I was doing some research online about these fees businesses like to charge if you pay with a credit card (online or by phone) and I found some articles saying KS is one of the states that does NOT allow companies to charge these "fees". Has anyone dealt with this issue? BC frankly Im sick of this company. Our bill is ridicules every month, even after we have been vigilant in making sure the lights are off and even sometimes turning off the AC for a couple hours.
Our seems to get higher not lower! I think this company is a sham and Im about to email them about this issue.
Oh we're big on unplugging / turning everything off that we can (micrwave tv etc). I do know instead of turning your AC OFF turn it UP so it won't kick on. Turning it off and on actually costs more. Also I THINK this DSO and Flint Hills ARE A LOT A LIKE!! You're a bit lucky because with Flint Hills NO MATTER HOW YOU PAY- (cash, check, debit/credt) YOU ALWAYS GET CHARGED A $3.00 "so-called PROCESSING FEE"!!!! That's no matter how many payments you have to make a month (PREPAID) we were told its because we weren't on "monthly" where we get a bill every month so that's why the charge that!! So it's either pay a HUGE deposit to get "monthly" OR pay $3.00 fee EVERYTIME we make a payment!! It's just ridiculous and should be completely illegal IMO!!
Also, at the Grandview Plaza courthouse I wanted to pay on our electric once and another time was paying a ticket I went to use my debit card (2nd time I forgot) and she said it's $3.95 (or $4.95, crap bad memory) CONVENIENCE FEE to use a credit/debit card!!! I told her no thanks I'll go get cash at least I'll get reimbursed for my atm fees (lol). Camilla: Not sure where you found your info on the convenience fees, but I found a site too after I got to looking :) "In 10 states it is prohibited by law for merchants to charge consumers a fee for using a credit card (California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, KANSAS, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, Oklahoma, and Texas). Consumers should know that they have protection against these fees. Consumers who are subjected to payment card checkout fees in states where they are protected by law may report the merchant to their state attorney general's office." SITE: "http://www.bbvacompass.com/business/merchant_services/faqs_transaction.cfm" BUT, on this kansas miami county (gov) site and several other county sites state that THEY charge a CONVENIENCE FEE for use of debit/credit card. I'm a bit confused because all over every site there's the big 10 states where it's prohibited to charge this fee and KANSAS is one of them...
The only time I've seen a conveience fee was to pay electric by debit/credit AND the JC utility bill online. I pay electric by check online and I use a stamp and mail the utility bill because JC goes thru I believe it's Western Union and you pay the fee which I think is almost $4-5... absolutely ridiculous but I find this place to be that anyway. JMO though but I totally agree with you on the fees.
I want to find out the truth on the whole law deal that's for sure! Especially if KANSAS is one of the PROHIBITED states all these places charges those "fees" should be held accountable for not following the law =)
idk... the tag office used to charge a ridiculous fee for using a credit card in there. They have since stopped it, but I wanna say it was like a percentage of your transaction? Does anyone remember? Either way, that is a government agency so I am pretty sure if it was illegal, the tag office wouldn't have done it... unless the law changed and that is why they stopped. idk.
Allie1997, Are you talking about the water bill for jc? I pay mine online when I forget or just dont feel like dropping it off and it is 1.25... which to me is ok since then I dont have to worry about it... and if you go to dillons alot you can also drop it off there... they have a box....
That is one of the articles I found as well! I found another one that said Visa & Mastercard have a policy that there is to be no surcharge to customers if using either one of those 2 cards but that Discover and Amex do not have that same policy. Im going to contact DSO and ask them about it b/c like UGREW said KS is supposed to one of the states where its NOT allowed.
Many big companies used to charge excessive fees that ended up getting them sued so just bc the county does it doesnt mean they should be. Personally the "processing or convenience fees" are a dang joke! They are just trying to profit more then they already do!
@CAMILLA EXACTLY!! It's complete BS!! Sometimes if we're in between paydays and need to make a payment on our electric that $3.00 everytime cuts in and is sometimes about 1 full day of electric! That might not be a big deal or a lot to some people, but those add up VERY FAST! We make approx 2 payments a month (every payday) on electric so there's $6.00 a month (1-2 days electric) RIGHT THERE DOWN THE DRAIN!! I will be contacting someone also about this law in Kansas.
