do you normally have to do things yourself?

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So I've posted about the mess with the electric company. Well, of course where we live, there are issues with everything. So, for years we are also battling the water company.

So here's my example...

They always estimate our water consumption. My name is not on the account, so they won't even talk to me about it. So, I have to explain all the wrong billing to my husband and he has to go, in person, take time off work, to get this resolved.

So this morning, once again, I show him statements for the past four months. I explain to him that our last bill was 122.23, however, it states it was for consumption between 18OCT and 15DEC...however, I show him a bill that we received in November, for estimated consumption between 18OCT and mid-november of 107.04. So, I tell him, since we have a bill from 18OCT through 15DEC for 122.23 and the meter was actually read on 15DEC, then the estimated bill we received for November was incorrect. Therefore, the water company needs to give us credit for 107USD against that 122USD bill. I explain a few times, make him explain to me once and when I ask for him to explain again because I had to still explain to him things that he had not understood, he says, he gets it.

So, take time off, it takes an hour in line to get issue resolved. I patiently wait. He comes out of the office and gives me the proof...Here it is...our credit for 46USD against 61.94...so we only owe 15USD for 1/2 of the 122, plus the other 61.94!! !

WHAT??? So I lose it! I start yelling at him that he had it all wrong, that it was all wrong, blah, blah...and of course, he does not apologize and instead says nothing with an angry face...and the attitude of "you are so demanding, you are so ungrateful, you need to stop yelling at me!"

So, at the end, does anyone here have to deal with such things? Or is it just my NT husband that doesn't get things? Is it a guy thing? Is it an NT thing? What is it?

Sorry to vent, but things are already rough with all the other stuff and this just takes the cake.

So you're basically saying the bill should be $15.19?

Nope, that is just laziness!

yes...exactly! Mind you, I might not be the best with writing...(english is not my first language)...but if you got it, how could he NOT get it, when I had all the proof and we walked through each of the bills, dates, etc? Ahhh...

Thanks...that's what I think it is as well. But of course, it's me being aspie or similar that he claims is the problem now...not the fact that he's lazy when it comes to all that stuff and therefore leaves me ALL the work to do...

I dunno, I read this 4 times and I still have no idea what you're trying to say. For one thing, it seems like you have a bill for the period 18OCT to 15DEC, but also another bill for 18OCT to mid-Nov (15NOV)? How can that be? They billed you twice for the same period? So let me lay things out as I see it. You have bills:

18OCT-15NOV(approx) - $107.04
18OCT-15DEC - $122.23
No idea where this number came from - $61.94

So where is the problem exactly? Is it that they billed you twice for OCT-NOV, is it that 2 months are $122.23, so each month ought to be $61.12? Or you paid $107.04, and because they billed you twice, you think you only need to pay the difference, $15.19 (this seems most likely)?
Trying to do it by simple math will almost certainly not work out, because there are state and federal taxes, probably garbage pickup, line maintenance, sewer charges and other month on month fees. Simply subtracting one bill from the other won't give you an accurate number for how much you'd owe due to these fees. That's what I'd guess would be the biggest problem. But I'm still not 100% sure that I understand where your issue lies in the first place?

mmaestro, funny that you think you didn't get it the first time because you say "how can that be? They billed you twice for the se month???"

Guess what? That is exactly correct, the read the meter 18oct (or so they claim) and then read it mid November and charged me 107 for that month. Then they change their billing to read the meter every two months and the total bill for two months is divided by 2 and 1/2 is paid the first month and 1/2 the second.

So after the 107 bill was paid, they send me a bill in December stating
the consumption for two months, begining 18oct through 15dec is 122!! !

So yes, the double billed me for November because they took the difference in meter reading begining in October for two different bills!! !

arguing with utility companies is like playing the lottery; your chances are always better if you do, but don't expect a payoff every time... I've had a few run ins with the utility company. There's got to be different options. Just have the bills in front of them, and sometimes they'll see reason.

Good luck

Thanks...yes...sadly, I lived in the us 24 years or so...no problems...lived on my own actually about 12 of those years...no problems...Where I live? Every 2-3 months we either have to argue with water, electricity, cable, phone or some other company...

