Stockton's Republic Services customers demand credit for weeks of missed pickups
"I got an email, 'Oh, we took $144 out of your account,'" Republic Services Customer Glen Pitts said. "I go, 'Wait a minute, three weeks, and no service, and you billed me anyway?'"
Pitts is just one of the hundreds of Republic Services customers in the city of Stockton. He was shocked to see he still got charged for service that never came.
"It was piling up. I had no more room for more trash. It was going to start going in bags piled in the street like everybody else," he explained.
He went to Facebook, posted about his recent bill, and the comments started flooding in.
"I called the company, and I said, 'What's with this? This is insult to injury,'" Pitts continued. "They said, 'Well, that's all. The billing is all set up before the strike went on.' I say, 'You can't turn it off?'"
He's not alone in his concerns and frustration.
"We pay for our house and this house," Republic Services Customer Renee Grafius shared. "That's about what it is and they charge us full price. It's already been paid."
Grafius was also charged nearly $200 for the utility. As of Tuesday afternoon, her trash was still sitting on the sidewalk.
"Garbage is just piling up," she continued. "It's going to become a health hazard pretty soon. It is what it is, but it needs to be picked up."
Now, neighbors like them are demanding for a credit or some sort of compensation. The city and mayor of Stockton are also pushing for answers.
During the strike, Mayor Christina Fugazi sent a strong statement to the company, saying, "Guess what Republic Services? You need to give your customers a credit and if this doesn't get settled, you won't have a contract with the city of Stockton anymore."
CBS Sacramento reached out to Republic Services multiple times to find out if a credit is being considered.
The company eventually sent a statement saying, "Right now, we are focused on resuming regular service and will address non-service-related concerns once that work is complete."
In the meantime, customers are hoping for a solution and soon.
"You've upset the people," Pitts said. "You've upset Stockton."
The city of Stockton said they have been clear with Republic Services on giving customers a credit, but mentioned they have not received any promises of the company doing so.
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