TelOne writes off bills

Tel-One will this month write off more than $79 million from about $276 million that it is owed by landline subscribers in the country.

The development follows cancellation of bills by other service providers, Zesa and local authorities on the recommendation by President Mugabe in the run-up to the harmonised elections on 31 July.

In a statement yesterday, Tel-One managing director Ms Chipo Mutasa said the parastatal would also write off rentals that had been accruing for accounts that were not working.

 "Tel-One will cancel $257,82 for every account giving a total of over $63million. In addition we have also written-off rentals accrued on all lines that had been disconnected for non-payment or were not working. This is coming to over $16million, in total the write off to be effected will be over $79million," said Ms Mutasa.

"Tel-One has an estimated 330 000 registered lines. An estimated 93 112 client accounts have outstanding bills. They owe a total of $275 965 621,59."

She said Tel-One was engaging its clients to settle their bills and the priority was to have clients settle their bills without going through legal proceedings.

"However, where clients are not forthcoming, Tel-One reserves the right to pursue all other available avenues for collection of monies owed," said Ms Mutasa.

There had been an outcry from landline subscribers who accused Tel-One of inflating bills at the time of the changeover from the Zimbabwean dollar to the multi-currency system in February 2009.

A majority of the landline users said it was unfair for the parastatal to expect them to pay bills, because they were "dubious."

"I got home on Tuesday and found a note from Tel-One. It read, 'Tel-One legal department visited your premises in connection with your telephone bill… Please report at Tel-One credit control within 48 hours. If no response is received, your account will be terminated and handed over to debt collectors without further warning'," said one of the affected customers.
Other customers alleged that the letters they received stated that Tel-One would take them to court if they failed to pay within 48 hours.

"The problem we are having with Tel-One dates back to the time we started using foreign currency in February 2009. We all got astronomical bills. My account was paid up during the Zimbabwe dollar era, but the first bill I received when we changed, was for $500. I tried to engage Tel-One to explain the bill, but they were uncooperative. They could not even give me a print out of the numbers that had been called from my land line to run up the shocking bill," said Ms Mavis Moyo of Bulawayo.

"At the time, I told them to terminate my account and meet me in court, with the print out, when they wanted their money. They did not cut off service. I have not been using the phone but the bill is now $1 900."

She vowed not to pay the bill.

Ms Mutasa said it was not true that Tel-One had inflated bills.

"If the allegation is that high account balances resulted from conversion at the inception of multi-currency regime, then that is incorrect. Clients have to check their January 2009 statements and see what balance if any was carried over from the Zim dollar era," said Ms Mutasa.

She urged clients to approach the credit control department at their nearest client services office throughout the country to arrange to settle their bills.