United Propane @ St. Leonard - Robbing us again

greeneyes36

New Member
okay, so this is becoming my annual rant... after a $500 bill ($6.70/gal) in October ...that when i called to protest was reduced to $3.99... as i was promised Market Value on all future billing, only 8 months earlier.... they reduced my bill to almost half... Life is good....
Until i come home last week to another $230 bill..... which i'm getting charged the $6.71 fee again... only this time when i call to question the billing, after being placed on hold for a while, i'm told "our manager says Corporate says they are no longer offering Market Value pricing"... can anyone confirm if they receive Market Value pricing or not??? I've placed a call to Corporate office in Millersville, awaiting a return call. I'm really thinking AERO is going to gain my business here soon...
 

greeneyes36

New Member
What does your contract say?

It's all about terms of contract, not $ pricing amounts. cancellation fees, reconnection fees... it doesnt state actual prices - as prices fluctuate. they did drop my bill to $4.99/gal, (interesting how they could just drop the rate when i called ... umm.... why charge me higher to start with???? and i can just imagine how many folks just pay the bill and dont ever question the prices) but neighbors are paying less than that with AERO..looks like i just need to suck it up and change companies instead of trying to get same pricing with U.Propane.
 

red_explorer

Well-Known Member
Suburban

We used them for years...never had a problem. Every time we checked elsewhere, they were the lowest by far.
 

nomoney

....
It's all about terms of contract, not $ pricing amounts. cancellation fees, reconnection fees... it doesnt state actual prices - as prices fluctuate. they did drop my bill to $4.99/gal, (interesting how they could just drop the rate when i called ... umm.... why charge me higher to start with???? and i can just imagine how many folks just pay the bill and dont ever question the prices) but neighbors are paying less than that with AERO..looks like i just need to suck it up and change companies instead of trying to get same pricing with U.Propane.


We've had United propane for two years now, which amounts to about 4 fill ups. On every bill (except for the first one which was the new customer rate) they have tried to charge in the high 5$'s low 6$'s for propane. And every time we've called up crying about it. Every time they've lowered it to low 3's/4's. It's a pretty good scheme they have going on. I figure if at least half don't really cry about it, they've made out like a bandit. This spring we're going to look into buying our own tanks so we don't continuously get raped by United.
 

greeneyes36

New Member
We've had United propane for two years now, which amounts to about 4 fill ups. On every bill (except for the first one which was the new customer rate) they have tried to charge in the high 5$'s low 6$'s for propane. And every time we've called up crying about it. Every time they've lowered it to low 3's/4's. It's a pretty good scheme they have going on. I figure if at least half don't really cry about it, they've made out like a bandit. This spring we're going to look into buying our own tanks so we don't continuously get raped by United.

i tend to think of the elderly that are just paying the bill, because they know they have it in the stack to pay...or the folks that are struggling to pay other big bills..... and not having the gumption or zest to call and "complain". ticks me off thinking about it like that. nothing like taking advantage. if the corporate office calls me back and says, "yes, we offer market value pricing", i think i'm going to lose my mind!! scheme by the local managers... NOT COOL
 

daylily

no longer CalvertNewbie
We've had United propane for two years now, which amounts to about 4 fill ups. On every bill (except for the first one which was the new customer rate) they have tried to charge in the high 5$'s low 6$'s for propane. And every time we've called up crying about it. Every time they've lowered it to low 3's/4's. It's a pretty good scheme they have going on. I figure if at least half don't really cry about it, they've made out like a bandit. This spring we're going to look into buying our own tanks so we don't continuously get raped by United.

We're about to leave them because of all their BS. We currently rent a tank from them and asked how much we can buy it for so we can switch companies. They refuse to sell the tank to us and it's buried in the ground so they want to charge us "less than $1,000" to dig it up. Working our way up the chain of command until they allow us to buy it. Not gonna spend $1,000 to have it removed, then spend more money for another propane company to drop their tank in......which they know and are basically holding over our heads. Interestingly enough, the other tank we have is an owned tank that they buried for the previous owner so at some point, they "sold" their tanks in addition to renting them.

And coincidently, an employee we spoke with a month ago who agreed to certain conditions to "keep us as customers" just quit so what he said to us doesn't mean crap right now even though the conversation was documented on our account. Really professional. If a customer is advised something by an employee, past or present, for the sake of good customer service the company should follow through. It would've cost them $250. With their prices, they can certainly afford $250 to keep a customer with 2 tanks. :smack:

I just payed $3.39/gal with Taylor Gas.

