Columbia Gas of Virginia, Inc.

Re: Revdex.com Case [redacted] -[redacted]
Dear [redacted],
Thank you for contacti~Columbia Gas of Vj~inlawith regard to the above-listed mattel". It is always our goal to ensure the best possible service to our customers., and we take seriously any complaints we...

receive.
Our investigation revealed that [redacted] gas service was shut off in June of 2013. After we restored his gas service [redacted] brought to our attention that his flreplace clicker was broken. However the restoration of his service is in no way related to the broken piece of equipment. Our technicians typically check the home tal" any possible safety concerns befOre restoring service..however this would not put any equipment or appliances at risk for damage. [redacted] was advised to contact a plumber/contractor to make any necessal)' repairs. We did attempt to contact him via phone to explain the circumstance however we were unable to get in touch.
Should you have questions or require additional information please do not hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
 [redacted]

Thank you for contacting Columbia Gas regarding Mr. [redacted] concerns. The normal time frame for a customer to receive a credit balance on their final bill is within thirty days of the final bill date. This gives the company time to determine if any return payments are received on the account...

and to make the necessary corrections. Mr. [redacted] credit balance was due to a security deposit refund to the account. We have requested Mr. [redacted] credit balance of [redacted] to be processed and mailed to the address on file [redacted], and Mr. [redacted] should receive a check within two weeks from today. We will make sure all agents are aware of the correct process for refunding credit balances on final bills.Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.

Thank you for contacting Columbia Gas of Virginia with
regard to the concerns of [redacted]. It is always our goal to ensure
the best possible service to our customers, and we take seriously any
complaints we receive. We have investigated the concerns of Ms. [redacted] about her
recent gas...

service termination. When a termination occurs, a security deposit
and reconnect fee is requested from the customer. The security deposit is
determined by the two highest winter bills usage from the previous year. These
processes, along with other fees, are outlined in our tariff Which Is approved
by the [redacted] and can be found at
[redacted]. we encourage Ms. [redacted] to enroll in the Budget Payment Plan
by calling us at [redacted]. The Budget Payment Plan Is a free service
designed to help reduce the fluctuations in gas bills by spreading the costs
more evenly over a longer period of time. Additionally, we offer various
payment options available to our customers such as Checkfree, on line payment,
and Bill Matrix. Please visit our website at [redacted] for more
information. Should you have questions or require additional information please
do not hesitate to contact me. Sincerely,

Thank you for contacting Columbia Gas of Virginia regarding the concerns of Ms. [redacted] experience with Columbia Gas of Virginia.  It is always our goal to ensure the best possible service to our customers, and we take any complaints we receive seriously. Ms. [redacted] has had service with...

Columbia Gas since 11/22/16. At the time she requested service, she was notified of a required $380 security deposit. Ms. [redacted] has made two payments, one on 1/6/17 for $313.55, of which $254.00 was credited to her account for the security deposit and $59.55 was credited to her account for the current budget payment. The second payment was on 1/19/17 for $311.00, of which $126.00 was credited to her account for the security deposit and $185.00 was credited to her account for the current budget payment. With the second payment, her security deposit was paid in full, and her account had a past due amount of $112.97 and a current amount due of $219.73, totaling $332.70. A Columbia Gas representative was able to speak to Ms. [redacted], and explain the situation to her. Due to her good payment history so far, and the confusion surrounding the security deposit, Columbia Gas has credited Ms. [redacted] back her security deposit of [redacted] and her current balance is now a credit of [redacted] Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. Sincerely, Kristine J[redacted] Manager – Communications & Community Relations

Dear [redacted]Thank you for contacting Columbia Gas of Virginia with regard to the concerns of Mr. [redacted]
[redacted]. It is always our goal to ensure the best possible service to our customers, and we takeseriously any complaints we receive.A recent investigation revealed that Mr....

