14 Suffolk fuel firms to refund illegal surcharges

September 14, 2009 by JOHN VALENTI / john.valenti@newsday.com

Fourteen Suffolk County home heating oil companies have agreed to provide refunds to more than 2,000 customers who were illegally hit with surcharges for paying their bills by credit card, New York State Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo announced Monday.

"Today's agreement will provide welcome relief to thousands of Long Islanders who suffered from these companies' misleading and deceptive business practices," Cuomo said in a prepared statement.

The companies, which Cuomo said all violated state general business law by charging the illegal surcharges, include: Avalon Fuel Corp. of Manorville; Ben Oil Co. Inc., Lindenhurst; Blue Collar Fuel Inc., Shoreham; Comfort Fuel Inc., Greenlawn; Discount Oil Inc., Huntington; K Skee Fuel Oil Corp., Centereach; NAPCO Oil Heat Corp., Lindenhurst; Nordica Fuel Corp., Ronkonkoma; Oil King of Long Island, Bay Shore; Parkside Fuel Inc., Mount Sinai; Pazienza Bay Carting and Fuel Co. Inc., Holtsville; Rocky & Marciano Fuel Oil Inc., Holtsville; Southville Petroleum Corp., East Northport; and Taylor Fuel Co., Ronkonkoma.

Avalon and Rocky & Marciano each must pay $4,000 in penalties under the terms of the settlement, Cuomo said. They must also pay fees and costs to the state. NAPCO Oil Heat must pay $3,000, while K Skee Fuel, Pazienza Bay Carting and Southville Petroleum must pay $1,000 in penalties, Cuomo's office said.

The settlement affects about 600 Blue Collar Fuel customers, as well as 400 from Rocky & Marciano and 200 from Avalon, Cuomo said in the release.

The investigation into the illegal charges began after the attorney general's office received complaints from customers who were illegally charged by the companies.

Cuomo said the companies agreed to "immediately stop charging such fees" and agreed to pay the penalties.