ComplaintsforWendt's Propane & Oil

• Initial Complaint

  02/15/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I spoke to the GM Jack @ Wendt Propane on 12/19/2022 to advise we have a closing date on the house, so please put me on "Will Call" and do not deliver anymore propane unless I call in for it. I wanted to run the tank as empty as possible so as not to owe for unused propane. Jack agreed to this, and advised me to call him if/when my tank gets down to 20%. Jack proceeded to have my propane tank filled the very next day with 187.5 gallons @ $3.10 per gallon (I was locked in at $2.99 per gallon before my phone call with Jack), while I was at work, which was not authorized. I called Jack, and he apologized, assured me that everything will be fine. He will make sure this does not happen again before the closing date on the house. Then on 01/20/2023 Jack proceeds to have another propane fill up delivered, while I'm at work, 144.7 gallons @ $3.10 per gallon, which again was not authorized. I called Jack again, once again he apologized and told me "not to worry, you don't owe me for it". I will take care of it. The day before closing he sends a meter read to my real estate attorney and says I owe him $1,462.60 for an almost full propane tank. When I called Jack back in December, if he had done exactly what I told him to do, I would not "owe" him anything at the closing of the house. I feel Jack purposely filled the tank so the new owner would feel obligated to keep service with Wendt propane. This has absolutely changed my feeling about Wendt Propane and how they provide service. I want to make the owners Paul and Todd aware of how Jack handles their business. I do NOT feel I owe for the $614.29 fill in December or the $476.36 fill in January. Neither fill were warranted, nor necessary!!

  Business response

  03/06/2023

  We are very sorry to hear of your dissatisfaction.  As a company, we have participated in hundreds if not thousands of closings and we have never had any issues to speak of.  While we agree the two deliveries in December and January were made inadvertently, it makes no difference how much a tank has at closing - as long as the buyer has enough propane for heat and hot water when they move in.  Whether a tank is at 20% or 80%, the industry standard is the buyer pays the seller at closing for the entire contents of the tank.  In Ms. ********’s case, she received  $1,138.43 for the 365 gallons, or 73% left in the tank on the day of closing.  She promptly paid us the entire amount of that check and that left a balance due of $324.53.  It is important to note the balance before the December delivery was $547.31 and Ms. ******** only made one $175.00 payment between November 22, 2022 and the February closing date.  The balance due merely reflects the propane Ms. ******** used between the last delivery and when she closed on the house, as well as what would have been owed prior to the December delivery.  At no time was she asked to make a $1,462.60 payment and furthermore Ms. ******** was given our Cap Rate of $3.099 for this heating season.  Attached is a document that was sent back to us on 9/15/22 which shows where Ms. ******** selected the Cap Program, which was the $3.09 per gallon.  Lastly, we take great umbrage with the insinuation that our company would purposely disregard the wishes of a customer in order to have our tanks filled prior to closing.  In reality, the quantity of propane that the buyer purchases has no bearing on our ability to retain the person as a customer.  In over 55 years of business we have retained virtually all of our new home buyers as customers.  Based on the facts laid out in this communication, we are still fully expecting that the entire balance will be paid within 30 days.  Please feel free to contact us should you have additional questions or concerns and thank you for the opportunity to respond to this complaint.

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