June 27, 2007 Update - Credit Card Refunds

Consumers who pre-paid for heating oil from Rumford Energy LLC using a credit card may be entitled to obtain a refund for the portion of their purchase that was not delivered when Rumford Energy closed its doors.

Regardless of when consumers paid for their pre-buy contract, they should telephone their credit card issuer at the phone number on the back of the card and say that they wish to dispute the charge to Rumford for the undelivered portion of their purchase. They should also notify the credit card company in writing (at the address listed on the periodic statement) of the dispute. Consumers who dispute the charge should be prepared to show how much oil they purchased, how much was delivered and how much was undelivered so that the amount of the refund can be determined accurately.

Consumers are not liable for the disputed charge from the time they notify the credit card issuer of the error until the matter is resolved. Finance charges (interest or late fees) may not be assessed on the disputed amount. Finance charges may be assessed later if the charge is found to be valid. Consumers must, however, pay the undisputed portion of the bill by the due date to avoid interest and late charges on that portion of their bill.

Consumers who paid Rumford Energy with a Discover credit card should call the customer service number listed on the back of their card. However, if they are unable to resolve their dispute by speaking with a customer service representative at that telephone number, they may wish to call the Executive Offices of Discover Financial Services at 302-328-3300 for further assistance, or write to them at the following address:

Executive Offices of Discover Financial Services, PO Box 17019, New Castle, DE 19850-7019.

If additional information becomes available relating to other credit card companies, we will post this in the future on this website.