This is different: my gas company refuses to bill me!

[CheshireVal]

Rant coming here:

I moved into my new apartment on July 21st. After a month or so, I realized I hadn't gotten my gas bill. I call the company, guy puts me on hold for forever, finally tells me that I owe a $25 turn on fee and that my bill would be coming soon.

Long story short: never have gotten a bill! I've called the gas company (Infinite Energy-- horrible, horrible company but I'm stuck with them) at least twice a month since September and get different stories every time.

Finally.... two weeks ago, I reach someone who figures out that there's a technical glitch with my account and that the bill won't generate. They send it off to IT to get it fixed.

Well I called last week and again today, and it's still not fixed, and I still have no bill. They say that when they finally get one out to me (and they don't know when that will be), I'll be back-billed for the past 4-5 months, but that they'll give me that long to pay it. They also say they'll take off any late charges as long as I call and tell them to.

I'm so irritated with them right now, I don't know what to do.

I don't dispute that I owe the money, but it's kind of hard to budget for the holidays when I have no idea how much I'm going to be slammed by this mysterious bill. Especially when I don't know when it's coming!

(PS. This is the same company that I've been using for the past 5 years.... never missed a payment, never late with a bill. So when I moved literally across the street in the same apt complex, they tried to charge me a $300 deposit because my credit wasn't good enough, even though my payment history with them is perfect and I was just transferring service rather than starting from scratch. I talked them out of it, but I'm terrified it's going to suddenly show up on my newly generated bill since they're obviously so disorganized.)

 

[ducklite]

If you can get your account number, I'd send a check for what you estimate your monthly bills would ahve been to day based on previous experience with teh company. Include a letter stating that you are making a payment on your account despite not having gotten a bill.

Keep copies of both, and send registered mail or Fed Ex--track the envelope and who signed for it.

Anne

 

[Kermit]

That kind of stuff irritates me to no end. I hope that it's resolved quickly and without any further problems.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Yes, we have had issues with billing before.
They were doing a computer switch over and everything got messed up. I think we were moving and needed to square things.

I kept calling and finally went down there so I would have proof in my hands. I needed a receipt, I think or didn't trust them.

Very weird.

 

[CheshireVal]

I have my account number, but I'm afraid to just send them money because of the way they've mishandled everything so far. If there's really something wrong with my account, it might not be credited.

I can look at my account online and see that they've credited me for my $25 turn-on fee, but when I call the automated system, they say I paid that fee in 2002. Another glitch, I think, but I can't believe they can't get their act together more than this.

I wish I could change companies, but apparently this is the only one our apartment complex lets us use.

 

[ducklite]

I have my account number, but I'm afraid to just send them money because of the way they've mishandled everything so far. If there's really something wrong with my account, it might not be credited.

I can look at my account online and see that they've credited me for my $25 turn-on fee, but when I call the automated system, they say I paid that fee in 2002. Another glitch, I think, but I can't believe they can't get their act together more than this.

I wish I could change companies, but apparently this is the only one our apartment complex lets us use.

As long as you've got that cancelled check, you'll be able to prove you paid it. Have you tried getting through to someone "in charge"?

Anne

 

[ItsonlyExperiment626]

Ask for a supervisor. There has got to be a way where they can tell you your balance due as of now and type up a letter to be sent to you. Than you can pay what is owed now or set up a payment schedule. You can then have the letter for proof of balance up to a certain date and a cancel check if you send in payment.

 

[sorcerormickey]

I hope you can get this cleared up soon.... we had a NIGHTMARE when we moved to our new house.

The water and electric are supplied by the same company, on the same bill. We called the day of our closing and had all utilities switched over to us. Well, for some reason the electric was a problem. The builder had given all the utilities a shut-off date (closing date) but it was never applied to the electric. They would not switch the account over until the builder said so! So I called the builder and the utility for months and months to get this fixed to no avail. Finally after about 5 or 6 months they switched it over and we had a $900 electric bill! They would not even let us pay over time - all due NOW!!

I hope yours goes smoother than ours - good luck!!