ComplaintsforMissouri American Water Co

Utility Water Company

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Initial Complaint
06/18/2024
Complaint Type:
Service or Repair Issues
Status:
Resolved
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
MO AM WATER performed headline service on property in course of service damaged toilet repair was 135$
Customer response
06/18/2024
Hello we were contacted by American Water Warranty in ****** IL they said they are not the contact rather American Water in ************** just got off phone with them thank you for your continued efforts JLM
Business response
06/28/2024

Per MOAW Tariff Rule 3 Liability of the Company, the company is not responsible for damages.
A. The Company shall in no event be liable for any damage or inconvenience caused by reason of any break,
leak or defect in the ****************** or fixtures or in the physical connection between the Customer's
service and the Company owned service connection.
B. If for any reason beyond the control of the Company it becomes necessary to shut off water in the mains, the
Company will not be responsible for any damages occasioned by such shut off. The Company will not be
responsible for damages caused by turbid water which may be occasioned by cleaning of pipes, reservoirs
or standpipes, or the opening or closing of any gates or hydrants, or any other cause when the same is due
to no lack of reasonable care on the part of the Company.
Customer response
06/28/2024
Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that although this resolution is wholly unsatisfactory to me I appreciate effort made by BBB and reluctantly join the legions of those who have sampled the axiom " you can't fight Big Business"

Sincerely,

*************************
Initial Complaint
06/11/2024
Complaint Type:
Billing Issues
Status:
Answered
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
FOR SEVERAL MONTHS I WAS CHARGED OVER $150/MONTH ON MY MO AMERICAN WATER BILL. I CALLED AND REQUESTED THAT THEY REPLACE MY METER. IMMEDIATELY UPON REPLACEMENT, MY BILL DROPPED TO $30/MONTH. I WAS UNAWARE THAT I COULD FILE A COMPLAINT WITH THE BBB TO REQUEST A REFUND OF THE OVERCHARGED FUNDS.I CALLED MO AMERICAN WATER AGAIN AND REQUESTED THAT THEY REFUND ME FOR THE OVERCHARGES. I THINK IT IS UNFAIR TO OVERCHARGE A CUSTOMER DUE TO A BAD METER AND NOT OFFER SOME TYPE OF CREDIT OR REFUND AFTER THE METER WAS REPLACED AND WORKING PROPERLY.
Business response
06/12/2024
In review of the customer's account, the customer contacted MOAW January 2023. While on the phone with the **** it was determined that the customer had a leaking toilet and stated that they would fix it.
In February 2023 the meter was changed due to length of service, not because the customer called to have the meter changed. There was nothing wrong with the meter, the customer had a leak.
In April of 2023 the customer contacted MOAW for a leak adjustment, however the customer declined the leak adjustment that was provided to them. ******* then sent a letter stating that they needed additional information . The customer did not respond to the letter.
The customer has not contacted MOAW again since April 2023 regarding their bill.
The customer is eligible for a one time courtesy leak adjustment. The adjustment would be on the two highest bills and would be 50% of the overage. 100% of the overage is not removed and a customer would only receive one courtesy leak adjustment for the life of the account. If the customer is interested in requesting a one time courtesy leak adjustment, they would need to contact customer service at ************.
Initial Complaint
05/22/2024
Complaint Type:
Service or Repair Issues
Status:
Answered
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Construction on sewer lines caused a massive backup in my basement as well as that of about 11 of my immediate neighbors (known so far, potentially more). Company immediately advised that they would be sending companies out to remediate damages caused by the flooding, however the following day I was advised that they would not be proceeding with work and advised that I file a claim through my own homeowner's insurance, and that they had advised all of the others affected to do the same. I was told by my insurance agent that this was not a prudent course of action as it may absolve them (Missouri American Water, or the other involved companies) of responsibility. Missouri American Water's ***************** ********************** had an adjustor call me as well as others stating that they are not currently taking further responsibility and that If I want the damages repaired that I should work with my own insurance company. He stated "These companies are pointing the finger at each other as far as who to blame". The other companies he is referring to are Spire and the ******************* construction company, however, as of this time I have not had contact with them and the only contact I have had regarding the issue is through Missouri American Water. The workers I spoke with when I discovered the incident admitted fault to myself and several of my neighbors at that time. I would like this company held accountable for the damages to people's homes that they caused, including my own.
Business response
07/12/2024
Contractor *************** was excavating and installing new sewer pipe down the middle of ********************************** for *************************** (MSD). They excavated under a water main which caused it to break, the water flooded into the sewer system which caused water to enter the basements of about a dozen homes. The liability would be with MSD and ***************.
We have completed our investigation into the above referenced incident. Based upon our investigation, we have found American Water Works did not cause or create the water main break resulting in your property damage. For these reasons, we must respectfully deny liability for this incident at this time.

