Post by FRED on Nov 2, 2012 20:25:37 GMT -5
5/15/16 Here is an updated list of AUM management email addresses
Why not give all of them the benefit of your opinion of their crappy company? I email them regularly and you should also. Reach out for them at:
mmiller@aum-inc.com, malpo@aum-inc.com,dwitte@aum-inc.com, dcarpenter@aum-inc.com,dkapsis@aum-inc.com,jpeterson@aum-inc.com, msmurzynski@aum-inc.com,Jstackhouse@aum-inc.com,Pahern@aum-inc.com, Lalperin@aum-inc.com,Pbosi@aum-inc.com,Mcoffman@aum-inc.com,Khughes@aum-inc.com, Dwilbur@aum-inc.com, info@aum-inc.com, customerservice@aum-inc.com
---------------------------------------------------
5/15/16 UPDATE about YELP Reviews.
There are now 72, all unfavorable 1 star. Here are 2 recent ones FYI:
1.0 star rating 3/15/2016
PLEASE ask the manager of an apartment you are thinking about renting if they use AUM - if they do then DO NOT RENT FROM THEM. As much as you want the place, tell them you will NOT rent from them because they support AUM. Known offenders who make you sign up for AUM are PAC properties in the valley. They dropped the fact we would have to pay AUM fees at the last moment.
Trust me, AUM is NOT the norm - it is a scam designed to STEAL your money.
If I could find a way, I would spend my entire life to shut down this company of scammers. The more research you do, the more you realize how sketchy and illegal this entire company should be. I haven't had to deal with AUM in years and if I do, I will go to court.
research, research, research - these criminals need to be shut down.
Ian A.
Plymouth, MI
1.0 star rating 4/28/2016
From Plymouth, MI, and I'll add the same: DO NOT RENT AT APARTMENT COMPLEXES THAT USE THIS CROOKED COMPANY! The complaints in this State about AUM are the same as everywhere else: you will be overcharged by them, your payments lost, and should you choose to pay online (like most companies allow for FREE these days), you will be price-gouged for it at a rate of $7.99 per bill payment! Really, it's only a matter of time before a class-action lawsuit is raised against these thieves.
As another person stated, ask each apartment complex if they use AUM before moving in, and if they do, RUN.
-----------------------------------
Sept. 9, 2014 update on YELP.
This site now has 37* reviews on AUM, all rated them 1 star out of 5.
(*12/28/14 Update: Yelp is now at 43 reviews, all unfavorable)
One person wrote that if there was a 'no star' option they would not even have given one star.
=====================================
What others think of AUM
Reviews for American Utility Management see the original site at: www.yelp.com/biz/american-utility-management-los-angeles
Thomas P. - Escondido, CA
7/7/2014
There are not appropriate words for how much I am bothered by this company. They charge an exorbitant amount to pay online or over the phone ($7.50---more than any company I've ever gotten service from). Their customer service people are rude and unfriendly. If you want to go to an office to pay the bill, you can't. I mean---your entire purpose in existence is to help people pay their utility bills, why do you have to make it so burdensome and complicated and expensive? Their website is also pathetic and doesn't provide much detail at all.
I will tell you one thing they are efficient at---closing your account---even before I had a chance to pay the bill on the date that it's due.
I, for one, will not ever rent from another place that does business with these people in the future. There is a reason why NOBODY has anything good to say about them. Why they are still in business is beyond me.
--------------------------------------------------------
[font color=lah T. - Playa Vista, CA
[/b][/font]
8/31/2014
I have to agree with everyone here. This company is horrible. Does anyone know if there is a way to pressure property management companies to stop using them? I feel like i'm throwing money in the trash; late fees, convenience fees, online fees. This company should be reported to the BBB.
Jackie N. Bonita, CA 1/27/2013
I would give less stars if I could. My bill is usually due around the 30th and as of today I have yet to receive it! It always comes in the mail at the last second before it's due but then if you are late they are going to charge you. Of course that wouldn't be a problem if they just let you pay online without charging a ridiculous fee!! Hello, AUM wake up, we are in the age of technology where people don't send paper checks, it's way easier to just pay online with the rest of the bills and even my rent is paid online. If they expect to make people may by mail they need to get a clue and give at least a week of time to get the bill and get the check out before it is due!! HATE this company...very expensive, poor customer service, high misc. fees... very annoying.
