Arrowhead Mountain Spring Water Ripoff Outrageous Late fees Louiville Kentucky

Upon reading the prior reports & rebuttals on Arrowhead water, it occurred to me that a consumer is not able to see the clarity of the water content of certain gallon plastic containers until purchasing, taking home and pouring into a clear glass.

Whether there is something in the water harmful or inert; I want to see for myself before I put the product into my shopping cart. I am switching back to a spring water that comes in a clear plastic containers. I appreciate being able to find online information that can help me to evaluate & make better decisions in what I put into my diet & that of my household plus friends.

I will keep monitoring this site as well as others, there are two or more sides to a story. I will be advising all my friends, family & business associates to monitor & evaluate this subject as well.

I've been so sadly disappointed with Arrowhead water myself lately. 

We purchase 1 gallon and 2.5 gallon bottles of distilled water (usually at our local Safeway) and over the last year have had something floating in our water.  Last night after buying two 2.5 gallon bottles, I hurriedly finished the prior bottle (purchased the week earlier) and then opened one of the new bottles and  quickly drank half of a glass before the flavor stopped me in my tracks and I quickly spit what remained in my mouth out. 

Sadly I had forgotten the now needed step of checking for floating bits of whitish/clearish bits before drinking from any bottle of Arrowhead distilled water, I'd not known until now that the flavor was effected as well.  Over a year ago was the first time I noticed the shadow of these floating bits on the bottom of my white glass and realized that there was a problem.  We have repeatedly returned (for refund) bottles back to place of purchase (including the two we bought yesterday and the one we bought today to replace it which also was contaminated) AND made complaints to Arrowhead but have gotten nowhere.  Operators seem shocked and even quizzically surprised but we never get anywhere... no recalls, no change, and NO answers!  The Arrowhead customer service seems to have no interest what-so-ever in solving the problem or even answering this customers concerns.  What is in this water that is supposed to be so perfectly pure?  What is being added, not being cleaned, not being checked, and double checked??  Why has this gone on for well over a year (at least) without resolution?  How many other customers are drinking these unknown contaminants without being aware of it?  What danger do these contaminants pose?

My next step is to go to my local news station.  If Safeway won't remove the items from the shelves after reports of contamination, and Arrowhead themselves won't self-police themselves and protect their paying customers what choice do we have but to make our cries louder and more public.

To me, it almost looks like miniscule bits of plastic (similar in color to the bottle in which the water comes), but I couldn't even fathom a guess as to just what it is.  I wonder if I would have noticed the difference in taste if I had not just drank from a previous (uncontaminated?) bottle. 

I beg other customers to look carefully at their water... it's not easily seen.  After sitting out the floating pieces sink to the bottom of the glass, but upon first pouring the float about the top of the water and in the right light you can see them directly, or you can at least see the shadow of them on the bottom of your cup.  Do not mistake them for the air bubbles...

Not only do I want this to stop immediately, but I want an absolutely trustworthy answer as to what it was and why it was there.  I'm paying to drink healthy water, not to be poisoned.

The information on the last 3 contaminated bottles were as follows:  all three bottles shared the numbers NV 06866 / CA CRV.

Bottle #1:  18  08301203:33
Bottle #2:  18  08301203:39
Bottle #3:  17  08301203:41

We went to a different store (Basha's) and were able to find a 2.5 gallon bottle without any OBVIOUS contaminants... meanwhile it's time to find another brand.  Enough with Nestle.

The Arrowhead executive who responded says they are allowed $20 but out of the kindness of their heart only charges $15.  That may work in some states, but not California.  Late fees are by contract.  Even then the late fees must comply with liquidated damages section of the Civil Code and the wording in the contact must comply with this.  Arrowhead charging $15 without such wording becomes a penalty, and there are no penalty rights in a contract, only damages.  Arrowhead will need to show in court that they incur costs of $15 and that the customer was given adequate notice.

I suggest that those who have been charged this penalty file a complaint with your state Attorney General or the local District Attorney (if they have a Consumer section) because they may be inclined to file a civil suit against them and collect penalties.

In California, a violation of the liquidated damages section could allow full restitution of the fees and trigger the Unfair Business statues found in the Business and Professions Code 17200 et al per incident.

As a former employee of Nestle Waters N.A., I feel compelled to answer to the initiator of this report and the customer service rep who rebutted. My wife and I both worked for this company at one of their new facilities, as do/ did several of our community neighbors. I worked in Quality Assurance and was expected to do outrageously unsafe things. My wife, who is physically challenged, was treated like dirt. I quickly realized that this company cares for little else than to make a profit.

To discover that customers are being treated equally poor, is no surprise. The body does what the head tells it to do. Kim Jeffery: you might consider telling your "body" to wake up and get a new plan. Game on!

I am a Customer Service Specialist at Arrowhead Water, a subsidary of Nestle Waters North America.

As a business, we are forced to charge late fees on accounts that are not making timely payments. While most companies will charge large fees if an amount is paid even a day after the due date, Arrowhead Water waits until 55 days past the due date to charge a late fee. Here are the exact incriments in which late fees are charged:

55 days, 85 days, 115 days past due.

By law, we are allowed to charge a $20 late fee, but instead choose to charge $15. We are permitted to waive 1 late fee a year, and when we waive that fee, we inform the customer of the late fee reversal policy and also generate a letter to be sent containing the same information we give them over the phone.

It is possible that the author's claim is true about our refusal to waive the late fee-- but-- the only reason we would have refused to waive it is if the author had other late fees waived within the same calendar year.

Once a late fee is incurred, if we are not able to waive it, the $15 does become part of the customer's bill. Since the customer refused to pay the late fee, more fees were incurred on top of the original amount.

While I do sympathize with the customer's situation, I would also like it to be noted that the Arrowhead Late Fee policy is clearly explained on the back of every invoice.

-Customer Service Specialist, Arrowhead Water

Had sierra for years. When the driver came in, I paid him cash. Each and every time, cash up front. The water was $5.95 per bottle, I gave him $6. So I always had a credit of 5 or 10 cents. The last time he came in, his hand held computer wasn't working so he gave me a written receipt for the $6. In the past, I got a statement in the mail showing the credit, so I never opened them, just shreded them. Well the last time he came in, they'd raised the price of their water to $6.95 and since I'd only paid him $6, I owed them about 90 CENTS and since I hadn't paid the 90 CENTS in three months, they stopped making deliveries.

After three months, I get the bill and wonder what's up and open it. They're gonna SEND ME TO COLLECTS FOR 90 CENTS. What morons. Called customer service, waited on hold for 20+ minutes. The nice rep agreed to dismiss the 90 cents. I did score a water cooler($125) out of it and 3 free water bottles.