Dear Claudienne

My daughter’s passport was damaged by water caused by flooding in my home. We went to have it replaced at the passport office and to my shock, the cost was $9,500, which you will remember was recently increased from $2,500. No one I spoke to at the Passport Office could explain why this charge was so high, so I am asking if you could get to the bottom of this for me.

MH

Dear MH

The customer service manager at the Passport Office advised Tell Claudienne that a new fee structure was introduced in November 2009. Before that time there was no fee for replacing a damaged passport.

Under the new fee structure the cost of a passport for a minor (under age 18) is $2,700. The cost of a passport for a minor that has to be replaced due to damage or loss is $5,700.

The passport for an adult (over age 18) is $4,500. If it has to be replaced the cost is $9,500. The spokesman said that the charge for replacing a passport was designed to act as a disincentive and motivate persons to care and keep their passports in a safe place so that they do not require replacements.

Good luck.

Dear Claudienne

I noticed that on my FLOW bills (Internet and Cable services) there is a late fee amounting to $250 per month if I pay the bill between the 26th and the last day of the month. Please note that the billing cycle is from the beginning of each calendar month to the end of the calendar month. I consider this to be erroneous since a late fee should not be applied to my bill if the service(s) is not fully rendered by FLOW and received by us the customers.

Please have this matter clarified for me.

DL

Dear DL

We spoke with FLOW. The company said that their bills are produced on the first day of each month and become due at that time. However, the customer has until the 28th day of the month to pay the amount that appears on their bill, FLOW explained to Tell Claudienne.

“All monies received by the 29th will NOT incur a late payment fee,” the marketing director said.

Under their policy, if FLOW does not receive the customer’s payment by the 28th day of the month, the customer will be required to pay a late fee of $250 plus GCT, she said.

If, on the other hand, the company receives the customer’s payment by the 28th day of the month, “the customer will automatically qualify for a Customeer Loyalty reward of $250, the spokesman said.

FLOW admitted that there was an anomaly in your case since February was a short month. FLOW said that you paid your bill on February 28. “Normally this payment would have been processed and would have entered our system by the 29th day of the month. As this was the last day of the calendar month, the payment was not processed until March 1.”

We note that FLOW has contacted you and reversed the late payment charge on your account.

Good luck.

Have a problem with a store, utility, a company? Telephone 511-2436 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