On Your Side: WSSC Billing Glitch|ABC 7 News

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On Your Side: WSSC Billing Glitch

posted 6:19 pm Tue October 30, 2007 -

tags: on your side • ross • wssc • water

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Anchor:

GET OUT YOUR UTILITY BILL.

YOU MAY HAVE BEEN OVERCHARGED FOR WATER.

7 ON YOUR SIDE HAS DISCOVERED A GLITCH THAT COULD AFFECT THOUSANDS OF CUSTOMERS.

ROSS MCLAUGHLIN HAS THE STORY.

ROSS WHAT HAVE YOU GOT?

Ross on set:

WE'VE GOT A SITUATION HERE WHERE THE WATER METER MIGHT AS WELL NOT EVEN BEEN WORKING.

IT'S ALL HERE IN BLACK AND WHITE. IT LOOKS LIKE ACCURACY DOESN'T MATTER WHEN WASHINGTON SUBURBAN SANITARY COMMISSION BILLS ITS CUSTOMERS. Story:

REMEMBER THIS PAST SUMMER..YOU KNOW..GARDEN HOSES..THE DROUGHT? KAREN STEWARD DOES.

Karen Steward/WSSC Customer: "Spend quite a bit to water out here. "

AND WATER'S NOT CHEAP...SO SHE DIDN'T NEED TO BE OVERCHARGED BY WSSC.

Karen Steward/WSSC Customer: "They will remove your payment in the winter months and then re-bill you in the spring or the summer."

WHEN RATES ARE HIGHER. TAKE A LOOK. SHE PAID HER NOVEMBER THROUGH FEBRUARY BILL, AN ACTUAL READING, IN FULL. THE RATE 2.07 CENTS PER THOUSAND GALLONS...ON THE NEXT BILL..FEBRUARY TO MAY... THE RATE INCREASED...2.33 CENTS PER THOUSAND GALLONS...NO PROBLEM,

Ross: "Twenty six point nine."

BUT WSSC BACKED OUT HER PREVIOUS PAYMENT AND RECALCULATED THE WATER SHE'D ALREADY PAID FOR AT THE HIGHER RATE.

Karen Steward/WSSC Customer: "It's deceptive, it's very deceptive."

AND SHE CAUGHT THEM DOING IT TWICE.

Ross: "Okay let's go to WSSC."

FOLKS THAT WAS 2 MONTHS AGO. NUMEROUS PHONE CALLS..BACK AND FORTH EMAIL..AND THE ANSWER.

"That's just the way we do it."

HUH?

Ross:"What if the rest of the world operated that way. like if i pump gas Tuesday and the price goes up 5 cents Wednesday. next time i come back i have to write them a check? "Or if i buy a burger and price goes up..i'd have to flip them another quarter for something's that already turned to fat. doesn't make sense."

BUT FOR WSSC IT DOES MAKE MONEY. IN KAREN'S CASE 3 DOLLARS MORE...BUT WHAT ABOUT YOU AND THE OTHER 460 THOUSAND CUSTOMERS. WSSC SAYS THEY'LL DEAL WITH IT ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS. AS FOR KAREN SHE GOT HER MONEY BACK.

Ross: "And your message still to WSSC is get it right?

Karen Steward/WSSC Customer: "Get it right."

Ross on set: WE'VE TAKEN THIS TO COUNTY OFFICIALS..WSSC COMMISSIONERS AND FINALLY AFTER EXTENSIVE DISCUSSIONS..AN ADMISSION FROM WSSC, THERE IS A GLITCH IN THE BILLING SYSTEM. THEY'LL RE-EXAMINE IT. IN THE MEANTIME ONLY YOU CAN HELP YOURSELF.. LOOK AT YOUR BILLS AND CONTACT WSSC IF YOU THINK YOU'RE OWED A REFUND.

Anchor: ROSS HAS WRITTEN A BLOG DETAILING HOW THE BILLING ERROR OCCURS

And be sure to check out the 7-On-Your-Side Television show, Tuesdays at 8:30 p.m. on NewsChannel 8.

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