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Post by minn0w on Dec 23, 2014 12:11:15 GMT -5
My apartment complex (managed by one of those unethical "Real Estate Investment Trust" (REIT) companies on the stock market) just put a note on my door telling residents that it is switching to AUM.
I wrote a very matter-of-fact email to them saying I want OUT of my lease if this switch is going to happen. I will file a complaint with the Attorney General if I'm forced to give EVEN ONE PENNY of my money to AUM -- this evil, fraudulent scam of a company. It goes around soliciting business from properties that are large, doing so under the guise of utlity "conservation" but the reality is that they encourage waste of utilities. They can get away overcharging people because their "math" apparently spreading out the cost over the entire complex and dividing it up according to (what I read) is square footage, or something.
There is a REASON the US doesn't endorse socialism. AUM is basically socialism for utiliites.
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Post by donna on Dec 23, 2014 21:27:36 GMT -5
Just got the same note and I don't understand it.
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Post by Admin on Dec 26, 2014 19:10:29 GMT -5
Any residents in a complex that is CHANGING TO AUM will get a heck of a shock when they discover that their bills are often simply made up, that the bills will arrive late thus causing residents to have a late fee and of course their customer service will be of no use at all. I've been through it all when I had my Florida condo.
You can find out all about this 3rd rate firm at: aumsucks.blogspot.com
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I am no fan of the Better Business Bureau and often call it the Better Cover Up Bureau because they NEVER dump on any dues paying member. AUM remains rated at A+ and if you are reading this you know that AUM is pond scum.
Below are 3 recent complaints about AUM and a link where you can read more BBB customer complaints. As much as I dislike the BBB I will suggest to readers that they also complain online (takes 15 min), not so that you get the A+ lowered, that won't happen, but just to make other readers familiar with the sort of BS that you get from AUM.9/22/14 ComplaintAUM does not send out their statements in a timely manner. The statement gets to you 1-5 days after you would have had to mail the bill back. This would be fine if online bill pay was an option, but it cost 7.50. They attempt to trap customers with unnecessary fees. I was assessed a late fee last month. I called and they removed it as a one time curtsy. I will be assessed another late fee this month because it is impossible to pay the bill within their timeline.
Working backwards, the bill is due on the 1st, it takes 5-7 business days to process. The 1st is a holiday, they would have to receive my payment no later than August 21, four days for mailing I would need to send on August 16 because there is no mail on Sundays. I did not receive the bill from them until the 19th. This is a business practice meant to trap customers, the statements aren't generated until the 11th of each month and in phone calls with the company they acknowledge that they don't send them out on time. My account number is XXXXXXXXXX. -7/16/14 ComplaintAUM charged me a late fee of $9.00 even though I received the first billing letter after my initial payment was due, thus they didn't allow me to pay on time. I never received a bill for the first payment cycle. To avoid a second late fee, the only way to pay "on time" was to pay online using a credit or debit card, which is fantastic, but they charge an unreasonable fee of $7.50. No one in the industry or other industries charges a convenience fee of more than $2.00. This is completely unreasonable. If anything, there should be a discount for paying online as it reduces manual work for them plus any paperwork. 4/18/14 ComplaintCompany charges $5 a month to sent a bill that is always wrong. When I asked my apartment complex manager about this charge and how to remove it, I was told I needed to contact AUM directly as they had nothing to do with this. I called AUM and the associate was very unhelpful. I requested to stop receiving these bills and to cancel and they refused, telling me breaking my lease and moving was the only way to stop this charge. My apartment complex uses separate billing online that I use and do not need or require this bill to be sent or generated by this company.
Further, I have checked my lease and have been unable to find any agreement to this fee by this third party company as they claimed. They seem to be passing the issue off on others instead of doing the right thing and canceling my account or at least stop sending me these pointless incorrect bills that just get thrown away because they are wrong half the time. This company practices some very shady business and needs their BBB Accredited title remove immediately. Shame on this company.
More complaints at the BBB site: www.bbb.org/chicago/business-reviews/billing-service/american-utility-management-in-oak-brook-il-28003768
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