To the title of this thread - the answer is yes. In spades!

To the situation - this is certainly a case of being lazy. And it's not on. I would be getting all this down in writing, get it proof read (given your issue with English as a second language), get your husband to sign it - and mail it to them. That way you have it in writing. Explain what has happened, and include photocopies of the two bills with the dates highlighted showing you've been billed twice for the same period of time.

If that doesn't work, make a complaint to your local government. Water (and indeed the others you mentioned) are essential services and being treated like this for access is unacceptable and the appropriate authorities need to be informed.

Ah, well, we went again in person today to get this resolved. The first guy could not explain anything to me, although he was "customer service". He sent me to a "supervisor". When I presented all the proof, could you only guess what the guy said to me???

"Well, it does seem like we've double charged you, but at the end of the day, you just have to pay what we say or we'll disconnect it!! !" I said, excuse me? No, you need to explain to me and give me in writing why you are right and I am wrong...he again said, "it doesn't matter who's right...either pay or we disconnect it..."

I have got to get out of this hell place I live in...And there is an ombudsman...that the next step, after taking 3 1/2 days off to deal with the company...so, here we go again, another 1/2 day off to deal with this mess...

I hate this country like I never though I could possibly hate any country. People are thieves...I have very few people that I can say are nice...and mind you, they might be very nice to me, but they are still stealing something or other...

If you life in the US, make sure that you write your senators and ensure they don't continue wasting money sending it to the thieves in this country...

If I had to deal with this I would write it all on paper and give it to him like a script.

whatamess,

Tell them you will talk to the PUC(Public Utilities Commission), the FTC (Federal Trade Commission), and the AG (Attorney general), if they don't do the right thing, and DO IT. Ask to talk to THAT idiots supervisor!

BTW The US was better when it WAS the US! Today it is a different country in the same area. Even most of the people are different. I doubt they would have treated you ANY better in the old place, where they came from.

Pretty much anything that involves having to rely on others to accomplish something is a recipe for certain stress.

I checked and we do not have a PUC, we do not have an AG, we do not have FTC that oversees ANYTHING here...we have a lousy "ombudsman" and he doesn't do much more. But that is my ONLY option. There is no small claims court, so I can't even take this to court. I'd have to hire a lawyer and pay him more than the water bill itself.

So, yes, we are going to the ombudsman on Monday. Just one more time off work...Nothing can be done over the phone...for everything, you must go in person and take 1/2 day off at least...

You know, if I was complaining because "I thought I was being charged more than I consumed", that one be one thing...No, my bills say the following:

meter read 18OCT - 1401 (meter reading) total 36 cubic meters - total 92USD
estimated NOV amount - total 40 cubic meters - total 107USD (no date for meter reading, no reading, just 40 cubic meters...)
meter read 15DEC - 1453 (meter reading) total 52 cubic meters - total 123USD (last read on 18OCT) (so difference between 1401 and 1453 OCT and DEC readings)

But, there is NOTHING stated about the 40 cubic meters for 107 that I already paid for november, which was estimated...although they do show I paid it...


So, they charged me from 1401 to 1441 from October to November for 107, and then again from 1401 to 1453 from October to December...123USD...

There is nothing that is not in black and white...they are just thieves.

Anyway, I don't have much hope that it will get resolved on Monday...but we have no option. We have filed two complaints since October and both have come back as "all is ok"...with no explanation for the mess...

You MUST have a Attorney General in your state, Whatamess. Every state has one. But by all means go to the Ombudsman first - and remember what I said about having things in writing (and I did notice you tried a version of that - mention that idiot supervisor's comment to the Ombudsman).

Just in case - what state do you live in? I'll find it for you if I have time (in the middle of a house move at present)

When I'm in the process of doing something and someone either trys to help, or do it for me...I can't remeber or identify with what they've done. In turn I have to start over and do it all myself.
It's annoying sometimes.

No, sorry, I live in the lousy US territory of Puerto Rico...no AG here...

We do however have 78 mayors (for a total of 3,959,450)...and well, let's see...we have 27 senators, 39 in the house of representatives)...and one lousy governor...and total of 169,700 government employees...NOT counting FEDERAL, just local...

But no AG...don't you just love it!