ComplaintsforHoffman Fuel Company of Danbury Inc

• Initial Complaint

  02/12/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  August 2023: Asked for pricing on a new oil tank from the technician who was here to service boiler. Was told salesman would call; that call never came. November 2023: Plumbing service call placed for leaky shower and broken kitchen faucet. Plumber came out and I told me the overflow in the shower was bad and I needed a new faucet, and he could not repair because he didn't have the parts. I already knew what needed repair and didn't need Hoffman Energy to charge me $115.00 to tell me that; I called to have the repair done. There are 3 plumbing supply stores within a one-mile radius of my home, why didn't this plumber go and get the necessary parts. February 2024: Service call placed for no heat: Took over 7 hours to respond. Technician arrived and determined that it was something to do with the air handler in the attic. I asked that he check the thermostat and the drip pan water overflow switch for the problem. Checked thermostat but did nothing with the overflow switch. After looking at the unit for a half hour, he told me that another technician with more knowledge would have to come out. 4 hours later, the second technician arrived. After a short time, I was told that the fan motor on the unit, a $1,200. part, needed to be replaced and they would call Saturday morning with a price; that call never came. The following Monday, I was called and told that Hoffman could do the work at $188.00 an hour. I told them I would check with Carrier AC because the motor was still under warranty and get back to them. Carrier referred me to Modern Air Conditioning who came out and determined that it was the overflow switch that was preventing the fan from operating correctly; it was NOT a bad fan motor. I submitted a poor review on Hoffmans recent service, and a rep phoned me to discuss. After giving her the history of the service here, I was told that she would look into my complaints and get back to me and as I expected, that call never came.

  Business response

  02/28/2024

  Hoffman's service management team did attempt to reach Mr. ****** on multiple occasions but was unsuccessful in doing so until 2/28/24.  Our Field Service Supervisor spoke with Mr. ****** to address his concerns and the situation was resolved to Mr. *******s satisfaction.

  Thank you very much,

  Jill T*****

  Hoffman Energy

  Customer response

  02/28/2024

  
  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

  05/31/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I entered into an oil contract October of 2022. I Had a ceiling of $4.79 They said they were charging “market” if the cost was less. My market was $4.67 for three fills. I called around and was quoted $3.50 I called and they said their market was determined by them. They considered themselves much more than an average oil company. That is self righteous and makes zero sense. Certainly, that was not explained to me. After being overcharged hundreds of dollars on three oil fill tanks, I cancelled my contract. They sent me a letter for a $399 early termination fee. I called customer service numerous times and was not called back. At the last call "she was in training" I filed a ****** review and they stated in a response IN WRITING, sorry for the experience but we are glad customer service reached out to you and assisted you. They did NOT assist me. They sent me to collections. Today I spoke with Tony, the general sales manager and he listened and then called me back stating it was very poorly handled and they would cut the fee in half. He could not refund me fully due to feral regulations. Seriously? That was a continuation of the travesty of this situation. We know we lied and were terrible so we will only expect $200 instead of $400 for absolutely nothing. Tony can be reached at ###-###-#### I would like a letter of apology stating I owe nothing and the matter is removed from collections. I overpaid hundreds of dollars on the three tanks of fuel.

  Business response

  05/31/2023

  Mr. ***** had established an account with Hoffman on 10/12/22, which included automatic delivery and a ceiling agreement of $4.749 until 10/31/23.  In part, our agreement states the following:

   

  Ceiling Price Plan:
  