Ricardo R. San Diego, CA 1/23/2013
COMPANY sucks. Outrageous online fees. If you mail your check, and somehow its late its your fault, even if its post marked, WTF!!!!! I mailed it in 4 days before due date.
John R. Colorado Springs, CO 11/26/2012
My experience has been the same as that of other posters. Exorbitant fees: I have documented the major uses of water: laundry, dishes, toilet flushes, showers. For the past month I also have timed the showers: 5 minutes. I am using approximately one third of the water for which I am being charged.
Apartment management refuses to help; no doubt they are getting a big kickback from AUM. (They just signed with them three months ago, probably because they outbid the previous billing service.)
The location, by the way, is Colorado Springs, CO.
As another poster, I wish I could give negative stars.
Russ H. Corona, CA 11/19/2012
I just started receiving bills from AUM after reviewing the bill I was charged $10.68 for Water, Trash and Sewer; Granted I signed my lease on the 28th of October, I didnt move into the unit until November 2nd, yet I was billed for services I didnt even use... To top it off, I went to pay the bill online and they want to charge $7.95 to pay your bill online...
I hope that since the complex that I am is now under new management companies, I hope that they will ditch this company. Based on the reviews I read this is going to be a long lease!!!
I would love to start class action law suite against these thieves. If more people are interested, leave the message here, and we will get organized.
Huntington Beach, CA 4/30/2012
AUM IS THE WORST!!! They absolutely change your billing due date all the time and then charge you a 25% late fee if you pay a single day behind. They are horrible. You cannot pay over the phone, you are charged an insane fee to pay online, they are greedy and absurd. Customer service should change their name, as they do not care about the customers and are offering no service whatsoever. If I had any choice in the matter, I would've absolutely switched utility services long ago. I detest paying this bill more than paying taxes. Pure evil.
John P. Studio City, CA 5/21/2012
When you look for a new apartment in Los Angeles, avoid those owned by big corporations like Essex or Archstone. The larger the complex, the more likely that they hire a third party to manage utility costs that are not included in your already exorbitant rent. At the Muse in North Hollywood, the hot water is billed through AUM as "energy," along with sewer, water, trash, and AUM's monthly "admin charge." Because units do not have individual hot water tanks, you pay a portion of the sum total cost of hot water use by all residents in the entire building. As a single person living in a one-bedroom, I was charged $14.27 for hot water last month, billed as "energy." Individual sewer, water, and trash costs were slightly less.
My total AUM utility bill averages $42 monthly. Of the two AUM customer service representatives with whom I have spoken, both were defensive, interruptive, flippant, terse, and at times angered by any question without cause/instigation. As mentioned in prior posts above, AUM will charge you for any "lapse" in which your lease contract is dated and you start and end your gas service. If you start gas on April 25, but moved in April 24, expect a charge and "feel lucky that you were not charged more," as told by one AUM rep.
Amy F. Dayton, OH 2/1/2013
by far the most awful utility company i have ever used. they change your due date every month. they charge you a late fee if you are ***one day**** past due. no grace period. this wouldn't be so bad if there were a convenient way to pay. you cannot pay online or by phone without getting charged a "convenience fee" of 7.50. they do not care about their customers. they are greedy crooks. i send in my check every month a week before it is due and somehow it magically doesn't get there until 2 weeks past due . since there is no grace period, i keep getting late fees. they should be shut down.
Review from Michael H. West Hollywood, CA 9/22/2012
This company is a complete SCAM!!! AVOID any building that uses them unless you want to deal with headaches!! They charge you fees just for using their service that you did not sign up for in the 1st place. That means you are getting charged for them billing you!! On top of that all the bills are over inflated with FAKE water usage charges, and you get charged for late fees even when you send in your payments ontime!! They are a complete SCAM!!! It should be illegal!!
