Strange bills scare Volgograd residents with a 50% rise in prices for housing and communal services

Notices appeared in the mailboxes of Volgograd residents requiring them to check their meters and warning about an increase in housing and communal services fees by 50%. Behind the bright appeals lies dishonest advertising, according to the Federal Antimonopoly Service.

In the Angarsky microdistrict, residents of house No. 16, located on Turgenev Street, received notices in boxes indicating the sender “ZhilService Volgograd”. Residents of the house were notified that they needed to undergo metrological verification, otherwise the devices for metering water consumption would be considered unsuitable and a coefficient of 1.5 would be applied when charging for utility services. This aroused suspicion among the residents of the house.

“Apparently, they are scammers, but they even have a website,” says Alexander. “Elderly people can get carried away and call these specialists. All notices have the same number. Accordingly, all notices have the same category of payer. Like, everything is overdue from 1-3 months. I won’t have my verification soon. That’s why it was confusing. And there is no delay, but they put it in category “B”.

The notice indicates the inspection period is from April 15 to April 30, which may already lead citizens to think that they need to contact the organization faster. This may be confusing for retirees.

The “Notebook Volgograd” correspondent contacted the number indicated on the “ZhilService Volgograd” receipt and introduced himself as the resident who received this notice. The employee who answered the call asked how many appliances were in the house and whether an inspection had been carried out in the last 6 years. Thus, they demanded 3,770 rubles from us for checking three water meters. If each resident pays approximately this amount, it can cost a lot.

The correspondent contacted the Water Supply Concession, where they explained the following:

— “Water supply concessions” have nothing to do with sending such messages; we have previously repeatedly warned citizens that scammers can act in this way.

The concessionaires also explained that in order not to fall for the tricks of scammers, it is necessary to find out information about the timing of checking meters in your personal account on the website of JSC “Investigation Center for Housing and Communal Services and Fuel and Energy Complex”. In addition, owners carry out inspections of metering devices on their own, calling specialists from a licensed organization, and after that the inspection report is transferred to JSC “Investigation Center for Housing and Public Utilities and Fuel and Energy Complex”.

And good advice from a lawyer in case you doubt the integrity of the organization – be sure to ask for the TIN and OGRN, since this is public information.

“Blokpad”, when contacting the phone number indicated on the notice, asked to provide the TIN and OGRN of the organization, which was refused. There was a similar answer regarding the license.

“We don’t need reasons for a general newsletter,” said an employee of ZhilService Volgograd. — A license is no longer needed for inspection since 2010; now there must be a valid accreditation certificate.

Next, we were given an accreditation number, which we can look up at Rosacereditation. The editors have at their disposal a recording of the conversation. However, under this number on the website, entrepreneur Alexander Farutin is listed, whose activities are carried out in Karelia. The individual entrepreneur was registered with the tax authority in 2022.

According to the regional Office of the Federal Antimonopoly Service, mailings are unacceptable advertising that misleads people. Nine citizens previously filed complaints against this organization. Their notices were received in November last year, but the mailing continues to this day.

“The leaflet states that the period for checking the water meter has expired and it is urgently necessary to call a specialist from the aforementioned Zhilservice,” the FAS explains. — There is even a threat that otherwise charges will be made according to the consumption rate with an increasing coefficient; approximate calculations are given of how much money the consumer will lose from this. During the case, it was established that the advertisement was distributed by an entrepreneur registered in the Republic of Karelia, and direct home services were provided by another entrepreneur who was accredited to carry out verification of measuring instruments and also registered in another region.

OFAS clarifies that these mailings violate two advertising laws at once. Administrative proceedings will be initiated against advertisers. The organization reported that it had changed the format for presenting information, but such mailings still mislead citizens.