Air Sellers: Popenko Explains Why Utilities Only Exist on Bills.

The head of the Consumers' Union of Utility Services, Oleg Popenko, noted that Ukrainians constantly pay for services they do not actually receive. According to him, management companies have turned into 'air sellers', issuing bills for services that only exist on paper.

Popenko stated that management companies in Ukraine have turned into 'air sellers', issuing bills for services that are not actually provided, and consumers cannot prove their absence due to lack of documentation. Ukrainians are massively overpaying for services that only exist on paper.

The essence of the problem lies in the fact that the lack of documentation complicates the confirmation of actual service provision. Popenko provides examples where it is impossible to prove the provision of services such as deratization and disinfection due to the lack of necessary documentation.

Courts on the Side of Consumers

The absence of the necessary documentation leads to a situation where courts make decisions in favor of consumers who have paid for the service. However, the main problem remains the confirmation of the actual provision of services.

'People go to court and say: we have not had cleaning of the building area, we haven't had a janitor for half a year. The court rules in favor of consumers as they paid for the service and acknowledged its existence,' Popenko explained.

The problem also arises with waste disposal, where scammers can increase consumers' debts through manipulation of bills, leading to unfair payment for services.

Negative Consequences for Citizens

Citizens face the growth of large debts, most of which are fabricated. The payment system for non-existent services complicates consumers' lives and makes the process of proving the actual provision of utility services more difficult due to the absence of necessary documents.

It has been noted that utility consumers in Ukraine constantly pay for services that they do not actually receive due to the lack of documentary confirmation. The problem lies with management companies that issue bills for such services but do not actually provide them, leading to overpayment and complicating court cases for consumers.