Suburban Propane has settled a lawsuit with the State of Vermont over the tank removal fees they've been charging customers since 2004. The heating oil and propane supplier has changed the way they do business in that state but many New Yorkers are still seeing the fee. Suburban propane says it helps off-set their overhead costs, some of their customers say the fee and the time it takes Suburban to come get their tanks is more like punishment for taking their business elsewhere.
Chuck Wart owns two homes along Sandy Pond in Oswego County. He heats them both with propane and has had the same tanks for 25 years; they're owned by Suburban Propane. "Their prices kept going up and up and up and all my neighbors started switching to other companies and they're paying a dollar less a gallon than I was paying" Chuck says and when the company mentioned the possibility of a tank rental fee on top of that, he decided to take his business elsewhere. He called an cancelled his contract at the end of April, 8 months later, Suburban Propane still has not come to pick up their tanks, "I've been waiting and waiting and they never show up, they say they're going to show up and they never do" he says.
He's also waiting for about a $900 check from the Suburban for the propane that's still inside both tanks.
You'd think Suburban, a company that just started charging some of their customers a tank rental fee, would be a little quicker about picking up what they call a "capital investment" from Chuck's homes but the clock is still ticking. When they finally do show up to retrieve their tanks Chuck will be paying close attention to his final statement.
The Attorney General in Vermont just went after Suburban for charging customers to take their tanks out. The AG says it was a hidden fee that was not disclosed in the company's contracts.
Suburban has agreed to waive the removal fee and reimburse anyone who was forced to pay it from 2004 until now but that agreement is only valid for Vermont Residents.
The NYS Attorney General's office says they're looking into the settlement in Vermont but typically for them to take similar action they need a pattern of complaints from New Yorkers.
If you were charged this fee and it wasn't disclosed in your contract you can file a complaint with the AG's office by calling 448-4848.
We contacted Suburban Propane for comment on this story several times, our calls were not returned.
