ComplaintsforPropane Levac Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  18/07/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  The Perth location is claiming to have filled a tank they did not. When reaching out to them initially, they changed their story 3 times about how this fill happened, completely destroying any credibility they had. I spent countless hours finding proof for each change of story. The staff I have been in contact with in Perth are disrespectful and unprofessional- based on other reviews, I am not the only one who had this experience. They either entirely ignore all facts stated, and respond with a variation of “the GPS shows the truck was parked at your house” or don’t respond at all. After getting the runaround, I contacted the head office who said they would call me. After 9 business days, I sent an email stating I never received a call. I got another generic response of no assistance essentially stating the GPS shows the truck was at my house. I am shocked it took them 9 days to repeat the same thing. I asked what their standard protocol is for a dispute with a customer, and if it is standard practice to tell a customer you will call them and not follow through. I also requested to be connected with someone who can assist me. Again, a generic response. Now, I pointed out they have not answered my questions or acknowledged anything I said. I requested to have these emails forwarded to someone in charge who can review. Their response to this, and I quote, “You have been e-mailing the ***** ****** ******* ******* ****** If she can’t help you then no one can.” I dont believe the ******* of Perth is in charge of the entire company, and cant connect me with someone who can help. I have never experienced such a lack of professionalism from a company. I believe it is essential these emails are reviewed (I would be glad to forward the entire thread) as the communication I received is childish and unhelpful. At the end of the day, I have an over $340 bill for a tank of propane I never received, have wasted weeks of my time, and there has been NO attempt to resolve this.

  

  Business response

  27/07/2023

  Dear *****/****** (****** being the actual account owner),
  
  We hope this message finds you well. We want to address the concern you recently raised about the payment for propane delivery on your friend's account. We value your business and appreciate your candid feedback, which allows us to clarify important matters. We take customer satisfaction seriously and have conducted a thorough investigation into your complaint.
  
  After reviewing the GPS data and cross-referencing it with our delivery logs, we can confirm that our delivery truck was indeed present at your address (*** *** *** ********* *******  **** ********* ***** **********) on the specified date (22-02-2023). Our records indicate that your propane tank was indeed filled during that visit, we verified the meter and can confirm that 304.6 litres have been delivered in your propane tank.

  We also review the gauge picture from June you provided us with and the tank shows 25% (note that a tank is considered full at 80%). Even if you didn’t «use» the fireplace, the pilot light itself consumes approx. 3 litres per day. The number of days between *June 1 2023 (estimate date) and February 22 2023 is 99 and if you multiply x2 (litres) it equals 198 litres. A full tank hold 380 litres,  the difference between 80% and 25% is 55% and 55% equals 261.25 litres. You can understand that the tank being at 25% makes sense.
  

  We want to take this opportunity to assure you that our GPS system and drivers are equipped with top-of-the-line technology to ensure precision and efficiency in all our operations.
  
  Our GPS system is state-of-the-art and undergoes regular updates to maintain its accuracy. This advanced technology allows us to track our delivery vehicles in real-time, optimizing routes, and ensuring timely deliveries. It helps us provide you with the best possible service while minimizing any inconveniences.
  Our drivers undergo extensive training to handle all aspects of the delivery process professionally. They are equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to ensure safe handling, proper placement, and secure delivery of your propane.
  
  Additionally, we verified that there were no other Levac customers within a 150-meter (being the total length of the hose on our trucks) radius during the time of the delivery where he could’ve delivered the propane. We can assure you that our team diligently follows our protocols to ensure accurate deliveries, our drivers are well experienced and will under no circumstances deliver propane into a competitor’s tank.
  
  Furthermore, we have retrieved and reviewed the contract associated with your account, and it clearly states that automatic deliveries are to be made. We acknowledge that for the previous three deliveries, ****** had personally called in to request propane. We apologize for any misunderstanding that may have arisen from this. However, we would like to clarify that your account has not been set to "on-call" status, and it is designated for automatic deliveries, as stated in the contract.
  