Review from Vans M. Vans M. Huntington Beach, CA 4/30/2012
AUM IS THE WORST!!! They absolutely change your billing due date all the time and then charge you a 25% late fee if you pay a single day behind.
They are horrible. You cannot pay over the phone, you are charged an insane fee to pay online, they are greedy and absurd. Customer service should change their name, as they do not care about the customers and are offering no service whatsoever. If I had any choice in the matter, I would've absolutely switched utility services long ago. I detest paying this bill more than paying taxes. Pure evil.
Review from Nicola F. Bothell, WA 11/13/2011
First to Review - I think I've had about enough of AUM's expensive charges and poor customer service. They have moving due dates and no grace period so if you miss the day it's due, you get a hefty late fee (due dates range anywhere from a week before the new month to a couple days after the new month). You can't pay online or over the phone without a hefty fee. They're the ugly of corporations. When I move, any apartment complex using AUM will be out of consideration.
Review from Robert F. VALLEY VILLAGE, CA 1/10/2012
AUM is a joke, if I could I would give them -5 Stars
U can wait on the line for more than 45 min without any answer.
How come everymonth your utility bill is completely different?
How 1 person in studio can get a $75 bill for one month for water and trash?
Defiantly this company is run by the best crocks Managment I have ever deal with. BE AWARE
Djordje P. Auburn Hills, MI 10/15/2012
I am trying to understand how can a water/sewer/trash bill can go from an average of $35 per month to over $50 per month. ( $50.09 for August and $58.24 for September). Now my water/sewer bill is as much as electricity and gas bill combined.
I understand their billing practices and how they work, with total usage, square footage and everything else. Their billing system makes it even harder to believe these bills, as when you average apartment complex of 600+ apartments, it makes it very hard for a bill to grow by 50%. This would mean that that every single apartment used 50% more water, which is very illogical.
Water is the most constant utility bill throughout the year, and few studies show that inside house water usage varies only within few percent from month to month. People's habits don't change.
I would love to start class action law suite against these thieves. If more people are interested, leave the message here, and we will get organized.
Filip N. San Diego, CA 10/2/2012
I live at an apartment complex that is owned by Essex. UNFORTUNATELY ESSEX USES AUM to manage their apartments utility costs.
AUM charges you a convenience fee of $7.50 every time you pay online, instead of sending them a check by mail. That is just absurd. We should be discounted by paying online instead. Seriously, the less paperwork for a company the less cost, which means more profits. For every customer who pay online the company does not have to deal with the work of opening mails and to put the checks on their records. Therefore the convenience fee is just a scam. Further, I think they charge too much, and I don't get a record of how much usage I have had during a month, which means that they can easily charge you more than they should.
When I move, I will AVOID living at ANY APARTMENT COMPLEX THAT USES AUM.
David K. - Mesa, AZ
7/26/2014
I work the evening shift, thus cannot even use their trash service due to the hours they operate (and they don't work fridays or saturdays, just like me). I still have to pay them 30$ / month for this trash service I can't even use?
Additionally I was not informed I would have to pay for this service on top of my rent until I received my first bill.
And a 7.50 charge to pay online? Thats ridiculous, hosting a website (especially one as bad as theirs) costs pocket change, yet they're too interested in inflating their own pockets.
I'll know next time I'm looking for an apartment to ask first if they use this terrible service.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Asmma Y. Pasadena, CA 6/13/2012
Worst company ever, there customer support is really bad you feel like they don't want to talk to you and if you ask for the manager they never answer, I don't know how early you should send your payment to avoid late fees, they over charge you and they always have a stupid reason, and they even made us pays late fees for who ever was living in our apartment before we moved in and there is no way to reason with these people. Its like to take a training course in how to be rode to people.
The worst I tell you the worst company everrrrrrrrrr...
ALSO FYI:
Here is a case out of Minnesota where the State sues Northtown Apartments for excessive charges for water/sewer bills for the residents of the complex. Clearly AUM is a total scam.
