My phones were cut off today, because I had forgotten to pay the bill. No warning of course, although they seem to find it easy to send unwanted advertising messages. $27:50 for each of three lines to reconnect. Why bother to provide a decent service when you can get away with making money like this!

I'm surprised; I pay on the first of the month and then expect my regular call on the second reminding me to pay my bill or I will be cut off.

How do you get them to call you? I get reminder emails from BEL but zilch from BTL.

This short disconnect time in spite of the fact that we each made a sizeable “deposit” in order to get the service in the first place.
I asked “When do I get my deposit back?”
Answer: “When you move from the island.”
“But I’m not going to move – I live here”
This was answered with a shrug.

How much was your deposit?

THEY DO BECAUSE THEY CAN!

I find it easy to put a reoccurring monthly reminder on my calendar to pay bills... there ya go! Simplified!

I got my deposit back after 10 years of service.

The bills are usually available 2 weeks or so in advance of the disconnect date. Just gotta plan to make that payment prior to the cut-off date - every time.

If you don't receive your bill, you still know that you owe it, and if you go to the payment office they can pull up your account and tell you how much you owe.

We got our deposit back after about 2 or 3 years of continuous service. Of course, they don't cut you a check, they credit your account.

BTL tell me that they will shortly be changing their admin system. At present a human (in Belize City) makes the decision to pull someone's phone service. That will be automated so what little discretion they practice at present (none, I think) will disappear. They suggested (though did not state explicitly) that this auto-disconnect will happen immediately the due time for them to receive payment has passed. Contrast that with practice in the UK, where they use their system to send you a reminder, then in extremis cut you off for outgoing calls but leave incoming ones working. Then they actually phone you, person to person, to see what the problem is. Only after they've exhausted all reasonable avenues do they disconnect the line. Even then, it still works for emergency calls.

This isn't because the British telephone company is magnanimous and likes to give money away, but because they're regulated by government. Something that isn't likely to happen here any time soon.

As I said, a nice little earner.

I got my deposit back after about 2 years of continuous service and I did get a check for BZ$1,000. It took a few weeks going in and asking for it.

Pay your bill on time - then you won't need to gripe. Jeesh. It's basic life. Pay your rent, pay your utility bills, life is easy. Neglect a payment and life turns upside down.

Ditto!

Ditto II, A no brainer!!

“Ditto”? That’s easy for you to say. Live here for awhile and you will find that you seldom know what day of the week it is let alone what day of the month. LOL

My biggest gripe is there is no grace period – like you do not have much time after the billing date. The other factor is there is NO MAIL delivery. Example: Several times I went in to the telephone company early in the month to pay my bill and asked “What do I owe?” They would tell me and I would pay. Then early the next month I would get a telephone message that I would be disconnected the next day. YES – they actually started warning me. It took a while to figure out their system. If I went in too early in the month the last bill was not processed yet. Within a day of two it would get posted and by the end of the month be considered overdue. I know, I know, I’m a slow learner but now I try to remember to go in mid month so I can stay current.

There is a nice new feature here in town – Atlantic Bank has opened a bill paying center. You don’t even have to have your bill with you. They have real time access to all utilities; electric, telephone, cable and water. Now if we could only get ‘on line’ access so we could pay from anywhere.

You can prepay your bills. Most of our clients do this. You can also pay on line or direct debit.

This is just stupid.

I am using Grant's computer and I just cannot believe the comments on this site-all bills are payable on the first of the month( you then have 15 days leeway)-if you do not know when the first of the month is you do not deserve to be credited with a brain

True! How can bill paying be so difficult!!! If you have e-mail, set up reminders!

I'm not with stupid!!!!!!!

I just have to say "Pre Pay" why? Do you trust the utilities not to "add" a charge and then say well you paid? You expect that getting something back is going to be easy? What if they make a "mistake" and you pay it.
Oh, on: if moving from the island gets you deposit back, then the checks in the mail...
I am all for paying what is due when due but come on give Pedro a break, a simple phone call to say your late or did you forget is a common place activity, but since there is no other choice they have you all by the ......and you can bet your deposit sits in the bank making its own interest. Who gets that for the use of your money?

Thank you John - I was beginning to feel very put-upon!

Life is so simple sometimes