www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Enough said Thanks for reinforcing what I said

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Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine

As I understand it, they have to sue for old accounts. However now with current accounts they shut off your utilities if they aren't paid in about 10 days. Interestingly enough, you are suppose to know your bill is due, many utilities don't bill you. The same with property taxes.
I recently returned from a month in the US and found some of my ulities and cable turned off although they were paidup when I left. Many you can pay on-line.

Correct me if I am wrong but, I think ICE sends a text message and that is all.

dapanz1

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Paradise= Sitting outside the Bodega in Panama City about 1 am. Drinking cool Balboas with cool friends and blazin' hot Colombianas. I want to be there..RIGHT NOW!

All of the below is how the system works in theory .

Cell Phone, ICE sends a text message.

Land line, messenger delivers your bill

Electric, messenger delivers your bill

RACSA (Internet Srv.), Costa Rica postal service delivers your bill.

A y A (water), messenger delivers your bill.

AMNET (cable TV & high speed modem) messenger delivers your bill.

As I stated this is all theoretical as some month you may get all your bills and some months some of them will be missing (I have never had a month when I did not get any of them )

It is imperative that you keep a list of your account numbers and each month go the the place were you pay your bills and give them the bills you have and the account number for the bills you did not get. They can bring them up on the computer and give you a receipt for your payment even though you due not have the actual bill in hand.

_________________
Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine

Ok...let me try to explain this in the simplest of terms....

The utility companies in this country deliberately don't notify consumers about current dues so that they can charge enormous amounts of penalties for late payments and re-instatements of services. This law was designed to stop all of that.

You're not getting the full picture in this article.

All utility companies are now required to inform consumers of their current bills due, and they are required to notify the same consumers up to 72 hours in advance of terminating their services.

The government is trying to crack down on the explotation of late and past due payments, which more than 50% of the Costa Rican populace currently pays. Imagine 50% of the population of the US paying their bills late, and having surcharges and utilities cut every month because of it.....

So, if you still don't pay your bill, they will shut off your service. But when you come in to pay it, you will not be charged for excessive fees or late payments. You still need to pay the full balance of the prior bills, or they will not re-instate your services.

I think that ticobob has this one exactly right. My novia is a bright professional (not the puta profession), but she has no money sense whatsoever. When I was living in CR, I noticed that she waited every month until her phones were turned off. Then she'd go pay the bill, along with a hefty fee and they would turn them back on. I got so pissed about her wasting that money every month that I finally began to pay the bills on time and then collecting the money from her. My secretaries all did the same thing...and then complained that they never had money.

The usuary situation in CR is also horrible. The novia just got approved for a new credit card at Banco Nacional that she was going to use to pay off a card she had with another bank. She called to tell me because she was sooooooo proud that the new bank ONLY charges 30%, whereas the old bank was charging 40%!!! She actually thought this was wonderful!!!! Or....maybe she just had alternative motives and it worked...I paid off the card and she destoyed them and closed both accounts!

The system in CR generally allows the unsavey populace to be savaged by unscrupulous business practices.