Strange Kahramaa billings (need advice)
My friend rent a villa near wholesale market area since 2010 until last month he has to leave the villa and shift to our company accomodation. I took over his villa and transfered the contract into my name with the building management 2 weeks ago, then I shift to his villa while he's shift out. After a week (as we are busy in the office) we went to Kahramaa to transfer the contract from his name to my name, then the problem begin.
As we doesn't know that we can just transfer the name instead of applying for disconnection to Kahramaa then my friend come to Kahramaa in Salwa Road to apply for disconnection. Kahramaa then send one of their staff to come to the villa and disconnect the electricity. When the staff came along with my friend I was there and he told me to come to Kahramaa along with them so in the same time I can apply as a new tenant for a new connection, pay a new deposit, and he will return to connect the electricity again. Then we went together to Salwa Road branch. My friend drop us there and he went to Kahramaa D-Ringroad Branch to take his deposit.
After queuing for an hour then I met the Customer Service officer and explain her that I want to reconnect the Kahramaa and apply as a new tenant which is just recently disconnected by my friend in the morning. Then the staff check the data in the computer, print something then gave it to me which is make me super shock... She said there's an outstanding of 3366Riyals which I have to pay if I want to reconnect the electricity. I refuse because I'm a new tenant and I just recently shift to the house. Then the staff told me to call my friend to return to Kahramaa Salwa Road and he return. The staff gave us a print out of the billing details and show us her computer monitor showing so many red mark which is mean outstanding/unpaid billing. My friend said it's not true, he always paid ontime as soon as Kahramaa send sms billing, he always pay the bill in an ATM Machine and never late. The staff still on her opinion that he's yet to settle the bill so I can't connect my electricity unless we pay the 3366 Riyals. We leave her and sit in the waiting room checking the details she gave to us, then we found something strange in the details (attached).
1. Kahramaa always send a billing which is a combination between the water billing and electricity billing. So whatever the billing comes it will consist of both charges and whenever we paid as per the billing it will be include of both charges. Example: Water billing is 50 riyals and Electricity is 100 Riyals, Kahrama will bill us 150 Riyals. Then we pay 150 Riyals without notice to them or tell them verbally that the amount credited to them are 100 for electric and 50 for water, automatically they will know and divide the payment as per their billing, am I right? Then how come in the details that she show us in her monitor all showing that we have an outstanding for the water only???
2. The unpaid bills for water is stating 3366 riyals which is 4338 riyals (before deduction from the deposit), and the electricity is showing only 84 riyals. She said that we are failed to pay the water billing, how come?? Is there any option in Kahramaa or ATM machine that we can pay the water only or electricity only?? I dont think so.. And whatever we pay as per Kahramaa billing it should go for both at the same time.. Then how come we have no problem with the electricity bills but the water bills is sooooo high and seems like it was unpaid for a year..??
3. Let say there's a problem with the metering system, still we always settle it ontime whatever the cost came from Kahramaa. Or maybe the Bank which is failed to pay Kahramaa as we always pay the bill from ATM machine? I don't think so that this is a Bank fault as the Bank also will not separate the payment between water and electric, then why all the electric bills has been settled but the water showing never paid for a long time?? And for the whole 19 months staying in the villa my friend never had a Kahramaa interuption/disconnection for a reason of failed to pay the bills as he always pay it ontime.. If he failed to pay the water billing until 3366 riyals then he should have been warned by Kahramaa a few months ago. As normally Kahramaa bills is less than 400 riyals per month, imagine if the water itself already reach an amount of 3366 Riyals means how many month unpaid??
4. If my friend had an outstanding/unpaid bills then why Kahramaa approve his disconnection application and return back his deposit?? Let say this is my friend mistake then why Kahramaa did not hold his disconnection application until he settle down the outstanding?? Definitely the new tenant won't pay that 3366 Riyals, and to charge the new tenant with this charges is also unfair.. Lucky the previous tenant is my friend, supposed it was an unknown person and he's already left the country for good then what will happen with the house? Empty forever as no one willing to settle the 3366 Riyals?
For a moment the house is abandoned due to no electricity until problem solved. Supposed somebody there has a same experience with me please share it here so I know how to clear this matter. Please give me some advice to whom I should meet in Kahramaa to settle this, thanks..
ask them "WHO KNOWS?" ... talk to the MANAGER and you want this thing to be cleared as soon as possible.
Actually yes some of them are not cooperative with us, but some Qatari in Kahrama are kind enough to told me to reconnect the electricity line for a moment this problem still under investigation as they know I have a baby. To shift out from this place is not easy as I already made a report to my company of my premises and the copy of contract already kept by my company. What I want to know is there any department in Kahramaa which can handle this kind of matter? Because the Customer service can't give any solution to me. What they can say is only: 'I don't know'
I think Kaharama here has a worst service ever and can say a nightmare. I had experience in my previous house, i live only as a bed spacer in the first month i was paying only maximum of QR 50 for the water and electricity and then the next month they are telling me the bill i have to pay for water and electricity is QR 275 each person who live in the villa. I was shocked with the bills and then they present the bill as proof. They are forcing me to pay and the only reason that the landlord says is that the meter was new and bla bla bla. But i said how come i will pay this big amount of money??? but it seems that they don't listen as if this amount of money is easy for them.
So i suggest to rent another villa to avoid future problems. I don't know how is the system of paying the bills here but it's better to pay to kaharama office and get your copy of bill be stamped as paid. It's very hard to argue here specially when the person you are talking with have a close minded and not cooperating with you that there is a problem exist in their system
My friend I have seen BILL which tells you full detail so keep BILL as a record what I see people always think it is paid so no need but my father say always keep prove or supporting document and I am sure you can see date of bill,meter reading,amount how is calculated and more information in BILL. sametime always keep your own reading every month or 01st of month which will make you know how much is your consumption you know what happen with my friend water was leaking underground after it passes from meter and he did not know now you tell me what he can do . and this companies normally make an assuption from earler bill and people are caugt at last you can contact the manager
kahramaa in my opinion is one of the worst administration in qatar. i take photos of the meters every month, because they are so lazy to come check regularly, and "assume" the meter reading. as of february 2012, my meter reads 144.150 but in the bill it's 145.900 !! worse, bill consumption reads 0, water consumption reads 0 too, and yet they charge me 150 EXTRA CHARGES on water!! and they don't know what are these extra charges:"go see the HQ and file a complaint"!!
it's too lengthy.. better you meet some Qatri employees in Kahramaa along with an Arabic Speaking person.. they will sort our your issue fast
Rent another villa!