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2.0 148 Reviews

Suburban Propane Complaints Summary

38 Resolved
110 Unresolved
Our verdict: When using services from Suburban Propane with a poor resolution rate, be vigilant. Understand the common pitfalls other customers have faced. Prepare thoroughly for any interactions with their customer service, and consider alternative solutions if your issues are not addressed satisfactorily.
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Suburban Propane Balloon payment

Was with the company for almost a year. They set me up with their payment plan of $100 per month which I paid monthly. Two months ago I received a bill for $83, which was great. Last month I received my bill for $84 so I called them so I can pay by telephone, they told me my bill was $205. They said that I have to continue paying $205 until the end of their fiscal year which is August. What happen to the contracted amount of $100? I can't afford to pay $205 per month for the next 3 months. They call it a balloon payment because they want everyone to be at a 0 balance at the end of their fiscal year. Why didn't they tell me that at the beginning. They could have told me this when I signed up for the service. I called a new company and instead of paying $3.65 per gallon, I now pay $2.15 per gallon. In may I asked Suburban not to fill my tank, I would let them know when I wanted gas. They tried to fill it anyway, but I caught them and stopped them. Now they want to charge me $199 because I ended the contract a couple of months early. These people are crooks!

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old propane guy
Plant Ctiy, US
Jun 11, 2010 6:39 am EDT

If you signed up for the budget, you signed a paper that explains all of this. You did not sign a contract for $83/ month. It is an estimate and since you are a new customer, the amount was a guess. You should know what your balance is since you get a bill for every delivery. If you had a contract with someone and they wanted to cancel before the time period was up, wouldn't you expect them to pay a penalty for early termination? Don't you have a contract with you cell phone that charges an early termination? Maybe you should read what you sign!

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Suburban Propane Forced gas delivery/excessive min. chg

Suburban Propane came when no one was home, opened a closed gate, left 8.5 gal. in one of the two large tanks we have and charged us a min. of $85.00. This is ridiculous! Not going to pay it!

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ms molli
sonora ca, US
May 22, 2010 5:08 pm EDT

Propane pricing unfair, some say
Written by Walt Cook, The Union Democrat February 16, 2010 12:02 pm
Some Tuolumne County residents have discovered it’s “buyer beware” when it comes to propane purchases.

That’s because, unlike electricity and natural gas service, propane isn’t considered a utility in California, meaning suppliers don’t have to justify pricing to the State Public Utilities Commission.

The result can range in prices from $2.50 a gallon to upwards of $5 per gallon. With most home propane tanks ranging from 250 to 500 gallons, that can add up to a lot of money.

Groveland’s Bunny Henningsen found that out earlier this month. While she was away from home, her propane supplier — New Jersey-based Suburban Propane — put 200 gallons in her tank.

She was taken aback when she saw the bill hanging on her door: $1, 030 for 200 gallons. That amounts to $5.14 per gallon. The market rate on the day her tank was filled was $2.99 per gallon.

Henningsen was outraged.

“How many people out there purposely keep their house cold because they can’t afford an extra $2 a gallon? she said. “That’s a horrible thing to do to people in the middle of winter.”

Attempting to modify a pricey home loan and operating a quilt shop in a bad economy, Henningsen had few dollars to spare.

So she called the local Suburban office in Jamestown and complained. As a result, the company lowered her rate to $2.99 per gallon for the fill-up, cutting $432 from the original bill.

Tim Brown, of Sonora, also had a run-in with Suburban. Like Henningsen, on the company’s automatic-fill plan, where a homeowner’s tank is filled without prior notice, he was shocked when he saw his bill. He said he was charged $5 per gallon for 102 gallons after a December fill-up. The market rate for propane at the time in California was $2.89 per gallon.

“I just about flipped out, ” he said. “It’s ridiculous to fill somebody’s tank without notification, stick a bill on their door and expect them to pay up.”

Brown has since canceled his service with Suburban.

“They’re getting their gas back, and I’m not paying a dime, ” he said.

Since most propane tanks are leased by homeowners, canceling service results in the booted propane company picking up its tank, which can cost homeowners up to $100. Some companies, though, have agreements to swap each other’s tanks free of charge.

Various residents in the Sacramento area have levied similar complaints against Suburban, according to published reports.

Suburban gave Henningsen and Brown different reasons for why they were being charged 40 percent more than the going-rate for propane.

Brown said he was told he was paying for “superior service.”

Henningsen, meanwhile, said she was told she was paying a higher rate because she wasn’t using enough propane annually.

“They said it was because I was using less than 400 gallons a year, ” she said.

