Dear Claudienne

I live in Clarendon where I have two Jamaica Public Service accounts. One account is for my home and the other is for a bar that I own.

On September 1, 2010, the light bill for my residence in the sum of $11,800 was paid before the due date at a Paymaster bill payment outlet at Shoppers Fair Bargain Village Plaza. However, the clerk in error credited the money I paid to the bar account. In the meanwhile I had made arrangements for another person to operate the bar and he had already paid the light bill for that premises.

As a result of the clerk’s error the JPS disconnected the electricity at my house on September 14.

People in the community have been ridiculing me and gossiping that the JPS disconnected my light because I was stealing electricity. My character has been damaged. My father occupied the same premises where I live for 40 years and I have resided there for more than 10 years. In all this time the electricity has never been disconnected by the JPS for non-payment of the bill.

I wrote to the Paymaster operations manager about the situation. I asked the company to compensate me in the sum of $650,000 for the defamation distress and pain and suffering the disconnection had caused me plus $4,900 for fish and chicken spoilage in my fridge as a result of the disconnection.

The operations manager replied and expressed sorrow for the inconvenience I suffered. However, she said that Paymaster was willing to compensate me $4,900 plus for the goods and nothing more.

When you pay a fee to Paymaster for a service and through negligence and human error I am put under ridicule, I feel that I should be compensated.

Could you please check with them for me.

OI

Dear OI

We contacted Paymaster and they apologised for the embarrassment the clerk’s error caused you.

The company told Tell Claudienne that because the information was being entered into the computer system by humans there was the likelihood that errors could be made.

Paymaster also explained that some customers have more than one account in the same name. The company said that they have notices in their branches requesting customers to check and verify the information on their receipts to be certain that the payments are credited to the correct account.

The company said that they were willing to enter into negotiations with your lawyer to arrive at a fair and amicabe compensation, but could not agree to the $650,000 you were demanding.

We note that the Paymaster attorney and your lawyer settled for compensation in the sum of $100,000 inclusive of your legal fees. We see that you have been paid the money.

Good luck.

Have a problem with a store, utility, a company? Telephone 936-9436 or write to: Tell Claudienne c/o Sunday Finance, Jamaica Observer, 40-42 1/2 Beechwood Avenue, Kingston 5; or e-mail: edwardsc@jamaicaobserver.com. Please include a contact phone number.