Empressa Electrica

JadeRiver wrote:

Staggeringly incompetent. Going on day three with out electricity because of an erroneous meter disconnection ... in downtown Quito.

You need to take a "wheel that squeaks" approach.

What are you doing about this?  Have you gone to the company's central office?

cccmedia

Yes. Yesterday they said it would be restored between 5 and 7 pm. Today it was to be restored this morning. Then this afternoon. Then just now they said electricity is out in the area which is a blatant lie.

Keep your cool .. and keep at it.

cccmedia

A neighbor was late paying his bill and they cut his electricity. They said 24 hours for it to be turned on after payment was made at main office, but it was more than that.

Thanks for the moral support.

To be fair, by coincicence there were several buildings that I could not see from my building, without electricity on the second evening of my being without electricity.  However, that really had nothing to do with my issue since I was only one my 11 story building without electricity because I had been provided the incorrect meter/factura number.  So I wound up paying somone else's electtic bill last, and the first, month, I was here.  But who could blame me for not believing what they were telling me after two plus days of multiple stories, none of them proving to be true.  I am not sure why they have "cusomter service" when they can do absolutely nothing but tell you something on the fly that may or may not be true.  They have no ability to connect to, communicate or hold accountable those service people responsible for the reconnect.  They actually have a dedictated number for connect/disconnect which is totally useless.

Then to make matters worse, I went to the central office and paid up the correct factura number.  At that time the guy told me that my electricity would be reconnected that evening between five and seven, which never happened.  When I got home I looked at the receipt, and while close, the number on the receipt was different than my meter/factura number.  I guess this is normal.  It seems there really is no concern that it may consfuse the customer.

Had they told me from the start that it could more than two days before they could reconnect, I could handle that.  But waiting for two nights in the dark while all my food spoiled in the refrigerator was a bit difficult.  Knowing that they really are accountable to no one was especially angering.  They say corruption is a problem here in Ecuador and this is why.  If this ever happens to me again, I will gladly pay the disconnect guy money for his pocket (which I now have been told by the locals is an optional solution), not to to disconnect me.

I am outlining my experience for y'all so that you do not wind up in the same situation.  Advice: check everything very closely actually looking at your meter for the correct number.  Mine was locked away but the guard in the building told me he would have gladly shown it to me had I known it was necessary.  And at all costs, do not let them disconnect.

My poor Ecuadorian amigos had to experience my frustration.  I am very lucky I have good friends.

I think this is thfirst time anyone on here has experienced me complaining.  I can handle the challenges.  It was what I signed up for.  I can not handle the dishonesty.  Just be honest with me.  I will deal with it.

When I first moved into my Quito condo in 2013, I was late paying my first electric bill, not realizing that service would be disconnected after a few days. 

I tracked down the office where I could pay in person.  Still, it was about four days without electricity before my place was re-connected.

The OP's above story is a cautionary tale.  Make paying your electric bill a priority .. or you are in for a world of hurt, Ecuador style.

As soon as I got my Ecuador bank account, I put the water and electric accounts on it for automatic payments .. and have had no trouble with staying connected ever since.

cccmedia

JadeRiver thanks for sharing this ordeal about living in Ecuador. I hope it's over now and your electric is back on. “Customer Service”, is just different here, it's very slow, it's true in your case, it's true with internet, it's true with credit cards, and the same information has to be repeated many times before things get right. For electricity I know it's much more sensitive because as you mentioned food spoiling.

The best advice is to not take it personally, and to understand that Ecuadorians deal with this every day, so it's not Ecuadorians but rather poor "customer service."

If this ever happens again, take your refrigerated/frozen food to a neighbor. That's how I learned about my neighbor's electricity being cut off as he asked me to store his food.

They told him 24 hours but it was more like two days.

As long as you are paying on time, there are thousands of stores that will accept your electric bill or water bill payment.

cccmedia

Do they actually cut you that fast in Ecuador?  That seems pretty mercenary for a supposedly humane and democratic society.......Despite all the power outages, (and they still happen all the time) I have NEVER in 14 yrs had my elect but for non payment here in Panama......In fact the dia de cortar servicio is invariably a month or more after I pay.......whats goin on down there? The reasons for not moving to Ecuador continue to accumulate.........