A call to the local Suburban office in Jamestown this week revealed the company has a tiered pricing system, which, depending on the amount a customer uses annually, can range — as of now — from $2.50 to $5.14 per gallon.

“Nobody else does that, ” said Henningsen, who has been shopping around for a new propane provider.

Indeed, other companies operating in the area claimed they do not used a tiered pricing system. Rates at the other companies — excluding introductory rates — ranged from $2.93 to $3.20 per gallon as of this week.

Suburban spokesman Peter Teshima, based in the company’s New Jersey office, said “a lot goes into pricing.” He declined to comment further on the phone, instead issuing a written statement.

In the statement, Suburban touted its service — including “highly trained” dispatchers who take calls 24 hours a day, and its ability to secure reliable propane supplies from major providers.

Delivery distances, delivery amounts and market rates all come into play when billing customers, according to the statement.

Brown, the owner of a moving and storage company, expressed frustration with politicians for not protecting consumers when it comes to propane prices. He said with various fees and prices going up, the last thing people need is to be hit with an above-market-rate gas bill.

“The regulation factor needs to come in somewhere along the line, ” Brown said.

Henningsen agreed, saying homeowners don’t have the option of suddenly ceasing their use of propane, not when their appliances and central heating systems are powered by the petroleum-based gas.

In that respect, propane is a lot like a utility, she said.

Andrew Kotch of the state Public Utilities Commission described the importance of utility regulation, saying utilities are considered a necessity, so it’s important they aren’t put out of reach for consumers.

“There are not that many around and the competition is less, which could lead to concerns about pricing, ” Kotch said.

Lesley Brown Garland, president and CEO of the California-based Western Propane Gas Association, noted that because there are many propane companies around — several operate in Calaveras and Tuolumne counties alone — propane doesn’t fit the criteria of a utility.

Lawmakers apparently agree, as California has no law regulating propane prices.

Instead, the free market sorts things out, Garland said. If one company is charging too much, other companies are available for consumers to choose from. That’s something Brown and Henningsen have found out.

“This keeps everyone operating as efficiently as possible, ” Garland said.

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Suburban Propane price gouging; scamming

Important: If you have had problems with Suburban, file a complaint with your county District Attorney Consumer Complaint office!
I was told I'd be charged over $4 for propane so I told them not to deliver. They delivered anyway! Then they charged me even more- Over $5.75/gal. After 3 months I finally got them to pick up both their tank and gas after having to go get another company to bring me gas so I wouldn't be using theirs. Then they brought out a contract from over 10 years ago saying I used to be on auto delivery so they were allowed to deliver and I had to pay a pick up fee and some other fees. Now they want me to pay over $1000 for gas that I don't have and didn't ask for. I called the D. A. and they said to file a complaint with their online complaint form (after I had talked to them on the phone). The more complaints, the better).

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wesite111
, US
Aug 04, 2010 10:05 am EDT

They sent me a ticket showing that we owe over $475. We called and found out it was just to get our attention to get our tank filled. They charged us at $4.3090 per gallon and the monthly rental fee of ~$103. According the Suburban Propane, the rate is set based on the usage. Basically, they can charge you whatever they want... It's uneithcial!

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Suburban Propane Rip-off

BUYERS BEWARE!

My husband is a former employee of these thieves. He has seen first hand the shady business practices these people use:

1. Inflated pricing on propane and home heating oil compared to local competitors

2. Filling propane tanks the day before the tank is scheduled to be picked up

3. "Guess-timating" the amount of propane left in the tank to determine the customers credit, rather than weighing the tank to determine the actual amount of propane -- or outright lying about the actual amount of propane in the tank

4. Putting off "no heat" service calls received in the morning until the end of the day so they can get their scheduled maintenance appointments done first (believe me, the service technicians hate this just as much as you do!)

5. Insisting the service techs complete jobs without proper parts - for example, not changing out parts or using improper parts during the maintenance and cleaning of oil burners (like nozzles, oil filters, and controls)

Doing an internet search on Suburban Propane complaints results in numerous cconsumer complaints (sites like this one) and news reports of shady practices.

And the company treats its lower-level employees in the same manner. Managers are raking in bonuses for promoting these practices while the service techs, drivers & secretaries are forced to cover up these unscrupulous practices. We used to think it was only the local offices where my husband worked that was doing these things; however, after reading so many consumer complaints on this and other sites and seeing news reports of the same, I realize this a company-wide scam.

IT IS IN YOUR BEST INTEREST TO USE ANYBODY BUT SUBURBAN!

