My(former) oil company is strange. They have tons of different prices.

The price they advertise is the cash price when paid within 30 days. To figure out the base price you need to add .10/gallon.
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According to my statement, cash and check payments receive a .10/gallon discount when paid within 30 days. Debit and Credit payments receive a .5/gallon discount when paid in 30 days. Discounts are taken from the base price.
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I carefully calculated the credit price and paid that online. I did the same for the following months delivery. Today I get a statement saying I owe $17.50 and it's 30 days past due!

They claim that they reduced my payment(as in made it count as less than I paid) by 5.00 when I paid for 100 gallons and 7.50 on 150 gallons. They are refusing to correct it and I have been a steady customer since 1992! Sounds like a backdoor way of charging me .10/gallon extra to pay with a credit card.

I'll simply write a letter and if they don't fix it do a chargeback for 17.50(since when do $5 and 7.50 add up to 17.50?)!

MAYBE THEY HAVE A FEE FEE

(The fee for issuing additional fees)

I made up the FEE FEE word a few years ago

*bump*

Just called another local oil company. Their price is a penny cheaper and I can pay with whatever form of payment I like, all the same price like it should be.

They also have Net 30 accounts like my old oil co.

My address

Their address

cc: their fax


To who it may concern;

I am writing to inform you of two billing errors I have recently noticed on my account, acct number.

Your website recently added the option of paying online. I have taken advantage of this feature for my last two oil deliveries, being sure to add the .05/cents you market as a credit/debit discount. It seams to me like a credit card fee which is illegal in our state and is enforced by the Maine Bureau of Consumer Credit Protection.

For example: I was delivered 100 gallons of oil on x/xx/xx at a cash price of 1.929(10 cent/gallon “cash discount” included). I then made a payment in the amount 197.90 on x/xx/xx which you did not correctly allocate. From speaking to your representative at about xxxPM on I believe August xxth she informed me x oil company deducted the value of the payment by $5 due to credit card payment and $7.50 on another instance when I ordered 150 gallons.

According to my calculations $7.50+$5.00= $12.50, not $17.50 as my statement states. I have no idea where the extra $5 came from.

I have decided to switch to another local oil company after nearly xx years being a customer of yours. They have one price for all payment methods: be it cash, check or credit/debit. Their pricing seams to always be within 1/cent a gallon of your price.

I understand you pay an interchange %(I always pay with a prime rewards credit card, that would be non-qualified for example) and fixed amount. My feeling is you either pay the fee and claim it as a business expense or you don't take credit cards at all.


Thank you for your prompt response,
Me

To whom it may concern;

I am writing to inform you of a billing statement dated 7/31/09 in which I dispute fully. I sent you a letter on about August 10th 2009 describing these errors and have attached a copy for your reference. I have yet to receive a response. My account number is xxxxxx.

I am sending this letter Certified Mail Return Receipt so I know who receives it and when it is received.
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Under the Fair Credit Billing Act you MUST do one of the following:
*Correct the bill and credit any finance charges, late fees, or other fees that were charged due to the incorrect billing.

*Let me know why the bill is correct along with the amount I owe and an explanation for the amount owed.
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Please also note you may not send the disputed amount($17.50) to collections or report it to any credit or consumer reporting company until you provide and explanation of these charges.

"After making your dispute in writing, you are not responsible for paying the disputed amount until the creditor has responded saying there was no billing error. Before that time, the creditor cannot put any negative information on your credit report regarding the disputed charge even if you don’t pay it."

I hope we can resolve this promptly,