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by Jerry Liao, Philippines
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Philippine Senate investigates cellphone billing system
Jun 3, 2009 16:39The Philippines is a prepaid mobile phone service dominated country. Almost 90% of our mobile users here are prepaid users. Although telecommunication providers are offering prepaid credits at 100, 300, and 500 denominations, Filipino prepaid users buy their mobile credits as they need it. Do you want to know the meaning of retail? Come to the Philippine and see it for yourself.
Knowing that most of the prepaid users are in the low-income bracket, telecom providers are so innovative that they also allow users to buy mobile credits for as low as one peso. This scheme allows everyone to join the mobile craze bandwagon.
Unfortunately, I have heard a lot of complains from users that they are being robbed with their mobile phone credits. Rob meaning they will buy their mobile credits, let's say 50 pesos, and even before they consume the entire 50 pesos, their mobile credits will be gone. Gone as in taken away from them. By whom? I don't know. I have written a lot of articles about this but it falls on deaf ears.
But I guess the luck of these telecom providers will run out soon. No one expected that the President of the Philippine Senate, Senator Juan Ponce Enrile is using a prepaid SIM, or he just decided to get a second line with a prepaid SIM - a Globe Telecom prepaid SIM.
According to the Senator, he is using a prepaid SIM and loaded it with a 600 pesos credit. The next day, he was surprised to find out that his load was down to something like 500 pesos, then the next day it was down 400 pesos. Senator Enrile was so surprised that he came out on television and announced that he will do an investigation as to why this is happening. Guess what, the next day, the mobile credit of the good senator was back to around 500 pesos. Is it a miracle or magic?
We have millions of subscribers here in the Philippines. Rob them a peso each and it will amount to millions. Rob then with .50 cents each and it will still amount to millions. What I am trying to say here is why rob them of their credit limits when these people work so hard, and earn so little to enjoy the power of mobile technology. Whoever is doing this (if in case this is done by human) should be hanged in public and let his/her body rot in public.
Senator Enrile said that it is highly possible that someone from inside Globe Telecom is illegally transferring mobile credits from one number to another number. Maybe. But let me tell you Senator Enrile that this inconsistent deduction of mobile credits has long been here. And it is happening not only to you but to thousand of Filipinos using the prepaid services of our telecom providers.
Another area the Senate will be investigating is why mobile credits have their expiration dates. This is also something I am against as well. I already bought the mobile credits, why force me to use it for a specific amount of time?
The reply given to me by mobile operators as to why there's an expiration date is because according to them even if a mobile number is unused, it still occupies space on their servers. So it's a must according to them that users reload their credits during a specifed time. Really now.. Baloney... The real reason is money. Its business. Period.
I do hope the Senators of the Philippine Republic can come up with a law that will protect the interest of the majority. If not, then we are in deep trouble.
God Bless us all!
- Talkback
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Hopefully this will be pushed hard by the Senate and teach lessons to these cold hearted telco owners and executives.
Jun 03, 2009 18:05
thanks to senator enrile for this. i myself was a victim of smart communication's unreliable technology. a few times they 'stole' from my load. now i'm using a different service provider postpaid. lesson learned. will never get back to smart.
Jun 04, 2009 00:23
This has been a problem for over a long time already. It is about time that the culprits be punished. Perhaps the proposal of Congressman Suarez to meter the telecoms can check this problem and find out the crooks. I do not believe the telecom that there is a privacy issue in metering. Electric Power, Water and our long distance phone calls are metered.
On expiration date, I learned that other countries have better policies. In thailand, only the validity of load expires, but not the load itself. Example, you load 100 baht valid for 30days. After 30days all unconsumed load (say 20baht) may not be used. However, if the user purchase again another 100baht. This and the remaining load (20baht) can then be used for 30days.
Congress, media and consumer groups must be vigilant. It seems we cannot trust our NTC who always favors the giant and wealthy telecom
Jun 04, 2009 14:41
@bensy: Hey that's a great way of making use of unused credits. Validity expires but not the load itself. Do you mind if I share this comment of yours in my next article? Thanks.
@gadgetgeek / adasys: I sincerely hope something good comes out with this investigation. Thanks guys.
Jun 04, 2009 16:02
Yes, of course. Feel free to use it in on any of your future articles, in print or in the web. While I'm also from the Philippines, I read this system somewhere in the net.
God Bless.
Jun 04, 2009 21:00
thank God, just today smart tel.com. stole from my load when i called their cutomer service they said that i subscribe from things i dont know. heck!!!
Jun 21, 2009 17:58
@braizah: Did you ask what service is that?
Jun 21, 2009 18:24
Hi Jerry, just to share. Sun prepaid expires also, but if you reload before the day of the expiration date the old credits is carried over to the next period.
One time I even accumulated 800 minutes of voice calls because I have not used it in the previous cut off.
Jun 25, 2009 09:50
About Jerry Liao
Jerry Liao is an IT consultant in the Philippines who conducts seminars on various tech topics. He is a regular columnist of Manila Bulletin, a member of the academe, a system developer and a system analyst. He is a frequent fixture in press conferences and tech launchings, most of which are posted at infochat.com.ph. He loves to tinker with the latest gadgets and gizmos, but his most cherish possession are his children.
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