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Stevie--b
Miami, US
Jun 18, 2011 10:53 pm EDT

My current propane charges in Miami, Florida at $5.499 per gallon by Suburban. This is way beyond the going rate.

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Suburban Propane - Price gouging

We recently bought a house that had a 500 gallon propane tank that was being rented from suburban propane. Before signing up on a 3 year lease for the tank, we researched pricing from 4 other competitors. Pricing from all were within 5 % of each other, so we decided to go with suburban even though i had already been using pacer propane at another property i...

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Suburban Propane Price Gauging and Unethical Business Practices

Upon moving into our house in September 2009 and never having any experience in dealing with a propane company, I chose the company that the previous and original owners of the house had contracted. I unknowingly signed a 3-year agreement with them as the customer service employee went through the pages with me telling me what each said in a nutshell. It was my bad for not reading the fine print and trusting someone, but to be honest, I just thought I was signing up with a new utility. It costs $100, plus administrative fees to cancel, which is a small fee compared to their gas prices. I researched 6 propane companies yesterday and Suburban Propane is $1.00 higher per gallon than the most expensive one that quoted me. Also, I have a 500-gallon tank which they fill to 80%, probably about 425 gallons and the first go round it cost over $1200 to top off the tank, whereby previous owners still had some residual fuel in there. They advised that they own this tank. I am going to ask them to provide documentation. I would purchase it if they gave me a fair market price for a 10-year old tank, but they said they would sell it for $2, 000. It has depreciated greatly in 10 years. They are the most rude people to their customers I have ever seen. The guy yesterday told me he had other customers (we were on the phone) and he would have to let me go. They come up with their hose to top off your tank to get more money. I have yet to get a bill with the amount of units on it and the price they are charging. They said the driver put it on the door and it probably blew away. Even when they mailed me this bill, it had nothing, but $441.00 due upon receipt. What does that tell me? I got on the budget plan after asking them to average out the previous owner's highest year at $220 per month and got a bill this month for $441. Our main heat source is heat pumps and the propane only kicks in after the temperature gets below a certain degree when it is cold and the heat pump (electric) is no longer efficient. So the propane is a back up system. Everything in the house is electric, except the fireplace and the stove, both of which we do not use often. I was told that since our tank is underground, it would be over $700 and maybe more, because it would have to be back-hoed out, plus a pump out fee per gallon of gas that is in the tank, and other administrative costs. I am looking to seek legal advice and take some action because customers should not be treated this way. We live in a free enterprise system and should be able to choose (without severe penalty) what companies we want to handle our business. If anyone out there knows of an attorney or someone knowledgeable about this issue, please contact me. I am going to contact the Virginia State Attorney General's Office. Legislation needs to be enacted immediately to regulate this crooked industry of price gauging and unethical business tactics. This company needs to be stopped in their tracks. Maybe the White House can get involved like they did in the General Motors case.

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TREEGUYLEE
Langhorne, US
Dec 04, 2010 3:04 pm EST

I have another suburban propane disgruntled customer story. Langhorne Pa. Suburban was told not to fill the tank twice. Contract was good to dec 9th. They came while I was on my honeymoon and filled the tank on Nov. 5th. And capped it stating the house was unoccupied and that its standard procedure. They are trying to charge us 5.00 per gallon for the UN-AUTHORIZED FILL and forcing us to renew our contract. Meanwhile it's dec 6th and they still wont un cap the tank without renewing a contract that they were in violation of in the first place. SCREW THEM. BOYCOTT SUBURBAN.

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No More Abamma
Round Hill, US
Nov 27, 2010 4:21 pm EST

My community is in Western Loudoun County of Northern Virginia. Our experience with Suburban is identical in most cases and worse in some, that Rebeca Mitchell mentions in her commentary. The bottom-line as I see it, is that Suburban Propane is in gross violation of anti-trust stipulation, defined in the Sherman Act. The Attorney General for the Common of Wealth of Virginia should be actively involved in bringing this discredit to justice and blatant disregard for the law and citizens of Virginia, to justice in court of law. Only the vast amount of money and associated leverage, allows the lobbyist for this firm to continue to rape the citizens of our great state. THIS HAS TO STOP!

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GettingZen
Bridgeton, US
Mar 18, 2010 11:43 am EDT

Suburban Propane has done virtually the same thing to our family by arbitrarily increasing their rates from as little as $2.39 per gallon to a whopping $5.39 per gallon within a single delivery. They are an enormous corporation with little-to-no ethics with regard to their customers. I had the regional supervisor, Phil Palmeri, on the phone to complain and he promised that he would adjust my bill to reflect $2.00 per gallon and lock that price until July, 2010 - this was heard by a number of people via speakerphone, as I knew that, as a corporate flunkie, he would attempt to be slick with regard to this type of complaint.