[redacted] contacted Columbia Gas of Virginia (CGV) onOctober 1 and October 2 to confirm receipt of an online payment in the amount of $58.13. Weconfirmed that the payment had posted to his account on October 1. Mr. [redacted] called again onOctober 6 to confirm receipt of the payment and this time indicated that his bank showed norecord of the payment and his account had been overdrawn. We explained to Mr. [redacted] thatwhen a payment is made, it posts to the account immediately however it may be returned by thebank up to two weeks. On October 13, we were notified by the customer's bank that his paymentwas returned for insufficient funds .We hope we have satisfied the concerns of Mr. [redacted]. Should you have questions or requireadditional information please do not hesitate to contact me.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
Part of the current balance of $292.68 showing in my account is an installment of the security deposit, which is $102. The usage reflected in my current bill is $189.68. I have no problem with that amount. It is the third security deposit installment in the amount of $102, which has not been paid to them, that I would like waived completely. This is the only solution I will accept to resolve this complaint. The resolution I seek will bring my current balance to $189.68, which is the usage portion of my latest bill. I will be happy to pay that in full, without an installment agreement.
Regards,
[redacted]

Thank you for contacting Columbia Gas of Virginia regarding the concerns of [redacted] experience with Columbia Gas of Virginia.  It is always our goal to ensure the best possible service to our customers, and we take any complaints we receive seriously. I apologize for the delay in...

responding – I wanted to make sure a thorough review of the situation was completed. On 2/3/17, the same read from Ms. [redacted] meter ([redacted]) was obtained as the previous read on 1/5/17. Due to this, on 2/6/17, Columbia Gas requested the customer contact the company on to obtain an updated list of equipment, due to the inconsistent usage at the property. The customer contacted the company on 2/14/17 and, from that call, the company determined that it needed to inspect the meter to ensure it was working properly. On 2/16/17, that inspection took place, and the meter was switched out with a new one. Columbia Gas rebilled the customer for unbilled utility service during the time the meter was not working properly, based on prior usage at that service address, normalized for weather. On 2/21/17, Ms. [redacted] called the company, upset about the billing adjustment, and was offered a 10% discount for conservation efforts that could have been made if the customer was aware of the total gas they were using, which the customer declined. Per our tariff in Section 2.1(i)(c), attached to this response and approved by the [redacted], in the event any measuring equipment is out of service, previous recordings through such equipment shall be estimated using (c) by estimating the quantity of delivery based on deliveries during periods under similar conditions and any other relevant metering data. The meter is next scheduled to be read on 3/6/17. Columbia Gas would like to offer a 30% adjustment on consumption during the time the meter was not working, based on the approved tariff calculation, as outlined above. A company representative will determine the amount of the adjustment after the meter has been read on 3/6/17 and I will update this response at that time, including a calculation of that adjustment and the calculation of the estimated consumption. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. Sincerely, Kristine J[redacted] Manager – Communications & Community Relations