In addition, we have found the following Missouri *************************** Rules and Regulations Governing the Rendering of Water Service applies to this loss:

Rule 3: Liability of the company

E. *********** shall not be liable for damages resulting to customer or to third persons, unless due to contributory negligence on the part of the company, and without any contributory negligence on the part of the customer or such third party.
Initial Complaint
05/20/2024
Complaint Type:
Service or Repair Issues
Status:
Answered
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
The previous tenant damaged the water meter to avoid paying their bill. I asked several times if I would be charged for the old meter even though I had only lived at this place for 2 weeks. They charged me for over a year's worth of water for that 2 week period and will not issue my refund of $200. My water bill is usually $20 now, with the new unused meter. I call every week and they just keep saying the investigation is still under review, yet one service rep read out loud over the phone that the previous tenant refused to pay the bill and has since ignored all communication with their company. This is not my problem and I should not be charged for water I did not use. They give me no option but to keep calling. The economy *****, I need my money back!
Business response
05/21/2024
There had been a stuck meter at the property and once an actual read was obtained, it billed the current customer. This was in error and it was sent for review. The customer's account was still under review when this complaint was filed. The customer's account has been corrected and a credit refund initiated.
Customer response
05/21/2024
After telling them I made a clam with the Better Business Bureau, they initiated my refund in the form of account credit.
Initial Complaint
05/01/2024
Complaint Type:
Service or Repair Issues
Status:
Answered
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
what i am concern about is that a problem with a charge, that they said they would look into a called me back, a month has gone by and when they called me we called back and they put me in their called back called, and never did, please do not play games with me,. you give me water and i pay you your money.
Business response
05/03/2024
This is not an Illinois American Water account/customer.
Business response
05/08/2024
The customer was given a one time courtesy leak adjustment in the amount of $ 147.00. The customer was contacted on April 30, 2024 and a message was left regarding the adjustment that was provided. The customer was also sent a letter outlining the adjustment.
Initial Complaint
03/31/2024
Complaint Type:
Billing Issues
Status:
Answered
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Im being overcharged for the last 4 months. Now Im being told that I owe for two months on this months bill.
Business response
04/03/2024
The customer's usage is slightly up from the same time last year. The customer did not pay before the next bill went out and therefore the bill showed the current charges and the past due charges. The customer has not called customer service regarding the bills or charges and given the company the opportunity to resolve the issue with the customer. The customer would like a billing adjustment however there is nothing to adjust since all readings are actual.
Customer response
04/03/2024
Complaint: 21511334

I am rejecting this response because:

The readings have not been done. I did not miss a bill, I just havent received credit for what has been paid.