When I called to inquire about my bill, I was told that the price had been adjusted to reflect $4.39 per gallon and demanded to speak to Mr. Palmeri, again - he was out of the office. I called a few days later and left a message on his business voice mail, and no return call. I finally tracked him down and confronted him with my complaint and he said (verbatim AND on speakerphone, again), "I would NEVER agree to that amount! NOT EVER!" To which I replied that, perhaps, he had meant that he would allow a two-dollar discount. His immediate response was that I was implying that he was "...a liar..." and I responded by saying that I wasn't calling anyone a liar, but that several witnesses heard him say that he would only charge me $2.00 per gallon and lock that price until July 31, 2010. He finally compomised and promised that my bill would reflect "$2.39 per gallon with a litany of corporate double-speak about seasonal usage, supply and demand, and so forth. I responded by saying that his company was engaging in PRICE GOUGING and that, regardless of the adjustment, I would be reporting his company's practices to the Federal Trade Commission, which I have.

I urge EVERYONE who has experienced price gouging and unethical practices with this (or, any other) corporation to take copious notes, talk on speaker phone with witnesses whenver possible, and to REPORT these issues to the FTC, immediately.

Another issue with this company is alleged "malfunctioning valves." This is either a deliberate ploy, or plain stupidity when the delivery is made and the valve is left open for the gas to dissipate causing the customer to reorder another delivery. Please, please, please...all consumers MUST make themselves aware and take PROACTIVE steps to protect themselves, and their fellow consumers.

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Suburban Propane Price. 5.959 Gallon

My last delivery for Suburban propane was $5.96 a gallon. It is my last. $878. for 147.6 gallon. 1 month worth of heat, hot water & cooking and clothes washer. I am ashamed it has taken me so long, 23 years to fire this outfit.

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Disappointed in New York
Chestertown, US
Mar 12, 2010 12:01 pm EST

i have a 1000 gal. tank with Suburban, it runs my entire house, as we are off the grid and use a propane generator when the solar panels don't get a charge. After 5 years of renting the tank, I would then have ownership of the tank, mind you we spent an average of $6, ooo.00 per year on LP gas. When Suburban decided to fill my tank 800 gallons without my request, I was obligated to pay $2, 400.oo on my account. My account became delinquent, and they came to my house and put a lock on my tank without any prior notification, essentially shutting us down. We slowly paid the balance off in full, as slowly as you can when you depend on LP. We had to then pre-pay, with a minimum delivery of 150 gallons. Consistentlywould receive a bill one week following the delivery, even though we had already paid in full prior to delivery?Their service was always rude and uncooperative, we had been with then for 12 years at two different locations. When I looked into another provider, they gave me an estimate for $2, 000.00 to bring my propane system up to code, Suburban did all my installations, on my newly constructed home, no other gas company would take us on as customers, without the upgrades. We wanted to own the tank which is buried, and have proof of ownership, to purchase for the best price, they said we could buy the tank for$2, 800.00?Oh yeah and by the way, because they had merged with Agway Energy they no longer would release the tank to us after the five years, Our hands were tied, unless we could come up with near 3k, to feed the fat man!We decided to tell Suburban to kiss off, and changed our system up to something more practicle, thanks for the push and the extra $5, 000.00 a year. Suburban, You're losing customers everyday because you're lying, deceitful business people, who get ahead by bullying hard working, honest consumers who feed your greedy souls- I hope you can remedy your situation, you have the opportunity to be a well respected company again. No Regrets leaving you I hope someone steps in and forces regulation on your company, its corrupt.

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Suburban Propane Gauging prices

All of us Senior Citizens here at this Community of Senior Citizens have to receive our heat and hot water from Suburban Propane, who definitely overcharge us. I have a 2 room apartment and very small kitchen and bath, kitchen only 2 steps not even enough to put a table or chair into and I have been overcharged for heat and hot water since I moved into and the other Senior Citizens tell me the same thing that they recieve bills even higher than mine.

