Monthly Archive for February, 2005

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On February 4, I received a nasty call from a man I later found out was named David Ennis, from South Jersey Gas’ Millville branch. He refused to identify himself; when I asked for his name, he said “I’m the guy who turns off the gas.” He then informed me that my bill was past due in the amount of $1,3xx.xx. (I forget the actual amount.)

I asked him clearly, “that is the amount past due?”

He said “yes. That is the amount past due.”

This was the first of many lies.

He then informed me that they would be shutting my gas off that afternoon if I did not pay him that $1,300+ IN CASH. I told him cash was out of the question, and I would be able to deliver a check to the Millville payment office, not to him personally. He grudgingly agreed.

So, I went to get my latest bill so I had something to pay with. I didn’t know how I was going to be able to scrape together enough to get $1,300.00 in my checking account, and was reviewing my options when I looked at my bill.

The amount past due was $821.00. The balance was not due until February 12th.

Well, I don’t like to be lied to. And I intended to let them know.

I went to the Millville office and paid the amount past due. I then demanded to speak with a supervisor. I was told that there was no one I could speak to on premises (lie #2), and I would have to use the phone in the corner to call their main number. I did so, and after much wrangling, got through to a supervisor who claimed her name was Joyce Fenstermaker. (I don’t know whether to claim that’s a lie, as well, or feel sorry for the poor woman.)

Ms. F informed me that it must have come from a collection agency, since no calls are ever made from their Millville office (lie #3). She confirmed he was wrong to have claimed that I was over $1,300.00 past due, and she would investigate which of their collection agencies had made the call.

Upon arriving home, I checked my caller ID. It read as follows: “SOUTH JERSEY GAS, 327-1440 (856).” I called that number and reached an electronic switchboard for South Jersey Gas, Cumberland Division. I hung up and fired off an E-Mail with this information. Ms. F replied as follows:

[blockquote]I was the supervisor who spoke to you this morning. I must apologize to you
for advising you that there weren’t any calls from our Millville Division.
After our conversation, I did a little investigating and found that calls
were made. The gentlemen that called you will be receiving a
call from his supervisor.[/blockquote]

This morning, that proved to be Lie #4.

At 9:40 this morning, Mr. David Ellis (although he still refused to give his name) called me again, in his snide and threatening tone. I was three days late with the balance, and it was disconnect time. I flatly refused to speak with him, demanded to speak with a supervisor (denied), and told him if he continued to call me, I would swear out a complaint for harassment, and hung up. He called me back five seconds later. I hung up again, and called the customer service desk. After an interminable wait, I was forwarded to a woman named Victoria.

She proved almost as nasty as Mr. Ellis, and claimed that he was within his rights to call me on the fourth. I agreed. She said he was right in threatening to disconnect for an amount not yet due. (Lie #5. Check the laws.) She said he was in the right to not identify himself. (Lie #6. Again, check the laws.) And that she was unable to do anything. (Lie #7.) I told her to shut off my gas and close my account. If I’m not mistaken, I should still have sufficient deposit to cover any outstanding bill.

But what’s REALLY at the heart of this is more interesting. This kind of treatment is, I feel, in retaliation for my asserting my property rights.

The Gas Company has a habit of using my parking lot at the movie theater as their own private lot, filling it up with trucks, trailers, and other vehicles whenever they see fit. It’s been one of their favorite rendezvous locations, to touch base with each other, take breaks, or eat lunch. In another dispute, I informed them that they were no longer allowed to use my lot except on Gas Company business.

A while back, I came across a Gas Company truck in my parking lot. I had seen others, but they had pulled away quickly when I went to confront them. These two sat there calmly eating their lunch as I made note of truck numbers and license plates. Then, as I approached the window of the vehicle, one of them proceeded to throw his trash out the window into my parking lot. I instructed them to move their vehicle. They grudgingly did…five minutes later. I complained about this in a letter to customer service, and never heard back from them. Then, all of a sudden, I get calls from Mr. Ellis (who I’ve also discovered is the person my complaints about the drivers was received by) making threats. I consider this to be retaliation, pure and simple.

So, I now have no heat, no hot water, no dryer, and no stove for the foreseeable future. I can probably limp along without heat, and hopefully will have money next month to replace the hot water heater and stove, but the furnace will have to wait. But I’m rid of a bunch of liars.

So, for those of you who would like to let South Jersey Gas know what you think of the way they treat customers, their number is (609)561-9000. Ms. F is at extension 4237. I don’t have an extension for “Victoria.” Mr. Ellis can be reached through South Jersey Gas’ Cumberland Division at (856)327-1200.

And if you REALLY want to show them what you think, change your gas service. Try someone like ECONnergy instead. And let SJ Gas know WHY you’re doing this.

Thank you, Keith Olbermann.

There are some weeks when my doing my show stops being enjoyable for me, and degenerates into nothing more than just another job. When it becomes a chore, it gets really hard to do.

This week started out that way; I really couldn’t work up the energy to sit down and try to do it. But once I sat down at the computer and loaded Adobe Audition, it flowed. Ideas kept coming, and things went fairly briskly. It only took me about two hours to go from nothing more than knowing what the spotlight was going to be and three artists I was going to use in it to a completed mixdown. And along the way, I worked in some songs I haven’t played in ages.

It felt good in the end.

Now if they could all be that way, I’d be set, but that hasn’t been the case since early 2001. Oh, well.