Consumers being unjustly charged for calls to LIME numbers

Friday 14th March 2014 – Digicel is today asking the ICTA to launch an investigation into LIME’s call handling – which results in some consumers being unfairly charged.

In November 2013, Digicel detected unusual calling patterns to LIME numbers across 12 of LIME’s Caribbean markets and launched an investigation which discovered that consumers may be improperly charged for calls to certain LIME numbers.

Despite persistent efforts to work with LIME to rectify the situation and multiple assurances from LIME that the situation has been corrected, Digicel continues to find intermittent examples of the issue continuing in various LIME markets in the Caribbean.  As such, Digicel has lost confidence in LIME’s assurances that the issue has been resolved and customer’s credit is no longer being taken in error.

As such, in order to protect the rights and purse strings of mobile customers, Digicel is now turning to the regulator and requesting that it launch an investigation into the matter and move to ensure the problem is solved and bring an end to the improper charging for calls to certain LIME numbers. Further, Digicel is requesting that the regulator ensure a mechanism is established whereby LIME is required to compensate consumers that have been affected byLIME.

Commenting on the decision to ask the regulator to intervene, Digicel Cayman CEO, Chris Hayman said; “As a customer champion, we are duty bound to ensure that the rights of consumers are protected. We have tried over the course of many months to work with LIME to rectify this issue, but our requests have largely fallen on deaf ears. As such, we have no other choice but to ask the regulator to intervene as quickly as possible so that we can ensure that customers’ credit is safe.”

ABOUT DIGICEL

Digicel Group Limited is a leading global communications provider with operations in 31 markets in the Caribbean, Central America and Asia Pacific. After 12 years of operation, total investment to date stands at over US$4.5 billion worldwide. The company is renowned for delivering best value, best service and best network.

Digicel runs a host of community-based initiatives across its markets and has set up Digicel Foundations in Jamaica, Haiti, Papua New Guinea and Trinidad and Tobago which focus on educational, cultural and social development programmes.

Digicel is the lead sponsor of Caribbean, Central American and Pacific sports teams and individuals including the world’s fastest man, Usain Bolt and Special Olympics teams throughout these regions. Digicel also sponsors the West Indies cricket team.  Since 2012, Digicel has been the title sponsor of the Myanmar Football Federation and the Myanmar Special Olympics Federation.

Visit www.digicelcayman.com for more information.

LIME have said there is no foundation to any of Digicel’s claims.

See related story:

LIME threatens ‘action’ against Digicel

From Jamaica Observer

KINGSTON, Jamaica — LIME on Friday labelled Digicel’s call yesterday for the Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) to investigate LIME’s call handling – which Digicel says result in some consumers being unfairly charged — as “malicious and potentially libellous”.

“Digicel wrote to LIME regarding an issue with calls that were made to a few LIME numbers by Digicel customers,” a news release from LIME said. “The issue was identified and resolved as far back as January 2014.”

LIME said it is shocked by what can only be described as “malicious and potentially libellous statements made by Digicel in circumstances where the parties were collaborating in good faith and the issue was resolved”. The release went on to say that “the parties operate under a confidential agreement and it appears that in issuing this statement Digicel is in material breach of this agreement and LIME will be taking action”.

LIME in its statement also reminded that any charges to Digicel’s customers are set by Digicel.

The statement from LIME follows a news release by Digicel on Thursday which called on the OUR to launch an investigation into LIME’s call handling.

Digicel said that in November 2013, Digicel detected unusual calling patterns to LIME numbers across 12 of LIME’s Caribbean markets and launched an investigation which allegedly discovered that consumers may be improperly charged for calls to certain LIME numbers.

“Despite persistent efforts to work with LIME to rectify the situation and multiple assurances from LIME that the situation has been corrected, Digicel continues to find intermittent examples of the issue continuing in various LIME markets in the Caribbean,” Digicel said. “As such, Digicel has lost confidence in LIME’s assurances that the issue has been resolved and customer’s credit is no longer being taken in error.”

Digicel said that in order to protect the rights and purse strings of mobile customers, it is turning to the OUR and requesting that it launch an investigation into the matter and “move to ensure the problem is solved and bring an end to the improper charging for calls to certain LIME numbers”.

Digicel also said it is requesting that the regulator ensure a mechanism is established whereby LIME is required to compensate consumers that have been affected by LIME.

For more:

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/latestnews/LIME-threatens–action–against-Digicel