My last bill for not even a month was $206.00. I keep my heat on 60, how could I get a bill for heat and hot water and stove, which I hardly use and most of the time I am not even here and I put the thermostat on 45 degrees when I am gone. We are all cold here being afraid to use the heat, especially this was a colder winter, but still, I ask you how can we be charged so much money for just a small apartment. I have complained to them several times about this and they just keep on saying this was an especially cold winter and so on and so forth, I told them they are gauging us in price. The woman just ke[t on talking and saying they would check the meter and I told her she better check all the meters, because we are all being overcharged. No one ever came to check the meters. Help us if you can, it is horrible how Seniors get taken advantage of. I moved here because I couldn't afford where I was the rent had gone up too much for me and this place was supposed to be better and it advertises affordable Senior Living. I did apply for LHEAP and they said they were going to send a one time check to Suburban Porpane, and when I called them and told them to credit my bill for the amount of the check. They said that they never received one and when they do it would take 2 months to process it before it would be cashed. What do they think that we are stupid. Someone really needs to help us. I understand they are owned now by Agway? I am not sure about this, but we could all use your help here at Concord Pointe in Glen Mills, PA.
Thank you for your concern. Maggy347

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Suburban Propane - unethical

TAKE ACTION STOP COMPLAINING.. GOOGLE "SUBURBAN PROPANE CLASS ACTION SUIT" WE ARE TRYING TO INITIATE A LAW SUIT AGAINST THEM... YOU MUST CONTACT YOU LOCAL GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, SENATOR, ASSEMBLYMAN, CONGRESSMAN... INCLUDING THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICEI have been a customer of Suburban for over 20 years, unfortunately. They are the most unethical busine...

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Suburban Propane Prices

In July of 2009, Suburban propane come and filled our tank after they were asked not to. They charged $6.99 per gallon. They said that they did not have our request not to fill so that there was not any thing they could do. So I got mad enough to tell them to come and get their tank. They come and got the tank however they only wanted to give me $27 for more propane then they delivered. I still had a bill for propane that they took back.

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Suburban Propane Prices and Service

My last propane delivery (2/12/10) was billed at $3.939 per gallon. Average costs of other companies is approximately $2.75 per gallon. Thus, for 200 gallons my charge was almost $240.00 above market price. The local Suburban Propane company told me that their price was competitive and offered no explanation for the difference other than that they believed competing companies were giving me "introductory prices". When I checked this out each company said that was not true. Also, the gauge on my tank does not work and Suburban has been unwilling or unable to fix it for 21 years. As with everyone else, I am a captive customer. Since Suburban "owns" my tank I cannot use another supplier and the cost of digging up and replacing my current tank is more than I can afford. As far as I can tell, there are no regulatory agencies and no recourse. Since I cannot buy at market price I fear that I can be charged whatever Suburban wishes.
Does anyone know a way out of this mess?

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Jennifer Kovacic
Bothell, US
Aug 11, 2010 9:20 pm EDT

It does not matter if the tank is under ground, leave it there. Get another supplier to rent you their tank and have it above ground. The new supplier doesn't even have to know! But even if they do so what?
Unhook the plumbing from the underground tank to the house and the new supplier can run another pipe to the house from the new tank.
The problem might be where the hook up is, is it also underground? If it is then hire someone to do some digging. Get rid of Suburban they are super crooks.
I had them and got rid of them, the woman kept telling me, oh yes $4.49 a gallon is a good price. Well it is not, now I get it for $1.85 a gallon, yes much better.

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Erin Nagy
Kingston, US
Feb 23, 2010 9:56 pm EST

I have a similar situation in NY except that my tank is leased from Suburban but it's above ground. I checked the county average for Propane this afternoon and it was $2.93 -- we just got a fill up of 300 gallons this afternoon and I almost croaked when I saw the bill --- $5.57/gallon! When it was $4.79 right before Xmas, I called and complained -- they lowered it to $3.49 and I requested a check back which they complied with. However, like you, they cannot give an adequate answer as to why they are so much higher above competitors --- I got the whole song and dance about them being available 24/7/365 and having highly trained drivers and technicians === they also pulled that same crap w/ me stating that the other companies must be giving me wrong quotes -- but I know EXACTLY what to ask these other companies and I think the obvious option is to have them come take their tank and I will go with someone else altogether!

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Suburban Propane Price Gauging

I've been considering talking to a lawyer and initiating a class-action suit against the company. The previous delivery, on 12/23/09, they charged 3.604/GAL. After my husband called, they lowered the price to 2.60/GAL. Yesterday, I spoke with someone in the office and I threatened to take legal action. I asked him why the price quoted me over the phone yesterday was 3.919/GAL when the average rate in central New York was 2.39/GAL. I questioned whether he thought his practices were legal. This company has been overcharging me for years now, and I am tired of feeling like they have me over a barrel.

