ComplaintsforRutland Bottle Gas, Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  07/08/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Received a email in June saying they were increasing tank fees . June to June you must buy x amount of propane. End of June I get a **** for not buying enough propane. How can they charge for tank rent in the past (pre **** change) ?? I can provide the previous contract.

  Business response

  07/12/2023

  I apologize for the inconvenience this has caused ****.  We have always had tank rent for the customers that don't meet the required amount of propane for the size of tank they have.  We unfortunately have had to raise this because of the rising cost of tanks. The "contract" that **** is talking about is our master customer agreement. It speaks about the list of terms and agreements that we have between our customers and the company. It does not bind us to them or them to us.   It just spells out the agreement that we have.  We have changed this several times over the years. Our customers have the ability to change to a smaller tank if needed. We aren't wanting to upset our customers however, we must make these kind of changes so that we can continue to provide the service our customers deserve well into the future. Rutland Bottle Gas has been around since 1947 and we want to be around for many many more years. 

• Initial Complaint

  07/05/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Purchased tank of gas in November. They have a two tank minimum a year purchase. I called in June to order tank 2 to avoid a fee. When I called she said there was a $40 fee. I told her that I ordered gas in November so I had until November. She said no, it’s June through June. No one had ever mentioned it was June through June. I said I’d find another provider and would call when the tanks were empty . I paid over $80 a tank so I wanted to get what I paid for. 4 or 5 days later (July 5) I came home from taking my kids swimming and I went to make dinner and my stove wouldn’t work. I went to check and the company came and took the tanks with no notice or my knowledge of it taking place. They took something I already paid them for. They should be required to give notice to their customers of rate changes or if they come on your property without your knowledge and take something.

  Business response

  07/13/2023

  To whom it may concern,

  We are sorry and apologize for the confusion.  We have a rent on cylinders and tanks if you don't use the required amount.  For cylinders, a customer must use 2 cylinders per calendar year (June to June) to have that waived.  Unfortunately ******* did not use this required amout. We removed the amout due when we picked the tanks up.  She does not owe the rent. Again we are truly sorry for the confusion.  

• Initial Complaint

  03/21/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I bought this house 5 years ago from ******* ******. There were 2 Rutland Tanks installed. I've called for years and had the tanks refilled. I've never received a bill. When I paid for refill last year, I was told contract isn't in my name, and mailed back contract with my name. I paid to have a tank filled last year. I had paid for the other tank to be filled prior years. The other tank was at least half full. Mid-January 2023, the tanks (1 full; 1 half-full) disappeared from my GATED and FENCED yard. I called 3/20 and spoke with *****, who informed me that bills had been sent for "tank rental." She also told me the account was still in the name of ******* ****** (deceased) and that there was a note indicating that mail was being returned. The address on file was correct. I RECEIVED NO BILL, NOR NOTICE, NOR REQUEST TO ENTER FENCED PROPERTY. The propane in those tanks was stolen -- I paid for them. I requested they return the tanks with the propane in them, and I would happily pay the $10 rental fee. ***** stated the driver (who no longer works for the company) "made no note about any propane being in the tanks." She "checked with management," and offered an unsatisfactory solution: they would require me to pay $200+ reinstallation fee, plus the 1/2 tank of propane, but they'd refund me for 1 tank of propane (if I chose to have it reinstalled). No. I did not request it be uninstalled, nor did I authorize anyone to come onto my property, nor did I ever receive ANY NOTIFICATION. I am owed a refund on the 1.5 tanks of propane Rutland Gas stole from my house. I should not have to pay a fee to get the gas I owned back. And your employee acknowledged THE BILLS WERE BEING RETURNED and that the contract is in the wrong name. Yet you accepted money from me to fill the tanks, and I filled out a contract form and mailed it back to you last year. This is unacceptable. I will pursue getting the $ back if this isn't remedied. I am an easy person to work with.

  Business response

  03/22/2023

  It's unfortunate that at times we have to pick up our equipment when we are unable to get a response from a customer.  We have a tank rent on tanks that are being underutilized. So when the rent isn't paid and we can't get a response from the customer then we are forced to pick up our equipment.  I'm sorry that this has happened.  We are more that willing to refund the amount that was in the cylinders. 

