The saga of our telephone problems!
After having had a telephone for 7 yrs. our service was "lost" when Hurricane Georges hit the island. How we were the only ones in our building whose line was destroyed I'll NEVER figure out! However gone it was so when we returned to the island we were told we had to make a new application and wait about 3 months for a new line since they were so busy still trying to re-establish lines destroyed by George. No problem- we would wait-made new contract, paid deposit. 3 months came and went and so we returned to Canada sin telephono! When we returned they had "lost" our contract so we had to do another, which we did! Made new contract, paid installation deposit -3 months and still no phone! We bought a cellular to use for the next 2 months and made numerous trips to "reason" with the telephone company and Codetel came to install our phone about an hour AFTER we left to return to Canada (so a neighbour told us!).
When we returned the contract was no longer valid as the rules had changed and we needed a "Dominican guarantor" to have a line installed! NO problem- we got a guarantor, made new contract, paid installation deposit and within 2 months FINALLY had a phone. Before we left that year we asked how we could pay from Canada and were told we could pay by credit card over the phone. Terrific! Got home and called one month later to pay the factura......BIG PROBLEM! They could not accept a foreign credit card over the phone however with a pin we could pay online. No problem - after several phone calls and about 3 hours waiting while paying long distance charges we FINALLY got a pin and I went online to pay the bill.......BIG PROBLEM! Since the bill was now overdue I couldn't pay it online but had to attend a Codetel office in person to pay the bill!
So we returned that year to a disconnected phone and a cancelled contract! Paid what was owed, found a new guarantor and made a new contract, paid installation deposit! 3 months later had a new phone line shortly before we were due to return home. Visited the office to find out how to pay the factura when back in Canada and were told we could pay via telephone with a Dominican credit card! No problem- put 30,000 peso deposit in the bank for a Dominican credit card and returned home to Canada with said credit card and with a deposit in the bank to pay monthly charges on the card! Terrific! Until we called a month later to pay the telephone factura! Then we were told we couldn't pay with a Dominican credit card while outside the country that we could only pay with the Dominican credit card while IN the DR.....BIG PROBLEM!
Returned to the DR that year to a disconnected phone and a cancelled contract! No problem - rules had changed and we no longer needed a guarantor so made a new contract, paid installation deposit, waited 2 month and FINALLY have a new phone! Before leaving we asked that the phone be suspended, internet be discontinued and left a $10,000 peso deposit to cover monthly charges for service! Returned to find phone had been disconnected 10 days BEFORE we arrived because
a) internet service has NOT been discontinued
b)phone had NOT been suspended
c)deposit had been used up by the previous month by the normal charges since the internet & suspension had not been done because the person in charge of this was not in the office the day we went and never got the message from the person covering for her!!
No problem.....paid what was owing, made new contract-paid installation deposit, waited for phone
Now here's the problem......went today to find out how to pay the factura when we return home. PapaTony just called to say that with a pin we can pay via telephone or internet FROM THE USA but NOT from Canada!!
NOW WHAT DO I DO????
Any suggestions???
Before anyone asks -NO- there is no-one here that I trust enough to leave money with to pay the factura until I return 7 months from now!
After having had a telephone for 7 yrs. our service was "lost" when Hurricane Georges hit the island. How we were the only ones in our building whose line was destroyed I'll NEVER figure out! However gone it was so when we returned to the island we were told we had to make a new application and wait about 3 months for a new line since they were so busy still trying to re-establish lines destroyed by George. No problem- we would wait-made new contract, paid deposit. 3 months came and went and so we returned to Canada sin telephono! When we returned they had "lost" our contract so we had to do another, which we did! Made new contract, paid installation deposit -3 months and still no phone! We bought a cellular to use for the next 2 months and made numerous trips to "reason" with the telephone company and Codetel came to install our phone about an hour AFTER we left to return to Canada (so a neighbour told us!).
When we returned the contract was no longer valid as the rules had changed and we needed a "Dominican guarantor" to have a line installed! NO problem- we got a guarantor, made new contract, paid installation deposit and within 2 months FINALLY had a phone. Before we left that year we asked how we could pay from Canada and were told we could pay by credit card over the phone. Terrific! Got home and called one month later to pay the factura......BIG PROBLEM! They could not accept a foreign credit card over the phone however with a pin we could pay online. No problem - after several phone calls and about 3 hours waiting while paying long distance charges we FINALLY got a pin and I went online to pay the bill.......BIG PROBLEM! Since the bill was now overdue I couldn't pay it online but had to attend a Codetel office in person to pay the bill!
So we returned that year to a disconnected phone and a cancelled contract! Paid what was owed, found a new guarantor and made a new contract, paid installation deposit! 3 months later had a new phone line shortly before we were due to return home. Visited the office to find out how to pay the factura when back in Canada and were told we could pay via telephone with a Dominican credit card! No problem- put 30,000 peso deposit in the bank for a Dominican credit card and returned home to Canada with said credit card and with a deposit in the bank to pay monthly charges on the card! Terrific! Until we called a month later to pay the telephone factura! Then we were told we couldn't pay with a Dominican credit card while outside the country that we could only pay with the Dominican credit card while IN the DR.....BIG PROBLEM!
Returned to the DR that year to a disconnected phone and a cancelled contract! No problem - rules had changed and we no longer needed a guarantor so made a new contract, paid installation deposit, waited 2 month and FINALLY have a new phone! Before leaving we asked that the phone be suspended, internet be discontinued and left a $10,000 peso deposit to cover monthly charges for service! Returned to find phone had been disconnected 10 days BEFORE we arrived because
a) internet service has NOT been discontinued
b)phone had NOT been suspended
c)deposit had been used up by the previous month by the normal charges since the internet & suspension had not been done because the person in charge of this was not in the office the day we went and never got the message from the person covering for her!!
No problem.....paid what was owing, made new contract-paid installation deposit, waited for phone
Now here's the problem......went today to find out how to pay the factura when we return home. PapaTony just called to say that with a pin we can pay via telephone or internet FROM THE USA but NOT from Canada!!
NOW WHAT DO I DO????
Any suggestions???
Before anyone asks -NO- there is no-one here that I trust enough to leave money with to pay the factura until I return 7 months from now!