See: www.homelinemn.org/wp-content/uploads/Complaint-MN.vs_.Northtown.pdf[/font]
Why not give all of them the benefit of your opinion of their crappy company? I email them regularly and you should also. Reach out for them at:
mmiller@aum-inc.com, malpo@aum-inc.com,dwitte@aum-inc.com, dcarpenter@aum-inc.com,dkapsis@aum-inc.com,jpeterson@aum-inc.com, msmurzynski@aum-inc.com,Jstackhouse@aum-inc.com,Pahern@aum-inc.com, Lalperin@aum-inc.com,Pbosi@aum-inc.com,Mcoffman@aum-inc.com,Khughes@aum-inc.com, Dwilbur@aum-inc.com, info@aum-inc.com, customerservice@aum-inc.com
---------------------------------------------------
5/15/16 UPDATE about YELP Reviews.
There are now 72, all unfavorable 1 star. Here are 2 recent ones FYI:
1.0 star rating 3/15/2016
PLEASE ask the manager of an apartment you are thinking about renting if they use AUM - if they do then DO NOT RENT FROM THEM. As much as you want the place, tell them you will NOT rent from them because they support AUM. Known offenders who make you sign up for AUM are PAC properties in the valley. They dropped the fact we would have to pay AUM fees at the last moment.
Trust me, AUM is NOT the norm - it is a scam designed to STEAL your money.
If I could find a way, I would spend my entire life to shut down this company of scammers. The more research you do, the more you realize how sketchy and illegal this entire company should be. I haven't had to deal with AUM in years and if I do, I will go to court.
research, research, research - these criminals need to be shut down.
Ian A.
Plymouth, MI
1.0 star rating 4/28/2016
From Plymouth, MI, and I'll add the same: DO NOT RENT AT APARTMENT COMPLEXES THAT USE THIS CROOKED COMPANY! The complaints in this State about AUM are the same as everywhere else: you will be overcharged by them, your payments lost, and should you choose to pay online (like most companies allow for FREE these days), you will be price-gouged for it at a rate of $7.99 per bill payment! Really, it's only a matter of time before a class-action lawsuit is raised against these thieves.
As another person stated, ask each apartment complex if they use AUM before moving in, and if they do, RUN.
-----------------------------------
Sept. 9, 2014 update on YELP.
This site now has 37* reviews on AUM, all rated them 1 star out of 5.
(*12/28/14 Update: Yelp is now at 43 reviews, all unfavorable)
One person wrote that if there was a 'no star' option they would not even have given one star.
=====================================
What others think of AUM
Reviews for American Utility Management see the original site at: www.yelp.com/biz/american-utility-management-los-angeles
Thomas P. - Escondido, CA
7/7/2014
There are not appropriate words for how much I am bothered by this company. They charge an exorbitant amount to pay online or over the phone ($7.50---more than any company I've ever gotten service from). Their customer service people are rude and unfriendly. If you want to go to an office to pay the bill, you can't. I mean---your entire purpose in existence is to help people pay their utility bills, why do you have to make it so burdensome and complicated and expensive? Their website is also pathetic and doesn't provide much detail at all.
I will tell you one thing they are efficient at---closing your account---even before I had a chance to pay the bill on the date that it's due.
I, for one, will not ever rent from another place that does business with these people in the future. There is a reason why NOBODY has anything good to say about them. Why they are still in business is beyond me.
--------------------------------------------------------
[font color=lah T. - Playa Vista, CA
[/b][/font]
8/31/2014
I have to agree with everyone here. This company is horrible. Does anyone know if there is a way to pressure property management companies to stop using them? I feel like i'm throwing money in the trash; late fees, convenience fees, online fees. This company should be reported to the BBB.
Jackie N. Bonita, CA 1/27/2013
I would give less stars if I could. My bill is usually due around the 30th and as of today I have yet to receive it! It always comes in the mail at the last second before it's due but then if you are late they are going to charge you. Of course that wouldn't be a problem if they just let you pay online without charging a ridiculous fee!! Hello, AUM wake up, we are in the age of technology where people don't send paper checks, it's way easier to just pay online with the rest of the bills and even my rent is paid online. If they expect to make people may by mail they need to get a clue and give at least a week of time to get the bill and get the check out before it is due!! HATE this company...very expensive, poor customer service, high misc. fees... very annoying.
