Casper Star-Tribune Online

Advanced Search

SourceGas corrects billing error, direct payment method fails to credit accounts

Story Tools

Print this story

E-mail this story

Rate this story

Text Size

Share This Story:

trib.popular

By MEGAN LEE
Star-Tribune staff writer

Wednesday, July 2, 2008 6:41 AM MDT

More than 4,000 Wyoming SourceGas customers using the direct debit payment method weren't credited for last month's payments, a company representative said Tuesday.

The new billing issue, which affected customers throughout the state and in Colorado and Nebraska, occurred because of a data error, according to corporate communications director Len Mize.

"The payments were taken out of their account correctly but the files were suspended, so those payments didn't post," Mize said.

Some customers received disconnect notices "because it didn't look like they had paid the last month's bill," he said.

Hillary Wardlaw, a customer with SourceGas accounts in both Casper and Wheatland, said she thought her bank account wasn't being debted correctly.

"At first I thought maybe it was a mistake, but then I realized they had already taken the money out of my account and they still said I hadn't paid," Wardlaw said. "Eventually I got an automated call saying this wouldn't affect my credit. Well, I'd certainly hope not. I'd paid it."

Having dealt with SourceGas billing problems over the last nine months, Wardlaw didn't think arguing with customer service representatives would help her situation.

"It's ridiculous," she said. "I even have them taking the money right out of my account and they can't get it right."

Mize said Wardlaw and other direct debit customers don't need to worry. The data error was fixed as of June 27 and all payments have been posted to customers' accounts.

"This was an unanticipated data error, but we fixed it so it shouldn't suspend everyone next time there's a problem with one account," Mize said. "Of course, we apologize for the error."

He said the company has back-dated payments related to the issue to ensure customers won't be fined or experience credit problems.

"The problem pretty much got fixed pretty quick," he said. "All of those were back-dated to the correct date so customers got credit for when the money was taken out of their accounts."

SourceGas representatives will report to the Wyoming Public Service Commission about this and other billing issues during a public meeting at 9 a.m. Thursday in Cheyenne.

Contact reporter Megan Lee at (307) 266-0589 or megan.lee@trib.com


Vacation Bible schools keep kids busy		Casper family looks forward to gathering

Article Rating

Reader Comments

There are 4 comment(s)

Comments to this story.

Round... wrote on Jul 2, 2008 2:25 PM:

" They need to be inspected, hard. They have been nothing but a great example of how not to run a business. They are sad group of people that continue to blame and point fingers at all but themselves. I hate dealing with them. They are disservice to our town. Please look over each and every bill carefully, they have applied my deposit to another account, didn't bill me for months, asked to pay an increase in my deposit, applied my payment to another account, and threatened to disconnect for non payment when they had their money all along. Please keep records, for the past 6 months. Even if you go with another gas supplier, the bill is through them. Scarey isn't it? "

frustrated wrote on Jul 2, 2008 3:19 PM:

" It is good to hear that they finally fixed something with the billing. I have been going back and forth with them for sometime now regarding my deposit. I should have received back in Sept when I disconnected my service in Aug. They told me in Sept, Oct, and November I would receive my deposit back. I reconnected my service in the end of November and they said that I would still get it back and no deposit was needed for us to reconnected. Now they are saying I was mis informed, and that they are sorry. Any one else having issues with getting back the deposit? "

disgusted wrote on Jul 2, 2008 5:19 PM:

" Is this company ever going to get it done right? What a mess! "

Furiously confused wrote on Sep 26, 2008 6:01 PM:

" I thought getting set up with direct deposit would be a good thing, and it has been nothing but a nightmare. The customer service has been a dissappointment. I authorized a set amount throught budget billing and they ended up taking out over $700 out of my account the other day. I did not authorize that and the manager on the phone said that was legal with debit, they could take a balance other than what you authrize. FYI-alway's look at online account and paper statments, because they do not match. I have some smoothing journal debits or charges that make NO sense. They also show I made a payment, my bank doesn't show it came out, and cross referencing the dates, amounts and what was suppose to come out do not match. I called the police to have investigate and they said it was a civil matter and to go down to the sourcegas office and talk to a person and show her all my paperwork. I have copied every statement online and anything else to show. Hopefully I will get to the bottom of things, but what about my $700 till then? What else to do? I NEED my $, now I am going to have others to deal with because of this situation. Not fair. Feel violated that someone can just take an undisclosed amount out, all the while knowing a complete other amount was authorized. Just isn't right. "

Submit a Comment

We encourage your feedback and dialog, all comments will be reviewed by our Web staff before appearing on the Web site.

Please note: We provide our story commenting feature in order to solicit feedback, debate and discussion on topics of local interest. Please keep in mind that civility is a necessary component of productive conversation. All blatantly inflammatory or otherwise inappropriate comments (i.e. vulgarity, marketing, etc.) are subject to rejection and/or removal. Comments will appear if and when they are approved. Thanks for reading, and thanks for participating.