Vendors furious with Digicel’s commission cuts

Retailers who sell pre-paid credit on behalf of telecommunications provider Digicel are furious that the company has cut its commission rates again; appealing for this decision to be “reconsidered”.

In a letter dated July 4, 2014, Advanced Business Systems Inc. informed retailers and wholesalers that along with migrating to a new recharge platform, {{more}}Digicel commission rates will be decreased to 5.5 per cent (wholesalers) and 5 per cent (retailers).

One male retailer who did not wish to be identified said that the new rates, which came into effect July 15, are a waste of his time because it is not reflective of the effort he puts into his job.

“Night and day, rain and sun we are out there pushing Digicel business,” he explained. “They treating us like dogs!”

To add insult to injury, he claims that retailers are not receiving the full five per cent commission – only 4.35 per cent.

“Where the 65 cents gone to?” he questioned.

In the seven years that he has been a Digicel retailer, he says that this is the third cut since he first started. He complained of a lack of respect and care from the management at Digicel and ABS Inc. – which acts as a middleman between them and the telecommunications provider.

He feels as though Digicel believes that because they sell pre-paid credit, this means they are uneducated, and is taking advantage.

“A lot of us have our subjects but we decided to sell phone cards on the street to make a faster hustle,” he pointed out.

“When our bills come, we cannot pay,” he added. “Digicel ain’t concerned because they sit down in their offices with air condition and we out here in the sun and rain!”

Another retailer, Noel Castello, who has been in the trade for almost 13 years, said that Digicel should raise the commission rate back up to

10 per cent – which was the going rate when he first started.

“We have no pension to get from this!” he complained.

Castello said that the new recharge platform seems to have a glitch which results in the credit that he has loaded onto his phone diminishing faster than he is selling to customers.

When he reported this to ABS Inc. country manager Foster Hannaway, Castello said that he wasn’t taken seriously, and that Hannaway suggested he was the problem and not Digicel’s system.

“There is a bug in the system that eats out credit,” said Castello. “I told him there was a bug… and he point at me and say: ‘You is de bug!’”

A female retailer, who also did not wish to be identified, said that Digicel and ABS Inc. do not seem to realise how integral retailers and wholesalers are to their business.

Having been with the telecommunications provider for two years, she said that although she understands that the economy is “tough” at the moment, she has children to provide for.

She further added that sometimes the commission she makes from selling pre-paid credit does not cover her travel and lunch expenses.

“It come like we losing out and Digicel making all the money,” she bemoaned.

“They should show a bit more consideration.”

Wholesaler George Howard, who owns Howard’s Driving School, said that he has approximately 400 people working as retailers under him, and they all have families to support.

“When you cut their money, it come like you wasting their time,” he explained. “Is better you just tell everyone go home.”

Howard also claimed that retailers and wholesalers are not receiving the full commission that was promised to them.

“This is misleading!” he exclaimed. “To me if you’re not giving me all the money you said you would, that is thieving!”

Castello and the other retailers said that if they do not get a better commission rate from Digicel, they will have to think seriously about rallying all Digicel vendors and going on strike.

“All vendors need to come together because all of us gonna benefit from it. We all feeling the pinch!”

Digicel and ABS Inc. representatives were unable to respond to the matter before SEARCHLIGHT’S print deadline.