My problem goes back the entire time I've lived in Cobb County but has become unbearable now that I am on SS and disabled. Therefore I will focus on my current problem.
In December 2017 I had heart failure I returned home in January with two caregivers (who ultimately ended up costing me over $12K but that is another story). I had fallen behind in EVERYTHING ... I had enormous expenses those first few months. I came home and am still on oxygen, I could not even walk (I am 100% better now but for a while I was very very ill). Every utility, every company, my mortgage company, everyone worked with me to manage my crisis EXCEPT Cobb County Water System ... their bill was my lowest so each month I'd call them (and wade through 45 minutes of HSA noise and elevator music) to tell them I will pay you as soon as I get these others caught up and each time it was fine fine ... then I FINALLY got to the point I could pay them ... Hooray, June -- I reached my initial goal of having 75% of everything caught up -- and I could afford to pay them the full $200 that had accumulated.
I called, paid by phone the full balance and she said "have you checked your water today?" Well I had not, it was still early in the morning I hadn't even gone upstairs yet but low and behold while we were on the phone they were turning off the water. They had not even made it to the end of my street when they turned around came back and turned it back on ... I was charged an ADDITIONAL $50 the next month.
Once again I had to call to pay the bill (their antiquated system will not allow you to receive a bill and PREschedule payment so you either have to call the day your SS goes into your account or pay online that day) and I called because I had no intention of paying the $50 fee ... I paid the bill not the fee and requested a supervisor call back. the next bill came I called and said I'm not paying until I talk to a supervisor ... again I waited. once again no supervisor called me back ... I called AGAIN the end of August when my September bill came in to discuss the $50 and again I was referred to a "supervisor".
My current bill has a delinquency AND the $50 because I am STILL waiting on the supervisor call. I called this morning, talked to Janie sho could do absolutely nothing to help me so again I requested a supervisor call back and told her I am contacting Channel 5 about this because I am sick, I am tired, I am old and I cannot do this kind of stress anymore. 20 minutes later Kimberlyn called back. Isn't that amazing? Threaten them with media exposure and presto a supervisor call back.
Did she want my story? No. She wanted to explain THEIR policy ... I kinda got that lady, it's your policy I'm complaining about for heaven's sake. ... you bill people who are struggling already an additional $50 and don't offer ANYTHING in the way of service in return much less help BEFORE the fact. I finally said "Will you please SHUT UP?" You aren't listening to me" "you have not once asked me what is your problem" ... I was then reprimanded for my tone which led to an argument where she hung up on me (and no I did not curse or raise my voice beyond an affirmative tone. I immediately tried to call back .... I have now been on hold for another 20 minutes ... still holding trying to get someone who will first LISTEN to me and second actually do something about this. At the end of the month I am fortunate to have $2 in the bank and I do NOT waste money ... for me it is as finite a resource as the little time I have left to be wasting it on arguing with millennial employees who have zero respect much less compassion for others. I now understand WHY their service technicians feared for the lives ...
OH OH AND IT GETS BETTER while I was holding just now (and I'm still holding) I took the trash out and guess what is on my door? ANOTHER DISCONNECTION NOTICE. So I will now owe them $100 and all this while I have been doing my dead level best to work with these people. I am simply dumbfounded ... I have lived in Cobb County since 1982? 1983? lived in this very house since 1990, lost my house to a fire and rebuilt, ran a wonderful canine rescue right out of this very house ... I'm not going anywhere ... where is the humanity anymore? Have we ALL become just another figure in the trip to the bottom line? Never, not once in my life have I EVER asked for help for myself. When my house burned? Nope. I needed help for my dogs ... not me ... But I crumbled earlier this year when I was so sick because I NEEDED help... and now NINE MONTHS LATER I am still paying the price ...
So now what are my immediate options? I have $1.96 in my bank account until tomorrow ... but my animals need water today... I have just one ... drive (using gas that I don't have, energy that I can ill afford, in a car that I've been desperately trying to save money to get the transmission serviced and a single new tire to simply drive safely) JUST TO PAY THEM WITH A BAD CHECK? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?
