Excel Energy - A Servent to Capitalism at it's Best

When an individual finishes their work day, usually going to their own house, relaxing for a bit, and unwinding from a long day at work is not out of the ordinary thing for a person to do. The other day, I arrived to my house after work to find my electricity turned off by the Excel Energy Company.

For any of you reading this having had your electric or gas shut off, this is not the most pleasant of experiences. First of all, if you get into your house by the garage door, your openers will not work. If you didn't bring your keys to your house, and locked all your windows your really out of luck. Fortunately, this was not the case for me. I did have the keys to my house and was able to enter.

I called Excel Energy hoping this could be rectified ASAP. I ended up calling the company 6 times total.

The first agent I spoke with told me my electric had been shut off because my bill was 7 days late. I told the agent I was going to pay Friday of this week, when my paycheck from work was deposited into my bank account. The agent was unsympathetic toward why the bill was late, or when the payment would be made. All she cared about was getting the payment right there and then, before any service would be reconnected.

After I explained I do not have any credit cards but a visa from my checking account which didn't have the funds that were needed to make the payment, she said sorry - find someone to help you.

I called my boyfriend, asked for his assistance in paying my bill. He called to make the payment with his visa charge. Excel Energy would not accept visa, only mastercard, discover, or checking account. Because he didn't have enough funds in his checking account and only had visa's this was a no go for his help.

I called Excel Energy and complained again, talking to a manager this time around. Same answer given to me, so sorry, nothing we can do. However, this time she said to me the reason service was shut off was because my payment last month was a $1.06 short, not because I was late this month with the payment. Yes....I said $1.06 short. I wrote the check for $220.00 rather the the $221.06 that was suppose to be paid. I was $1.06 short. Yes....this was my fault for not looking at the bill more closely . I surely had the full amount in my account to pay the full $221.06 but was too busy to look closely and wrote the check $1.06 short.

Excel Energy shut my service off because of a measly $1.06.

In the 24 hours of being shut off, my food spoiled, I was inconvenienced by the living arrangements, and I had to go an hour to my mom's in order for her to go to her bank and pay $390.00 to have my service turned back on. Luckily her bank was also the bank which accepted Excel Energy payments and was still opened in the evening until 7p.m.

Now mind you, Excel did not charge me a reconnect fee like I hear they charge most others to reconnect. The $390.00 went for the bill I owed from this month, which I was on a payment plan for.

After my dear mom paid the bill, I called Excel and they told me at the end of the business day tomorrow my service would be reconnected.

I made sure I called and bothered the company all morning the next business day, asking to speak to managers, complaining about what they did to me the day before, making sure the service would indeed be re connected on this given day. Excel Energy knew I was very upset with their services and company, and although I remained calm through all my dealings with them, I let them know in no uncertain terms I would be writing a blog about this experience so others would be aware of how capitalism fits in with Excel Energy. Excel Energy let me know in no uncertain terms that the number that I keep calling was going to Texas and that Minnesota was the one who did this to me. They were a calling center in Texas.

Now....if Excel Energy isn't capitalism at it's best, by the way they treat their customers, I don't know what is. For being a mere $1.06 short on my bill, I had to pay dearly, not only money, but inconvenience, emotionally. This was a very draining experience. I couldn't even talk to a person in my own State, and all calls go directed to Texas. What kind of service is this.

To all of my blog readers, or whoever comes across this blog, hopefully this will help you realize how business operates and how Excel Energy or any other business you make regular payments to in your everyday life does not care about you, your situation, or even if you were only $1.06 short on your bill.