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MPLaRocco
East Greenbush, US
Mar 03, 2010 9:23 am EST

I will join the suite as well. I just got my tank filled yesterday and the price was the highest it has ever been, $4.44/gal. I called Suburban to complain about the high price and they offered to lower it to $4.19, BIG DEAL! I called around and found that Main Care Energy's price is $2.67/gal based on the same useage, HOW CAN THE CROOKS AT SUBURBAN get away with this! I also learned that Main Care will come out and dig up Suburban's tank and relpace it with theirs, connect and pressure test the lines, all for $125. The only question is, will Suburban credit me for the propane in the tank, if they do then I'm dropping them! East Greenbush, NY

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S. Mcdonald
Broadalbin, US
Feb 24, 2010 5:38 am EST
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I started February 2009 to stop the fill ups so I could change companies. They came 2 months early with a fill up. My unrequested fill up last week was $5.11 a gallon.
I will join the suit. Broadalbin, NY

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nsup
, US
Feb 19, 2010 4:38 pm EST

I just got my tank filled today and the price I got was $5.13 a gallon I will join the suit

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lrelyea
Vestal, US
Feb 12, 2010 7:17 am EST

Let me know if you sue. We'd like to also. We're in NY as well and were just charged 4.46/gallon! They said they would only come down to 3.49/gallon. What crooks!

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Suburban Propane OUTRAGEOUS PRICES

WE RECENTLY RECEIVED A REFILL FOR OUR PROPANE - OUR WHOLE HOUSE IS PROPANE - HEAT/COOK/DRYER/HOT WATER AND THE PRICE PER GALLON WAS $3.98. I CALLED A LOCAL COMPETITOR AND THE PRICE WAS $2.699. THEIR SERVICE ISN'T THAT GREAT FOR $1.29 A GALLON. WE HAVE BEEN A CUSTOMER FOR 20+ YEARS BUT SINCE WE HAVE AN UNDERGROUND TANK OUR ONLY OPTION IS TO DIG UP OUR TANK AND HAVE ANOTHER PUT IN. I AM VERY DISSAPPOINTED IN THIS COMPANY TAKING ADVANTAGE OF AN ALREADY DEPRESSED MARKET.

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TDRobinson
Gansevoort, US
Jul 13, 2010 2:00 pm EDT

I live just outside of Saratoga Springs and have dealt with the criminal practices of Suburban Propane for 8 long years. This summer we finally got smart and hooked up to the natural gas line in our neighborhood. Now, I'm trying to get Suburban to dig up their tank and remove it, but they are going to take more money from us before we can be rid of them. Perhaps I will take them to small claims court for the cost of repairing my yard! I can't wait for this nightmare to end!

TDR

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slacker2131
Lake George, US
Feb 10, 2010 3:16 pm EST

Up here in Lake George NY they are charging us $5.62 and other local compettitors are charging $3.25!

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Suburban Propane Price

We just received our latest bill from SUBURBAN PROPANE. They charged us $7.0690 per gallon for our regular monthly delivery. When I called to complain, the clerk, with out batting an eyelash, reduced our price to 3.99 per gallon. When I asked about new service I was quoted at 2.5999 per gallon. This is the biggest rip off I have ever seen. New Yorkers beware of this huge corporation that preys on us!

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ridge
Cazenovia, US
Dec 23, 2009 9:03 am EST

I live in Madison County, New York. I was just charged $3.63 a gallon for propane. I have two tanks and for some reason they fill one and then return later to fill the other. I called another distributor and got a price of $2.63. What is up with this company. They do this to me every Winter and when I call they reduce the price. I guess I have had it. Do not do business with these people. They are rip off artists.

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chrisfromvt
South Burlington, US
Feb 23, 2010 2:57 pm EST

The price gouging of this company has caused me and my family outrageous distress over the winter months. My Oil tank is filled once every month and a half for over $750 As I do not have the exact amount of the price per gallon on hand I have found that the local oil companies would have charged me more then $220.oo less for the same amount of fuel.

I am a renter and thus can move, and have made the decision to due so after this summer before the next cold season. I am in a constant battle with disconnect notices and shut-off warning with them as I struggle to keep up with this mortgage payment of oil.

They need to be stopped or regulated as the power company is not to shut the heat down in a family home in Vermont in the middle of winter. They are all thieves.

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LDJ47
, US
Jan 26, 2011 11:21 pm EST

It's not just happening in New York! I'm in northern California. I was just charged $4.37 per gallon by Suburban Propane in Red Bluff, CA. I checked the per gallon cost with every other provider in the area. Seems their prices range from $2.78 to $2.98! Suburban lowered the price to $3.99. Very big of them.