Sincerely,

*******************
Business response
04/03/2024
If the customer has a payment that has not posted they would need to reach out to customer service to enter a case to find the payment. There is certain information they will need from the customer to do the search. I am not sure what the customer means by reads have not been done. All the customer's readings are actual readings, there are none that are missing. The customer's next read date is around the 22nd of the month.
Initial Complaint
03/26/2024
Complaint Type:
Billing Issues
Status:
Answered
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Feb 9 this company put a new meter in. When I got a bill late Feb, it said we used almost ****** gallons resorting in a $160 water bill. I called immediately. They sent someone to check it for leaks. There are no leaks because its only showing usage when we are awake. I have called over and over. They said they escalated me and would receive a call back by 3/7. Of course they didnt call so I called 3/8 and was told to be patient and that they would call me. Well its almost April and I havent heard a single thing. The new meter is junk OR theyre doubling usage. They just bought the water down here. I went to ********* and got a copy of the last YEAR of bills and usage (before this company took over) the largest bill we received was $82 (trash included) ***** gallons. Thats with sprinklers going a lot and my kids playing outside. They need to figure out whats going on and fix it. I cant afford almost $200 every month for water. Id love to get my girls a pool but I cant afford to fill it at this price!!!
Business response
04/03/2024
The usage that occurred was on the meter that was in place when MOAW acquired Ironton. The read for December 2023 and January 2024 did not get entered properly so all usage appeared on the February 2024 bill. This has been corrected and the customer was not billed for any usage.

That is a savings of 8900 gallons and approximately $75.00.
Initial Complaint
02/17/2024
Complaint Type:
Billing Issues
Status:
Answered
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
The company overcharged my account by several hundred dollars and refused to issue a credit via electronic funds transfer (EFT). This is the same method by which they withdraw, i.e., debit and take money, from my bank account to pay their bills every month. Their customer service department provided no help in this matter and actually made it impossible to escalate my request.The company used estimates of my water usage for several months resulting in substantial overcharging of my account. I contacted the company and they changed my meter. ******************************* indicated that they were unable to provide any accurate information about my usage and that the billing department would have to review the account to determine what was actually owed. There was no further contact from the company to indicate that they were working on the account or that their review had resulted in a credit balance on my account. They failed to send a bill and usage information for December so I called again after receiving a bill in January for a negative amount of $ *******. I requested that the amount be refunded to me via electronic funds transfer (EFT) since it would take many months of usage to bring the credit balance to zero.I was told that it would not be possible to do an EFT credit to my bank account even though I had automatic payments enabled and they routinely withdraw the funds from it. I was told that I would have to wait to receive a refund check in the mail which would take a couple weeks.
Business response
02/21/2024
The customer was mailed a refund check on January 29, 2024, this is the company wide policy, it takes 7-10 days to receive it. If a customer service supervisor is not available then one will call a customer back within 24 hours. A customer service supervisor contacted the customer within 24 hours of his request. Customer service is the only department that handles customer calls. Based on the interaction records on the account, customer service provided the customer with the correct information.
Customer response
02/23/2024
Complaint: 21307777

I am rejecting this response because:

1) The attached images reveal that the company generated a refund check on January 29, 2024 and postmarked it with their postage meter on January 30th. However, the check was not received until 2 weeks later as seen by the time stamp on the final image taken the day the check was actually received. First class mail does not take 2 weeks to reach recipients so in this case I believe the company either intentionally or through mismanagement held the actual mailing of the check with **** (the most likely scenario and by the way, against the law) or the **** has reached a new low in customer service as the normal time lapse from mailing to receipt for first class mail is 3 days. The company admits that it is only "company policy" that precludes them from utilizing an ACH transfer for refunds since they routinely use it to collect payments from customers. In fact, they charged my account for the month of February and deducted the billed amount from my account before I received their refund check! This is outrageous.
The *************************** of the company allowed me to be on hold waiting for a supervisor for over 30 minutes. They finally agreed to have a supervisor call me back which occurred the next morning when someone called and left a message to call back. After calling the number left, which was different than the usual number, after a more than 20 minute wait I reached the same customer service department where I had to relate the previous conversations and then be told that no supervisors were available. I requested that the same person, ***?, call me back. I never received the call back.
I believe these events demonstrate why the company should be required to change their refund policy and should also be required to make their supervisors available in a reasonable amount of time or provide a direct dial line for customers returning their calls.

