Barbados Underground highlights the following as a public service. If FLOW or DIGICEL want to make representation the blogmaster is open to sharing the other view. The blogmaster takes this opportunity to wish Intervenors every success in the electricity rate hearing due to commence on September 21, 2020. – Blogmaster

Around December 2, 2017, Flow moved wires from up stairs to down stairs for a telephone line,  the technician drilled the wire through the sewage pipe. Around February  2019 Digicel drilled through the same sewage pipe and installed the internet line,  The sewage was leaking through the house  at a slow pace, my grand daughter visited Barbados on holiday, and kept telling me, Granny your house is stink, I told her it the sea moss etc,  I also smelled it before and I use a lot  disinfectant sprays  to no avail, but she will still insist it stink, I searched upstairs downstairs, no dead rats, I found little small black  things like little snake coming through the bathroom sinks, in my bed I tried  grabbing one on my bed, the thing sting me like a ‘sanapee’, i found one in my house slipper so I been spraying my house slippers since.  ‘Sanapees’ and ants in the dining room and kitchen when Digicel contractor started to dig out the pipe, so many ants!

Around the month of June 2020 the Government issued a warring  asking Barbadians to secure their homes, I decided to installed bars at the windows, we had to moved the table with the computer and the one with the printer, and the carpet, that when we saw the sewerage leaking , it went under the floor boards and the stink was very strong.

I emailed Flow, their replied just a note stating we received your email  and it has a number, every time I email I got a number,  I got a letter delivered to Flow,  2 supervisors from flow came, one was very nice, the other very rude,  the nice one I knew his mother,  the rude one said Flow is not going to do that or this, In the meantime Digicel did the repairs to the house,  there did not paint the house inside or outside, just the part that was dug out and he asked me if I had any paint, I told him it maybe lighter I thought he was using it as base, but he just left it like that, Marshal the person who was in charge of the product, was to come back and redo the flooring her boss called and promised he will do the flooring and I will get compensation, so far I have not heard from him since March 2022.

After flow came and moved their wire out of the sewage and rewire, I did not hear from them. I sent a letter to Mr. Jenson Sylvester around Mar 16, 2021, no replied, so I went and demonstrated,  within 20 minutes of being outside Flow [Gabrielle  a very nice young lady  came to me, and asked to come inside so we can talk,  but I did not go, because a  beautiful young lady [Sandy] from the Nation saw me and told me she was going and get her camera and come back. Janet Taylor  and her team of lawyers we corresponded back and forth to no avail. I wrote Fair Trading, a  Mr. Stewart Carter said the commission has no jurisdiction over this matter.

I enclosed the picture of the damages, one picture is worth a thousand words.

See a few of relevant documents sent to FLOW to support claim and FLOW’s response.

142 responses to “A Citizen’s Fight Against FLOW, no help from FTC”


  1. David

    No, I am not.


  2. @ Artax
    Some years ago , a returning national built a house in St.Peter. Where he built had no electric pole. He thought it was just a simple matter of requesting the BL&P putting down a pole.
    He was told that he would have to pay to get the pole. He then asked if others will use the pole and whether he could get back some of the cost.
    He was shocked to learn that once the pole is put down anybody else can get their electricity without any reimbursement to him.
    This was a well appointed bungalow; three bedrooms , two baths, with a garage that could hold two cars.
    The BL&P has been ripping us off from
    day one.
    Peace


  3. Government confirmed on Monday that it will be exiting the sugar cane industry in Barbados and handing it over to the private sector.

    Minister of Agriculture, Food and Nutritional Security, Indar Weir outlined details of the plan to privatise the sector when he appeared on the Down to Brass Tacks talk show on Monday on VOB 92.9 FM.


  4. @WS
    A lil secret…utilities operate like that all ovah, and it’s getting worse.
    Some even now have a monthly service charge, ..just to make sure service is available to you, whether you use it or not.


  5. Thread topic explains why the sub-contracting of work is so popular in these type industries.
    They dump unions, have no longer term commitments, and dodge liability by downloading it to the sub-contactor.