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the offer and/or response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
[Provide details of why you are not satisfied with this resolution.]
Regards,
[redacted]
The customer contacted Revdex.com about this because she had not been contacting by the business to address this with their builder.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID[redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
Revdex.com,
The standard form letter received from Columbia Gas does not satisfy a single concern contained in my original complaint. After my past due bill was paid and the $75 reconnection fee paid on August 29, 2104, 10am, I was quoted an entire week before I could get my service restored. The first service rep I talked with said that it was standard for Columbia Gas to make their customers wait at least three business days to get service restored. Why am I being punished in the first place by making me wait at least three days, this was 4 days business days that I was being made to wait, unless I paid the $85 RANSOM they were demanding?
So the first service rep said they would restore my service on 9-4-14 unless I paid her an additional $85 and then they would do it on 9-3-14. This clearly was not the next day as outlined in the form letter that we receive in response to my complaint with the Revdex.com.
Appalled by this still taking 3 business days, I requested to talk with a[redacted]. Upon hearing from a manager at 4:30pm on 8-29-14, I was then told that this manager could move it up one day 9-2-14 if I paid her the $85 RANSOM! No I have been quoted two different days to turn my service back on if I paid this $85 fee. This entire process was about this $85 fee, clearly there is an incentive for the service reps to collect this $85 fee!
Here are the issues with the service Columbia Gas provides:
Why is it standard that Columbia Gas's customers have to wait a minimum of 3 day's?
Why was I quoted that they could turn my gas back on a day earlier than the 3 business day's quoted for $85 if the $85 fee is to turn the gas on the next business day? I was told that for $85 they would turn it on after 2 business days!
Why did I have to get the run around and have a manager call me back 6 1/2 hours later after my original conversation and paying of my bill to get an offer to turn it on the next business day?
If I would have taken that original offer to pay Columbia Gas $85 that would not have met the non-sense outlined in the form letter received in response to my original complaint! The $85 is to turn service on the next business day and I was originally quoted 2 days if I paid this fee!!!!
CG is clearly working the system to gather additional $$ from their customers. This is completely unfair to all their customers that have there service shut off or any reason at all!
Lastly, after taking the day off to wait for the technician to restore my services. They did not show up until 2:30 in the afternoon on 9-4.
CG IS MAKING ABSOLUTLY NO EFFORT AT ALL TO RESTORE SERVICES IN A TIMELY MANNER UNLESS THIS $85 FEE IS PAID. The entire process from start to finish was to gather an additional $85 from ME!!!
THE FORM LETTER RECEIVED SATISFIES NO PART OF MY COMPLAINT AND CG SHOULD BE ASHAMED!!!!!!!
There should be some sort of fine that CG should have to pay for working their hardest to squeeze an additional $85 out of my pocket to turn my service back on in two business day's vice the next day in that stupid impersonal form letter I receive in response to my original complaint outlines!!!!
I am not opposed to get the local media involved in this and have them investigate what is going on at CG as all dates and times are clearly documented in this complaint!!!!

Thank you for contacting Columbia Gas of Virginia with regard to the concerns of Mr. [redacted]. It is always our goal to ensure the best possible service to our customers, and we takeseriously any complaints we receive.A recent investigation revealed that Mr. [redacted] contacted Columbia Gas of...

Virginia (CGV) onAugust 21 to request an upgraded gas service line and meter. We met with Mr. [redacted] onAugust 31 to complete a survey to determine the necessary steps to complete the work. Uponreview of the consultation, it was determined that the existing gas line would need to be increasedto one inch and the existing meter would need to be increased to accommodate the load . A serviceline and meter upgrade typically takes 30 days, pending the permit requests. However, recentinclement weather delayed the completion of the work. The new service line and meter wasinstalled on October 29. We apologize for the delay in fulfilling Mr. [redacted]'s request; however,safety is our first priority.We hope we have satisfied the concerns of Mr. [redacted]. Should you have questions or requireadditional information please do not hesitate to contact me.

[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's offer.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me. I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved. If the company does not perform as promised I can get back to you at: [redacted].
Regards,
[redacted]

Columbia Gas is not concerned at all about their customer's. The only thing that Columbia Gas is concerned about is pulling every dollar they can out of their customers wallets! Beware, if you get your gas cut of because of a past due bill, you will have to pay the past due amount, plus $75 to turn the gas back on, and if you don't want to wait their minimum of 3 days to turn it back on you will have to pay an additional $85 to get it restored sooner. This is a Gigantic Scam that Columbia Gas is running. I was required to wait from Friday to the next Thursday to get my service restored because I did not want to pay their additional $85 ransom to restore my service. If you have the option, I would consider a different gas provider for your gas service. [redacted] does not do this to their customers!!!

As of today no power-washing has taken place at my residence. Once again it appears Columbia Gas is being very dishonest in their actions to get this matter resolved. 
Regards,
[redacted]

Dear [redacted], Thank you for contacting Columbia Gas of Virginia with regard to the concerns of Mr. [redacted]. It is always our goal to ensure the best possible service to our customers, and we take seriously any complaints we receive. During a review of the complaint on...

