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I had been paying my OUC energy bill online through their "e-check" system. For starters, OUC had the only online bill that does not offer Credit/Debit card payments and they also don't save any of your information in your online account. I've been paying this way since June 2009. In October, I received a automated phone call telling me they haven't received my payment for the previous month. As a young guy on the go, I often pay my bills all at once and so its possible I had accidentally forgotten to pay OUC, so I sent another "e-check". Later that month, I received a letter from OUC informing me that my last check was returned (without any more explanation) and they tell me if this continues to happen they will have to put me on a "Cash Only" basis. I guess the next check I sent worked just fine.
Today, I received another automated message saying OUC never received my December bill and I recall paying that! Once I checked my online account, it said the bill wasn't paid, so once again I click "e-check" (there aren't any other online options of paying). The next page displayed a sentence informing me that I can no longer pay online and would have to call customer service.
According to customer service, another e-check returned. After talking to the representative, the only answer we could come up with was the possibility that I could have typed in a wrong number when entering my check info (remember, OUC doesn't save any of this in your account, so you must re-enter it every time). Because of this SECOND mishap, OUC found it necessary to no longer trust my checks and put me on a CASH ONLY payments for 24months!
24 months? What makes them think I'm going to stay in this rental home for another 24 months!? Also, why haven't I been informed in a little more detail about my checks being returned? I only received two generic "payment not received" phone calls and one letter in October mentioning a returned check (which I thought was a mistake because there were no problems when I sent it again through e-check). When I'm told a payment isn't received, I assume I forgot to pay the bill, not that my checks are being returned because of a possible online mistake (that may or may not have been made by me).
After talking to four representatives, I have been put on the list for a supervisor to contact me about this problem. They claim they had sent me another letter in the mail, explaining the second returned check back in December, yet I haven't received it. And why am I just now getting the phone call today? This bill was in December! They claim they can't do anything about this and for now on I will have to take out money from my bank (my bank is closed when I get off work) and pay CASH at a Amscot, gas station or other payment centers.
Am I the only one not comfortable going into a gas station with $60 - $150 cash to pay a bill every month?
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
The same thing happened to me. There was over 10k in my account and they keep returning my echeck payments, then insist on charging me re-connect fees. I received no phone call or robo alert. Nothing on my account portal or an email. This is OUC's problem and they need to be held accountable. I am in the hospital having surgery and my dog walker just called to tell me my power is shut off! I have sent them a complaint through their online portal and have heard nothing.
I want to tell you all that you all talk about saving energy. So I have put new window into my apt and they were not cheap. I spent over 5, 000 dollars on them. I sent in for a rebate and all you guys can tell me that I did not put in the right kind to get a rebate. That real sucks. I can under stand that there are standard for this put come on people give us a break here. I was not thinking about get a big rebate but every little bite help. I just want you all to know and let other people know what to respect when they put in windows in there house.
Thank you, Noralee Della
I was past due and they didn't even inform me by phone or mail that my service would be interrupted. Not even a courtesy phone call asking me to make pymnt before shutting off my electricity. My family had to go without power for a day sweating in the house and sleeping in the dark. There's a reason why they only get 1 star!
OMG! It is 20013 and I just got off the phone with OUC and am literally shaking because I am so livid. First- my credit is 750 and they said it was 500 something and HAD to charge me a $120 fee per Experian (who I show has my credit at 750). They returned my eCheck for $120 but I didn't know it until I came home and my electricity was off. I paid the bill online with an eCheck (which I double-checked the number on) for $185 because they said I owed the $120, $40 new bill and $25 return fee. It was after 4pm. As a "one-time courtesy" they waived the fee. I set myself up on auto-pay and rechecked AGAIN the numbers I input. They took out the $120 from my account. I thought everything was fine- that they would take the $40 for the ONLY bill or notice I had gotten since they took the $120 and I did the auto-pay. Today- I looked online - really out of curiosity- and there was a PAST DUE amount for $130! Supposedly for $120 plus a $15 fee which doesn't even add up to $130! NO BILL! There is ONE bill- the SAME bill. AND it said I could no longer pay in any other way but cash in person. I called. The customer service girl (who was nice) said she could not tell what any of it was and that I had to talk to a collections person. I waited AGAIN for a long time and got someone. She was extremely rude. Was I nice? Not really but I didn't swear, yell or call her names- which I imagine does happen. She said "as a one-time courtesy" she could remove the cash only but I had to pay $65 reconnect fee, $25 return fee and then the $40. That is not what it says online and she told me that if I wanted to know why the $40 wasn't taken out with the $120 I had to talk to Customer Service. In addition, she said that the first payment was returned because I entered the wrong account information and "then it happened a second time." She said that the $185 I paid was returned because I entered the wrong account information again. Well somehow the same account number I checked and rechecked worked for the $120. Personally, I think this is a way to get fees and extra money since they got caught being dishonest with readings. Also, they can keep your up front deposit if you don't have good standing for two years. Well that just took care of that for them. So basically- they are getting a bunch of money from me for everything EXCEPT electricity! Can we do anything? I'm going to research. There has to be SOMETHING!
OUC did the same thing to me. As if uncontrollable things DONT ever happen. My checking account also had a problem at a time when I made a payment to OUC online. When I tried making another payment with another financial account. OUC tells me that they no longer will accept any form of payment but cash only for 24 months. WHAT THE HELL? appearantly some time way back in the past, I had a problem with another form of payment which truthfully, I couldn't even recall it happening. I just dont understand why this kind of extreme punishment is necessary? Ok, so my check/debit payment bounced. Charge me the fee for NSF, and take my new payment!whats the big deal? 24months of cash only payments? What if I'm a single mother of 1 or more children, working 1 or 2 jobs, and with no transportation . I'd have to find a way to make it to an amscot or gas station, probably with toddlers at my side crossing big avenues and waiting for buses in extreme weather?!?! Take that one scenerio into consideration. I'm sure there's more situations that people go through that can make this kind of punishment from OUC seem incredibly RIDICULOUS ! I hope this gets fixed soon !