Complaint Review: Kansas Gas Service - Topeka Kansas

April 2004: Contact Kansas Gas Service Customer Service and ask them to disconnect service at empty rental property until further notice (did the same thing in 2004 during the summer and had no problem). Received no further billings and did not expect billings.

December 2004: Receive bill for $142.91 and in a separate envelope a Cold Weather Rule Disconnect Notice. Called customer service, spoke to Angie. She said there was no record of my request to have the gas shut off. She further stated that she could only send me invoices back so far because they had bought out the previous gas service and they did not have records. She could not give me any contact number or name for that company (number on old bills is the same number as Kansas Gas Service at present) but told me that I would have to pay them. Told her this was not acceptable.

January 2005: Received a Cold Weather Rule Disconnect Notice showing a past due amount of $163.62 but no invoice for any amounts due.

February 2005: Receive Final Bill showing a past due amount of $169.56 with no other invoices. I send letter to Kansas Gas Service, OHEOK, 818 S. Kansas Avenue, Topeka, KS 66612, Attn: Ms Jacque Watt, Customer Service Rep (information received from BBB website).

April 2005: Receive bill for rental property with a zero balance. I was a little irritated that Kansas Gas Service had not contacted me, but thought the issue must have been resolved.

May 2005: Receive bill for home address indicating a balance forward of $169.57. Again called Customer Service, spoke to Kathy, informed her of the problem and advised her that the balance forward had nothing to do with my home address and wanted it removed. Kathy informs me that if she puts this amount back on the account number for the rental property it will go directly to collections. I inform her that was quite funny since Kansas Gas Service was refusing to provide invoices for this amount and that I was not paying for anything on the rental property address until I had an invoice for every month Kansas Gas Service said I owed. She said she would send them.

May 2005 (one week later): Receive envelope from Kansas Gas Service. In envelope are Invoices for November and December 2004, January and April 2005. May, June, July, August, September, and October 2004 are listed on a print out title "Bill History". This gives amounts only. It does not give meter readings, dates billed or anything else.

Yesterday I wrote a detailed complaint to the BBB and today I am filing this report. I am thinking perhaps I should forward everything to the Kansas Attorney General's office. I am wondering if Kansas Gas Service is refusing to give me contact information for the company they keep telling me they bought out because there is a record of the gas being disconnected at my request.

Every time I questioned why I did not receive any billings from them until I got the Cold Weather Rule Disconnect Notice, no one had an answer. The invoices always came to my home address. I have not moved and have Kansas Gas Service at my home. They haven't missed sending me any of THOSE invoices. Had I not requested that the gas service be disconnected, I would have contacted them regarding not receiving a bill.

The old "You Have To Pay It Because WE Say SO" just isn't working for me with utility companies anymore. I have a business. If I don't invoice my clients I don't feel I have a right to complain that they haven't paid me for months and I certainly don't feel I have a right to charge them late fees for amounts they owe me when I never bothered to invoice them.

S.n.

Bucyrus, Kansas
U.S.A.