November 20, 2015, the $33.53 was removed from Mr. [redacted]'s account. Should you have questions or require additional information please do not hesitate to contact me. Sincerely, [redacted] Columbia Gas of Virginia

Dear [redacted],Thank you for contacting Columbia Gas of Virginia with regard to the concerns of [redacted]. It is always our goal to ensure the best possible service to our customers, and we takeseriously any complaints we receive. Our investigation revealed that the call center...

personnel followed appropriate policy with regard to a recent service termination. As a gesture of good faith, we will waive the remaining security deposit. Additionally, we will provide a $100 atonement as a credit to [redacted]'s account. We encourage [redacted] to enroll in the Budget Payment Plan by calling us at [redacted] The Budget Payment Plan is a free service designed to help reduce the fluctuations in gas bills by spreading the costs more evenly over a longer period of time. Additionally, we offervarious payment options available to our customers such as Checkfree, on line payment, and Bill Matrix. Please visit our website at [redacted] for more information.Should you have questions or require additional information please do not hesitate to contact me.Sincerely, [redacted]

Dear [redacted],
Thank you for contacting Columbia Gas of Virginia with regard to the above-listed matter. It is always our goal to ensure the best possible service to our customers, and we take seriously any complaints we receive.
Upon review of [redacted]...

[redacted] concerns our investigation revealed there was a gas service termination at [redacted] on June 9, 2008 and she left an unpaid balance of $179.53 on this account. On November 13,2012, [redacted] contacted Columbia Gas to establish new gas service at [redacted] and was advised of a past due balance in amount of $179.53. This amount would need to be satisfied before new gas service could be established. [redacted] made payment of the $179.53 on January 14,2013 and an order for new gas service was established. Due to a processing error on our part, this payment was not linked to the existing account which put [redacted] account into a collection status. We have linked the payment to the existing account to satisfy the debt and ceased all collection efforts. When [redacted] called us on April 23,2014, we explained this to her and she was satisfied with the results.
We apologize for any inconvenience [redacted] experienced as a result of this matter. We encourage [redacted] to enroll in the Budget Payment Plan by calling us at [redacted]. The Budget Payment Plan is a free service designed to help reduce the fluctuations in gas bills by spreading the costs more evenly over a longer period of time. Additionally, we offer various payment options available to our customers such as Checkfree, on line payment, and [redacted]. Please visit our website at www.columbiagasva.com for more information.
Should you have any questions or require additional information please do not hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
[redacted]
Columbia Gas Of Virginia

Thank you for contacting Columbia Gas of Virginia with regard to the concerns of [redacted]. It is alwaysour goal to ensure the best possible service to our customers, and we take seriously any complaints we receive.We have investigated the concerns of Mr. [redacted] about his recent gas service...

termination. When a terminationoccurs, a security deposit and reconnect fee is requested from the customer. The security deposit is determinedby the two highest winter bills usage from the previous year. These processes, along with other fees, areoutlined in our tariff which is approved by the [redacted] and can be found at[redacted]. As a courtesy, we have waived half of the security deposit.We apologize for any inconvenience Mr. [redacted] experienced as a result of this matter and hope to have resolvedher concerns.We encourage Mr. [redacted] to enroll in the Budget Payment Plan by calling us at [redacted] The BudgetPayment Plan is a free service designed to help reduce the fluctuations in gas bills by spreading the costs moreevenly over a longer period of time. Additionally, we offer various payment options available to our customerssuch as Checkfree, on line payment, and Bill Matrix. Please visit our website at [redacted] formore information.Should you have questions or require additional information please do not hesitate to contact me.