  "Pricing: For the period 10/12/2022 through 10/31/2023 (“Pricing Period”), Hoffman will deliver fuel to you and your price will not exceed 4.749 per gallon (“Ceiling Price”) plus applicable taxes if any. Your actual delivered price, which includes the cost of the ceiling protection, will vary based on market conditions, including but not limited to, product availability, wholesale cost and other factors, but will not exceed the Ceiling Price during the Pricing Period. In exchange for this Ceiling Price, you agree to purchase your heating oil requirements exclusively from Hoffman during the Pricing Period on an automatic delivery basis, and remit all outstanding balances when due. Automatic delivery basis means we determine when you need a delivery of oil based on the average temperatures outside and the historical or estimated usage at your home. We reserve the right to refuse partial deliveries requested during the Pricing Period if we deem the delivery would not be normally scheduled by us under our automatic delivery conditions. This Ceiling Price will expire at the end of the Pricing Period without further notification, and all subsequent deliveries will be made at a variable price, which fluctuates with market conditions. If your account is cancelled for any reason, or if you remove yourself from automatic delivery prior to the expiration date, you will be charged a $399.00 early termination fee in addition to any outstanding balance owed.

  Please note, ** law now mandates that we list the maximum number of gallons that we will commit to deliver to you under this price plan. To meet this requirement, we utilized the average gallons delivered in **, which is 925 gallons. However, as a service to our customers we will continue to honor this price for the full pricing period listed above, regardless of whether or not you use more than the maximum volume listed."

  Mr. ***** had received 2 deliveries from Hoffman; the first on 12/8/22 was billed at $4.259 per gallon and the second on 1/9/23 was billed at $4.479.  In total, we delivered 239.8 gallons.  Fuel costs became quite volatile in 2022 and the cost to protect gallons for our customers also increased. Hoffman is a full service, 24/7 company who provides its customers with automatic delivery, live customer service 24/7, 24 hour technical support, guaranteed fuel supply, several payment plans, etc. On 2/15/23, he called our office to express his dissatisfaction with the pricing and he explained he had been seeing heating oil pricing in the range of $3.50 per gallon.  Our representative had explained to Mr. ***** that that price sounded like that of a COD company and explained the difference between COD and Full Service heating oil providers. Our representative also explained that the cost of the ceiling protection was included in with the delivery price.  On that same day, Mr. ***** had terminated his relationship with Hoffman, at which point he was told that an Early Termination Fee would be assessed. Mr. ******* reply was that he was not going to be paying any fee.

  Mr. ***** had called for a supervisor on May 3, 2023 and his call was returned by our Regional Sales Manager, Tony Peluso.  Mr. ****** had left a message for Mr. ***** but his call was not returned.  They did end up speaking 5/30/23 and Mr. ****** explained the same and had offered to reduce the Early Termination Fee to half to resolve his complaint amicably, although half does not nearly cover our expenditures for the ceiling protection which was purchased on Mr. ******* behalf.  Mr. ***** had declined.

  Mr. ***** did agree to the terms and conditions of the original sales agreement but did not fulfill the obligations of automatic delivery for the term.  We did try to resolve this issue with Mr. ***** but our offer of reducing the early termination fee was declined.  We were sorry to lose Mr. ******* business but we wish him the best.

  Thank you,

   

  Jill T*****

  Customer Service Manager

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

   

   

  Customer response

  05/31/2023

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

   

  they have admitted they made poor mistakes and responded falsely on the ****** review offering to split it with me charging me $200 instead of $400

  That admission needs to negate the charges. I know what the contract says. They misrepresented what “market” is and overcharged me.

  The cancellation fee must be waived. Splitting it is not fair when you admit the horrible communication and treatment. I was never called back from May 3 and I had to call back nearly a month later.

  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  **** *****

  Business response

  06/01/2023

  Mr. ***** maintains that Hoffman "made mistakes" but there were no mistakes made.  We entered into an agreement, we purchased protection for his fuel pricing in October 2022, which was one of the most volatile months for heating oil pricing and a time when many of our full service competitors suspended offering protection at all.  When the oil market started to somewhat stabilize, our delivered price was not in line with what Mr. ***** expected it to be and he terminated the relationship, again not fulfilling the obligation of automatic delivery for the term.

