‘Default Accounts Club’ members speak up
SANDTON - Another reluctant 'Default Accounts Club' member has come forward, expressing his frustrations after receiving Pikitup bills in his postbox addressed to 'The Default Owner'.
He is the third Pikitup client to have received a mysterious bill of this nature to express concerns to the Chronicle this month.
The man, Sandton resident Tim Sewell, explained that like the other complainants his mysterious ‘default bill’ had arrived out of the blue in September last year.
“My own refuse bill is on my rates account and is up to date. This was a different account number although my name and property particulars were correct. But the account was for refuse charges of R6 745, which would be about 30 months charge. It was clearly a false duplicated account.”
Sewell said he reported the account to the call centre and the following month received a lawyers notice. “I then reported it to the Sandton Customer Centre and explained my situation to the lawyer who did not pursue the matter. I have since made regular calls to the call centre to ‘refresh’ my complaint. After 10 months, nothing has happened.”
Following the first Chronicle report on such an account sent to Inanda resident Jean Allen, Bruce and Margot Weedon told the Chronicle, “We too received an exorbitant account in September last year, marked for ‘The Default Owner’. We have since received an invoice on a monthly basis at home in the postbox. We cannot get any specific feedback from anyone contacted at the offices.”
“I believe the problem isn’t related to Pikitup but to the municipality,” said Sewell. “Interestingly the problems all seem to relate to September 2012. It sounds like a computer issue.”
The Chronicle was still awaiting comment from Pikitup at the time of going to press.
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