  Note that hydro bills alone cannot serve as conclusive evidence to confirm the specific use of an electric heater in your home.  Allow us to explain the limitations of relying solely on the hydro bill for such verification. While the bill indicates your overall electricity consumption, it does not provide details about the specific appliances or heating methods utilized within your property. As a result, we are unable to compare your current electricity usage with previous years' data to isolate the impact of an electric heater accurately.
  
  We regret to inform you that the responsibility for the payment of propane delivery lies with the account holder. Our company policy stipulates that all delivery charges are the responsibility of the customer, as outlined in the agreement signed during the account setup process. The total balance due to this date is $348.89.
  
  We would like to express our regret for any disrespectful behavior you experienced during your interactions with our offices. Treating our customers with respect and courtesy is of utmost importance to us, and it is disheartening to learn that we fell short of your expectations in this regard. Please know that we are thoroughly investigating this matter and taking appropriate actions to address any lapses in professionalism or conduct.
  
  As a customer-focused organization, we strive to provide transparent information regarding our services and policies. We understand that occasional misunderstandings can occur, and we are committed to ensuring clear communication moving forward.
  
  We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused and appreciate your understanding of our company's policies and procedures. We value your continued business and look forward to serving you with the highest level of satisfaction.
  
  Once again, we apologize for any inconvenience caused and thank you for your understanding.

  Customer response

  27/07/2023

  
  Complaint: 20341443
  
  I am rejecting this response.

  
  Firstly, I have already clearly stated that my propane has been shut off (this of course insinuates a pilot light, since a pilot light would still be using propane) in my emails several weeks ago. The fireplace was entirely shut off to prevent any use of propane. I assume that during the inspection, you would have tested the tank for any kind of draw, and to ensure there were no leaks. Therefore, you would have already known there was no propane being drawn from the tank to support this pilot light theory.

  
  Secondly, your calculations surprise me. You are stating that the tank would burn approx. 3 liters per day. The picture of the gauge is from June 28th. So, based on your calculations of roughly 3 liters a day, this would mean 87 liters in 29 days (to today, July 27th). 87 liters =18.31%. As the gentleman who came and inspected my tank would have seen, the gauge is at the EXACT same level it was on June 28th, when this picture was taken, roughly 23-24%. Based on your numbers, it should have lost 18.31%. Based on these calculations, shouldn’t the tank be 4.69-5.69% today? So again, even if I hadn’t already said the propane was shut off in my emails several weeks ago, you already knew it was - since the gauge is at the exact same spot it was 29 days ago on June 28th. 

  
  I am also surprised that interest is continuing to be added to the bill, despite the fact that I have had to spend so much time waiting and responding to emails. Especially after being ignored for 9 days while waiting for a call that there was evidently no intention of ever being made to me. I have gone ahead and sent the money to ****** so he can pay the bill for this propane I did not receive, to avoid accumulating further interest. However, I am still awaiting a proper explanation, as I cannot justify spending $348.89 on a product I never received- and I'm sure you can understand why these stories are not adding up to me. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** ********

  

  Business response

  28/07/2023

  Hi *****/******,
  
  We understand that the only gauge picture you have is the one you provided us with, showing the tank at 25%, dated June 2023. We acknowledge that once propane is delivered into the tank, it becomes challenging for us to precisely determine how it was used and by which appliance. Our estimations are typically based on degree days and other calculations, considering various appliances. During the winter delivery in February, the weather was cold, and regardless of how often the fireplace was used it could impact propane usage.We conducted a thorough investigation and can confirm that propane was indeed delivered to your address. We also got a confirmation from the driver that he would've left a copy of the bill as well. We do apologize for any delay in responding to you previously and appreciate your understanding in this matter.Regarding ******'s account, you can understand that interest will continue to accrue until the balance is settled. This policy applies to all clients, and we aim to be fair and consistent in our practices. 

