SaskTel Fraud, Greed and Extortion

SaskTel is a Crown / Public utility in Saskatchewan.  It is the major provider of telecommunication services to the citizens of the Province. 

Gerald has been a SaskTel customer for  many years and has been using a Pre-Paid, pay-per-minute account.  Recently SaskTel customers received a letter indicating a change to the account.  In my opinion this change amounts to fraud, theft, and extortion, as well as representing an unmitigated greed by the Corporate policy makers.

 

In the spaces to the right you can read the letter from SaskTel.  You will also find a letter I have sent to the Prince Albert Daily Herald (published on October 22, 2009) and to the Sakatoon Star Phoenix.  The Star Phoenix  published a letter of complaint from another  customer.  I have  provided a copy of this letter as well.

 

I have forwarded my complaint to Nadine Wilson, the MLA for my are, Saskatchewan Rivers Constituency..

I believe the responsible corporate officials deserve to be added to the Page of Shame for their attitudes and actions.  If you agree, let SaskTel know about how you feel.

 

Gerald Regnitter at Friendly Forest

 

Gerald's letter to  the Media:

 

The Editor:

SaskTel has found a new way to gouge responsible CEL phone users.

I have been using SaskTel’s “Prepaid Pay per Minute” plan and using a CEL phone I have purchased outright. The plan required the user to purchase and apply a minimum of $20.00 every 60 days. Any unused minutes would accumulate as a credit so long as a new purchase was applied within 60 days (if applied only at 61 days, or two months in some cases, the accumulated credit was cancelled).

I purchased the phone and was using this plan because I wanted an emergency CEL access and for possible contingencies where I would need longer wireless access.

SaskTel does not like me. I received a letter, dated October 5, saying that they would start charging me $8.00 per month if I used less than $7.41 in any month. In other words, if I did not use their service, they would still charge me as if I had.

In my way of thinking, taking money from me for services not supply is theft or fraud.

SaskTel then goes on to tell me they will not charge the $8.00 amount if I subscribe to their “Pay Per Month” plan. I believe that is extortion.

As a public utility, why is Sasktel allowed to commit fraud / theft and extortion on Saskatchewan citizens?

Gerald Regnitter