  Customer response

  03/22/2023

  I received no communication from you about owing any money. Your own notes per your employee state that mail was being returned. I imagine that is because you continued to send mail to a former owner who is deceased, despite my twice having attempted to change the contract to my name. I have paid to have the tanks filled several times in the years since I have owned the house. I have never received a bill. You say you are willing to refund me the amount in the tank. If you are willing to give this money to me as a credit back on the credit card I used, that is acceptable. But what you’re actually saying is that if I agree to pay over $200 to have the tanks you removed (without notice from a fenced and gated area — trespassing) REINSTALLE only then will you return one tank worth of gas. I am not paying your company another penny as you’ve stolen 1.5 tanks of propane from my home, so I should not have to pay anything to get those back. The tanks are your property, yes, but you filled them with propane that I paid for. I want a refund to my card for the amount of propane that was in the tank, or I want you to return the tanks, minus the $10 rental fee. You had a contract with a deceased person and likely that’s why your mail was returned to you  I have tried for 2 years to get the name changed on the account and you have told me it’s changed but when I called after the tanks were stolen, you said they’re in the name of the old owner. Either way, you have record of my paying to have the tanks filled. Perhaps you ought not have filled them if you had them in someone else’s name? You took my money, and then stole the propane — I am due a refund to my card or returning the tanks at your expense  

  
  Regards,
  
  Emily Marcus

  Business response

  03/23/2023

  We will refund the amount of 1 1/2 tanks.  I will check with our CSR's to see if we still have the credit card on file.  I apologize for the situation. 

  Customer response

  03/28/2023

  I accept the business's response to resolve this complaint.
  

• Initial Complaint

  06/01/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  On 4/4/22 my new black stove was installed by Rutland Bottled Gas. After the stove was installed I was handed a handful of paper and told to sign them.

  A few days after the stove was installed my husband was cleaning it and noticed a rough spot on the upper right side. We did find another area that was damaged. Just looking at the stove these areas were not that noticeable (the stove is black. I called Rutland a couple days later and was told that someone would be in touch with me.

  After no call back I called again on 4/19/22 again I was told someone would call me back. I did ask on that call if I could send pictures and was given the email in which to send them. Nobody called me back again.

  On 5/11/22 I sent an email to the address that i sent the pictures to. I told them it had been almost a month since I sent the pictures and offered to let them come out and look at the damage.

  On 5/16/22 I received an email from ***** ****** telling me the stove was not damaged when it was delivered. Butch declined coming out and looking at the stove.

  We paid a lot of money for the stove and just want what we paid for. My husband called the office several times to talk to Butch, but he would not talk to him. My husband tried to explain that it looked like it was damaged by a heat source. The metal is melted and there is no paint in those areas. If Butch would have come out and looked at the stove I'm sure he would have agreed that this was a factory defect indeed.

  I realize after filing this I will not receive good customer service from them.

  Business response

  06/06/2022

  The stove was not damaged when we delivered it.  I'm not sure what happened after we left.  I can only say that the stove was not damaged when we brought it to her.  We had two service techs deliver the stove and they both told me that it was not damaged. If she believes there is a defect in the stove from the factory then she needs to contact Crosley stoves because unfortunately we don't do warranty work on them. 

  Customer response

  06/06/2022

  [If you do not say why you are rejecting the company's response, BBB must close your complaint.] 
  
  Complaint: 17217728
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I was told by Crosley that I would have to contact Rutland because that’s who the stove was purchased from. When it was switched to lp gas that guy had to have noticed it. Maybe the delivery guys didn’t see it, but I doubt it. I feel like they knew that it was damaged and they purposely didn’t tell me. That way they could get rid of the stove. 
  
  Regards,
  
  **** ******

  Business response

  06/07/2022

  We would never knowing sell a damaged stove or any damaged product.  I personally tested the stove after it was converted.  The stove worked fine and was free from any damages or defects when it was delivered out.

  We don't do warranty work on Crosley ranges.  We are not a service center for Crosley.

  Customer response

  08/19/2022

  **** ******
  ***** * ***** ***
  I checked with Rutland and 348.00 credit was applied to my account. So you can close my complaint.
  Thank you so much for all your help.
  
  ****
  
  Sent from my iPhone

• Initial Complaint

  02/07/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  My tank ran out of propane. I checked it last month and I had approximately 40% which in reality equates to half of tank since they only fill to 80% capacity of a 500 gallon tank. They told me that they didn't know when they could come out and fill the tank. It has been in the 30's during the day and will be in the single digits tonight. I have called and called and called and can not get anyone to come out. The lady at the desk told me I would just have to " rough it out" . This is ridiculous! I have even been making numerous calls to Butch with no response. After my initial complaint he responded with the following statement to the BBB. "When customers wait until they are out to order propane it puts a strain on how we take care of customers. That is what James F***** has done. It not only creates emergencies, it is also dangerous. We now have to do a leak check because the system is empty. We have to more our route around to get people that run out and leave customers that called when they were supposed to. Then customers that have called in on time start to run out. If James does this again then we will be forced to remove our tank and have him get propane somewhere else." So then I tried to call him and he finally answered the phone, but only after I filed the complaint with the BBB. He still has not told me when I will get propane. He Assumes that I purposely ran my tank empty to effect all of his customers. Now he is angry that I filed a complaint with the BBB and told me I will no longer be a customer. I am now considering contacting the State Attorney General's Office and PUCO. I would like the propane filled.

  Business response

  02/07/2022

  We are hoping to fill the tank today.  

  Customer response

  02/07/2022

  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I accept the business's response to resolve this complaint. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ***** ******

*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. ↩