March 2023 by Howard Lancaster
On 10/31; Welsh Gas(WG) charged my debit card without authorization. This is not the first time that they have without authorization taken money out of my account without notice and authorization. I have on several occasions called both the main office for WG and the main office for Cooper Propane(CP)(WG’ parent company) located in Paris, about these unauthorized transactions.At the beginning of the year I called CP to have all my debit cards removed from their billing system, so that no more unauthorized transactions could occur.In Aug, I called the Daingerfield Office of WG, to pay my bill for a delivery in July. I gave them my card number over the phone to run for that single transaction.On 10/24, I ordered one hundred gallons of propane delivered to my house. And the same day they delivered the propane. On that date, they left an invoice with a discount if paid within twenty days, and an amount if paid after 20th days. The 20th day was 11/14. As stated before, on 10/31, they charged my debit card for the amount due. This was done without notice or authorization by me.As stated this is not the first time. We have tried to work with WG’ A/R, April, to have them stop charging us without notice and authorization. At the beginning of the year we had to escalate the issue to Stephan, VP for CP. At that time we were told we would not be charged without authorization. And were told our card had been removed from the account.WG’ April has repeatedly charged our account without notice, should not have charged it on 10/31, and should not have called us until 11/14 to see if I wanted the discounted rate or to set a time to have us pay.I called the Daingerfield to ask why I was charged without authorization and 6 days after I had the gas delivered. The receptionist stated they are to charge all cards that are on file the day after(that would have been 10/25, not 10/31). I stated that my card was not supposed to be on file, and I stressed again that my card was not to be charged without authorization. The receptionist said she was just following orders from the main office. I stated I would be calling Stephan to discuss that again I was charged without authorization and notice.When I called CP on the afternoon of 10/31, I spoke to Donna, CP’s A/R. She attempted to void charge, but because of separate billing systems she could not do so, she had to have April at Welsh do it. According to what Donna has told me on follow up phone calls on Nov 1st and 3rd, she spoke with Stephan on the morning of Nov 1st, and he had called April to iron out the situation. And Stephan was going to call me in the afternoon of Nov 1st. At noon, on Nov 3rd I called CP again, spoke to Donna, she said Stephan has been busy, but was going to call me.