  Hoffman's delivery price is determined by our cost for the product, our cost of doing business and delivering the product plus the cost of the protection.  It is not determined by what other companies may be charging or otherwise.  I can find no evidence that any employee made promises to Mr. ***** about what our delivered price would be, as it would be impossible to do so, especially in such an unpredictable environment.

  Again, Tony ****** offered to reduce the early termination fee in an attempt to amicably resolve this situation and that offer still stands.  It is a valid charge and represents compensation for damages incurred by not delivering the gallons that were protected for Mr. *****.

  Thank you,

  Jill T*****

  Customer Service Manager

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

   

   

  
  

  Customer response

  06/01/2023

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

  My statement stands. The general manager admitted mistakes were made and although it was nice to cut in half, i disagree.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  **** *****

• Initial Complaint

  05/16/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I signed into a contract for a year of oil delivery at a certain price with a credit of 50 dollars per house I signed up. I was promised 2 things. One a 50 dollar credit for each house which would be 200 per house and also the lowering of home heating oil also when it falls below a certain level. I specifically asked the young lady if the home heating oil prices fall below a certain amount what would happened. She stayed they will adjust it properly to the price which I feel was inadequate and also false information I always have paid my oil delivery on time and I also called several times about the credit. To this day no credit so I cancelled the policy in terms of breach of contract I am receiving invoices for every house with the cancellation fee and interest. I held up the end of my bargain of the contract they did not. I want the contract terminated immediately with no cancellation fees

  Business response

  05/17/2023

  Mr. ******** set up 4 accounts with Hoffman Energy on 10/17/2022 with our Sales Executive Lori B***.  At that time, he agreed to a Ceiling rate of $4.849 10/17/22-10/31/23, for which we purchased protection.   There was a verbal agreement between Mr. ******** and Lori that we would apply a $150 credit to each account that was not listed on the sales agreement (one of which is attached).

  Mr. ******** called on 3/8/2023 to say that he has been waiting for these credits since the account was set up and Hoffman is in breach of contract and he wished to cancel all four accounts. He stated he did not wish to discuss it, he wanted all accounts terminated.  He did speak with Lori B*** on 3/9/2023. She had informed him that there had been a clerical error and that she would rectify the situation immediately, applying the credits that were promised but he said it was too late and they had found a company who was less expensive and demanded that the accounts be closed.

  At no time prior to 3/8/23 did Mr. ******** inquire with Hoffman about these credits nor would he allow Hoffman to rectify the situation.  We purchased Ceiling protection for his four accounts and as stated in the agreements, which he signed electronically, if automatic delivery is terminated prior to 10/31/2023, an Early Termination Fee would be assessed, which is what happened.

  We certainly did not want to lose Mr. Carvaho's business and were very willing to rectify the situation but were not allowed to do so.  

  Thank you,

  Jill T*****

  Hoffman Energy

  ###-###-####

   

   

• Initial Complaint

  04/10/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I called Hoffman on 2/23/23 at 11:13 am to schedule an oil delivery. I was informed that I had a past-due balance from 12/2/22 and they could not deliver oil to me. I had never received a statement, and even on their website, the last delivery statement was dated 11/20/22. To settle the alleged bill and expedite the oil delivery, I agreed to pay the bill. I told her I get paid on Friday, 3/3/23, and asked if I could postdate a check or have my card on file and be charged for the total amount so my tank could be filled to prevent any damage. This was denied. I called Hoffman again on March 2nd at 8 am and I explained that, per my contract dated 1/6/23, Hoffman was supposed to send me automatic oil deliveries. We were going into month three without a delivery, and at this point, I wanted to void my contract as they had violated the terms and conditions we agreed upon (my contract states that I will receive automatic oil deliveries between 1/6/23 and 1/31/24. How are they using an old bill to now violate the terms of a written contract?). This alleged balance was before the contract was signed, and Hoffman entered the contract knowing this. Also, I never received the statement for the December oil delivery and it was not on their website at the time. The rep was not able to locate the bill either. I submitted my complaint to Holly P******, their Credit Supervisor via email on March 2 expressing my concerns regarding their failure to provide oil since I signing my contract, pointed out that I paid the balance I allegedly owed, and requested the contract be voided due to the breach of the terms and conditions. Coincidentially, I then received a bill for $399 for an early termination fee on March 10, but no response from the company.

