Dear Editor,
I was taken by surprise when upon paying the monthly charges for internet usage (as I usually do) I still could not connect to the internet, so I called customer service and after a lengthy wait on the phone line I was finally connected to an agent who after checking my account told me that I still have an outstanding amount which I must pay before my internet service could be restored. She divulged that notices were sent out to subscribers informing about the change to postpaid instead of pre-paid. I would like to reiterate that I never got the memo and I am quite disappointed with GTT.
Here are some burning questions I would like answered:
How can this company just hold its subscribers to ransom and decide for them that the post-paid service would be preferable?
Why weren’t the subscribers consulted in a survey on which of these two was preferred, and individual subscribers given a choice (as is offered with pre-paid or postpaid cellular service) before any decision was made for the customers?
Why should a customer be charged a reconnection fee each time the self-imposed deadline for internet payment is not met?
I find this move by GTT dictatorial and most unfair to all of their customers.
In addition, with the pre-paid service one could use the internet when he/she was present instead of paying for a service and not making use of it, because there are times when a subscriber may be out of the country or out of their residential area for a few weeks or months.
From my personal experience I found pre-paid DSL suitable to my lifestyle and I am echoing the opinion of numerous subscribers because before writing this letter I carried out a survey (an initiative which should have been taken by GTT).
I believe GTT is getting away with this incongruous behaviour because the internet service is unregulated by the PUC, and had prepaid cellular service not come under the PUC, I suspect customers would be charged a reconnection fee whenever credit runs out.
Therefore, I urge GTT to please reconsider and rethink the internet services offered and give the customers the option to choose either pre-paid or postpaid as per individual need.
Before I close, let me take this opportunity to address the issue of landline customers being charged a reconnection fee each time there is a late payment of their bills, which is most unfair as more often than not these bills are received past the due date. I suggest GTT set up commercial offices in every region where they have their services and in doing so they will alleviate the unemployment issue for those who have the necessary qualifications but yet are unemployed.
I strongly believe it is time for GTT to end the monopoly!
Yours faithfully,
Juliet Dukhi
