Telcos' Vanishing Load & SPAMMING

As posted in a comment in Inquirer Blogs

povalmushar Says:
July 22nd, 2009 at 10:38 am

I fully agree with all the complaints posted here…and in so many other similar blogs.

Points To Ponder lang po…heto actual experience..

I was complaining to a Telco’s customer service, and the gist of the conversation went like this:

Me: Bakit nabawasan ng 5 pesos ang load ko

Telco CS: Sir, can I get all your (subscriber’s) details…blah…blah..blah.. so I can check our records sa computer…

Me: Here are my subscriber details blah…blah..

(after few minutes waiting…)

Telco CS: Ay sir based on record nag subscribe po kayo sa VAS… kaya nabawasan kayo ng 2 x 2.50 kaya total 5 pesos…blah…blah..blah

Me: Ganun? Wala ako matandaan na nag subscribe ako or anything to that effect. Anyway, can I get the transaction details para maverify ko…blah…blah…blah

Telco CS: Ay sir sorry limited access po kami sa Call Center po ito.. punta po kayo sa Wireless Center namin or office…to get that transaction records and details..doon din po kayo mag file ng formal complaints…blah blah.. blah

Me: Arrggghhh…you meant to say for just 5 pesos complain and to be able to obtain my transaction records…I will have to go all the way to your wireless center or office…and I am here in the mountains of Cordillera????

(after few minutes of arguing..)

Telco CS: Sir sensya na po…yan po ang ruling ng Legal Department namin … na hindi po valid yung karamihan sa mga complaints… blah blah blah

Me: Aha…nandyan pala ang sikreto kung bakit konti lang naka record na complaints sa inyo based dun sa namention sa Senate Hearing…kasi your Legal Department ruled na hindi valid ang complaints…kasi few pesos lang ang involved per subscriber at walang maipresent na transaction records ang complainant kasi ang hirap kumuha ng records..pero super bilis ng Telco mag work out ng complainable transactions like these SPAMS, vanishing load, etc…kasi nga DIGITAL or SMS- based ang transactions, pero pag hihingi ka na ng records…kailangan MANUAL na lahat…blah…blah.blah..

Telco CS: Sir baka pag ginawang digital ang request for transaction records like kung text-based na rin ang transaction records retrieval, baka po hindi kayanin ng FRONT-END namin…blah…blah..blah.

Me: You know what, in the spirit of equality and for CONSUMERS PROTECTION, dapat kung gaano kabilis nangyari ang transaction..dapat ganun din kabilis mag retrieve ng PROOF OF TRANSACTIONS na yun… kung text-based ang transaction..dapat text-based din ang records retrieval.. don’t tell me na hindi kakayanin ng Telcos yan, e billions of pesos ang kinikita nila for decades already…blah..blah..blah..

Telco CS: Sige sir i-propose niyo nalang po sa NTC, kasi susunod lang naman po ang Telcos kung ano ang regulations…blah…blah..blah..

(end of conversation…)

So there you are folks, nasa atin lang pala ang solution..to pressure NTC…and where necessary Congress..to pass regulations or laws, requiring Telcos, to, among others:

1) create front-end SMS-Based or even email-based applications whereby subscribers can easily retrieve Transactions Records, as valid and acceptable basis for complaints (or reconciliations)…and with this possible to shorten complaints resolution..

2) Dapat hindi maging one-sided ang system ng mga Telcos…madali mag padala ng SPAM, or effect vanishing loads…by mere SMS transactions…pagkatapos pahirapan na pag mag file ng complaints..or kahit manlang mag trace ng transactions…(imagine halos sila lang ang may access sa records…talagang one-sided…if ever naman grabeng pahirapan kaya subscribers at either at a loss or losses more in terms of time and efforts…just to retrieve those records…)

Nasa Digital Age tayo pag Telcos ang mag extract ng resources natin…pero pag mag complain ka na ..balik na sa Jurassic Age…

NTC where are you??

Ika nga ni Shakespeare - “The fault, my friend, lies not in our stars but in ourselves that we are underlings..”

Maiden Blog - Sharing Burning Issues of the Day

Sharing is a natural thing. We humans are but product of shared elements. It is not surprising therefore that the urge to impart whatever it is that we have sometimes takes a powerful life of its own.

What better way to start our sharing advocacy than by comparing notes and sharing our thoughts about some of the hottest issues affecting most Filipinos nowadays.

Share your thoughts about the vanishing TELCO loads, about the TEXT SPAMS... Share it in Filipino, in TAGLISH or in straight or broken English...however it is shared it does not matter so long as our ideas and thoughts are communicated and understood among ourselves.

For this specific issue, our objective is to protect our rights as consumers without infringing on the rights of those businessmen in the Telecommunication sector. There are already many advocate groups out there...we intend to add to their voices...perhaps with a difference this time around.

Let us create powerful numbers, eventually creating powerful lobby force where necessary, to protect our rights as consumers. Written and spoken words are good. But you know that sometimes, and perhaps most of the time, the only language understood by those lawmakers in Congress are the language of lobby groups. The lawmaking playing field is actually not level at all.

Yesterday, July 3, I was listening to DZMM with Ted Failon as the anchor. He was talking to that NTC commissioner...hmm... I forgot to jot down his name... But his statement caught me flat footed... He said the NTC cannot go beyond what the law provides in terms of punishing TELCOs for their spamming activities. He said they can fine the TELCOs only up to 200 pesos per violation - that's what the law provides. For more than a decade, we consumers suffered while those businesses prospered.

Evidently, the law protects us consumers up to the certain extent only...In the case of SPAMMING and vanishing load...and even the load expiration, the law protects the businessmen better.

We thought that's unfair. Were it not for that case of Senator Enrile being victimized, we would not have been heard at all.

This is just one of the glaring cases of the law that was crafted along the direction of the lobby interest groups. And what those lobbyists used to speak loudly to be heard by the lawmakers to craft laws in their favor? You guessed correctly - NUMBERS. Hard realities but plain and real numbers...not theatrics, not rallies, not passive advocacies. Provisions of proposed laws (bills) are eventually watered-down depending on the strength of the lobby force (or numbers).

Enough is enough!

We thought it's about time we become proactive in protecting our very own rights. Let's begin sharing our thoughts and ideas how we can create powerful numbers and be able to beat them in their own games.

For after all, those well-protected vested interest groups, they too got their numbers from the consumers like us.

Be counted and be part of this desired change even in our own little ways. Let us share...in whatever way we can.

We sure love to hear your thoughts.