  Business response

  04/11/2023

  Ms. ****** called our office on February 23, 2023 requesting a fuel oil delivery.  At that time, there was a balance on the account for $483.79 which was largely the result of a 12/2/22 delivery.  Hoffman’s payment terms are 30 days from the day of the transaction and on February 23, 2023 the balance was 53 days past the 30 day term.  At the time of the delivery request, we had asked Ms. ****** to satisfy the balance so that a delivery could be made but she was unable or unwilling to pay the balance on the account.  In addition to the original invoice left by our driver on 12/2/22, we have generated statements on 1/2/23 and 2/1/23.  Several notices had been sent referencing the past due amount and alert the consumer that deliveries were being held and they are attached.
  
  On March 2, 2023, Ms. ****** sent an email requesting that her account be terminated.  Holly P****** left a message for the customer to return her call to discuss but received no call back.
  The terms and the conditions of the pricing agreement state in part:

  
  Payments
  You agree to remit all outstanding balances when due.
  
  And

  
  Termination Fee
  If your account is cancelled for any reason, or if you decide to remove yourself from automatic delivery prior to the expiration of this agreement, you will be charged an early termination fee in addition to any outstanding balance you owe.  We will state the amount of the termination fee in our phone recording.  You and we expressly acknowledge and agree that it would be extremely difficult to determine our actual damages as a result of your breach of our agreement, and the early termination fee as liquidated damages is a fair and reasonable estimate of such actual damages.
  
  We entered into a pricing agreement with this consumer for the terms of 1/1/22-12/31/22 and again 1/6/23-1/31/24.  The terms and conditions of the agreement are identical for each year and in exchange for a ceiling agreement, the consumer agrees to pay their bills on time and maintain automatic delivery for the term; neither of which were upheld.  An Early Termination Fee of $399 was assessed on 3/7/23.

  
  Thank you,

  
  Jill T*****
  Customer Service Manager
  Hoffman Energy
  ###-###-####

  Customer response

  07/18/2023

  I am not in agreement with the response from Hoffman. When I called on2/23/23, the rep was not able to find thebill associated with theallegeddelivery that occurredon 12/2/22. I was unaware of this deliveryand had no problem paying it but wanted to physically see thebill prior todoing so. I did not submit the payment at the time because they could not produce the bill and was using this as a means to breach a contract we signed on 1/6/23, over 30 days prior to our new contract being signed. If payment terms are 30 days, then Hoffman was fully aware of said balance prior to entering into the binding agreement on 1/6/23. Why are they now using this as a means of breaching their binding contract? This could've been addressed when we entered it on 1/6. Additionally, had I known deliveries were on hold I would have straightened this out. My deliveries were so minimal due to low oil usage, but this does not negate the fact that my contract required automatic delivery which I've yet to receive, even after submitting payment on 3/3. The email sent on March 2 was asking someone from Hoffman to call me about the experience I had with their rep (who was extremely rude) and their breach of the contract. I explained that, per ** law, they failed to uphold their end of the contract by failing to deliver oil as per their contract. Despite what Hoffman says, to date, NO ONE from Hoffman has reached out to me about this! Notice that the person responding to this BBB complaint is not the person I was originally dealing with. Instead ofdealing with theirbreach complaint, they terminated the contract and sent it to collections stating that I asked for the contract to be terminated! Please note: 1. I never terminated my contract, Hoffman did. 2. I never removed myself from automatic delivery. Hoffman never held up to its end of the deal. It has been 6 months and we STILL have not received an "automatic" delivery. 3. Hoffman breached the agreement by failing to deliver oil as per the contract and stating something that fails outside the contract window (referencing a bill that predates the contract). Also, I would've sent payment had yourrep been able to locate the bill in question. 4. When I told Hoffman that I was going to see legal action and after submitting this BBB review, they RETALIATED and sent my account to collections citing an early termination fee. 5. After asking for someone to call me on 3/2, you instead terminated my contract on 3/7.

