ESKOM HELP PLEASE

[Ashley A]

Hi guys,

I'm having endless issues with Eskom from August last year after they installed a new smart meter and am pretty much being held ransom now without service. Just wondering if someone here know how to handle the situation. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

The story goes like this (17-Mar-17).

• Stayed there for years on postpaid getting a bill and paying every month and all's good (bar the load shedding)
• One day they come and say they're installing smart meters and we can go to prepaid so I opted for it.
• A week before the scheduled smart meter installation, they came and installed it and I was without electricity for 5 days.
• They eventually came and fixed it.
• 2 days later, someone came and disconnected it.
• I logged another call, same thing and this happened numerous times over the months (17 calls when I last counted)
• Eventually it was working and I thought all was good.
• 2 days ago, they randomly came to convert me to prepaid finally while I was at work and my wife was home. (Eureka, so I thought)
• Then he told my wife that there's the meter is tampered with so we must pay a R6,000 fine.
• I spoke to him on the phone and TRIED to explain to him that Eskom are the guys that worked on it numerous times and I've been getting a bill which is always paid and up to date.
• He kept talking about disconnecting me and I must pay a R6,000 fine.
• Yesterday they came and disconnected me and left a R6,000 fine.
• I went there today to try and sort this out.
• After trying to explain numerous times that I had supply issues and they fixed it and I am paying every month so it really does not benefit in anyway to "tamper" with the box since I am not getting free electricity, they eventually escalated to a manger who said he would investigate and get back to me in an hour (this at 08:30).
• I provided 5 of the reference numbers that I shared with my wife on WhatsApp for follow up.
• I waited an hour and a half for feedback and they said the logs were for supply issues which I then had to explain that all I could know is there is power or there isn't so I log if I don't have. I don't know what causes it or what the technicians do to fix it.
• they said they will give me feedback but still nothing.
• I followed up at 2pm and they were very upset that I called when they said they would call me.
• And now is another 2 days I'm without electricity and a R6,000 fine from them for who knows what really.

Update (20-Mar-17):

• Someone came to physically reconnect on Friday but I still didn't have power.
• Logged another call and a technician came out and said he sorted it out and they need to connect remotely now which will take 30min to an hour.
• 2 hours later I called again and the said that he logged that he needs a part.
• I explained that he said he did all he could and needs it to be remotely connected.
• They explained that I need a smart meter for that so I told them I had one.
• They they made an excuse that it doesn't work on prepaid but I'm on postpaid then they hung up.
• I called again 2 hours later and no resolution.
• Went to their offices again today and they said that they sent someone to reconnect and the R6,000 fine is removed.
• I told them I still don't have power and after some investigation, they say that I need to recharge with "units" since they can't remotely connect on prepaid.
• Then I thought they might have actually converted me to prepaid so I asked them how to "buy the units" so we can get this over with.
• They went to find out and came back saying I'm not on prepaid and I must pay R780 re-connection fee.
• I paid it and sent them proof of payment right there thinking it was a small cost to get rid of this inconvenience.

Update (23-Mar-17):

• Technician came home around 2pm and said it's connected on 20-Mar.
• My wife arrived home just behind them so I got the the agent at the walk-in center and told them they're there and they're saying it's connected.
• She went to check and came back and told me it's connected.
• I asked my wife to check and the meter light was still red (disconnected) when it should be green like everyone else's and I had no power.
• Thy hung around until 4pm doing nothing and eventually decided to leave.
• I managed to get a number of a senior out of them before they left and contacted that number. After explaining all this to him, power was finally restored miraculously around 5:30pm.
• They called my wife yesterday to say they finished there investigation and their technician couldn't fix the issue before so he bypassed it so that's on them and they're cancelling the R6,000 and "they're sorry". He was supposed to send a contractor to fix it correctly but that didn't happen.
• I'm still miffed that they still charged me the R780 re-connection fee when they disconnected me incorrectly and I was without power for so long but glad it's back on now.
• Let's hope that's the end of this drama.

I really don't know how to get this sorted. To me, if they would just do the prepaid switch like they were supposed to the other day, then I could just buy electricity and never have to see them again and they'd never have to come and interfere with my meter and break it and we'd both win.

Anyone who knows how to handle this situation or someone in there that can and will actually help?

 

[Andre]

Oh my, that would have driven me over the wall. Hope you get it sorted.