  6. Indeed, I myself, as a teenager, was entrusted by my parents to pay in the cost of the pole in my gap. I found the whole thing rather strange. I later discovered that it was not even our pole, even though we had paid for it.

    Anyway, we don’t have the responsibility of maintenance.

    There are far worse things to bother about, such as this ridiculous rate increase.

    They got the rate increase already to complete the upgrade. They did not carry out the upgrade in the promised timeframe. They paid out dividends based on the profits from the rate increase. Now that they have been forced by government to carry out the promised upgrade, we must pay AGAIN.

    Seems to me any excessive dividends paid out in the future would call for action by government to refund the customers.

    We must keep our eyes on future dividend payouts.

    So…..NIS sold its shares did it?

    So…. NIS disposed of the opportunity for sure profits and invested in questionable “endeavours” with predictably huge losses.

    More than once, they did it.

    But Owen was a statesman.

    I laughed at Santia Bradshaw’s glowing tribute to the Lowe man.

    It is only obvious that these politicians are anticipating their own demise and expecting a return of the favour.

    One would have expected them to do better with the realisation that “dem still gon dead” too.

    Instead of continuing to “get on like dum mek duhselves”.


  7. Back in the late 50’s or early 60’s the electric poles ran to the edge of our village and my family paid the then princely sum of $40.00 to the Light and Power (Don’t know what it was called then) for it to run another pole so we could get power to our home. After it was done several other neighbours were then able to access electricity, the Light and Power company is still reaping the benefits of the decision by a struggling family to improve our circumstances.


  8. William Skinner September 19, 2022 9:43 AM

    A few years ago an old girlfriend was in the process of building her house and was told by BL&P that she had to pay $500 for an ‘electric pole,’…… to which her neighbours’ electricity and telephone services would be connected free of cost and without any reimbursements to her.

    Under those circumstances, we can reasonably assume she does not actually own the pole, but paid BL&P the $500 for it and and erecting it on her property.

    The behaviour of BL&P is characteristic of a monopoly firm in a monopolistic market structure, where the company, ‘Light & Power’
    in this scenario, has complete control of the entire supply of electricity, in the absence of any other firms offering a close substitute.

    In other words, the absence of competition allows the company to maximise profits and determine the price and quantity its services.

    What ‘government’ needs to do is remove the barriers that prevent competing businesses either providing an identical service or a substitute, e.g. solar power…… from entering the market.
    Competition would not only decrease prices (market share would not influence prices)
    and improve the provision of services, but provide employment as well.


  9. Critical Analzer, reason for my late reply my internet was down from Saturday until today 21st Sept,2022,, Sunday a man was at the back with his cell phone taking pictures of my house, when I came to the window he left, then the apartment that was closed up is rented out someone is watching me from the window, a badge SUV was following me on Monday, and my computer is hack ,
    1/ yes I am sticking to principle, , Flow and Digicel cost me a lot of time, Don’t talk about stress, they did not paint out side or inside the house, you can still see the shitty stain from the sewages on the wall, still stress me out. How can I have peace of mind, when Flow and Digicel stressing me out. I am not trying to prove right or wrong, I just want justice.

    2/ The blame should be on the technician not me,\he was negligence/do you know what he asked or didn’t are you a min reader} , detecting PVC pipe is not very difficult as I said before, check YOUTUBE, by the way, how much shares you have in these companies.

    3/ Show me a house with plumbing in the walls, I like the book of Esther, The Jews knew God will make a way, MORDECAI ,never bow I am willing fight for principle of the matter, I have peace of mind in JESUS CHRIST in my live, sorry if you have stocks in these companies’


  10. Do you want to fight
    Ronnie I will make it right

    https://barbadostoday.bb/2022/09/22/unconscionable/

    Ronnie cares so much
    He hasn’t lost touch.