Review: Last November my husband and I had a cooling and heating system installed in our home. When we received our Dominion Power bill in January it advertised that Columbia Gas was reimbursing customers $300 if they had a new efficiency gas heating system installed in their home in 2015. I filled ou the rebate form which only asked for heating unit number and sent it off. Col. Gas wrote me 3 times and called me 4 times for additional information--like invoice with prices signed by contractor and contractor business address etc. Spoke with tekemarketing center for rebate many times and they kept saying all info is in and check should come 4 to 6 weeks. It didnt. Spoke with Mr P[redacted] head of telemarketing center and in May 2016 he told me that there was no money and the rebate ran out in Oct. 2015. Then why advertise and why write me and call me and have me and contractor [redacted] jump thru hoops to get correct info to them. Why did no less than 3 ladies at tele marketing center say check on the way? If I hadnt climbed ladder to center manager I would still be waiting for phanthom check. Parker said money ran out in October but tel marking ladies didnt know. I feel Columbia Gas pulled a skam on us. Suppose I had bought a gas furnace and expected this $300 to help pay for it. This was pure bait and switch. Why waste postage to contact me for more info if the rebate was gone before we even insalled unit. I feel Columbia Gas was not honest and did not work in the best interest of the consumer.Desired Settlement: I want Columbia gas to honor the rebate they advertised and requested more information. If Columbia Gas ran out of rebate money (is this possible) why was their telemarketing represantatives not aware of it. Throught the end of may Columbia Gas was promising that a $300 check for the gas furnace would be mailed to us. Why lie? is this what a utility does--Lie to its customers. I did what columbia gas asked and filled out even further info requesta only to have Mr Parker Telemarketing Head to smirkingly tell me the rebate ran out of money in October. If Columbia Gas didnt have rebate money why was it paying tele marketing center to process claims? And call on claim and send request for info letters?

Business

Response:

Thank you for contacting Columbia Gas of Virginia with regarding the concerns of Mrs. [redacted] experience with the [redacted] rebate program. It is always our goal to ensure the best possible service to our customers, and we take seriously any complaints we receive. It is disappointing to hear about Mrs. [redacted] experience and her frustration regarding the manner in which her rebate application was handled is understandable. First of all, we will be honoring the high-efficiency gas furnace rebate Mrs. [redacted] applied for in the amount of $300.00. She can expect to receive this in the mail no later than September 9. Second, an explanation of why the rebate was denied might be helpful, in hopes of providing some clarity regarding her experience. The Columbia Gas rebate program is approved by the State Corporation Commission in three-year cycles. The authorized program includes limits on the number of rebates we can provide during each program cycle. Columbia Gas ran out of high-efficiency gas furnace rebates in October 2015, close to the end of the approved program’s cycle (2013-2015). In January of 2016, the next cycle of the rebate program began (2016-2018). High-efficiency gas furnace funds were once again available; however, they apply only to furnaces purchased and installed during the new program cycle of 2016-2018. The rebate processing team uses the contractor invoice as proof of the installation date in order to approve rebates. Since the invoice was not provided with the rebate application that was mailed in, the rebate processing team contacted Mrs. [redacted] for the required invoice, as well as for information to complete other fields left blank on the rebate application. With the complete application and invoice, they were able to conclude that the installation was made in 2015. Please share our apology for this lapse in customer service with Mrs. [redacted]. With her feedback, we are able to continue to improve upon the service we provide our customers.

Consumer

Response:

[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's offer. If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]

I have reviewed the offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me. I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved. If the company does not perform as promised I can get back to you at: [redacted]

Regards,

Review: Today, I came home to a piece of paper on my door stating my gas was shut-off. I did not receive any notification that they were going to do this, although the representative when I called stated, "We mailed you a notice on April 11, 2016." The address on the piece of paper was incorrect and I told her no one had notified me. The representative stated "We made two attempts to contact you." I asked the representative do you have any record that anyone spoke with me? And the representative stated, "No, it is an automated system." I stated, "how do you know I received anything?" I just updated my account today, when I called the first representative. I can prove no one called me or left a message from my phone bill. I had to give them my correct address and phone number. According to my online account, I was one day late. They want me to pay $113.44 which I do not mind paying, I owe it. But they also want me to pay $87.00 turn on charge, $239.00 security deposit, and get this...$75.00 to turn on a pilot light, for a grand total of $514.44. I asked the supervisor, "Can I receive gas from another company?" She stated, "No one else can supply you with gas, because we service your area. You can try, but I don't think they will." That sounds like a monopoly to me. This company demanded the total payment of $514.44 to turn on my gas service. I hope others will come forth if this has happened to them from Columbia Gas of Virginia. No consideration for loyalty, no record of even contacting me before they did this. And now the website will not even allow me to make a payment online.Desired Settlement: I will gladly pay what I owe of $113.44. I do not feel I should have to pay $401.00 to reconnect my gas, to a bill that states online the due date was yesterday, which I read today. That is the only notification I have received, other than this piece of paper left on my door, by the way, also has the wrong address on it. I will be glad to send copies of the paper, screen shots of my account and the due date on it.

