We are on Slomin's automatic delivery plan and were told during sign-up that deliveries typically occur about once every 30 days. That appeared true at first -- until winter.
Our last oil delivery was December 22, and there was no delivery at all in January, despite it being the coldest part of the season. Slomin's states in their contract that deliveries are determined by a calculated system based on prior usage and weather conditions. However, this makes no sense in practice. We experienced sustained freezing temperatures from late December through January and into February. Any system that genuinely considers temperature and usage would not skip an entire January delivery.
During a February extreme cold weather alert weekend, our tank dropped to approximately 1/8 full. We contacted Slomin's multiple times to warn them of the low fuel level and the dangerous weather conditions. Despite this, we were told delivery would not occur until the following week, creating a serious risk of running out of oil in freezing temperatures.
What was especially alarming is that customer service stated they were not treating this as an emergency and explained that a delivery would generally not be made until a customer has completely run out of oil -- meaning no heat and no hot water -- at which point a limited "emergency" delivery might be provided. This expectation makes no sense during extreme cold weather, when waiting until heat is fully lost poses serious safety risks.
This position directly contradicts Slomin's own contract, which places responsibility on the customer to monitor fuel levels and notify Slomin's when oil is running low. That is exactly what we did. We monitored our tank, saw it approaching a critical level, and proactively contacted Slomin's multiple times. Being told to wait until the tank is empty before action is taken completely undermines that requirement and defeats the purpose of automatic delivery.
This is particularly concerning given that our household includes a senior, young grandchildren, one of whom is asthmatic, and a pet. Waiting without heat in freezing temperatures is not just uncomfortable -- it poses real health and safety risks.
Adding to the confusion, our online account showed a "scheduled delivery" date of February 1, but when we called, customer service stated this date was "only an estimate." A scheduled delivery and an estimated delivery are not the same thing, and the website does not make that distinction clear.
There is also a significant disconnect between verbal assurances and the written contract. Customer service told us that if we ran out of oil, Slomin's would treat it as an emergency and restart the system without charge. However, the contract clearly states that Slomin's is not responsible for run-outs or any resulting damage. In reality, running out of oil often requires a paid service call to bleed and restart the burner, especially during weekends or extreme cold.
I also find it troubling that many similar complaints appear to come from customers on fixed-price contracts, while higher-priced non-contract customers seem to receive deliveries more promptly. I personally observed Slomin's trucks making deliveries in my neighborhood during this time, so deliveries were clearly occurring -- just not to us.
Automatic delivery should mean proactive monitoring, especially during extreme weather. Instead, we were left stressed and scrambling during a cold weather emergency. Based on this experience, I do not recommend Slomin's to anyone. read more