ComplaintsforSauders Fuel Incorporated

• Initial Complaint

  03/24/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Signed a pre-buy agreement on Sept 14, 2021. Purchased 300 gallons @ $2/899/Gal - $869.70. On 11/30/2021 Sauder Fuel delivered 270.5 Gallons to fill our tank (Tank capacity = 550 Gals). Remaining on pre-buy agreement was 29.5 Gals. On 3/24/2022 Sauder Fuel delivered 330.8 Gallons. 29.5 Gals @ $2.899 /Gal - remainder of pre-buy balance. 301.3 Gals @ $4.899 /Gal. There was no communication that Sauder was planning to make a delivery. And no communication that the spot price for fuel is $4.899 /Gal. This is price gauging at it's worst. At the time of their delivery, we still had 220 Gallons (40% full) (calculated - 550-301) in our tank. This is more than enough to get us through the remainder of the winter season. In July, when the price of fuel oil is half today's price, we could fill our tank at that time - at a more reasonable price. Filling our tank today, without our request or permission is unreasonable and price gauging. 

  Business response

  04/19/2022

  March 25, 2022

  Dear *** ********:
  
  *** *******’s complaint is that Sauder Fuel price-gouged him on his most recent delivery. The heating oil delivery on 3/24/22 for 330.8 gallons was 301.3 gallons over his pre-buy agreement. In addition, those 301.3 gallons were billed at $4.899/g rather than the $2.899/g price at which he pre-bought his heating oil. The delivery was furthermore unnecessary, leading *** ******* to state that Sauder Fuel is price-gouging him. He requests that Sauder Fuel either rebills the 301.3 gallons at a price of $3.25 or pumps out those gallons and refunds him for them.
  
  On 9/14/21, ** ******* signed and returned his prebuy agreement to Sauder Fuel, purchasing 300 gallons at $2.899/g and agreeing to the terms & conditions. This prebuy agreement is attached. The terms & conditions of this agreement state that “oil delivered in excess of the prepaid amount will be billed at our posted price of the day.” Due to the recent increase in the price of heating oil, our price of the day on 3/24/22 was $4.899/g. This is the price Sauder Fuel charged *** ******* for the 301.3 gallons delivered in excess of his prebought number of gallons. In doing so, Sauder Fuel honored the agreement which *** ******* signed.
  
  The same agreement furthermore states that “your account will be placed on an automatic delivery service and will remain on automatic delivery at completion of the program unless otherwise requested.” While *** ******* may not have been in urgent need of heating oil, Sauder Fuel’s commitment to a customer on automatic delivery is to fill that customer’s tank automatically and without prior notification whenever we estimate the customer has between ½ and ¼ tank of oil left. By delivering on 3/24/22, Sauder Fuel therefore kept its agreement with *** ******* regarding both the nature of automatic delivery and the amount Sauder Fuel strives to deliver to customers on automatic delivery.
  
  Based on the above, Sauder Fuel believes it has honored its agreement with *** ******* as signed by him on 9/14/21. Sauder Fuel feels that a reimbursement, pump-out, or rebill is neither fair nor reasonable.
  
  Please let me know if there is anything further needed to help resolve this complaint.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Benjamin *. P****
  Customer Care Manager
  Shipley Energy

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