ComplaintsforChurchill's Oil & Gas Company

• Initial Complaint

  09/25/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have had abusive and unprofessional discussions with ***. and his worker who comes to my home. I paid $275 twice this year, once because it was overdue and in collections. I was then told that in order to fill the tank I would need to prepay. I prepaid, although it was late, and the company still came and took the tank without permission to enter my property, which *** stated it was a mistake. He then told me the money I just gave him doesnt include filling it, contradicting our verbal agreement. So now I am low on gas, I paid the $275, and this company is refusing to fill it. Very unprofessional, threatened me in front of my children, and I am seeking a lawsuit.

  Business response

  10/03/2024

              This consumers complaint is a result of non payment since may 5th of 2023. This was the first bill for $175 dollars sent to the customer, billed out every month and never paid. In June of 2024 this account was turned over to an outside collection agency for a loss. At the time of an account being sent to collections it should be closed to all transactions, unfortunately this was not done. The customer paid $275 online and has a credit on his account, we will reimburse the customer when arrangements are made to pick up our equipment (valued at over $800 dollars) 

              I have spoken to all employees involved, none felt that they spoke in an unprofessional manner, although the seriousness of an unpaid bill for over a year is never a pleasant conversation, none recall even seeing any children. The labor involved in all this hassle makes any profits for the company non existent and we try to avoid this situation occurring. 

• Initial Complaint

  06/07/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I received a **** for a finance charge from Churchills Oil and Gas, *************.for $13.36 of which 4 gallons($13.99) of gas was over pumped in to my propane gas tank. I was quoted a certain amount of $$ for 75 gallons (minimum amount of gas to order) from an employee from ******************************, I made a check out to that Quoted amount and left it for the gas delivery man as I have done for the past 35 years as a resident in ******** ****. ***********************. I was never contacted about the over pump of 4 gallons, and the finance charge of $13.36. In speaking of this matter to the manager *** i was told of the over pump I am now asked to pay for the over pump as well as a finance charge. I called and spoke to an employee of this matter and was redirected to the "manager ***". *** told me that the over pump has happened before and again I was not told about this and they just assume that they can add this amount to the next delivery charge and I will again be charged a "finance fee". I feel that I should not have to pay for their error. I would think that the pump operator would have to dial the amount in the delivery truck ( 75 gal ) to avoid this over pump and charges. I must say that *** was good enough to cancel the finance charge $13.36 but remained adamant that I pay the $13.99 over pump. I wonder how long this has been happening to me and how many others like me! To me that is a money making move on their part. I was dissatisfied with my service with him and I asked if there was anyone above him that I could talk to and I was told there was no one above him that I could speak with, I asked him if HE owned ******************************, he said no and then I asked to speak with his boss and he said I could not contact them. I was not given any other way to address this issue. I am very dissatisfied with the way this was handled by the Manager of this office. I would greatly appreciate your assistant in this matter, Sincerely, ***************************** Cell # **************.

  Business response

  06/14/2022

  In response to Mrs. ********* complaint.********************* did indeed order and pay for 75 gallons of propane. Churchills delivered 79 gallons of propane. When there is a small over pump like this of just 4 gallons, the small balance remaining is allowed to be paid on the next delivery. The older propane trucks do not have a meter that are programmable. So,the driver must go back and forth between the tank and truck to watch that the tank doesnt get over filled and also watch the meter at the truck to get the delivery as accurate as possible. Getting the delivery within 4 gallons of what was ordered is perfectly reasonable given this fact. As writing it in this letter, it is very difficult to explain this to a customer as to why its not easy to get it spot on for the delivery driver. All this is somewhat irrelevant given that over time, customers pay for exactly what they consume. ******************** was told this and even agreed and understood she is paying for exactly what she is using. At one point she asked me - So If I didnt actually use it,but instead vented it off in the air, then you wouldnt charge me for it? This question showed that she understood she was using all the fuel she pays for.
  
  ********************* states in her opening line of her complaint that she received a **** for a finance charge for $13.36. This is not a finance charge. The finance charge was only .20 cents,which I explained is not her fault and we will happily waive. The charge is for the 4 gallons of propane that ********************* will actually consume and Churchills had to pay for.
  
  ********************* also states this 4 gallon difference is a Money making move on our part. Churchills cannot sell more gas than the customer consumes. How much propane we sell to customers is not decided by how much we deliver in each delivery. It is decided by how much the customer actually *****, hence the additional 4 gallons delivered will prolong her next delivery by that amount. We pay for that fuel, the customer consumes that fuel. It is only fair that the customer pays for exactly what they consume. Our customers pay for the fuel they actually consume, just as Churchills must pay for exactly what the customers consume. No more, no less.We cannot make additional money via an over-pump, as it just means the customer will have more fuel to burn before ordering again and her next delivery will be postponed by the time it takes for her to consume 4 gallons usage.
  
  ********************* asked me that as a professional courtesy, I give her the 4 gallons for free. If it were the other way around, and she ordered 75 gallons but we could not deliver it all, I dont think she would then want to pay for what she ordered. In fact, on 1/4/21 ******************** ordered and paid for 75 gallons of propane. The tank could not fit the full 75 gallons and we could only put **** gallons in her tank before it was full. We did not keep the money for the 4.9 gallons she paid for, after this delivery we kept her extra money as a $13.03 credit on her account that she could use on her next delivery. We fairly handle it the same both ways. We did not insist that as a courtesy, since she ordered 75 gallons but could not take the full gallons she ordered, she let us keep the additional money. 

  
  Our policy is that we do honest business and that the customer pays for only the fuel they use, no more, no less. Regardless of exactly what the customer gets delivered at a given moment,the best policy to run the business in a fair and honest manner, so that the customer pays for exactly what they consume.

*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. ↩