  
  

  Business response

  07/18/2023

  1. I never terminated my contract, Hoffman did.

  We received an email from Ms. Herron terminating the account on 3/2/23

  2. I never removed myself from automatic delivery. Hoffman never held up to its end of the deal. It has been 6 months and we STILL have not received an "automatic" delivery.

  We were unable to make automatic deliveries to the home due to the delinquent balance

  
  3. Hoffman breached the agreement by failing to deliver oil as per the contract and stating something that fails outside the contract window (referencing a bill that predates the contract). Also, I would've sent payment had yourrep been able to locate the bill in question.

  Again, multiple notices had been sent to the customer stating that the deliveries were being held due to the outstanding, past due balance.  We made no commitment to continue delivering while the balance was so past our credit terms.

  
  4. When I told Hoffman that I was going to see legal action and after submitting this BBB review, they RETALIATED and sent my account to collections citing an early termination fee.
  

  The account was closed per the request of Ms. Heron on 3/2.  The early termination fee was assessed to the account.  We would much rather have preferred to collect the debt owed and continue delivering to this residence.

  5. After asking for someone to call me on 3/2, you instead terminated my contract on 3/7.

  Holly P****** left a message on 3/6/23 at 2:05 pm on ###-###-#### but received no return call.

  Ms. Herron stated that during the 2/23/23 phone call, the rep was not able to find the bill associated with the 12/2/22 delivery.  Upon reviewing this call, there was no request for a duplicate bill for the delivery.  During this call, Ms. Herron had requested a delivery and stated that the tank was 1/4 full.  She was then informed that the deliveries were being held due to the balance, which at that point was well over 60 days.  She was unable to satisfy the balance at that time and stated that she may have to make other arrangements.

  We made this customer aware of the balance and of the suspension of automatic delivery multiple times through written and verbal correspondence. Upon her request, the account was terminated and as a result the early termination fee was applied.

  Thank you,

  Jill T*****

  Hoffman Energy

  ###-###-####

   

  
  

  Customer response

  07/19/2023

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

  1. Please show me in the email where I said to “terminate the contract.” I pointed out how the contract should be legally voided due to a breach. Also, please show me where Bernard *******, the account holder, told you to close HIS account. I’m a third party who only submitted payments. This contract is between Hoffman and Mr. *******, however, Hoffman has NOT spoken to him, nor did HE make ANY request for HIS account to be closed.  
  

  2. Please tell me when multiple notices were sent (both written and verbal). Since 2020 I’ve received emails from you regarding payments due, deliveries, and other promotional information. Since signing the new contract in January, I received one email on 1/6/23 about the contract, one on 2/7/23 as a “check-in,” asking me to submit a rating, and one on 2/8 detailing your chimney services. At what point did you send out numerous notices? 

  
  3. Holly P****** never reached out to me. We actually had a great relationship! In the past, if she ever tried to call me and couldn’t reach me, she would send a follow-up email (For ex., she did this on 9/21/22). During our last conversation, I told her that emails work better, and she said, “yea, the phones can be a little tricky,” and we have been communicating via email since 2022. Now all of a sudden, Holly attempts to reach me this ONE time, never sends a follow-up email per usual, and Hoffman chooses to close out the account. Sounds fishy! It’s also weird that the person responding to my complaint isn’t Holly, but someone I’ve never had any dealings with (and I’ve been with the company for 5 years).   

