You've seen the new commercials and you've heard the reports but how do you really feel about the newly implemented computer system at Batelco that disconnects users if their bills are over the amount of Zero at the due date?

Do you think that this is just one of the many downsides of privatization?
Do you feel that the government is more lenient towards customers than private companies?
Do you think that it is right for your phone to be disconnected by Batelco for one dollar?

Some say that telephones are not a luxury but a necessity in times of emergency.

What are your views on this issue?

Originally posted by Delroy
You've seen the new commercials and you've heard the reports but how do you really feel about the newly implemented computer system at Batelco that disconnects users if their bills are over the amount of Zero at the due date?

Do you think that this is just one of the many downsides of privatization?
Do you feel that the government is more lenient towards customers than private companies?
Do you think that it is right for your phone to be disconnected by Batelco for one dollar?
Some say that telephones are not a luxury but a necessity in times of emergency.
Food is a necessity, not a luxury, but show me a restaurant or supermarket that will let you walk in with "one dollar" and walk out with dinner for your family. It will not happen. Just because a company provides a service, and not a physical tangible item that can be seen and touched does not mean it does not cost them to provide the product.

BaTelCo/BTC has every right to shut off your phone service if you do not pay your bill. It is ripe time for people to realize how real companies handle their receivables. When Cable Bahamas first opened their doors people were outraged that their service would be cut off if they didn't pay, but after all, it costs MONEY to run coax cable to your house, it costs MONEY to install satellite dishes to receive the signal, and it costs MONEY to pay BEC for the electricity needed to run the operation. :bigmouth:

I agree it is time for batelco to cut off overdue phone bills but be more sensibly about it. First of all make sure the system works properly. Secondly, why cut off a person's phone and charge them a reconnection fee if they only owe small change. Sometime we don't even realize that we still owe one five dollars, but when the next bill is due it will be paid. Batelco bills always come out late and sometimes we just give someone some dollars to go and put on it not knowing the total owed. I think there should be a minimum disconnection grace period. Sometimes, the billing we receive is incorrect and is showing you you owe last month's bill, plus the new bill when last month's bill was already paid. Does this mean if a dollars is overdue, phones will be disconnected? To me this is foolish.

Look at Cable Bahamas for example. Cable Bahamas give you a three month period break and the same time if bills are not paid during the month, a five dollar charge is added for each month but the cable is on for three months the maximum. When the third month comes, the system automatically disconnects the cable and there is a 30 dollar charge (sometimes it increases according to how many time the cable has been disconnected in the past). So overall a customer who has an outstanding bill would pay five dollars for three month ($15) and ($30) or more to reconnect. Cable Bahamas would have made an extra ($45) dollars or more, plus diconnect the cable after a grace period. Cable Bahamas is a private company isn't it, and they give a grace period, and at the same time make extra money. It's up to the customer if they want to pay extra or pay the bill on time but cable bahamas never looses. They WIN.

What if you are off the island and can't make it back in time to pay your phone bill. You arrive on the weekend with no phone service but you always pay your bills on time. :rolleyes: :raw:

It's ironic that some of us Bahamians do not like to pay for goods or services. Whether it is tangible or intangible the benefactors has to pay. There are costs associated with operating and owning any business. There is no such thing as a free lunch. Even if one steals it, the owner stills bears the burden of that loss. Batelco/BTC should receive its payments for goods and services received. However the quality of the receivables is another matter. With global competition, all enterprises should make sure to receive monies owed to them. Any person in business that allows this trend of not collecting would soon be placed out of business.

Bahamian consumers should also pay their bills in a timely manners. There ought to be stiff penalties for late fees. Our culture is to try to get it cheap or free. We as a people need to get over that and live within our means. Imagine driving a Lexus Jeep making payments to a commercial bank and the rent man on your case for missing last months rent!

Some enterprises are out of business due to folks that think $20.00 is too much to pay and leaves outstanding amount of monies owed to BEC, Batelco and W&S. If the controllers of these agencies release to “Joe public” how much monies they have in outstanding payments the Government would borrow from them instead of the World Bank all because on bad debts and lousy pay. (These are Government agencies and no reason for lousy services) but if you use PAY. If the service is SHABBY complain but still PAY. Then if all fails the entire country should boycott.

However these agencies need serious revamping. I do not see any positive thing happening for them now or in the future because of their business practices, lazy work force, incompetent workers and control from political influences. I have no confidence in them at all. Their usefulness as Quasi-corporations has been well over extended.
:raw: Hats off the the good workers that are in the minority at these enterprises.:(

I agree that we should all pay our bills on time, but what really gets to me is the fact that BEC, BATELCO, W&S and Cable Bahamas all charge high deposits before you can get service. They then have the use of that money and the interest it attracts and lets face it, especially with BEC and W&S you will never get it back, because wherever you live, you have to have those services. It is really like giving them a gift of that money.

What do you think?

Lets look at it this way. ??? (fill in the blank with BEC/Batelco etc) takes a deposit of $150.00. These funds are insurance in case we do not pay our bill. If at the end of one month I owe $50 should the utility cut my service off? They still owe me $100!

I think a sensible approach should be that when the outstanding bill approaches 80% of the amount on deposit then the utility should contact the customer to check when a payment would be coming. If the outstanding amount reaches 100% the service should be disconnected then a reconnection fee plus the full outstanding amount should be charged before service is restored.