    The way to go
    Is with Ronnie O


  11. Critical Analyzer,,Cuhdear Bajan asked you to explain to us how having your sewage pipe broken and your home stinked up by a techician is NOT A DISADVANTAGE to Ms. Montague, you have gone around the bush, and you explanation, still waiting


  12. Critical Analyzer, Cuhdear Bajan asked you to explain to us how having your sewage pepe broken and your home stinked up by a techician is NOT A DISADVANTAGE to Ms. Montague you have gone around the bush, and you haven’t given an explanation as yet, still waiting


  13. We heard this every day, even in this paper, Barbadian are a bunch of timid people who prefer to grumble under their breath rather than speak out when confronted with INJUSTICES.. when we speak out about injustice, we have some white supremacy culture telling us to shout up and take the 3,500 that the white man’s company offer us, aren’t we better than this?


  14. This Bajan has never been described as timid.

    Success in these matters requires consistent persistent insistence.

    You have not exhausted your avenues.

    But….are you suggesting that you are under intrusive or threatening surveillance for this trivial matter?


  15. Yes Donna, when a case is heading to court this is what happen, that why I am not playing my hand in giving out to much information, because they monitor everything that is posted here, and will use it in court, what we think is trivial, is not trivial to these big companies,


  16. Yvonne,

    Then so be it.


  17. Donna Amen, they don’t know who they are dealing with, I live a full life, and I can spend the rest getting justice , as Malcom X called for freedom, justice, and equality “” by any means necessary


  18. I agree with ARTAX, he state unfortunately, as seems to be the NORM, certain individuals are ALLOWED to use the “tail end” of every Blog to DEVERT the “Discussion” AWAY from the SUBSTANTIVE TOPIC so they can push their particular Agenda . USING IRRELERVANT . INFORMATION AS A DISTRACTION, i CALL red herring fallacy,


  19. There is another issue the blogmaster has with flow. There is a convoluted process of having to communicate to FLOW Support if a customer wants to find out data consumed. Customer is told one can find out data usage by downloading Flow app, then customer is told the information is NOT available is the app. This is unethical behaviour.


  20. Yvonne October 2, 2022 9:29 AM

    I’m happy that you NOTICED the activity as well.

    You will also realize they seldom contribute to the substantive topic, preferring instead to ‘roll over’ the SAME, IRRELEVANT ‘DISCUSSION’ they BEGAN on PREVIOUS threads, to those that follow subsequently.

    What is DISTURBING and DISRESPECTFUL to the blogmaster, is the fact THOSE persons, without provocation, continually INSULT the BLOG and its contributors, calling them ‘uneducated clowns and slaves,’ while insisting such behaviour WILL NOT be ALLOWED or TOLERATED on websites and blogs they CLAIM to OWN.


  21. ARTAX
    YOU MUST UNDERSTAND THAT THE PERSON OF WHOM YOU SPEAK IS WHAT I HAVE RECENTLY BEEN TAUGHT IS ONE OF OF TWO ” APPROVED PROVIDERS ” TO THE BLOG. IT SEEMS MOST PROBABLY TO INCREASE BLOG COUNTS

    SINCE AS YOU CORRECTLY OPINE they seldom contribute to the substantive topic, THEY CAN ONLY ‘roll over’ the SAME, IRRELEVANT ‘DISCUSSION’ they BEGAN on PREVIOUS threads, to those that follow subsequently.

    AS IS CLEARLY TAUGHT IN ROMANS 1, PROFESSING THEM SELVES TO BE WISE…THEY INDICATE THAT THEY ARE REALLY FOOLS


  22. Artax,

    Watch out for the Justice League!

    The Flash will not allow anybody to force him to jump on anybody with whom
    anybody has disagreements. But they will not fail to side swipe anyone with
    “The Messenger” has a disagreement.

    Expect his usual “shooting the messenger” move, followed by glowing praise for her patience in trying to educate the clowns ( or slaves)..

    Next, we may be treated to an appearance from Wonder Woman, who will wonder why we cannot all get along without answering attacks from The Messenger.

    The Batman may not answer the Bat Signal himself, but like God, he “doan a
    come but he does sen’”.

    Batman only comes out for the “heavyweights”.


  23. 🙂
    The two sides of BU
    Serious as a heart attack and full of good humor.


