Garbageman giving me static

[jamesave]

BBB.

(not sure if it will work or not)

 

[5to1baby1in5]

Originally posted by: Mill
Last Wednesday (our trash day) the garbageman didn't pickup my trash. I was at home, so I chased his ass down the street and asked him why they didn't pick my trash up. He said: "Operations says your account is in collections." I told him that wasn't true -- I paid my bill 4 quarters in advance -- and that if he waited two seconds I could get him a CC statement showing this. He told me he couldn't wait and to call the office.

I call the office and they told me someone had miscoded my payment. My service was canceled in October of 2006. WTF? This entire time they've been picking up my trash and have never said a word to me about a problem with my account. I paid 170 dollars back in May of 2006 for four quarters of service plus the current quarter. So, my trash service doesn't expire until September. They have the payment listed, the CSR apologized, said it was fixed and that was it.

Today, again, the Garbageman refuses to pickup my trash. I plead with him telling I already contacted the office and everything is supposed to be fixed. He gives me a snaggled-tooth grin, makes a smart-ass remark, and takes off down the street with the truck belching smoke.

I call back. Same problem. Waiting for manager to call me. They tell me they cannot send someone out to pickup two weeks of trash until my account is "reopened." I have the CC statement. They show the payment in their system but the manager is on lunch, so they cannot reopen the account or schedule a pickup. I'm thinking of faxing about 100 copies of it directly up their ass. I'd drive over there and yell at someone until I got arrested but they are like 45 minutes away.

Suggestions?

I suggest you put garbege in his...

Oh damn, that won't work. :laugh:

 

[Mermaidman]

Put your trash in front of neighbor's house until the situation is resolved.
With his permission, of course

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: Platypus
Take all your trash and dump it on their office doorstep until they resume your service.

I had an issue with my garbage company, they didn't pick up my trash for 3 straight weeks (and they're supposed to pick it up twice a week, so that's 6 straight pickups they missed). I thought about dropping off my trash at their office, but it would have required driving to Newark with my car full of trash.

 

[BrokenVisage]

When life gives you static.. use Scotch Guard!

 

[CPA]

Originally posted by: AbsolutDealage
That's interesting. Around here all of the trash is done through the city. Never heard of privatized trash collection before.

Are you kidding me? Have you never seen Waste Management, BFI, Allied, Republic Waste or the thousands of mom and pop trucks on the road?

edit: I just noticed you're from Chicago. Up until 1998, Lombard was the home of the largest trash company in the country - Waste Management. It had operations in US, Canada, Europe, PR and parts of Asia. It was bought out by USA Waste (which changed it's name to Waste Management at the type of the acquisition) in 1998 and their HQ was shut down. Waste Management is now HQ'd in Houston.

 

[nakedfrog]

Originally posted by: CPA

Originally posted by: AbsolutDealage
That's interesting. Around here all of the trash is done through the city. Never heard of privatized trash collection before.

Are you kidding me? Have you never seen Waste Management, BFI, Allied, Republic Waste or the thousands of mom and pop trucks on the road?

edit: I just noticed you're from Chicago. Up until 1998, Lombard was the home of the largest trash company in the country - Waste Management. It had operations in US, Canada, Europe, PR and parts of Asia. It was bought out by USA Waste (which changed it's name to Waste Management at the type of the acquisition) in 1998 and their HQ was shut down. Waste Management is now HQ'd in Houston.

I pay WM, but they seem to contract to a fairly large local place, it's got a different name on the trucks.

 

[mzkhadir]

I didn't know that the Garbage man was a radio frequency.

 

[Adul]

mm the city of phoenix handles it here.

 

[BeauJangles]

Originally posted by: Mill

Originally posted by: Platypus
Take all your trash and dump it on their office doorstep until they resume your service.

It has been stewing in 95+ degree temps for a week, and then all this week it has been 100+ I'd almost consider it an abomination to bestow it on some hapless slave working at their office. If I knew where the garbageman-cum-driver-cum-sanitation engineer lived, I'd put it in his bed for him to sleep in tonight -- almost like the Godfather. It might be misplaced anger, but I'm more upset at his smirk and unwillingness not to be such a fucktard that I feel he deserves the bulk of my wrath.

*golf clap*

Well played sir. Your ranting today has been top-notch.

 

[Mill]

*Update*

Manager called me while I was in a meeting purchasing life insurance. She told me I would have to pay a 40 dollar "restart service fee" and late fees since my current service expired in October. Exasperated I told her to look on the account and see the yearly payment. I was on hold for about five minutes and she came back and said she saw that. She told me that they miscoded it so my account closed in October. To restart service I needed to pay my current quarter. I thought that was paid with the year sum, but she claims otherwise Obviously the problem with that is that they never sent me a bill because my account was closed. After she realized it was their fault she scheduled a pickup for 1-2 days from now, and I'm mailing them a check for this quarter.

Wouldn't it have been easier if they had applied the payment correctly to begin with? She was dead set on getting this quarter's payment before coming back out, too. I told her that that was BS because I've always paid on-time, but if you close my account and don't send me a bill because of YOUR mistake how and God's name would I know to pay you? I was told the yearly payment was through September 2007 anyway.

Finally she agreed it was their mistake, zero late fees, and they will pickup this week. I just have to write them a check for this quarter. Really, imho, they should just give me the quarter for free since they've already missed two weeks of pickups because of their own ineptness. But, alas, I'm mailing them a check this afternoon. I already dealt with them August 1st on the phone after the first missed pickup and the CSR told me I was current through September 2007.

I don't know if they just feel like extorting another quarter or what.

 

[NuroMancer]

Wow man, what a pain in the ass.

Too bad they have you by the balls.

