Bad Business

So at this point we are all are fed up with the price of oil. It's rising daily and it isn't supposed to stop for quite some time...ugh.

As if that isn't bad enough, now Petro, the company who delivers my home heating oil, is trying to jerk me and my housemates around. We were running low so we called Petro who is the only service that we could find in our area.

Here's what we agreed to on the phone: They would come out and fill half of our tank (roughly 145 gallons) and sign a one-year contract which gives us 100 dollars off our first fill-up. This contract doesn't require automatic fill-up service and will be canceled if we move. Sweet, right?

Here's what has happened since: They came and filled our tank completely (290 gallons) and left a bill for the full amount, with no $100 discount. Here we go...

We have been playing phone tag with our 'account executive' who has misled us every step of the way. Just tonight an envelope came from Petro with our contract that they want us to sign...come on, seriously? Do people actually just bend over and take this kind of treatment? There is absolutely no way we are signing a contract that we didn't agree to from the start - especially since we already received improper service.

I have a better idea - instead of bad business, why not try to provide a clear understanding of what services you provide up front. If Petro only provides service with a one year automatic refill contract (which is what we learned when we finally escalated the case to corporate), then say that up front! If too many people shy away and use an alternative, maybe it is time to rethink your business model. Tricking people isn't going to gain their trust or long term business. What a scam!