Cookies on BBB.org

We use cookies to give users the best content and online experience. By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to allow us to use all cookies. Visit our Privacy Policy to learn more.

Manage Cookies
Share
Business Profile

Utility Billing

City Of Marion Water & Sewer Department

This business is NOT BBB Accredited.

Find BBB Accredited Businesses in Utility Billing.

Complaints

Customer Complaints Summary

  • 1 complaint in the last 3 years.
  • 0 complaints closed in the last 12 months.

If you've experienced an issue

Submit a Complaint

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

Sort by

Complaint status

Complaint type

  • Initial Complaint

    Date:05/24/2023

    Type:Billing Issues
    Status:
    AnsweredMore info

    Complaint statuses

    Resolved:
    The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
    Unresolved:
    The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
    Answered:
    The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
    Unanswered:
    The business failed to respond to the dispute.
    Unpursuable:
    BBB is unable to locate the business.
    I received bills every single month at least 5 days after due date. I pay full amount as soon as the bill comes in, they charge me late fees and tell me every single month it’s the mail but on my bill every month the issue date is for the date after due date! I’ve been paying them late fees because I believe they mail bills out after due date regularly. I don’t get any other bills late “ because of mail” They won’t cooperate with me. I’ve kept all my bills from. Moths past and they do it regularly. $5 late fees when it’s their fault adds up to a lot of money considering the amount of customers they have.

    Business Response

    Date: 06/02/2023

    Thank you for providing us with an opportunity to explain
    our utility billing and mailing procedures for the City of Marion Illinois
    Water Department!

    In this particular situation, Mrs. ******** is understandably
    frustrated that she has only been receiving the late bill notices by mail well
    after the due date of the 16th each month.

    To give this situation some context, our billing and
    mailing procedures are as follows:

    We read the water meters each month on the first business
    day or as close to the first business day of the month as we can.  Then, between the 21st-23rd of the same month, we finalize the billed charges due by the next month’s 16th  and send them electronically to a third-party
    company to be printed and mailed for us. 
    The first notice mailed has borders of blue. 

    If we don’t receive payment in full by the due date of the
    16th, then a penalty of 10% of the bill is added.  The next business day after the due date
    (usually the 17th) we send the second/late notices electronically to
    our third-party company to be printed and mailed.  The second/late notice mailed has borders of
    red.  The following message is displayed
    above the original due date: “FINAL NOTICE – PAYMENT MUST BE RECEIVED BY THE 25TH”
    *All past due balances are subject to disconnect for nonpayment after the 25th of the month.

    Back to our particular situation with Mrs. ********’s
    late notice:  She has included a picture
    of the second/late notice with the red border that displays the current due
    date as “5/16/23”, but the issue date (the date it was sent to our third-party
    company to be printed and mailed) is “5/17/23”.
     
    I understand that this can be confusing without the original first notice (with
    the blue border) that shows the original due date!  The second/late notices are shown with the
    original due date to let the customer know which bill has not been paid.

    I pulled the history of the bills mailed from our third-party
    printing/mailing company for Mrs. ********’s water account to see if it could tell
    me if there have been any issues with the USPS delivery of her monthly mailed
    bills in the past.  *I have redacted her
    water account number, address, and all money amounts to protect her privacy.

    A further description on each column of information listed
    from our third-party bill printer/mailer: 
    Name = Water account customer name
    Account Number = water account number (redacted)
    Job Code = a unique identifier for the electronic file that we’ve submitted
    Bill Date = date in which we invoice the bill
    Due Date = our water bill due date
    Total Due = amount of the bill (redacted)
    Received Date = the date in which we electronically submit the bills to
    our third-party printer/mailer
    Amount = amount of the bill (redacted)
    Mailed = the date that our third-party actually mails the bills
    Last USPS Update = date and time that the bill was scanned by the USPS
    before being given to a mail carrier to deliver
    Last USPS Zipcode = the zipcode of where the last scan was completed before
    being given to a mail carrier to be delivered

    Mrs. ******** has submitted a picture of the second/late notice
    due 5/16/23, so let’s take a look at both the first notice and the second/late
    notice that was mailed.  The first notice
    due 5/16/23 is the third line down on the first page.

    According to our third-party bill printer/mailer:  We invoiced the first notice due 5/16/23 on
    4/21/23. Our third-party printer/mailer also received it on 4/21/23.  They printed, stuffed into envelopes, and then
    mailed on 4/24/23.  Once in the mail, the
    bill traveled until it was last scanned by the USPS in the zip code of 62959
    (Marion, IL) on 4/27/2023 at 10:07AM.

    When payment was not received by the due date of the 16th:
    We invoiced the second/late notice past due 5/16/23 on 5/17/23 (second line on
    the mailed billing history).  Our third-party
    printer/mailer also received it on 5/17/23. 
    They printed, stuffed into envelopes, and then mailed on 5/18/23.  Once in the mail, the bill traveled until it
    was last scanned by the USPS in the zip code of 62959 on 5/22/23 at 10:12AM.

    The mailing history for Mrs. ********’s monthly first
    notices all show that they are being received by the USPS office in Marion,
    IL well before their due dates!  It
    appears that if Mrs. ******** has not been receiving the monthly first notice
    bills at all, then the issue may be with the mail carrier.  She should follow up with the USPS Postmaster.

    *Also, we go over our due dates and nonpayment shut off processes
    with every new customer verbally in the office when they apply for water
    service.  They also receive a paper copy
    as well.  I’ve attached the copy that
    Mrs. ******** would have received back in 2022 when she first applied for water
    service.  (The current minimum rate has
    now increased, but all other information is the same.)
    If Mrs. ******** would like to reach back out to us, we can
    explain in person and provide her with whatever materials that might help her
    battle with the USPS! 

BBB Business Profiles may not be reproduced for sales or promotional purposes.

BBB Business Profiles are provided solely to assist you in exercising your own best judgment. BBB asks third parties who publish complaints, reviews and/or responses on this website to affirm that the information provided is accurate. However, BBB does not verify the accuracy of information provided by third parties, and does not guarantee the accuracy of any information in Business Profiles.

When considering complaint information, please take into account the company's size and volume of transactions, and understand that the nature of complaints and a firm's responses to them are often more important than the number of complaints.

BBB Business Profiles generally cover a three-year reporting period, except for customer reviews. Customer reviews posted prior to July 5, 2024, will no longer be published when they reach three years from their submission date. Customer reviews posted on/after July 5, 2024, will be published indefinitely unless otherwise voluntarily retracted by the user who submitted the content, or BBB no longer believes the review is authentic. BBB Business Profiles are subject to change at any time. If you choose to do business with this company, please let them know that you checked their record with BBB.

As a matter of policy, BBB does not endorse any product, service or business. Businesses are under no obligation to seek BBB accreditation, and some businesses are not accredited because they have not sought BBB accreditation. BBB charges a fee for BBB Accreditation. This fee supports BBB's efforts to fulfill its mission of advancing marketplace trust.