No use complaining

APPARENTLY only about 50 per cent of the water WAF produces makes it through a meter.

Regularly I would call 5777 to report a busted water main.

Normally my phone vibrates when someone “answers” the call, to indicate that charging of the call has commenced.

But when calling 5777 my phone vibrates at the beginning of the ringing – charging has started – irrespective of whether the call is answered or not.

“No answer” happens quite a bit, and upon checking my bill, the calls have been charged, even when they are not answered.

Last month I did not exceed my package, and the only call I got charged extra for was a call to 5777, ringing for 3 minutes, and not answered.

That $1.50 was the only extra amount charged on my February bill, and the call to 5777 was not answered.

My email trail about 5777 call charges goes back six years, with little to show for it.

My question is, “Who has determined that it is OK for charges on ‘short code’ to commence at the beginning of ringing, and particularly when the call is not answered?”.

So now, if there is a possibility that it is going to cost me $1.50 and that my call may not even be answered, I may not bother to report the broken water main, destroying the road.

Another matter on which I have long sought the assistance of FCCC was regarding rotten eggs.

In the supermarkets, in my experience, the eggs were usually three weeks old. Sometimes the date stamp was missing.

Often the ink was too faded to read.

Once I saw the egg supplier stacking the supermarket shelf with eggs that were already two weeks old.

Apparently when the eggs are four weeks old, I believe the supplier collects the eggs from the supermarket and sells them at the roundabout for $8 a tray of 30, with a big banner saying “FRESH EGGS” resting across the windscreen of the company van.

Eggs sold in the market also don’t have a production date.

If the production date were displayed it would be more reassuring for the customer.

I suggested to the Fijian Competition & Consumer Commission that they have, and use, penalties for “faded or missing date stamps”.

FCCC forwarded my concerns to the Rural Health Authority, with little result.

It would be nice to regularly find eggs in the supermarket that are only a week old.

Sometimes the stamp is not showing production date, rather “best before date”.

Would it not be better to stick to production date?

I made an accusation of false advertising to FCCC.

Their email of November 2019, saying it was under investigation, was the last correspondence I received on the matter.

So, don’t complain, there is no use.

M HILL

Lautoka