Ricardo R. San Diego, CA 1/23/2013
COMPANY sucks. Outrageous online fees. If you mail your check, and somehow its late its your fault, even if its post marked, WTF!!!!! I mailed it in 4 days before due date.
John R. Colorado Springs, CO 11/26/2012
My experience has been the same as that of other posters. Exorbitant fees: I have documented the major uses of water: laundry, dishes, toilet flushes, showers. For the past month I also have timed the showers: 5 minutes. I am using approximately one third of the water for which I am being charged.
Apartment management refuses to help; no doubt they are getting a big kickback from AUM. (They just signed with them three months ago, probably because they outbid the previous billing service.)
The location, by the way, is Colorado Springs, CO.
As another poster, I wish I could give negative stars.
Russ H. Corona, CA 11/19/2012
I just started receiving bills from AUM after reviewing the bill I was charged $10.68 for Water, Trash and Sewer; Granted I signed my lease on the 28th of October, I didnt move into the unit until November 2nd, yet I was billed for services I didnt even use... To top it off, I went to pay the bill online and they want to charge $7.95 to pay your bill online...
I hope that since the complex that I am is now under new management companies, I hope that they will ditch this company. Based on the reviews I read this is going to be a long lease!!!
I would love to start class action law suite against these thieves. If more people are interested, leave the message here, and we will get organized.
Huntington Beach, CA 4/30/2012
AUM IS THE WORST!!! They absolutely change your billing due date all the time and then charge you a 25% late fee if you pay a single day behind. They are horrible. You cannot pay over the phone, you are charged an insane fee to pay online, they are greedy and absurd. Customer service should change their name, as they do not care about the customers and are offering no service whatsoever. If I had any choice in the matter, I would've absolutely switched utility services long ago. I detest paying this bill more than paying taxes. Pure evil.
John P. Studio City, CA 5/21/2012
When you look for a new apartment in Los Angeles, avoid those owned by big corporations like Essex or Archstone. The larger the complex, the more likely that they hire a third party to manage utility costs that are not included in your already exorbitant rent. At the Muse in North Hollywood, the hot water is billed through AUM as "energy," along with sewer, water, trash, and AUM's monthly "admin charge." Because units do not have individual hot water tanks, you pay a portion of the sum total cost of hot water use by all residents in the entire building. As a single person living in a one-bedroom, I was charged $14.27 for hot water last month, billed as "energy." Individual sewer, water, and trash costs were slightly less.
My total AUM utility bill averages $42 monthly. Of the two AUM customer service representatives with whom I have spoken, both were defensive, interruptive, flippant, terse, and at times angered by any question without cause/instigation. As mentioned in prior posts above, AUM will charge you for any "lapse" in which your lease contract is dated and you start and end your gas service. If you start gas on April 25, but moved in April 24, expect a charge and "feel lucky that you were not charged more," as told by one AUM rep.
Amy F. Dayton, OH 2/1/2013
by far the most awful utility company i have ever used. they change your due date every month. they charge you a late fee if you are ***one day**** past due. no grace period. this wouldn't be so bad if there were a convenient way to pay. you cannot pay online or by phone without getting charged a "convenience fee" of 7.50. they do not care about their customers. they are greedy crooks. i send in my check every month a week before it is due and somehow it magically doesn't get there until 2 weeks past due . since there is no grace period, i keep getting late fees. they should be shut down.
Review from Michael H. West Hollywood, CA 9/22/2012
This company is a complete SCAM!!! AVOID any building that uses them unless you want to deal with headaches!! They charge you fees just for using their service that you did not sign up for in the 1st place. That means you are getting charged for them billing you!! On top of that all the bills are over inflated with FAKE water usage charges, and you get charged for late fees even when you send in your payments ontime!! They are a complete SCAM!!! It should be illegal!!
