Poop MGE Sucks - Page 5

Big Dog · 11-17-2009, 12:52 PM

So I am leaving the house today, and there is an MGE vehicle parked in front. I drive over to see a woman standing next to my gas meter. She explains she has turned off my gas due to non payment. WTF? She also cannot turn it back on, as she is a collector (although I was home and there was no knock on my door to collect), and that I have to call to get it turned back on.

I pay my bills via a bill pay service, meaning they get the bills, scan them in, and send me a notification of amount and due date. It has worked very well for years now. As I am calling to get my service turned back on, I find that I received a bill on 11/12 and paid it (received in their office today). When I actually looked at the scan I find it says final warning, cutoff, blah, blah. Then I look at history and see that I have not received a bill from them since June. WTF?

So I am told they will not turn on my gas until tomorrow. I say no way, get passed up to a supervisor, and I start to try and find out what has happened.

She basically says it's my fault because I didn't pay...I say I paid every bill I received, and then it's my fault because I didn't notice I wasn't getting bills. We examine further...I am set up for e-bills. Now it's my fault because I signed up for e-bills and didn't pay. I argue I haven't done anything different in years, and that the fault is theirs, and they need to turn my service back on today.

Finally we find out that I did sign up for e-bills so long ago that I used an email address from a provider I haven't had in 5 years or more, and that I was receiving both e-bills (although I wasn't) and paper. Now it comes to light that in June they announced (via a slip of paper in the bill) that if you have e-bills set up they will discontinue your paper bills unless you respond. Well, of course I didn't respond...because even if that was scanned in by my bill pay service, I didn't look at it...and realistically it came with all the other junk they send...trying to sell return address labels, rubber stamps, checks, etc. who would look at it?

NOW THE FINAL KICKER...her system shows failed attempts at email delivery on June 4th and 5th! So it's my fault I was not paying bills they were only sending to an email address they knew I was not receiving!

Still, they are not going to come turn on my service today. Throughout these calls, I am pretty agitated and tired of the condescending 'but sir, you signed up for e-bills, we have no control over that'. So I end with my only recourse. Since MGE is a monopoly and I have no other option (excepting propane I suppose, if there is no city ordinance against it) I explain to her I will be calling every radio and tv station in the city this afternoon (not a bluff btw) and seeing if anyone wanted to pick up the story...that they probably would not, but I was committed to making the calls since I felt it my only recourse.

"I'll send in the order to have your gas turned on today."

Of course she wouldn't guarantee when, so it's likely to be as late as they feel they can go, but it's just so damn ridiculous that through a series of errors primarily on MGE's part they did not feel responsible to turn my gas back on today. It's also a sad state that to get these monstrous monopolies (gas, electric, insurance, etc.) to do anything you have to fight and fight, and the lesson learned is that customer service doesn't matter, but the squeaky wheel gets oiled.

Ok, done now...just wanted to vent.

**Donger** · 11-17-2009, 03:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big Dog

Throwing away junk mail without reading it is not basic human behavior?

Sorry to hear about that.

Well, it would appear that it wasn't junk mail, was it? If something comes from my utility, I open it, period.

Big Dog · 11-17-2009, 03:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donger

Have you checked to see if they did indeed send the bill via USPS and your bill pay company didn't drop the ball?

Yes, I have, and they did not. They even told me over the phone they had not sent one since the last one I thought I received.(June) My bill services also scan in 'notices'. I suspect they end up missing some, just like anyone else would, as they weed out the junk mail. I went back and checked notices from MGE this year and found the one telling me they would not be e-billing me since they could not confirm my email address dated June.

Big Dog · 11-17-2009, 03:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donger

Well, it would appear that it wasn't junk mail, was it? If something comes from my utility, I open it, period.

Well, I don't...but it seems I may have to start. Actually in my situation I seldom look at the scans of the actual bills if the amount seems right. I just look at the due date and pay it. In essence that carefree attitude is the summation of my negligence, and obviously behavior I need to change or risk another scenario like todays.

That in no way absolves MGE for their various transgressions, and I still suggest that in comparison, theirs are far worse.

**Donger** · 11-17-2009, 03:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big Dog

Well, I don't...but it seems I may have to start. Actually in my situation I seldom look at the scans of the actual bills if the amount seems right. I just look at the due date and pay it. In essence that carefree attitude is the summation of my negligence, and obviously behavior I need to change or risk another scenario like todays.

That in no way absolves MGE for their various transgressions, and I still suggest that in comparison, theirs are far worse.

No. A worse transgression on their part would have been cutting off your gas earlier or sending eleventy billion PSI gas into your home.