  24. Artax I agree with you 100%, these hijackers are like children looking for attention.(Lord have Mercy)


  25. I wonder if any person when installing internet, ever had to sign a terms and contract from flow,, all of a sudden flow has a #12 LIABILity in this agreement,
    ‘ the print is very fine so I will try and type some of it out.
    12.1 We are only liable to You as set out in this Agreement
    .12.2 We do not exclude or restrict Our Liability for anything
    which cannot by low be excluded
    12.3 Nothing in this Agreement removes or limits Our liability for death or personal injury caused by something We have done or failed to do
    12.4 except as set out in Clause 13.1 and 13.3 Our entire liability to you for any direct loss or damage for something We 0r anyone who works for Us does or does not do under or in connection with this Agreement will be limited t to the total charges for the Service provided during the month in which such liability arises. etc etc, when these terms and confdition came in overnight,


  26. I was doing research on cases, and I saw this .No cost did not award cost to either side, in other words, no party was order to pay what the other incurred in legal fees.
    CABLE AND WIRELESS TO APPEAL EX WORKERS VICTORY IN UNFAIR
    https://antiguaobserver.com/TheBigStory


  27. I was doing research on cases, and I saw this .No cost did not award cost to either side, in other words, no party was order to pay what the other incurred in legal fees.
    CABLE AND WIRELESS TO APPEAL EX WORKERS VICTORY IN UNFAIR

    https://antiguaobserver.com/TheBigStory


  28. Before Malcolm X
    Before Black Power Movement
    Before Stokely Carmichael.

    I remenber listening to the BBC almost every day back in the 50,s about LUMUMBA, Congolese Politicians who served as the first prime Minister of Demoncratic Republic of Congo,.. he was murdered for standing up for justic, I decided one day to do some research on him now we have youtube,, the things I read and saw I said lord have mercy.

    Today it rainging, so I am checking out some cases,

    Case Note James G. Samuel V Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company Limited (GT&T)2015 CCJ8 (AJ)
    Thomas Durbin, Lecturer, Faculty of Law, The University of the West Indies Barbados

    http://law-school.open.ac.uk,site,file,PDF


  29. Brumant v Cable & Wireless
    https://dominica.vlex.com>caselaw


  30. commission issues Decision on C & W standard of Service 2010-2013
    http://ftc.gov.bb/index.php?option=com_content&task=view-sid=19


  31. In the Supreme Court of Judicature of Jamaica

    MELVERTON JAMES AND CABLE AND WIRELESS JAMAICA LT

    https://supremecourt.gov.jm>files>judgments>PDF

    Issue
    The main issue in the case is whether the defendant had taken reasonable steps in ensuring that the road was left in a safe condition after the day’s work ended


  32. Fair Trading Commission Understanding Consumer Law and Treating Consumers Fairly
    https://www.ftc.gov.bb>


  33. Minority Shareholders wins fight to keep cable& Wireless
    https://seyliis.org>jusgment>supreme-court

    https://Jamaica-gleaner.com>article


  34. Canadian revealed what US does better than Canada & everyone agreed on one thing, without a doubt, the most popular answer from Canucks was related to telecom and the cost of data and wireless services in Canada. The most up – voted reply to the thread said,”More competition in the wireless voice/data space please, to drive down THE PRICE of our monthly plans,, we in Barbados need more competition also.


  35. In the high court of Justice(St.Lucia) between Parry Husbands and Cale and Wireless,, Perry Husband filed a claim form with a statement of claim seeking refund in respect of telephone,facsimile and e-mail service which he alleged were disconnected by Cable and Wireless. He also claimsa compromise sum offered by Cable and Wireless and accepted by him for Fooding his bedroom with water by an employee of cable and Wireles

    https://www.accounts.org>High Court Judgments


  36. And I quote, The blogmaster prefer to the approach if putting the Victim’s’
    story and if it is necessary, to offer an apology or retraction, so be it, no retraction and no apology, the story is TRUE


  37. Merry Christmas to all


  38. Happy New year to one and all


  39. I took this from Sleven Kaszab Our lives end the day we fall silent about the things that matter to us, strong people will stand up for themselves, while even stronger citizens stand up for others, charity, concern for others, respecting your opinion and the opinion of others is what democracy is all about.

The blogmaster invites you to join the discussion.

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