Okay so I decided to sit on this email til I got back -- just to see if I was still as upset and it just got worse ... so now I need to go over the bills with you .... in July they forwarded the $50 I refused to pay and billed me 5.56 for something so 55.56; in August they billed me 35.72 for a total of 90.98 (41 of that for actual services) -- so the next reading September 18 the bill amount was 37.48 for a total of 128.46 (of that roughly 78 is the actual bill ... still the 50 in the bill ... and it was today that I was told I needed to pay 90.98 on a card (ONLY) to get the water restored ... but I had to use a check so in the one hour from the time I was told 90.98 til the time I reached their drive through window the amount LEAPED to 178.46 to get my water restored (using a check at the drive-through). I was told, "you can in come and talk to someone" ... well I left my walker at home so could not go in to argue with them and was told "drive over there and wait and I'll send them an email" ... I explained to her I was off my oxygen just to drive there, dead on empty (my gas light was on) and it was hot as the dickens out and I was already told 90.98 if I paid today ...
Long and short? I waited in a hot car at 1 p.m. (no gas so no AC) for 20 minutes (meanwhile I was also calling on my cell phone waiting, waiting, waiting AGAIN) when I decided to just pay and stop the check when I got home ... so I drove BACK to window (I am not kidding ... STILL holding on my cell phone) and was told "as a courtesy we will waive the $50 fee) EXCUSE ME? what about the FIRST $50 fee that I've been fighting about? but I paid 128.46 and at 7:00 p.m. still have no water. and I STILL do not think I should have to pay the first $50 ... I don't care what their policy is ... it's wrong.
Add to this the horrible customer service, the ridiculous management ... based on my CS encounters ALONE I'd fire everyone in that building and start from scratch. NEVER in all my years have I run across a worse utility than Cobb County Water Authority ... (to put that in perspective, I've had AOL and Comcast and Atlanta Gas Light in the past ... I am talking this bunch is tanked at the bottom of bottom-feeder pool) and my friends are quick to point out their own utility issues LOL so I can EASILY compare this to Gwinnett, Dekalb, Forsyth, even isolated Barrow County is better ... this is insane for a county that loves to bill itself as "progressive".
I worked all my life as a paralegal working FOR those who have been wronged by big business, survived three life-threatening illnesses to be treated like this? With this degree of disrespect? to be talked to not once, not twice, not three times but REPEATEDLY in such a rude, discourteous manner? I have been raped by this utility for what -- there have been ZERO improvements in their system so seriously for what? 35 THIRTY-FIVE years and they lump me in like a cranky "old customer" and this by a monopoly utility where I have absolutely NO CHOICE but to use them? TRUST ME If I COULD change companies I would have a LONG LONG time ago. I was so angry one summer that I boycotted them for three months and bought huge tubs that I filled up running a hose from a neighbors house LOL. I am the only person on the planet that will harm herself to make a statement.... but I am now too old to do that kind of thing ... not too old but too sick for sure LOL.
I am honestly so angry I'm having trouble breathing ... none of my "calm your heart down" techniques are working with this matter ... when did this become okay in American society? When did we decide to just lay down and take this kind of abuse from a monopoly utility?
In my call for help to Channel 5 News in Atlanta this is what I added to this post: Truthfully? You cannot fix this problem. It is ingrained in the fabric of Cobb County Water Authority. Quite frankly I am paying for street lights that I hate ... I think most street lights should be abolished OR upgraded to "sky friendly" lights ... the sewer is also in that bill ... I get it that I have to pay for sewer based on water consumption but I'd rather pay more for water and get a) better service and management b) better street lights c) OMG better technology ... this is disgraceful a better online and call in system and d) a less discriminatory practice of raising money from late payments ... this is no joke ...
THIS COMPANY NEEDS TO BE AUDITED ... we are getting NOTHING for all the money we pay ... they don't simply charge $50 to disconnect/reconnect ... they charge it even if they DON'T come out ... it that bill goes to the service department with a cut off notice ... even if you pay the bill BEFORE it is cut off ... you pay the $50 reconnect charge ... PLUS a $10 late fee ... they are lining their coffers with money from the poor and elderly on fixed incomes. Their Yelp reviews are in the toilet ... I am at my wits end with this "collection racket" they are running.
Short of blowing that building up and starting from scratch? I don't think you will BUDGE these zealots on their path to destroy the poor and elderly in Cobb County ... Try asking them how do I file a complaint and you are directed to ... guess what? a freakin' supervisor ... color me fed up.
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