  
  4. The email you keep referencing from 3/2 asks for a duplicate copy of the 12/2/22 delivery. I also asked for this during the phone call. Why would I agree to pay for something, not in your system? Of course, I would want to see the bill, especially if I’m told this is the reason for the breach! That sounds ridiculous!
  At this point, we have no problem continuing with the terms of the contract until the expiration date provided that Hoffman submits proof of the 12/2/22 oil delivery, reverses the fee that they applied when they wrongfully terminated the contract and actually commits to the terms of their contract by delivering oil to my residence.
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ******* ******

  Business response

  07/24/2023

  "I will submit the full payment on Friday, March 3. However, I am requesting that this contract is voided as Hoffman breached the terms by failing to provide oil after entering into a signed agreement on January 6, 2023. I'm also requesting a copy of the delivery statement from December 2, 2022, as I can not locate it on your website and have never received it."
  Thank you,
  ******* ******-*******

  This is the last sentence of the March 2, 2023 email received by ******* ******-*******.  Since the inception of this account 4 years ago, she has been conducting business on this account as Mr. *******'s wife and so the email received, requesting that the contract be voided and the call made by Holly P****** on March 6, 2023, for which I have recorded evidence went unreturned, the account was terminated.

  The notices that were sent were included as attachments in the first response to this complaint.

  If the desire is to reinstate the account on automatic delivery, we will do so with the understanding that our 30 day credit terms will be strictly enforced.  At that point, we will reverse the early termination fee as we had done twice before.  We will need the request to reinstate the account in writing.  We will also need confirmation from Mr. ******* that Ms. Herron-******* is authorized to conduct business on this account, as according to her last rebut, she is not. These requests can be sent to our general email : hoffmancustomer@championenergy.com or to my email address.     A copy of the 12/2/22 delivery invoice was just sent via email to Ms. Herron-*******.

  Thank you,

  Jill T*****

  Hoffman Energy

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

• Initial Complaint

  10/21/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I have requested for Hoffman Energy to stop sending me direct mail to my home address over and over and over again year after year and it continues to come to my home. Enough is enough!

  Business response

  10/21/2022

  Good afternoon.  Unfortunately, there is no documentation on Mr. ******* former account with this request.  Our marketing department has made arrangements to prevent marketing emails or mail from being sent to this household in the future.

   

  Thank you,

   

  Jill T*****

  Hoffman Energy

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

  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

  02/07/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I am a long time customer of Hoffman Energy. Awhile back I contested a charge in writing on 2 occasions without any response. Never paid for the additional cost, but it may have been incorporated without my knowledge in my new monthly automatic payments. Recently, I have conducted an online survey to which Hoffman responded by phone. I advised of my issue and suggested if I was given the name of a manager I would send another letter because there was much detail. On 12/20/21, I sent a letter with attachments to Michele B******* GM of Hoffman in Danbury. No response. Sent an email on 1/21/22. No response. Contacted the state of CT online. No response. The lack of response has me more frustrated than my perceived overcharge. What can I do to have a Hoffman management rep contact me and discuss if my disputed charges that I never paid were secretly incorporated in my most recent automatic monthly charges. My oil furnace and AC unit were purchased and installed by Hoffman, and we have had problems with the AC since the beginning. I questioned if the proper unit was installed and installed correctly which is the basis for the disputed charge. Any help you can provide me would be appreciated. Thank you.

  Business response

  02/11/2022

  Mr ****** is indeed a long time customer and the staff here feels very badly that the multiple pieces of correspondence he stated were sent to Hoffman and are not accounted for.  I spoke with Mr. ****** this morning and apologized for this.  His main concern is being charged for a "freeze protection control" in June 2020, subsequent to an April 2017 installation of a new air conditioning condenser.  Although this part, which was necessary to correct a problem Mr. ****** was having with "freezing" wasn't part of the original installation, I did agree to credit the charge of $115 + tax because he had such trouble getting a resolution for this issue and because he has been a valuable customer of ours for such a long time.  This issue has been resolved to his satisfaction.

   

  Thank you,

   

  Jill T*****

*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. ↩