Complain about a product or service

Petro Oil

Edward of Hopewell Junction, NY November 7, 2009

My contract expired in August, 2009. I received a statement from Petro dated 8/25/09 that indicated a balance of -0.20. On August 29, 2009, I returned the statement my mail stating "Dear Petro - Please keep the 20 cents. I do not want to do business with Petro any more - Stop sending me bills or deliver oil.

To my surprise, on 10/30/09 while I was at work Pttro delivered oil and filled my tank that was recently filled by another oil Co. recently filled. I Monday Nov. 2, 2009, I went to 47 Patrick Lane (Petro's local business location and could not locate their. office? They moved? The oil was not solisited, not requested, not authorized to tresspasson my property! Thank ypu Petro for the FREE oil!

Carmen of Uniondale, NY November 1, 2009

I realize my contract with Petro would be up the first week of November and finished paying a balance that I had with them. When speaking to a woman representative, she informed me that I had a balance of 347.00. I went on to let her know that I should have no balance-zero balance. She said they automatically renewed my maintenance contract. I told she must send out a contract to see if I want to renew, not just renew without my permission. I went on to explain that last year's maintenance was 94.00, why would it cost this much. She spoke very unprofessionally and I told her that I was not renewing my maintenance.

I then asked about the price and why was it 3.75 per gallon, could that be adjusted, she said "no". Meanwhile, I was scheduled the next day for a tune up before my contract expired, she cancelled all of my services. Then, of course, my boiler does not seem to turn on and I call them, because I know my current contract has not expired and I called Petro to send someone and they said it doesn't matter if I have a contract, I am no longer a customer and they will fully charge me to service my boiler. I went on to explain that I have a current contract that is not up and insisted on speaking with a manager. They told me there was no manager, but would have someone call me. They never called.

Amanda of Mount Penn, PA October 7, 2009

In October of 2008 I signed a contract with Petro to be on a budget plan for the winter. I paid 257/month for 11 months. What struck me as odd was that I was using soo much oil. My partner and I travel for our jobs 75% of the time. In addition to rarely being there, we turned the 2nd and 3rd floor radiators off because of how hot it gets up there. Somehow, we managed to still use 1100 gallons of oil. SOme guy from Petro called me to ask about another contract and I told him that I planned on canceling the contract. He said I had to call back in October to cancel.

So, today on 10-7-09 I had an oil delivery. I went outside and told the guy my tank was filled. He gave a longwinded explanation and said it wasn't. He put 112 gallons of oil in my tank and said that my gauge must be broken. HA! It wasn't broken all last year and it wasn't broken when they sent someone out in May to service the tank. So, I go back down in the basement and now my gauge says it is filled 7/8.

So, I immediately called Petro and told them I wanted to cancel my contract. I cannot even tell you how hard they made it for me to cancel. The woman was condescending and telling me that I used so much oil last year that it wasn't a good idea for me to stop the automatic deliveries. She said instead I should take less deliveries.

I demanded her to cancel my contract and that was the end of the call. I got no confirmationa and when I asked her she said it would take a few days for it to process. I am going to call next week to verify it was cancelled.

jean of fall river, MA October 3, 2009

Took advantage of a senior citizen. Added fees, didn't let me know I had been dropped. I paid finally at great hardship the bill and late fees and they sent me another bill a few weeks later(termination fee). I never got notice I was terminated. I talked with a rep about the paid bill and how it included a service contract for my boiler, I never received the contract. Now they want me to pay over 600.00 after I was waiting to hear back from this rep. I didn't ignore bill, I had been paying the best I could and it was paid. I suggested using the boiler service as part of the termination fee bill and I never heard back until almost 6 months later. It was a hardship then and it is a hardship now. I am 67 and worked to pay off original bill. I went from may until August without hot water until I could find a company cheap enough.

Peter of Woonsocket, RI September 1, 2009

Petro was our heating oil supplier for eight years. We'd been on the budget plan all that time. Late last year they called my wife and told her that we'd been late on three payments; we'd therefore voided our budget plan contract, and owed them approximately 1000 immediately. They told my wife that they'd discussed this with me by phone, earlier.

But that simply wasn't true. If we were going to be hit with a 1000 charge, I'd have remembered that! I definitely did not have any such discussion with Petro. Another problem: when they called my wife, we were less than TWO months into our budget contract. So how could we have been late on THREE payments?

I spoke to them, and they gave me the runaround. We paid them - it was robbery, as far as I'm concerned - and waited until our contract expired to cancel the contract (otherwise they'd charge us a penalty fee of 600). When the contract expired we found a new, local heating oil provider at a better price.