• Initial Complaint

  03/03/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  We got up Feb. 28/23 to find that we had run out of propane. Since we had a fill-up in Feb., we found this strange.. (We had just returned on Feb. 24 from a five week trip outside the country.) When we called Levac, the woman who answered the phone said that they could "probably get a truck out to us within a day or two." When I expressed incredulity at this response, she replied that she could not do anything because the dispatcher was in a meeting. When we had not heard anything, I called back later, and was told that he was still in the meeting. Later when I called back again, I was told that he had gone to lunch. Later, I was able to get through to the dispatcher who was rather rude and uncaring. and insisted that being in meetings and eating his lunch was important. We finally did get some propane in the early afternoon. A friend of mine who knew the company well happened to come over late in the morning, and told me that the manager was *******. Meanwhile my wife and were huddling in my office with a plug in electric heater. Later Levac discovered that the reason for the problem was that the fill-up earlier in Feb. had been delivered to the wrong house. A day or two later, I called ******* and had talk with her. She offered an apology and assured me that it would never happen again. But I have heard this before. I have two concerns. 1. ******* told me that she had the authorit6y to contact a driver and order a delivery, even if the dispatcher was not available. But no one suggested this when I called. No one offered any apology until I talked to *******. 2. If this had happened while we were away, it could have been a disaster. We have friends who check on our home every 2-3 days, but when temperatures in our area routinely plunge to minus 25-30 deg. C., pipes could easily freeze. 3.I wasted a whole morning of my time because of Levac's mistake, and then a lack of a reasonable response to our problem. Does this business really deserve an A+ rating?

  

  Business response

  09/03/2023

  
  Dear Mr. *****,

  Dear Mr *****,

  First we would like to thank you for your trust over the years as a Propane Levac customer. We were made aware of your situation and investigated the unfortunate event. We do confirm that the delivery done in early February had in fact been done to the neighbour’s house instead, which caused our system to think you had been filled, and consequently caused your tank to run out of propane. Please accept our sincere apologies, we can definitely see how frustrating this was for you and your spouse. 
  
  It was an unintentional and inadvertent error on our end. Though we cannot take away the frustration you are experiencing, we would like to give you a free monitor system for the inconvenience this has caused. The monitor would offer peace of mind and allow you ( and us) to keep an eye on the level of your tank anywhere you are. We could install the monitor and waive the installation fee. Lastly, our Regional Manager will contact you to schedule a visit, he’ll ensure the monitor works properly, show you how to use the app and ease any concern you may have.
  
  Thank you again for being a valued customer

  Customer response

  10/03/2023

  
  Complaint: 19534788
  
  I am rejecting this response because: While I appreciate the offer, it is  dodging the real problem. A monitor may help to prevent a failure in future, but the attitude of Levac's Perth office when I called them to report the problem was atrocious. I wasted most of my morning making multiple phone calls, enduring irresponsible reactions, and and a general "I don't care" attitude. I maintain that some reasonable compensation is in order.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ******* *****

  

  Business response

  15/03/2023

  Hi Mr. *****,

   

  We understand your frustration and again we are truly sorry. We are definitely not dodging the problem, we truly want to make it right.

  We will offer a credit of $100 on your propane account to compensate for your time in addition to the free monitoring system to help avoid this situtation in the future.

   

  Sincerely,

   

  Customer response

  15/03/2023

  
  ****** ******** *******
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID 19534788, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ******* *****

• Initial Complaint

  06/12/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I bought a house that closed in early October. The propane tanks at the house were with levac and we assumed responsibility for the tanks when we bought the house. After we moved in we switched to another propane provider and levac refused to give us our credit. When they picked up the tanks they were both at 50%. Instead of giving us the credit, they gave the money to previous owner. So we technically paid for that propane twice while the previous owner gets the credit. Horrible and rude customer service makes me want to count this as a loss and move on so I never have to talk to them again.

  

  Business response

  17/12/2021

  Hi, the property at *** *********** in ******** was sold to ******** ***** but she did not signed the change of ownership with us, the account remained under the seller ****** *********. therefore when we removed the equipment the pick up charge and the credit for the propane was invoiced to ****** *********. If she claims she has paid for the propane upon the purchase transaction I would recomend she advises her laywer to readjust, however is she is the receive the credit she will also be responsible for the pick up charge.

  thank you !

  Customer response

  17/12/2021

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I paid for the propane in these thanks when I bought the house and I have the lawyer documents and statements of adjustments to prove it. At this point levac was very rude and I have reached out to my current propane supplier and they are going to give me the money themselves for the propane in the tanks. Worst customer service I have dealt with in a long time. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ******** *****

*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. ↩