No correction

I am facing serious issues with repeated incorrect Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) bills due to a meter reading mistake.

June 1: I received a Dewa bill of Dh1,898.21, wherein the electricity bill was Dh1,234.67. Electricity meter reading was recorded incorrectly, that is 18014 (May reading was 14157). Due to this mistake, I was charged 1857 units at a higher rate of Dh28 per unit.

July: Meter reader realised that mistake but then recorded the electricity meter reading again as 18014 (June reading was 18014). However, I was charged 100 units.

August: Meter reading recorded the correct reading of 16888. However, I was charged an additional 912 units.

I lodged a complaint for June and July bills on August 13. I explained this matter in person to Dewa staff in Discovery Gardens’ office and provided them with a picture of the meter showing the correct value. Then, I lodged a new complaint for August’s bill on September 18. Despite all my efforts, I am going through frustration and pain as I am constantly getting wrong bills.

Looking forward to your support in resolving this matter.

From Mr Nasser Sharif

Dubai

Editor’s note: The complaint was sent to Dewa for comments. However, despite repeated reminders, its management did not respond.

(Process initiation: October 2. Process completion: November 1.)

Overcharged

I want to escalate an issue to Gulf News, as I have not received any response about the matter from etisalat.

This is regarding my mobile number. I received a mobile phone (Samsung S4) from a bank because I am a staff member. This offer consisted of a mobile device (Samsung S4) and package (Dh79 instalment for the device for 24 months, Dh99 for calls and SMSs every month and Dh219 internet package for 12GB). My mistake was that I didn’t pay my bills for three months continuously because I had personal issues. After that, I began facing serious issues.

My phone line got suspended - both inbound and outbound. In January, I paid the entire billing amount, however, the line didn’t re-activate. I went to their business centre and paid Dh50 again to re-activate the line, and it finally worked.

However, the phone line was suspended again after 20 days, without a valid reason. It automatically connected after five days.

I then received my January bill, mentioning a total outstanding amount of Dh2,885.13. I went to the business centre in Ajman, seeking an explanation for the bill, but they didn’t know anything about it.

I went there four times after that, and finally only one person gave me an explanation. He told me that when I was late paying a three-month bill, the system cancelled my connection with etisalat. When I paid the full outstanding amount, I paid Dh50 to re-activate the line. However, the line should working without the package (12 GB plan) and I have to pay the remaining mobile phone cost of Dh1,750, but by mistake, the system charged me the internet package of 12GB two times, and an extra internet usage charge of Dh500.72. So as per their system, I have used 24GB with Dh500.72 as internet, on top of everything. How come?

I complained several times about this but received a response only for one complaint reference number, where they mentioned they would refund only Dh628.62.

As per the customer service representative, I have to pay only the remaining mobile cost, and my total usage is around Dh200, so how have they refunded just Dh628.62? My total outstanding till now, is Dh5,054.92.

I have visited the business centre in Ajman more than 12 times, without any solution. I hope for a solution and want to pay only for my usage.

From Mr Karim Sabry Ebrahim

UAE

The management of etisalat responds:

Kindly note that the customer’s issue was resolved.

(Process initiation: September 13. Response from organisation: October 14. Process completion: October 20.)

Wrong recipient

I have been receiving SMS details of the transaction of an Emirates NBD priority customer from August 2014. I am not holding any account/credit cards from Emirates NBD. I have called their contact number 600540000 and reported the issue many times through email, with SMS details.

After repeated emails, they contacted me and requested to provide proof of my Sim card, which I have been using from 2000. Actually, they should have contacted their customer by an alternative telephone number or email and asked him/her to provide the correct telephone number. I wonder how Emirates NBD accepted this customer’s registration without any proper verification of contact number. While registering this mobile number in their system, none of their staff contacted me.

Despite the error in the system, they asked me to provide the proof of Sim card. Even though it was because of their own system error, I forwarded my details to them, just to end the story. I had forwarded my Sim card ownership proof, which I received from etisalat. Even after sending these details, they haven’t taken any action and I still receive SMSs of their priority customer details on my mobile phone.

From Mr Gopakumar Rajan

Fujairah

The management or Emirates NBD responds:

We are pleased to inform you that our Group Customer Experience team has been in touch with Mr Rajan and provided him with the necessary clarifications relating to the SMSs that he has been receiving.

We wish to confirm that we have taken the necessary measures to rectify the matter, and Mr Rajan and will not receive any erroneous SMSs in the future.

We would like to thank you for your continuous support in offering us the opportunity to further assist our valued customers.

(Process initiation: October 15. Response from organisation: October 16.)

Editor’s note: Do you have similar issues that you would like to raise with us? You can write to us at readers@gulfnews.com.