But when I called Petro to cancel our account, they were difficult. The person I spoke to wanted to ARGUE with me. I was polite, but asked for written confirmation that our account had been cancelled. We haven't received that, but I'm looking forward to it.

Now Petro is leaving voicemail for us, asking us to call them back to discuss our account. I'm not interested in speaking to them. They stole 1000 from us, as far as I'm concerned; there's nothing more to discuss. I see that we're not the only ones who've had problems with Petro. Just a terrible, terrible company. Avoid!

Todd of Point Pleasant, NJ August 24, 2009

My mothers contract was paid infull for the year as of July 1st 2009. petro prices and delivery service were getting out of hand and on a fixed budget my mother could no longer afford their services. In July of 2009 she sent them my final payment and told them she wantedted to cancel their service for the upcoming year. In Early August they called her and asked why she was leaving , she said she just was well they inturn told her she was violating the contract and that she owed them 399.00. she told them she was calling a laywer. she paid all of her bills 3,600+ which included my 2/09-2/10 service plan. There would be no more bills for oil since it was summer and her contract ends 10/1/09 so for august and september she owed them 399.00 for nothing. I (son) tried to negoiate but they insist she owe them the . after reading all of the complaints I find thsi is just part of their MO.

Ralph of Norwalk, CT July 15, 2009

Petro was unwilling and uncooperatie to work out payment schedules with me after my job loss. They closed the account and then continued to make deliveries. They also charged me a 499 termination fee. The company is questionable in their actions and caution should be used when considering Petro.

Even after my account was closed I contacted Petro to work out payment arrangments. They were unwilling to help. The account is now in collections for the entire amount they allege I owe; including the deliveries while account was closed and the termination fee in which I never asked to be terminated. What a way to take an extra 2000 out of someones pocket. BEWARE OF PETRO!

Jenda of Syosset, NY April 21, 2009

I accepted Petro delivery at a fixed rate of 4+/gal in Aug 08. Then the price of oil dropped. After getting paying through the nose, I called Petro to try to re-negotiate the price. I was told that since my account was new, that would not be a problem. I had to wait for a call back. I was told I would get a call back. But Petro just blew me off, totally. I got a 2nd delivery. Market prices dropped even more. I had enough, so I sent a cancellation e-mail, figuring that would get their attention. Lo and Behold, that was acknowledge.

But a FEW MONTHS later, I get a 599 cancellation charge that I never agreed to in writing or verbally! Now I read that other people were charged only 300 for cancelling. I spoke with a Michelle Fisher who apologized about my early experience with the office and told me that indeed contracts were re-negotiated back then. I offered to resume my service if they give me the market rate and cancel the charge. So when Petro was "willing to re-negoiate" months ago, today they won't? So far, I got a call from a collections agency.

Susan of Danvers, MA April 15, 2009

Susan of Danvers MA (04/15/09)
My husband and I have had a contract w/ Petro Oil since August, 2006. The first contract was not oral, but a real contract they sent in the mail. My husband really didn't get involved with this mess, until it turned into a mess... I forgot to send the contract back, yet that was okay. The following year (2007), I renewed my contract over the phone, yet did not receive a copy of it in the mail. At the time, gas and oil were at their highest, so I thought I was getting a deal. We were locked into 3.29 per gallon, so if oil went up in price, our lock-in price would not go up.

The following year (2008) the same thing happened with a verbal contract over the phone. Again, I was locked into 3.29. Then, the price of gas and oil all through the country dropped. Did our price of oil drop? No! I had to remember that we were locked in. Oil, right now with another oil co. is 2.19 per gallon, and we wanted to switch to them. This time my husband spoke to them over the phone and really asked the woman a lot of questions and gave his remarks about how low the price of oil is all around the Commonwealth of Massachusetts! Their answer? They already purchased the oil and get this - They had to pay an additional 50 cents per gallon for their oil!!! What reputable oil company has to pay insurance for oil? I guess Petro does!

So, my husband threw out a scenario. He asked them, what if I refuse any more deliveries and I get my tank filled up by another oil company? Petro considered that a breech of contract, and would charge us 599.00 for a broken contract! We are at the point now where we are sending Petro a small amount of money each month - whatever we can afford! But it's never enough money for Petro!

One more thing, my husband, my three kids and I live in a low-income housing development. The housing authority owns our burners, and each May, housing has them cleaned by their own oil company (not Petro!). I tried to explain this to Petro, when they were pitching their oil burner service. However, it would be a violation against housing if I went along and did this. We don't own our burner, housing does! We have no intention of renewing our contract this summer, but we certainly intend to pay off our bill, little by little.

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