Dominion Retail / Products And Services Denial of gas line replacement warranty Richmond Virginia

I had a gas line replacement warranty with Dominion Retail from Fall 2007, until June 2008. In May 2008, my gas service line was found to have a leak in it and I was told the line needed to be replaced.

I called Dominion's Products and Services line to place a claim, and was told at that time that I had a valid warranty and that a contractor would be in contact with me within 24 hours. Well, 24 hours came and went and no contractor called or showed up at my door, so I called the Products and Services number again to find out what was going on.

I was told that they had decided to deny my claim because my contract had been cancelled in April, due to non-payment. I told them that although my payment had been made late that month, it had definately been made before I had called them to place a claim for my gas line replacement. I was told that although my payment had been received by Dominion Gas, the warranty payment portion of it had not been posted to my contract with Dominion Products and Services yet. And since it had not been credited by the time I placed my claim, they were now cancelling my contract and denying the claim outright.

I contact the PUCO and filed a formal complaint about this matter, but I was told that since Dominion Retail is a separate entity from Dominion East Ohio Gas, PUCO had no jurisdiction over the matter. So basically, I'm stuck paying a $750.00 contractor's bill because Dominion Retail apparently can decide when and if they will honor their end of the warrranties they promote with such enthusiasm.

One point about all of this really bugs me, though: If my warranty contract was supposedly cancelled in April, then why did they bill me for it on May's bill, and why was I told during my first contact with them that my contract was valid? Those phone calls with them were all recorded--I heard the little beeps in the background while I spoke with their representatives. I also have receipts and proof of payments made--yet apparently, none of this matters.

Rippedoffbydominion
Cleveland, Ohio
U.S.A.