Yeah we always pay ours online too. They don't charge a "convenience fee" if you pay your electric online, BUT they charge a "PROCESSING FEE" of $3.00 everytime you make a payment. I found out after the 2nd time we made a payment when I paid in person. I told her we were never informed of that fee and she said that's how it is and we should have known that (but we did not because we were NEVER ONCE told that). No matter if you pay online, in person and no matter the form of payment (if you're on prepaid w/ Flint Hills Electric - not if you get a monthly bill in the mail)
Yes it is!! They are a big ripoff! Well unless you have really good credit prepaid is the best / only option pretty much, other wise you'll have around a $480 deposit just to get started! Prepaid is nice only because you can see your daily usage. So either pay a huge deposit OR pay a $3.00 fee every time you need to make a payment!! THEY'RE SUCH A RIPOFF! Crazy part is they buy from Westar and UP THE PRICE!
penny, what electric company do you have? im just wondering cause ill be moving soon to grandview and wonder what my electric bill will be like? i only have a 2 bedroom so it shouldn't be much..
and Ugrewinmyheart-- how does that prepaid thing work? how much do you pay daily?
well it's not like we go in and pay on it every day lol not sure how you meant that sorry, but up until MAYBE...2 months ago it was averaging $5-$7 A DAY!!! We pay every 2 weeks on it so at the lowest our bill has been $110ish (just recently, finally!!!) and highest $200ish(which was the USUAL)! I remember one time I talked to some lady at the elec co. and she had the nerve to say "it's because you're in an all electric apartment" I said "umm that's NO EXCUSE ever since I've lived on my own I've lived in ALL ELECTRIC apartments, no it's not that thats all I paid, but there was no gas in my apartments!" Also that same lady when I asked her about the BS convenience fees she said "that's just the way it is!!" When someone gives you an answer like that, YOU KNOW THERE'S SOMETHING UP!!
oh im sorry i didnt mean that in a rood way, i just had no clue how that prepaid thing works cause i never did it before and thats not too bad! in my apt now my last month my bill was 350 bucks with westar.. i was like what the heck? i have a small apt and i leave all lights off all day long till night, theres no reason it needs to be that much but thank god im moving soon..
Oh no sorry, this is just one subject that gets smoke coming out of my ears (lol). WOW! My mom's friend in Topeka had westar and was living in a loft above a few businesses and her electric for her small barely 1 bedroom apartment was hitting over $400 A MONTH!! Go to find out they were charging her the most and not splitting it all up like they were supposed to! Pretty crazy. Wow though when I had westar in my 2 bed / 2 bath apartment in Topeka my westar was never over $80 (that was the HIGHEST - during the summer too) and I cranked that AC waay down lol and it was also an ALL ELECTRIC apt lol. I know I can not WAITTTTTT until we move! :)
It's starting to make me think it's this area (JC/Ft. Riley) that westar charges more (I mean, if that's possible??). I never had any trouble with Westar in Topeka it was fairly cheap.
Penny... I didnt know you could pay it by calling in!!! Wow will have to do that sometime.. I am famous for waiting til the last minute to pay it! Even tho I am in dillons like a million times a month.. do you think I could remember to drop it off? Of course not!!! But thanks for the tip.. will have to remember that!!
I love how the employees of these 2 companies have attitudes like they are untouchable. I called the main guy at DSO a while back and he was a complete A-hole. Im glad we are moving and I cannot wait to hear about this company being bought out by Westar or going under due to their crap practices.
I totally agree Camilla! They're so rude, esp when you try to question any of their antics (BS FEES RATHER)! I can't wait to move either, we should have known these apts were to good to be true, unfortunately we were needing something fast, but that seems to be how they get ya - ppl that are desperate and need something fast (hmm lets see military maybe?!). All their companies properties are RIGHT IN / NEAR military installations, go figure huh?! On their site they have some thing about how they "support the military blahblah", yeah right support the money they rip the military off with! Cheap deposit (to get you stuck in here) and EXPENSIVE electric (to rip you off more!!). (sorry about that - I go on tangents waaay too much and then it turned into a rant LOL)
Speaking of DS&O and I've heard they require crazy high deposits. Is that just for new service if you have never had servce through them or in the area? What about if you have current service through Westar, another company but still have good status with them, will you still have to pay a deposit to get new service if you are moving to an area that only is serviced by them?