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matt darling
canastota, US
Jan 17, 2010 12:06 pm EST

i had suburban 2 they do that so they can charge 175.00 for an off route delivery i swiched to mohawk 2.20 a gallon suburban ran over my septic line and didnt want to pay for it

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Suburban Propane Propane Prices

We just received our propane bill from Suburban Propan in the Albany NY suburbs on 1/20/2009. At $4.40 a gallon for 310 gallons the $1, 370 bill seemed a steep to me. I went back over my old bills and compared them with the historic prices from the New York Home Propane Monitoring System, at http://www.nyserda.org/Energy_Information/nyepf.asp In the winter of 2008 they charged 11% over the average NY State Prices, in 2009 they charged 25% over and this winter they are charging 51% over!

The previous owners of our house say they purchased the tank from Agway, but have no proof and Agway is no longer in the Gas buisness. Suburban claims the tank belongs to them because I cannot find the paperwork. Does any of this make sense or is it simply that Suburban Propane is a greedy liar?

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Erin Nagy
Kingston, US
Feb 23, 2010 10:02 pm EST

I'm down in Kingston and they will be getting ANOTHER earful from me tomorrow - just came home to a nice, fat $1760 bill ... $5.57/gallon! This is coming on the heals of a $1300 bill right before Christmas at a whopping $4.79/gallon. I too have checked the NYSERDA website, as well as other local competitors, and they are always DOUBLE and they cannot ever explain why! I lease the tank from them and I am figuring out a way to get out of it ... it's utterly ridiculous! Do you know if anyone has reported them to the BBB? Seems to be a number of comments about price gauging on here --- it's very unfortunate but happy I'm not the only one!

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Suburban Propane Price of Propane

I've had a Suburban Propane Tank in my backyard for about 2 year. If their service was as great as the guy that sold me this tank and gas there would be no problem. These Parasites have tried to charge me $10 per gallon for propane when other companies like Ferrelgas was charging $1.89/gallon. I had this tank installed on a new construction shop so I had no idea how much the shop would use per year. I found that I did a real good gob insulating my shop so now because I don’t use huge amounts of Propane, Suburban wants to charge me from $4 and up for the gas I do use. I have thought about contacting one of those Consumer Advocacy Groups that like to use the Media to beat Companies like this up for their less than Ethical Business Practices. On the last visit from the Suburban Propane Delivery person, he was told to charge me $500 for 125 gallons of Propane. That is $4 per gallon. The driver told me he wouldn't even pay that much for Propane because he knows how much they pay for it. Looks like even their drivers are tired of getting beat up by the Customers. I guess when you run a less than Ethical Business even your employee's get tired of the abuse that their Company is causing. I would bet that if the CEO of the company had to hear the complaints like the Drivers do, he might change his Business Practices. As long as we allow Companies like Suburban Propane to victimize people they will thrive in this Country. What will finish a company like this one would be a campaign of Bad Publicity that lets people know what they are in for if they sign a contract with Suburban Propane. I would ask that people start calling their Political Representatives in Washington and letting them know about this Company and how they are doing you. You might be surprized at how much a phone call from a Senator can get people moving in the right direction.

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bette murphy
Williamstown, US
Feb 08, 2010 6:09 pm EST

i am in the process of purchasing a new home and i will definitely not buy one which has propane...the actions of suburban propane are unjust and unfair

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bette murphy
Williamstown, US
Feb 08, 2010 6:08 pm EST

i have been a customer of suburban propane out of hammonton nj for almost 10 yrs. i called to get a delivery today in the amount of $200 since i only haqve one medium sized tank and was told it would cost almost $400 to fill it. I am on social security and there is no way i can pay for that much, but they don't care, so i will go without. It seems in the past 2 years their service has really gone down hill. I called rob andrews office and they advised me to file a complaint with consumer affairs. I have never ever been a credit problem with them and yet i was talked to like i was a piece of crap. this is so unfair, but they could care less. they flatly refuse to come out and give me the amount i know i can pay for right away.

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Gouged
Loudon, US
Jan 16, 2010 12:43 pm EST

I live in East Tennessee and just had my tank filled. I was charged $4.64/gal. When checking with competitors the quote was $2.99 - $2.89. I called for an anonymous price quote with Suburban and they insist on your name and account info. Since I have been a customer of theirs for 10 years they gave me a price of $3.71/gal. This is not the first problem I've had with Suburban but I do plan to make it my last!

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Suburban Propane Forced gas delivery

I moved into my new place about 9 months ago and was on a meter with suburban propane at the recommendation of my landlord.

