Country Comfort

I am a member of this Co-op and recently received a letter requesting all of my personal information to be sent back to them on the back of a postcard. It is a legitimate request because I called and asked them about it. Their response was to fold it and put it in an envelope and that it was an optional form to return depending on if we wanted to receive out patronage refund. The form does not have optional written anywhere on it and it does not have a phone number for questions. These are my issues with the information they are asking for me to share..... They request my name, address, Social Security or Federal ID number, My birth date, my telephone number, and my signature. All of these things on one form can be used to steal my identity regardless of the fact that the other side of the form has a place stamp here spot to make it even easier for thieves. I am waiting for their General Manager [redacted] to call me back to see how he offers to remedy this issue. I am afraid for the people that will fill it out and blindly send it in. I also contacted and left a message with the Office Of Privacy through the WI Consumer Protection. Agency.

Review: My ex boyfriend had a account with country comfort he moved out and I took over all bills in my name. I have 2 kids 9 and 3 and on Nov 19,2014 the gas was gone I tried to get a account with them and [redacted] said due to something you'll have to pay when delivered. I told him that I didn't have any money I was getting heat assistance and he said as long as she called n confirmed that I would get propane. So I went n got the paperwork finished up and she called me back and said I had a outstanding balance of $457.47. I told her that I never had propane before. She asked about my ex boyfriends passed due balance. I told her that I was unaware and he didn't live with me I took over bills. And she said that I'll be getting $454 or so in heat assistance and [redacted] said he wouldn't deliver til shean bill was paid. I was getting enough to cover my delivery and he refused to have it delivered til it was paid in full. So I am a single mom of 2 kids working for $9 part time and I have to pay someone else's bill to heat my house with our children. I'm now a full day into no heat for my family. (Myself and 2 kids.) Considering I was getting enough help from state to pay my propane account they still refuse to deliver propane to me. [redacted] wouldn't tell me the reason why but told her. [redacted] should have talked to me about this when I called him the first time. But all he said was id have to pay in full and confirmed id have enough still refused. Its 5 degress outside my youngest and myself are really sick with flu cold n sinus and now I'm forced to not have heat because my ex boyfriend lived here before me and didn't pay his bill. This is uncalled for.Desired Settlement: I would like a apology letter and my propane delivered.

Business

Response:

First thank you for bringing this matter to our attention,

this will help us better address similar situations should they occur. On November 26, 2014 LP was delivered to the

customer once we received payment confirmation from Burnett County Energy Assistance.

It is United Ag Cooperative policy to not deliver to Cash

customers without proper payment arrangements. It is also policy not to deliver to tanks with

outstanding balances owing. Also, any

account that is on a call in or “will call” basis is responsible to monitor the

tank and give notice when tank is between 20% and 30%, so we can arrange

efficient delivery and not be subject to extra delivery charges. It is also policy that when an after normal

business hours call is made that the customer has to pay at the time of

delivery. For safety reasons customers

are not to run the system out of gas. If

this does occur the first time per our insurance carrier we require a system

check of the entire gas system for leaks and light all pilot lights, so someone

needs to be home so we have access. The

tank will not be filled unless we can perform the safety inspection.

As you may be aware United Ag Cooperative is an LP service

provider along with feed, agronomy, fuels, grain and convenience stores with

several different locations. The complainant

is a former employee who is no longer employed with us but as such has been

notified of policy both as a customer and as a former employee.

On November 20, 2014 at 3:00 am the complainant called into

our “on call” phone and spoke with Julie stating “her boyfriend was at work and

she ran out of heat and she didn’t know what to do.” The LP account

under her boyfriend’s name, had a past due balance, and she had no means to pay

for any fuel. The customer was advised if

she had the money to pay for the LP bill we would come out and deliver LP fuel.

The customer became belligerent and

cursed at [redacted]. The customer stated she

could not come up with the money. She was then instructed to contact energy

assistance to try to get help through Heating Assistance.

Later on November 20, 2014 the complainant went into our

Shell Lake Convience store to fill out an application which was faxed down at

12:49 pm to our main office to change the name on the LP account into her name,

shortly after the application was faxed the complainant began calling the

office demanding we deliver gas even though she could not pay for it. The customer was again advised that she would

have to pay for the LP fuel or we could not deliver. She again became belligerent and stated she

had no money and could not pay for it. She was again advised to contact energy

assistance for help with her heating fuel.

There were several other calls made by the complainant with

our call staff and each time she was belligerent and cursing trying to get us

to deliver without any way to pay for it. On Monday, November 24, 2014 we were contacted

by Energy Assistance advised that they were working on her paperwork to get her

a benefit, and they needed to know how much it would take to get the LP

delivered. They advised us that both the

complainant and the boyfriend were on the application for heating assistance

and she “understands why we won’t deliver gas until we receive confirmation

that they are getting assistance”. They

also advised that they would have to wait for an answer from the case workers

boss if they could approve the assistance and Energy Assistance office would

let me know if and when it was approved. On November 26, 2014 we did receive

approval from Energy Assistance and went to deliver the LP that the complainant

was waiting for and was suppose to be there. When we went to the home there was no one there,

so we had to make a second special trip and again the complainant called us complaining

about us.

To summarize: The customers’ tank was out of gas. She did

not give us proper notice about needing a fill. Her account was a “call in”

basis. Her account was a Cash account

and she did not have any way to pay for the LP. The tank was not United Ag Cooperative’s

tank so she could have called another supplier if she wanted to get gas

elsewhere.

Please let me know if you need any additional information.

Thanks,

Accounts Manager

United Ag Cooperative