You made a mistake and they eventually found the mistake for you.

wild1 · 11-17-2009, 03:42 PM

I'm willing to bet you can sign into MGE's website and view your balance due. Did you never attempt to do this?

I guess I am doing some kind of Olympic hurdles, checking balances if something seems awry

Big Dog · 11-17-2009, 03:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donger

No. A worse transgression on their part would have been cutting off your gas earlier or sending eleventy billion PSI gas into your home.

You made a mistake and they eventually found the mistake for you.

1. Their 'collector' doesn't follow policy and knock on my door to ask for payment, but just turns off my gas.

2. (As I have just found out) They say they are cancelling my e-billing and sending me bills via usps but do not. (until the final cutoff notice...which I pay promptly)

3. They recieve payment in full today, but cut off my gas anyway.

4. They lie about not being able to turn my gas back on today because of full schedules.

But I didn't:

1. Update an email address with a company that I don't use email to commincate with.

2. Notice that I had not paid a gas bill in months

And my trangressions are worse?

Wow...just fuggin wow.

**TrebMaxx** · 11-17-2009, 03:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big Dog

Another order of kool-aid please. You really think this is YOUR responsibility? When a company purposely preys on basic human behavior in order to unethically charge you outrageous fees?

I can understand opinions like, 'even though they are unethical cheating bastards it's hard for the little guy to win', or 'they do this because they have lawyers and lobbyists who find a way to make wrong things legal'...but when we all start lining up and suggesting that this is 'ok' or 'acceptable' business practice, and that it really is the consumer's responsibility...well, mooooooooooo

Really, I do agree with you. I understand that the billing for gas during the summer months is hardly noticeable at all. It sucks that consumers must be so diligent to avoid being screwed over due to bad customer service. But what else are you going to do. I would rather make sure my ass is covered.

Big Dog · 11-17-2009, 03:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wild1

I'm willing to bet you can sign into MGE's website and view your balance due. Did you never attempt to do this?

I guess I am doing some kind of Olympic hurdles, checking balances if something seems awry

I suspect I did that years ago when they got the old email address...nothing seemed awry to me until today.

Brock · 11-17-2009, 03:45 PM

Did they put a lock on it?

**Donger** · 11-17-2009, 03:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big Dog

1. Their 'collector' doesn't follow policy and knock on my door to ask for payment, but just turns off my gas.

2. (As I have just found out) They say they are cancelling my e-billing and sending me bills via usps but do not. (until the final cutoff notice...which I pay promptly)

3. They recieve payment in full today, but cut off my gas anyway.

4. They lie about not being able to turn my gas back on today because of full schedules.

But I didn't:

1. Update an email address with a company that I don't use email to commincate with.

2. Notice that I had not paid a gas bill in months

And my trangressions are worse?

Wow...just fuggin wow.

Again, this all started with you giving them a bad email address. None of the rest would have happened if you hadn't done that.

Big Dog · 11-17-2009, 03:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brock

Did they put a lock on it?

Aye, and it was removed by the service guy who came back and turned it on.

Big Dog · 11-17-2009, 03:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donger

Again, this all started with you giving them a bad email address. None of the rest would have happened if you hadn't done that.

Do you not get it, or are you just helping me with post count?

The email address was perfectly fine when I gave it to them many years ago. Since we NEVER communicate via email, it did not occur to me that I even needed to update it. I suspect I signed on originally to view a bill for some particular reason and they had an automatic option asking me if I would like to receive e-billing in addition to regular bills and I said yes. I couldn't tell you if I got emails from them 4+ years ago, but I wouldn't have paid much attention to them if I did since the regular bills came via my bill paying service. I can tell you the I have not received an email from them ever at my current email address.

So I did not give them a bad email address, nor is it unreasonable to see why I did not update it with them as a matter of course...hell I didn't even realize until today they had any email address of mine.

kstater · 11-17-2009, 03:56 PM

Big Dog, do you own a car or house?

mrbiggz · 11-17-2009, 03:57 PM

Both Big Dog and MGE should accept some responsibility for the problem which Big Dog has, but once it was found out that the bill was paid he shouldn't have had to threaten to contact the media in order to get his service cut back on. This is the problem with big companies in general in that they should have promptly gotten somebody out there tonight without the hassle.

Big Dog · 11-17-2009, 04:05 PM

Anyway, I am done for the night....so this thread can die.

I have learned or confirmed 3 things from this post

1. I don't post much because inevitably discussions I end up in lack the satisfaction of having them face to face with people.

2. There are always people vehemently opposed to your point of view.

3. Some poeple's view of acceptable corporate behavior I find troubling.

P.S. Maybe a pipe dream, but wouldn't a win over Pittsburgh be cool?