After getting a bill for over $400 my first month, I found out they were charging about double what other companies were charging.

After some negotiation, we reduced the bill and agreed that the meter will be removed and I would call if I needed more gas in the future. This was agreed upon with their general manager. It was clear that I would pay for what was in the tank already and that no more deliveries would be made unless I called to ask for it.

Their billing system was screwed up and created a duplicate account and they kept sending threatening letters about not paying, when I pay for everything in full. They kept sending automatic threatening letters to shut down my tank, when they do not own the tank and the payment was made in full. I finally had them fix this and there was no apology or sorry or anything.

A few months went by and everything seemed ok.

Well, today, their truck shows up and they fill the tank without my permission and just gave me a bill for it.

I never called to ask for the gas and the driver lied and make up excuses and basically bullied me and told me how it was in my best interest as the gas prices are going up and used his route log as an excuse for what he did. From their other behavior, I would have to question everything the driver said and I believe it was all a lie and cheat people.

This seems to be another one of their misleading tactics and they are filling my tank without my permission, then expecting me to pay for it and if I don't, they will threaten to shut off a tank they do not own.

From what I read about them from other people, this type of dishonest tactics seem to be "normal business" for them.

I am not sure what I can do. Can I call the police if they shut of a tank they do not own?

I am sorry I ever did any business with them and I would warn others about even opening an account with them.

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Zack B
Nashua, US
Feb 03, 2010 6:15 pm EST

If I were you, I would add a padlock to your tank to keep them from filling it.

I am currently having some issues with Suburban and I suspect them of meter padding when filling my tanks. I am currently gathering evidence before any accusations are made.

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Suburban Propane Failure to provide service

Suburban Propane charged a tank rental fee for propane tanks, which was not in the contract. When I complained they reduced the fee by half. I paid it for fear they would take the tanks out, leaving me with no heat.

When I sold the property, I notified them to take a reading on the volume of propane in the tanks and make arrangements to retrieve them. They failed to do this and the new owner used 40-50 gals of my propane before Suburban removed the tanks. This was after repeated phone calls to Suburban to take care of the matter.

When they finally removed the tanks, not only was 40-50 gals used up, Suburban Propane had the audacity to charge me a $60.00 closing fee, in addition to what I had lost to the new owner.

I would not use this company for any reason in the future and urge anyone else to avoid them.

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Suburban Propane - Tank fee & pickup fee

After years of two deliveries a year by Suburban Propane they have place a $60 a year rental fee for the tank they service. Our average bill is $90 each delivery. Now a $60 dollar charge on top of this. When I called about the fact that we were not told of this charge prior to filling the tank this last time they had no answer to my request. They tole me...

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Suburban Propane Being FORCED to take propane

One day out of the blue I see a man is dragging his big propane hose across my yard. I stopped him and told him I did not ask for more propane. I had over 3/4 of a tank and I have only a gas stove that I don't use much. He said he had to add propane or take my tank.
So I had to pay for propane I did not need or want.
When I called the manager to complain said it was a misundestanding.
The next year I was sent a bill for Tank Rental. I guess saying you're going to take someone's tank wasn't the right thing to do.
A couple of months ago here is a man yet again dragging his hose across my yard. Another forced tank fill up.
And to add insult to injury I got a bill last month a bill for tank rental.
I've written them and told them this is some racket they have going.
I told them I am about to turn them in to AARP since I live in an Over 55 Mobile Home Park and I am not the only one they've done this to. AARP loves ripping into companies who take advantage of us older folks.
I am also one step from turning them over to a local news station who also loves to get a hold of companies like Suburban.
I told them I will wait a reasonable amount of time for an explanation or I'm throwing them to the dogs.
If you have this type of problem and belong to AARP let them know.
If you have a local news station who will investigate, turn them in.
They need to be stopped and made to pay for ripping people off!

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Josie #StayPositive
, US
Aug 23, 2023 1:01 pm EDT
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

Agreed. They think that I should pay for unused propane. I only use 87 gallons a year and they filled in March. They want the 1.00 per gallon not use plus 5.00 a gallon for what was used. And they will probably charge to removed the tank. I was charged 7.00 a gallon for that 87 gallons. I am searching now

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Rich Gavert
Wells, NV., US
Feb 07, 2022 4:14 pm EST
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At one point Suburban propane, topped off my tank, with out my knowledge with 13 gallons of propane & with their added "FEES" it came to almost $39.00!

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not that bob
St Paul, US
May 26, 2010 8:12 am EDT

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