L CROSS from Bonaero Park writes:
My account was paid in full on November 5 but I got a pre-termination notice on the sixth.
I would like to know how is it that I don’t get a water and lights account but always a termination notice?
This happens often and it seems like the notice is pre-printed, ready to deliver so Ekurhuleni can charge the extra R132.86.
RESIDENT KEMPTON PARK writes:
For a few months now we have been receiving pre-termination notices from the municipality and each one costs about R132.86.
I have been monitoring these bills and have tried to figure out why they send them and on what day of the month. I have even tried to pay earlier but they keep coming.
This morning (November 29), I saw a contractor with a whole stack of these notices in our estate, handing them out, and it is not even the end of the month.
This pre-termination notice is sent out on about the 27th of each month, just in case you don’t pay your account. We are always up to date and this practice is completely unfair.
I think they have targeted certain areas they feel can afford extra fees and are trying to make up their shortfall by over-billing us, in advance.
Worse is, I called the municipality who told me they did not deal with these queries and that I had to phone another number in accounts. They gave me this number (011 999 3830) and guess what, it does not exist.
I phoned the municipality again and told them this, so they gave me another two numbers (011 999 3559 – which also doesn’t exist – and 011 999 3658 – which just rings and rings).
So I phoned them back again and asked how I could possibly resolve this query. I was then told to contact customer services (011 999 3496) and guess what – this number never answers as well.
What are we as residents in Kempton Park supposed to do, just accept the extra fees that we are dealt?
Themba Gadebe, metro spokesperson, replies:
The complainant was contacted and advised as to the standard credit control processes resulting in the issuing of a pre-termination notice, as well as that a notice was correctly issued to the consumer due to the account reflecting in arrears at the time the credit control process was initiated.
Statement due date represents the date when the account is due and payable and any account reflecting as in arrears after due date qualifies for credit control action, which entails as the first step the issuing of a pre-termination notice. Failure to settle the account within the notice period may result in the termination/restriction of services.
All the city’s consumers are reminded to prevent the inconvenience of being included in the credit control process and being charged the connection tariffs. Any electronic payments done via third-party systems or EFT must be done at least seven days prior to statement due date to ensure the payment reflects on the consumer account before the statement due date.
The customer was referred to the important notice number seven on the reverse side of their statement advising consumers of the abovementioned point. In terms of the general supply conditions, any electronic payment is only deemed received once it reflects as such on our financial system.
It is therefore imperative to ensure that electronic payments are done as indicated above as they do not reflect immediately and still need to be allocated via an administrative process.