Review from Vans M. Vans M. Huntington Beach, CA 4/30/2012
AUM IS THE WORST!!! They absolutely change your billing due date all the time and then charge you a 25% late fee if you pay a single day behind.
They are horrible. You cannot pay over the phone, you are charged an insane fee to pay online, they are greedy and absurd. Customer service should change their name, as they do not care about the customers and are offering no service whatsoever. If I had any choice in the matter, I would've absolutely switched utility services long ago. I detest paying this bill more than paying taxes. Pure evil.
Review from Nicola F. Bothell, WA 11/13/2011
First to Review - I think I've had about enough of AUM's expensive charges and poor customer service. They have moving due dates and no grace period so if you miss the day it's due, you get a hefty late fee (due dates range anywhere from a week before the new month to a couple days after the new month). You can't pay online or over the phone without a hefty fee. They're the ugly of corporations. When I move, any apartment complex using AUM will be out of consideration.
Review from Robert F. VALLEY VILLAGE, CA 1/10/2012
AUM is a joke, if I could I would give them -5 Stars
U can wait on the line for more than 45 min without any answer.
How come everymonth your utility bill is completely different?
How 1 person in studio can get a $75 bill for one month for water and trash?
Defiantly this company is run by the best crocks Managment I have ever deal with. BE AWARE
Djordje P. Auburn Hills, MI 10/15/2012
I am trying to understand how can a water/sewer/trash bill can go from an average of $35 per month to over $50 per month. ( $50.09 for August and $58.24 for September). Now my water/sewer bill is as much as electricity and gas bill combined.
I understand their billing practices and how they work, with total usage, square footage and everything else. Their billing system makes it even harder to believe these bills, as when you average apartment complex of 600+ apartments, it makes it very hard for a bill to grow by 50%. This would mean that that every single apartment used 50% more water, which is very illogical.
Water is the most constant utility bill throughout the year, and few studies show that inside house water usage varies only within few percent from month to month. People's habits don't change.
I would love to start class action law suite against these thieves. If more people are interested, leave the message here, and we will get organized.
Filip N. San Diego, CA 10/2/2012
I live at an apartment complex that is owned by Essex. UNFORTUNATELY ESSEX USES AUM to manage their apartments utility costs.
AUM charges you a convenience fee of $7.50 every time you pay online, instead of sending them a check by mail. That is just absurd. We should be discounted by paying online instead. Seriously, the less paperwork for a company the less cost, which means more profits. For every customer who pay online the company does not have to deal with the work of opening mails and to put the checks on their records. Therefore the convenience fee is just a scam. Further, I think they charge too much, and I don't get a record of how much usage I have had during a month, which means that they can easily charge you more than they should.
When I move, I will AVOID living at ANY APARTMENT COMPLEX THAT USES AUM.
David K. - Mesa, AZ
7/26/2014
I work the evening shift, thus cannot even use their trash service due to the hours they operate (and they don't work fridays or saturdays, just like me). I still have to pay them 30$ / month for this trash service I can't even use?
Additionally I was not informed I would have to pay for this service on top of my rent until I received my first bill.
And a 7.50 charge to pay online? Thats ridiculous, hosting a website (especially one as bad as theirs) costs pocket change, yet they're too interested in inflating their own pockets.
I'll know next time I'm looking for an apartment to ask first if they use this terrible service.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Asmma Y. Pasadena, CA 6/13/2012
Worst company ever, there customer support is really bad you feel like they don't want to talk to you and if you ask for the manager they never answer, I don't know how early you should send your payment to avoid late fees, they over charge you and they always have a stupid reason, and they even made us pays late fees for who ever was living in our apartment before we moved in and there is no way to reason with these people. Its like to take a training course in how to be rode to people.
The worst I tell you the worst company everrrrrrrrrr...
ALSO FYI:
Here is a case out of Minnesota where the State sues Northtown Apartments for excessive charges for water/sewer bills for the residents of the complex. Clearly AUM is a total scam.
See: www.homelinemn.org/wp-content/uploads/Complaint-MN.vs_.Northtown.pdf[/font]