Review: This is hands down the WORST COMPANY I have ever dealt with in my life!

They shut my gas off on 7/14/2016 at 8 am.

I called made the payment and scheduled to have the service restored to NO SURPRISE it was a 3 day wait for someone to restore service. Making it 7/18/2016 the tech was scheduled to arrive between 8am-4pm.. imagine my surprise when a tech NEVER SHOWED UP!!! NO CALL NOTHING! After 7 attempts to call and find out a time the tech would be coming in realized the supervisor didn't care, they had no idea and honestly no concern at all.. FINALLY at after 7pm the tech arrives and simply says he can't turn it back on until a pipe got fixed. SERIOUSLY?? MIND YOU A PLUMBER WAS PRESENT TO LIGHT THE PILOT LIGHT the plumber arrived at 4 pm and waited 2 hours for Columbia Gas who never showed up!! I was charged $150.00 for that but the plumber again, Columbia Gas takes no responsibility for that!! Even though they didn't show up on time!!

It is now 7/22/2016 STILL NO GAS SERVICE HAS BEEN RESTORED!! Had an appointment yesterday 7/21/2016 was told the tech would call from a 1800 number (he did not) he used his personal cell phone.. so I didn't take the call. Immediately called him back as well as Columbia Gas and was told oh well you missed the call you will have to reschedule.. REALLY!! So columbia gas can be 4 hours LATE FOR an appointment but the customer has a 4 minutes window how great!!!

Complaint filed with the SCC. Recording conversations with agents for Columbia gas.. VERY SHADY BUSINESS with ZERO concern for customers HIGH FEES!! They shouldn't be in business!! I have 5 children in my home 1 is disabled and no hot water for 8 days.. shameless.Desired Settlement: I want a refund of what I was charged by my plumber for waiting for Columbia Gas to show whom showed up 4 hrs late with no call or explanation. I have placed 16 calls to Columbia Gas in a week's time. It is quite sad that a customer is charged the reconnect fees etc for a service ran like this.

Business

Response:

Dear [redacted],Thank you for contacting Columbia Gas of Virginia with regard to the concerns of [redacted].It is always our goal to ensure the best possible service to our customers, and we take seriously any complaints we receive. This complaint was also submitted to the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) and that complaint has been closed. [redacted] gas service was shut off for non-payment on 7/13/16. She paid the past due amount and the reconnect fee on 7 /15/16 and was scheduled for reconnection on 7/18/16. During the reconnection safety check, a potential safety issue was found and the customer was notified that the issue needed to be resolved before her service could be restored. Once the company was notified that the safety issue had been resolved, several attempts were made to contact the customer on 7/21 /16 and 7/22/16. Additionally, a representative from the SCC also attempted to contact the customer several times. After the customer returned the calls to the company on 7/22/16, service was restored that same day. The company takes any potential safety concern seriously and could not restore service until it was safe to do so. The repairs were to the customer's equipment and not to the company's equipment. Due to this, the company will not refund the cost of those repairs. Should you have questions or require additional information please do not hesitate to contact me.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the offer and/or response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.Sadly, it's clear Columbia Gas is a company with policy as crooked as they come. They currently have OVER 900 complaints against them for customers I'd say that speaks for itself.