 

[DrPizza]

Well, at least you have someone to pick up your trash for you. I've opted to load it into the van once a week (or so in the winter) and drive 17 miles to the transfer station. Since I just left the city where it's around $2 per 30 gallon bag, I'm much happier paying $60 for a year, unlimited, even if I have to do a bit of driving.

 

[Mill]

Originally posted by: CPA
Believe me, there is plenty of competition in the waste industry. Unless your HOA contracted out to a specific provider, you can call a number of local places to pick up.

I believe our county commission awards contracts for unincorporated areas like mine. The cities do the same or provide the service themselves. I'm afraid I cannot change, but i've been researching it to see. Everyone in this area uses the company I use.

 

[Mill]

***Update 2***

They did not pick-up today. I called in and was told my account was canceled again. Livid doesn't describe it.

I filed a complaint with my County Commissioner and the department that oversees Environmental Services (and by-proxy they award contracts for sanitation).

 

[effowe]

Wow that really sucks. You definitely need to go above their heads on this one, which it looks like you are already doing. Try to schedule a meeting and bring all documentation. Maybe even write up this whole debacle and send it to the local newspaper, post it on digg, spread the word around and if enough people hear about it, something will definitely be done.

 

[nakedfrog]

Originally posted by: Mill

***Update 2***

They did not pick-up today. I called in and was told my account was canceled again. Livid doesn't describe it.

I filed a complaint with my County Commissioner and the department that oversees Environmental Services (and by-proxy they award contracts for sanitation).

Wow... I'm actually angry on your behalf

 

[wheresmybacon]

Originally posted by: Mill

***Update 2***

They did not pick-up today. I called in and was told my account was canceled again. Livid doesn't describe it.

I filed a complaint with my County Commissioner and the department that oversees Environmental Services (and by-proxy they award contracts for sanitation).

Just reading this makes me angry. Hope this works out for the best.

 

[CorCentral]

I had a similar situation in the past but never that bad.
I don't have that problem now but am curious how people can get away for an entire week with just one trash bin.......


Our trash, sewage and water is all on one bill. I thank whomever set it up like this.
We (Wife and I) get one trash bin for free and 99% of the people (other than me on the whole block) only have 1. Well I pay $7.50/mth more for an extra one.

I don't know how a family of 2 Adults and 2 Kids does it with just one bin. I had company stay last week for 1 week (2 people for a total of 4) and filled both bins and actually had to put 3 full bags of trash in the garage until the next week.

I recycle as much as I can but damn!!!......... What do you people have? Trash Compactors and PIGS working in unison?

PS---- The reason we cannot put trash bags out with the bins is because of the a-HOLE neighbors that let their dogs run loose!

 

[AlienCraft]

DAMN !!
Just read the update.
Maybe it's time to call the newspaper or TV station as well.

 

[nakedfrog]

Originally posted by: CorCentral
I had a similar situation in the past but never that bad.
I don't have that problem now but am curious how people can get away for an entire week with just one trash bin.......


Our trash, sewage and water is all on one bill. I thank whomever set it up like this.
We (Wife and I) get one trash bin for free and 99% of the people (other than me on the whole block) only have 1. Well I pay $7.50/mth more for an extra one.

I don't know how a family of 2 Adults and 2 Kids does it with just one bin. I had company stay last week for 1 week (2 people for a total of 4) and filled both bins and actually had to put 3 full bags of trash in the garage until the next week.

I recycle as much as I can but damn!!!......... What do you people have? Trash Compactors and PIGS working in unison?

PS---- The reason we cannot put trash bags out with the bins is because of the a-HOLE neighbors that let their dogs run loose!

You must generate an awful lot of trash. There's 2 adults and 3 kids living in my house, and the wife watches another kid, and we usually don't even fill one in a week (65 gallon, IIRC).

 

[Quasmo]

I'd be pissed.

 

[dmcowen674]

Originally posted by: Mill
***Update 2***

They did not pick-up today. I called in and was told my account was canceled again. Livid doesn't describe it.

I filed a complaint with my County Commissioner and the department that oversees Environmental Services (and by-proxy they award contracts for sanitation).

:laugh: and you guys rag on me for such drama.

I thought everything was perfect outside of my world according to you guys?

Hope you get your service fixed, getting rats on the street is no fun, it would be like living in New York City.

 

[SpanishFry]

Originally posted by: DrPizza
Well, at least you have someone to pick up your trash for you. I've opted to load it into the van once a week (or so in the winter) and drive 17 miles to the transfer station. Since I just left the city where it's around $2 per 30 gallon bag, I'm much happier paying $60 for a year, unlimited, even if I have to do a bit of driving.

not exactly $60/year.

17 miles to transfer station in a van.
so 34 miles round trip.
assume 17mpg for laziness
one trip per week.

34miles * 52 trips a year = 1768 miles/year.

(1768 miles per year / 17 mpg) * $3 gallon = $312 in gas per year

 

[CorCentral]

Originally posted by: SpanishFry

Originally posted by: DrPizza
Well, at least you have someone to pick up your trash for you. I've opted to load it into the van once a week (or so in the winter) and drive 17 miles to the transfer station. Since I just left the city where it's around $2 per 30 gallon bag, I'm much happier paying $60 for a year, unlimited, even if I have to do a bit of driving.

not exactly $60/year.

17 miles to transfer station in a van.
so 34 miles round trip.
assume 17mpg for laziness
one trip per week.

34miles * 52 trips a year = 1768 miles/year.

(1768 miles per year / 17 mpg) * $3 gallon = $312 in gas per year

Your time is worth ZERO $ and not to mention miles on your vehicle? No thanks.
Just this alone is well worth someone picking up the trash for me.