Mobile Area Water & Sewers System is guilty unfair billing and collection practices.
On Wednesday, August 11 I received a bill from MAWSS. It showed a delinquent date of 8/10/04.
On Thursday Morning August 12, I telephoned and asked if I could have until Friday August 13 to pay this bill. I was told no, because my name was already on a "list" and the collector would be at my house today to turn off my service. She said that even if I could pay today, he could not take money and would turn the service off anyway, no matter what I do today! The so-called collector is really just a disconnector. How absurd is that.
I called back and spoke to a Supervisor. I informed her that I have diabetes, high blood pressure, and asthama and had been at the doctor this week for tests and am currently under a doctors care. I begged her to let me pay tomorrow morning, which is when my paycheck will be in the bank. She told me there was nothing that could be done. She informed me that the collector in fact could not take money and that once your name was on this "list" there was no way to keep from loosing your water service. She also intimated that I was some type of water thief because I had a balance. I explained to her that I am a responsible person but due to illness and unexpected medical bills I needed just one more day to take care of this particular bill. I also stated that I had been at this residence for over four years and had yet to let the service be cut off.
When I go home tonight and I will have no water.
Tomorrow I will have to miss work to wait for him to come and turn it on. I will have to pay the $131.70 bill plus over $100 as a new deposit (even though I gave them a $60 deposit when I started the service over four years ago) and $40 or $50 so that he will turn it on the same day I pay the bill. This is outrageous. August is the hottest month of the year. Are the poor to die of thirst now!
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