Sincerely,

*************************
Initial Complaint
01/25/2024
Complaint Type:
Delivery Issues
Status:
Answered
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Missouri American Water opened an account on my behalf without my permission at an address I no longer lived at in May of last year. I did not receive any information regarding this account until I received a call in August. I told them the situation and they told me it would be taken care of. Today 01/25/2024 I received a call from a debt collector for this account. I called and was told they automatically opened an account with my information after I had filed for bankruptcy and that because I did not cancel the account there is nothing they will do. I did not authorize or have any knowledge of this account.
Business response
01/29/2024
When the customer filed bankruptcy, his account at **** ******** ***, ****** MO was still active. When we receive bankruptcy notices where the account is still active, our process is to close the active account and create a new account since the customer is not liable for the charges prior to the bankruptcy date. It is ultimately the responsibility of the customer to call us to cancel service. Once he had called us to tell us he had moved, we closed the account as of the date he called.
Initial Complaint
01/22/2024
Complaint Type:
Service or Repair Issues
Status:
Answered
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
On September 7, 2023 a water pipe owned by Missouri American Water (MAW) burst underneath the cul-de-sac I live on. Water was pouring out of every seam in the concrete in the street as well as where my driveway met the road. I immediately called MAW and told them the situation and they were out to repair the pipe after a couple of hours. The repairs lasted well into the night and they had to drill several holes in my driveway and the adjoining sidewalk to find the source of the leak. The offending pipe was found to be at the point where the left side of my driveway meets the street. The repair crew had to jackhammer and dig up approximately the last 4’ of half my driveway as well as some of the street to replace the broken pipe. I was told by the crew that they would come out to repair the concrete in a few weeks. Today is January 22, 2024 and the hole in driveway is still there. We have made several calls to MAW only to be told that they outsource that work and it should have been repaired by now. I currently have a 6’x4’, 8” deep hole at the base of driveway. They filled the hole with gravel after the original repair and covered the part in the street with asphalt. That material has settled and now we are left with a massive “pothole” right in front of our house. I have attached two pictures; the first is the day of the leak showing where the water was coming from and the second is from today showing the hole that is still there. Survey crews have been out twice to mark underground locations of pipes, etc (the last time was around Thanksgiving), but no repairs have ever started. I am looking to the BBB to help get this issue resolved as I think 4+ months of waiting is excessive. Thank you.
Business response
01/29/2024
I am sorry for the delay in the restoration process. When the weather is not good, there is not much we can do at that time to make the repairs 100%. We use these guidelines as our restoration process:
When the permanent restoration work is unable to be completed, we will provide a temporary surface restoration.
Permanent restoration work is typically completed within 90 days from the date of temporary restoration, weather permitting, and/or time of the year temporary surface restoration occurred.
Permanent restoration work on asphalt, concrete, and lawn surfaces may be delayed during winter months (from mid-October through April 1) depending on local and state rules and regulations related to paving.

When customers contact the CSC in the winter time for a restoration issue, it is vital for CSRs to set accurate expectations that work won’t start until the following spring.
If work event (i.e. a main break) occurred in month of: Expect restoration to be completed no later than:
January through March June of this year
April through August 90 days from the work order date
September Depending on the weather could be either:
90 days from the work order date
-or-
June of the following year
October Depending on the weather could be either:
90 days from the work order date
-or-
June of the following year
November or December June of the following year
Customer response
01/31/2024
Complaint: ********

I am rejecting this response because: requests to come and fix the temporary repair were ignored. The gravel and asphalt that was installed back in September has settled and now I have a sinkhole in my driveway. I understand the delay of permanent repair due to weather, but the refusal to give me a way to use half of my driveway is unacceptable.

Sincerely,

*** *********

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