

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