Dear Claudienne,

My problem is with Digicel. I am a postpaid customer and I qualify for $100 bonus credit if my bill is paid in full and on time each month. My due date is the 27th of each month and I have set a reminder on my computer to remind me of this date. For the month of April, the 27th was a Sunday and the bill was paid as usual electronically. When I received my bill in May, I noticed that the bonus credit was not applied. When I called and queried, I was directed by the customer care agent to call a number for their ‘Business Office’. However, that number does not seem to exist as when I called, my phone screen just said ‘connecting’, then disconnected. I tried again a few minutes later and got the same response. I called customer care again a few days later, spoke to another agent and she told me my query would be passed on to a supervisor. It is now June and I have received my bill for May and there is still no indication of the reimbursement for April.

I called again today (June 13, 2014) and spoke to yet another agent. I was placed on hold for about 10 minutes while she spoke to a supervisor then came back on the line to inform me that their system shows that my bill was paid on the 29th of April and as such I would not qualify for the bonus credit. I informed her that my bill is always paid on the due date (which is the 27th) and if she should check my payment history, it will reflect same. She went on to say that even if the bill was paid on the Friday (which was the 25th), in some cases it would not have been reflected on their system until the Monday or Tuesday which would still not allow me to qualify for the bonus credit. I think that Digicel needs to give their customers the benefit of the doubt when the due date for their bills falls on a weekend.

I always pay my bills on time and in full, and my payment history will reflect that, and still I’m being denied my bonus credit. The fact that their system does not reflect weekend payments until later in the week is of no concern to the customer. In fact, that is an internal problem which they need to rectify.

I anxiously await your intervention in this matter.

LB

Dear LB

We communicated with Digicel in regard to the arguments made in your e-mail to show why you qualified for the April bonus credit.

In response to your points Digicel sent Tell Claudienne the following e-mail:

“Digicel has made contact with LB and have applied a rebate of $100 bonus credit to her account much to her delight. Nevertheless, we apologise to LB for any inconvenience experienced, which was brought about by the time frame in which her postpaid bill was paid.

LB’s payment was made on the final cut-off date for her bill and was made through a third party vendor. As such, her payment reflected on her account two (2) days later, which is usually the case with payments made through a third party vendor.

We would like to use this opportunity to remind customers to please ensure that bill payments are made at least 48 hours before the cut-off due date when they are using a third party vendor.

Digicel remains focused on ensuring that all our customers are always having the best experience with us.”

In future when you use a third party vendor, please bear in mind that you have to pay the bill 48 hours before the cut-off due date.

Good luck.

Dear Claudienne,

In April 2013 my father visited the NIS Ripon Road office and applied for his pension. They told him that he would receive the pension in six months’ time, but it is now June 2014 and he has not heard from them.

When I called them in October 2013, they told me that the amount he should receive was being calculated at the accounts department. He wants to know the reasons for the delay.

Kindly look into the matter for him. Thank you.

KM

Dear KM

The NIS told us that his pension application had been approved and his file sent to the accounts department for the cheque to be drawn. The NIS told Tell Claudienne that your father had appointed you as his agent to collect the pension on his behalf. We note that you are now collecting the pension for him.

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.