We were with another St. Albans propane company for close to 20 years. The service with their latest change of ownership became deplorable. I'm talking about things like taking almost a month to deliver propane in January and then being told that we'd have to pay an emergency delivery fee even though they kept saying they'd deliver next week and then not show up. We were getting nervous at that point because they did let our neighbor, a couple on automatic delivery, run out while they were away. Thankfully their son caught it before the pipes froze.
The company's rate of $4.59 a gallon for usage of 300 gallons a year was also an issue with us. We check state reports on average rates throughout the area and when asked why their rates were so high, we were told that other companies have hidden catches. Then, the final straw came when I paid the bill and had proof that the payment cleared my bank account, they kept saying that we hadn't paid and threatened to send us to collection and charged us late fees on top of it. I sent them a copy of the statement that showed the payment was submitted electronically to them and it still took another two weeks to get the situation cleared up. Clearly, their billing department is unorganized. All of these situations made it clear that despite supporting this company for nearly 20 years, it was time to cut ties. Seeing their BBB.org rating plummet to an F also helped solidify that they weren't really working hard to improve things.
We started shopping around going with the different companies - Amerigas/Liberty, Bournes, and Rowley. In each case, we simply felt Liberty was there for the customer and not their wallet. After another neighbor switched to Amerigas/Liberty and told us they loved it, we filled out the applications and made the switch
There has been one minor glitch that involved us not being told that we had to pay for set-up. I'd asked about fees mentioned in the contract and was told there were no fees. When we were comparing rates, two other area companies told us the first hour of labor is free for set-up, so we assumed that was standard practice in this area. We got our bill and found a charge for set-up. After asking why we hadn't been told, the company quickly acknowledged that we should have and deducted that charge from our account. It took a matter of minutes, I'm not kidding either, it was about five minutes in all to get an answer, something that's refreshing in today's world. Customer service is clearly important to Liberty, and we certainly appreciate being treated like we matter.
I would definitely recommend Liberty Propane! We're hooked up and extremely happy. We received our first shipment of propane within one business day of calling to order it, something that hasn't happened in years. Plus, getting a bill for just over $200 instead of the $450 we were paying to get 100 gallons is simply refreshing.
If you're still with the company that I haven't mentioned, but many of their customers will know exactly who I'm talking about, make the switch. It's really worth it! read more