Dear Editor,

I must share my dissatisfaction with the Tax Adminstration Department and its customer service as I pursued the renewal of my driver’s licence on Tuesday, April 15, 2014.

Its website said $2,300 for the renewal of a general driver’s licence. However, when I got to the Information Desk the gentleman pushed an application form to me and said: “Go full this out and then guh to di casheer and pay $6,000. Den guh dung steers.”

My jaws dropped, as I couldn’t fathom if he was the one making the mistake or I had completely misunderstood what the Tax Adminstration website said. What’s more, on top of that, I must have done him something wrong at 8:05am on only the second day of the week.

Anyway, off to cashier I went, who ably and dryly told me my total was indeed $6,000. I asked her “how comes” when the Website said $2,300?

She replied: “Ah doan know…ah doan check the website. Is $6,000 fram how lang now.” I told her I wouldn’t know either, but I had someone check the website again while I was in the line to the cashier and she reported that the cost was indeed posted as $2,300.00.

I explained that since my driver’s licence was last renewed back in 2009 I didn’t keep abreast of the new rates until I needed to and, of course, checked the website to update and confirm the information I needed in the last week to ensure I could put aside the money for it.

Of course, I was furious. I asked her if no one was checking the website on a daily basis and updating information. She shrugged her shoulders. I decried that that was unfair. How could they do that? What if I didn’t have a credit card to use? I had arrived at the collectorate with the required sum of $2,300 as instructed on the website only to be given another fee at the desk. The lady just shrugged her shoulders again, tilted her head, and with a smirk proceeded to run my credit card.

Now, for all intents and purposes, this information should at least be updated. Persons are tight on money and therefore have to plan and scheme where, when and how to use their money. Giving me a big price tag at the moment of execution is indeed a prescription for a stroke. Tax Administration needs to pull up their socks and check their online facts before sending persons like me through embarrassing situations such as this.

Additionally, the management needs to give some ‘smile’ training to the front-line staff. The fish-faced look does nothing to brighten the day of the taxpayer. With all these taxes we have to pay, I would appreciate a little smile. Darn, I’m paying for it, aren’t I?

Maureen Ebanks Aarons

Kingston 8