Hi to all,

I need legal advice: my contract with Smart has expired already and while the connection was sustained a few more months after that, I stopped getting my bills. The connection was also cut afterwards. So I sort of just let it go at that, and thought they’ll notify me anyway if I have anything outstanding–that is something (perhaps the only thing) they’re very good at. Just a week ago, I received a notification from Smart saying I have an outstanding balance which I must pay immediately or they will have to forward this to a collection agency. The letter was dated a month ago! With it comes a letter from the collection agency (dated about a week or so after the notification) which I also should have received three weeks ago, saying that I will be sued if I don’t settle my outstanding payment plus the interest and collection fee they’re charging. Now I’m asking Smart to waive the collection fee for obvious reasons, but they said they can’t. This is really too much, I think. I’ve already been saddled with a crappy service for over a year, I never got full reimbursement for the time I didn’t have connection, now I’m being penalized for “refusing to pay” when I didn’t even know I was getting billed, and I didn’t even receive their mail in time for me to act! Can somebody let me know what are my chances if I decide to sue smart? I just really can’t believe the audacity of the network. The collection fee is just 2,500 (which I’ve held out on paying) but I’ve already paid for my outstanding balance. So this is just a matter of principle, really. And I just really have had it with Smart.

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