Open Letter to TSTT Chairman

#1 7th St. West
Delamarre Ave
Trincity
June 11, 2018
OPEN LETTER TO THE CHAIRMAN OF TSTT/BMOBILE/BLINK/AMPLIA
BLACKMAIL OF CONSUMERS
Dear Mr. Mayers,
After my 2-month plus ordeal with Blink Entertainment, particularly and your company (companies’) services, I am finally putting pen to paper to bring to the attention of the public and your good self the course of what I can only describe as an attempt to blackmail me, as a consumer by your company/companies.
Let me first indicate that I have known no other telephone service than the TSTT landline and Blink cellular service, though for different lengths of time.
My landline number has remained unchanged since the 1980’s.
Over the years, I have resisted the marketing campaigns appealing to urges of conspicuous consumption and refused to enter into a cable tv contract with any provider. My parents, 30 years my senior did so several decades ago.
However, I abandoned my ideological resistance to the not-so-healthy cultural influences of cable programming and decided to have more than the 3 local channels that my free-to-air antenna allowed me access.
A little over 2 years ago, I took the plunge and a combination of economics and the fact that your Blink Entertainment was the only service allowing me access to the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and some educational and uplifting cultural entertainment steered me in your company/companies’ direction.
Out of curiosity, are TSTT, BMOBILE and Blink one or more company/companies?
MY LAST 2 MONTHS
My initial experience with your wireless TV service was not perfect, but, bearable.
I was educated by your contracted call centre operatives that electromagnetic transmissions do get washed away during slight, moderate or heavy rainfall. So, the occasional short losses of service were the fault of mother nature and not any inadequacy of your equipment. So, I was made to understand.
Since May last year, the pixelized images or blank screens ceased to be mostly very temporary features of Blink Entertainment’s service.
The loss of service – NO TV – began to last 24 hours or more. On one occasion, it lasted all of 2½ days. I was assured by your call centre representatives on the second day that if my black screen continued for 3 days, I would become entitled to a rebate of the fees I paid diligently.
Lo and behold just about 10 hours before the expiration of the 72-hour threshold, there appeared picture on my screen.
On several occasions that May and June and in later months the periods of blackout would last 24 hours or thereabouts. I was treated to numerous technician’s visits; all with the same refrain – There is nothing wrong with the equipment in my house.
But, I persisted and refused my neighbours’ and friends’ encouragement to switch to any of the other providers including the ‘independent’ one in my area.
Then as of March 2018, the black screens have become permanent.
For the first 2 weeks, I was advised by my almost daily calls to 824-TSTT that there ‘was a problem with the tower on the Lady Young’ and ‘the technicians are working on it but, haven’t indicated when the problem will be resolved’.
When I heard calls to the I 95.5 consumer complaint programme, I, too called to indicate my plight of no service from Blink Entertainment for then 3 weeks.
By week 4, the call centre representatives became more creative. The technicians still had not given any timeframe for resolving the problems with the Lady Young tower which they assured me was not pushed down the slopes by the landslide in that area.
Now, they suggested to me that I could switch to an alternative service available in my area called AMPLIA.
I was perplexed at first that TSTT representatives were directing me to a service from another company. Then I learnt that AMPLIA was really the Massy broadband services bought out by TSTT/BMOBILE/BLINK.
I was called almost daily with offers reaching as low as 2-months half rate fees for this service.
I began to be concerned that after a whole month without service, I was being encouraged to take an “alternative” service. I decided not to.
But, my neighbour, who did not have Blink Entertainment, told me that he was also told by TSTT/AMPLIA representatives that he should take the AMPLIA package instead of his TSTT landline and internet and tv services from another provider.
Why? He was told that TSTT was ‘phasing out’ its copper wire infrastructure.
So, he accepted the sales pitch and seeming inevitability of commodity obsolescence.
At the end of week 8, the call centre confirmed on my questioning that my Blink Entertainment service was terminated. No notice to me. No phone call or email. Your company/companies terminated my service while still collecting my payments which cover both landline and wireless TV services.
Only when I in less subdued tones pushed the issue further, the lady said they would ‘recommend a rebate’ for the lack of service for the last 2 months.
Then she proceeded to ‘suggest’ that I could ‘upgrade’ by taking a new ‘alternative’ wireless service package from TSTT/Blink - phone/internet (which I have had since December)/TV, all wireless and the TV would cost me a bit more than my now terminated Blink Entertainment service. More than that, I would have to pay $200 installation fee for this ‘alternative’ service.
I told her – This is Blackmail.
I then requested to speak with someone senior. A very pleasant-sounding Supervisor (I was told) came on the line about 4 minutes later and what she told me was all that the first representative and even more outrageous statements.
For the first time in 2 months, she told me that the problem with the Lady Young tower was that it was vandalized.
I was flabbergasted at that. Worse, it was confirmed to me that no notice to that effect was issued and I did not miss any call providing such information to affected customers like me. There were no such calls.
I told her that I did not request any new service and would NOT pay any installation fee for an upgraded service that your company/companies was imposing on me.
The Supervisor then suggested that they (call centre) would recommend that the installation fee be waived, just like my 2 months payments for no service would be rebated.
Well, I asked, if I decided to submit to this blackmail, when could I expect to have this ‘new’ service? As it is, I can’t watch news at home and a major world sporting event was starting in 12 days.
The answer was astounding, to put it mildly.
She could not assure me that I could have this new service within 12 days or suggest when it might be possible. Why?
Your company/companies have run out of such equipment. More is ordered with no date of arrival given.
So, I am being blackmailed into taking an “upgraded” wireless package (of which I already have the wireless internet since December 1 last year) and I can’t be told when I might possibly get it.
At that point I asked the Supervisor for an address to which I could write to you, Mr. Chairman, about this treatment meted out to me.
Her reply – We are not allowed to give out that information.
Me – What! You are TSTT and you can’t give customers an address to communicate with the TSTT Chairman.
Her reply – We are a contracted call centre and we are not permitted to give out that kind of information.
MR. CHAIRMAN LISTEN
That was the last straw.
Since the 2 ½  day no service in May last year, I said I would write to the Telecommunications Authority (TATT) about the shabby Blink Entertainment service.
And, since I cannot be given an address to write to you, Mr. Mayers, as Chairman of TSTT or TSTT/BMOBILE/BLINK/AMPLIA or whatever by Customer Service Representatives of your company/companies, I have to resort to communicating to you by OPEN LETTER.
I trust that this, if published by the newspapers to which I am sending it immediately, will also come to the attention of the Chairman, TATT.
I hope that the Consumer Affairs Division wherever it may be located, if it still exists will take note.
Sir, your company/companies failing to provide me with service for 2 months is bad enough.
But, to then terminate a service which you are not providing for 2 months is worse enough.
And, to try to coerce customers/consumers to pay installation fees for an upgraded service which is not requested by the customer, but, being imposed by your company/companies is BLACKMAIL.
THIS IS WORSE THAN JUST BAD CUSTOMER SERVICE.
THIS IS EXTORTION.
Your long and loyal customer,
 
 Sgnd/ Clyde A. Weatherhead.
A customer who refuses
to be bullied and blackmailed
by your conglomerate.
cc:        Telecommunications Authority of
            Trinidad and Tobago
            Consumer Affairs Division
            Public Utilities Commission