We're in process of swithing over to them. They're helping us update our hideous fireplace and I'm impressed with their customer service. Their prices are certainly better than United Propane's, definitely worth switching companies for. Maybe their drivers will actually show up to fill the tank when they're supposed to, fill the correct tank (didn't really need the pool tank filled in November) and maybe they'll bill us correctly without us having to call every time, what a concept. :whistle:
 
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nutz

Well-Known Member
I'm guessing you use propane for heat and cooking. Getting your own tank can be a good thing, but the propane co's. make that a pain too. If you actually buy your own, go big 500 - 1000 gallon. Propane does not spoil or go bad in the tank. Buy annually during the off season when prices are lower. Most of them will let you pre-buy 400 plus gallons and pay in monthly installments if you need to. Burch oil and SMO are both doing propane. Lately, I've been buying from Valley(Matheson) because their price was the best. In Sep. I think it was 2.49 gallon at the 400 mark and 2.39 at the 700.
 

nutz

Well-Known Member
We're about to leave them because of all their BS. We currently rent a tank from them and asked how much we can buy it for so we can switch companies. They refuse to sell the tank to us and it's buried in the ground so they want to charge us "less than $1,000" to dig it up.

Been there, done that. Wait until the tank is near empty, dig it up, leave it on the side of the road then call United and let them know, in writing, they have x number of days to come get it before it's considered abandoned. :whistle: Surprising the amount of attention they will show then.
 

daylily

no longer CalvertNewbie
Been there, done that. Wait until the tank is near empty, dig it up, leave it on the side of the road then call United and let them know, in writing, they have x number of days to come get it before it's considered abandoned. :whistle: Surprising the amount of attention they will show then.

You tried to buy it and they wouldn't let you? I can't imagine digging that thing up and leaving it anywhere. It's a freaken beast, it's HUGE! :lol:

My husband is so pissed that he wants to switch to Taylor for our owned tank (which is our main tank). I guess we could continue to pay the $250/year rental fee to UP on the pool tank and just have Taylor fill it when needed? It'll be a helluva lot cheaper to do that than it would to replace the tank. It's just the whole point. We're not going to give them any more business because they don't stand behind what their employees tell their customers and they consistently try to overcharge us. Why not just sell us the tank and take the money instead of being a pain in the azz about it, ya know?
 

Hank

my war
We're about to leave them because of all their BS. We currently rent a tank from them and asked how much we can buy it for so we can switch companies. They refuse to sell the tank to us and it's buried in the ground so they want to charge us "less than $1,000" to dig it up. Working our way up the chain of command until they allow us to buy it. Not gonna spend $1,000 to have it removed, then spend more money for another propane company to drop their tank in......which they know and are basically holding over our heads. Interestingly enough, the other tank we have is an owned tank that they buried for the previous owner so at some point, they "sold" their tanks in addition to renting them.
:

damn...what a scam!
 

itsbob

I bowl overhand
You tried to buy it and they wouldn't let you? I can't imagine digging that thing up and leaving it anywhere. It's a freaken beast, it's HUGE! :lol:

My husband is so pissed that he wants to switch to Taylor for our owned tank (which is our main tank). I guess we could continue to pay the $250/year rental fee to UP on the pool tank and just have Taylor fill it when needed? It'll be a helluva lot cheaper to do that than it would to replace the tank. It's just the whole point. We're not going to give them any more business because they don't stand behind what their employees tell their customers and they consistently try to overcharge us. Why not just sell us the tank and take the money instead of being a pain in the azz about it, ya know?

Stop buying propane from them and stop paying the monthly rental, maybe they'll come by and repossess it.

But this sounds like price gouging, I think I'd call the states attorney.
 