11-17-2009, 12:52 PM
Big Dog gimme 3 stacks of high society Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Grain Valley, MO Casino cash: $10004900	MGE Sucks So I am leaving the house today, and there is an MGE vehicle parked in front. I drive over to see a woman standing next to my gas meter. She explains she has turned off my gas due to non payment. WTF? She also cannot turn it back on, as she is a collector (although I was home and there was no knock on my door to collect), and that I have to call to get it turned back on. I pay my bills via a bill pay service, meaning they get the bills, scan them in, and send me a notification of amount and due date. It has worked very well for years now. As I am calling to get my service turned back on, I find that I received a bill on 11/12 and paid it (received in their office today). When I actually looked at the scan I find it says final warning, cutoff, blah, blah. Then I look at history and see that I have not received a bill from them since June. WTF? So I am told they will not turn on my gas until tomorrow. I say no way, get passed up to a supervisor, and I start to try and find out what has happened. She basically says it's my fault because I didn't pay...I say I paid every bill I received, and then it's my fault because I didn't notice I wasn't getting bills. We examine further...I am set up for e-bills. Now it's my fault because I signed up for e-bills and didn't pay. I argue I haven't done anything different in years, and that the fault is theirs, and they need to turn my service back on today. Finally we find out that I did sign up for e-bills so long ago that I used an email address from a provider I haven't had in 5 years or more, and that I was receiving both e-bills (although I wasn't) and paper. Now it comes to light that in June they announced (via a slip of paper in the bill) that if you have e-bills set up they will discontinue your paper bills unless you respond. Well, of course I didn't respond...because even if that was scanned in by my bill pay service, I didn't look at it...and realistically it came with all the other junk they send...trying to sell return address labels, rubber stamps, checks, etc. who would look at it? NOW THE FINAL KICKER...her system shows failed attempts at email delivery on June 4th and 5th! So it's my fault I was not paying bills they were only sending to an email address they knew I was not receiving! Still, they are not going to come turn on my service today. Throughout these calls, I am pretty agitated and tired of the condescending 'but sir, you signed up for e-bills, we have no control over that'. So I end with my only recourse. Since MGE is a monopoly and I have no other option (excepting propane I suppose, if there is no city ordinance against it) I explain to her I will be calling every radio and tv station in the city this afternoon (not a bluff btw) and seeing if anyone wanted to pick up the story...that they probably would not, but I was committed to making the calls since I felt it my only recourse. "I'll send in the order to have your gas turned on today." Of course she wouldn't guarantee when, so it's likely to be as late as they feel they can go, but it's just so damn ridiculous that through a series of errors primarily on MGE's part they did not feel responsible to turn my gas back on today. It's also a sad state that to get these monstrous monopolies (gas, electric, insurance, etc.) to do anything you have to fight and fight, and the lesson learned is that customer service doesn't matter, but the squeaky wheel gets oiled. Ok, done now...just wanted to vent.
Posts: 236

11-17-2009, 03:42 PM	#65
wild1 MVP Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: 31040 Casino cash: $10004900	I'm willing to bet you can sign into MGE's website and view your balance due. Did you never attempt to do this? I guess I am doing some kind of Olympic hurdles, checking balances if something seems awry
Posts: 6,935

11-17-2009, 03:45 PM	#69
Brock Say hello to my little friend Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Larryville Casino cash: $9598422	Did they put a lock on it?
Posts: 47,314

11-17-2009, 03:56 PM	#73
kstater Custom User Title Join Date: Jan 2007 Casino cash: $1326563	Big Dog, do you own a car or house?
Posts: 39,199

11-17-2009, 03:57 PM	#74
mrbiggz Starter Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: i travel Casino cash: $2698333	Both Big Dog and MGE should accept some responsibility for the problem which Big Dog has, but once it was found out that the bill was paid he shouldn't have had to threaten to contact the media in order to get his service cut back on. This is the problem with big companies in general in that they should have promptly gotten somebody out there tonight without the hassle.
Posts: 186

11-17-2009, 04:05 PM	#75
Big Dog gimme 3 stacks of high society Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Grain Valley, MO Casino cash: $10004900	Anyway, I am done for the night....so this thread can die. I have learned or confirmed 3 things from this post 1. I don't post much because inevitably discussions I end up in lack the satisfaction of having them face to face with people. 2. There are always people vehemently opposed to your point of view. 3. Some poeple's view of acceptable corporate behavior I find troubling. P.S. Maybe a pipe dream, but wouldn't a win over Pittsburgh be cool? __________________ If you are going to run with the big dogs, you had better learn to pee in the tall grass!
Posts: 236