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MADPEBS1

Man, I'm still here !!!
i had United too, I just use for fireplace backup. Had a 200Lb tank with them, New terms said I had to use 48Gal X2 or pay 60 yr rental. Plus the Frickin 6.70 / gal price. I said enough, Looked around, renting a 48 gal nobody wanted to do and New was about 500+. talked to Bernie at Taylor and he hooked me up with a refurbusihed tank. And a much more resonable price / gal. laos took United 2+ months to remove the tank from my yard, I finally said it's going out on street and am concidering it abandoned. Gone the next day WTFO !!!!

not sure how they saty in Biz....
 

bulldog

New Member
You tried to buy it and they wouldn't let you? I can't imagine digging that thing up and leaving it anywhere. It's a freaken beast, it's HUGE! :lol:

My husband is so pissed that he wants to switch to Taylor for our owned tank (which is our main tank). I guess we could continue to pay the $250/year rental fee to UP on the pool tank and just have Taylor fill it when needed? It'll be a helluva lot cheaper to do that than it would to replace the tank. It's just the whole point. We're not going to give them any more business because they don't stand behind what their employees tell their customers and they consistently try to overcharge us. Why not just sell us the tank and take the money instead of being a pain in the azz about it, ya know?

I'm pretty sure that Taylor won't fill a tank owned by United.

This whole issue seems like a pretty common thing with United. I fought the fight with them last year when they claimed to fill a tank that 1) had been disconnected and not used and 2) was behind a locked fence/gate which they could not get to.
We finally reconnected the tank and burned it all of and it is now sitting empty in the driveway waiting on United to come and pick it up.
I went and bought my own tank, phone shopped around for prices and ended up going with Taylor. Nice folks and I'll continue to go back.
 
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calvertgirl

New Member
We purchased an existing home in Calvert County in 2004. We knew it had propane for the gas stove, so when we received a bill from United Propane, we assumed that the previous owner had a contract with them and just forgot to cancel it. We went ahead and paid the bill (I know..a dumb move). When I called a couple of weeks later to have the account transferred into our name, I discovered that the bill was actually for a rental property that the former owners of our house also owned. I then went out and looked at the tank and it belonged to Suburban Propane. After multiple phone calls and letters requesting a refund, the only response I got from "Sharon" was that she wasn't sure how to handle this, then suggested that I try to have the previous owner of our house reimburse us (not very practical, since they had moved to Texas). I wrote to the headquarters of United Propane in Millersville, but never received a response. Finally just gave up...they won by ignoring me. The amount of the bill was fairly small and it was no longer worth my time to fight with them.:banghead:
 

itsbob

I bowl overhand
not sure how they saty in Biz....

If you rip off ALL your customers, you really don't need too many to stay in business..

You just depend on the people with more money than brains, that just pay their bills without even looking at them.. They could charge them 10 -12 a gallon (and probably do) and they would never notice.
 

nutz

Well-Known Member
You tried to buy it and they wouldn't let you? I can't imagine digging that thing up and leaving it anywhere. It's a freaken beast, it's HUGE! :lol:

My husband is so pissed that he wants to switch to Taylor for our owned tank (which is our main tank). I guess we could continue to pay the $250/year rental fee to UP on the pool tank and just have Taylor fill it when needed? It'll be a helluva lot cheaper to do that than it would to replace the tank. It's just the whole point. We're not going to give them any more business because they don't stand behind what their employees tell their customers and they consistently try to overcharge us. Why not just sell us the tank and take the money instead of being a pain in the azz about it, ya know?

Well, they would let me buy the 15 year old tank for the same price as a new one. :cds: That's when the decision was made to never refill the tank. I had a machine big enough to dig the old one up and place it on the side of the road (in the county right of way). The day before I sent them a certified letter stating that I was canceling any and all contracts, terminating any previous lease agreement and leaving their tank for pick-up within 5 business days of receipt or it would be considered abandoned. :evil: Surprisingly, I got a phone call the very same day they got my letter. Two days later the tank was gone.
I now have a 1000 gallon above ground that services the house, garage, and bbq area. There is not a need to have multiple tanks, someone was being lazy or........
 

itsbob

I bowl overhand
Well, they would let me buy the 15 year old tank for the same price as a new one. :cds: That's when the decision was made to never refill the tank. I had a machine big enough to dig the old one up and place it on the side of the road (in the county right of way). The day before I sent them a certified letter stating that I was canceling any and all contracts, terminating any previous lease agreement and leaving their tank for pick-up within 5 business days of receipt or it would be considered abandoned. :evil: Surprisingly, I got a phone call the very same day they got my letter. Two days later the tank was gone.
I now have a 1000 gallon above ground that services the house, garage, and bbq area. There is not a need to have multiple tanks, someone was being lazy or........

Rent a back hoe.
 
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