Sunday, February 09, 2020

Cost of Living - CELCOM doubles charges for printed itemized Bills? Now RM10?

COST OF LIVING - Any increase of 'basic necessities' cost impacts our cost of living...For the rich, a RM5 increase is nothing but our concern must be for all Malaysians especially the poor...

Well, now we have to pay RM10 for a CELCOM itemized bill to be sent to us. It was previously just RM5, which was already excessive. Reasonable would have been a charge of RM2 or RM3. Wonder whether the increase has got any connection to Pos Malaysia raising postage rates from 60 cents to RM1.30 - If so, then the CELCOM rate should have increased just by 70 cents - not RM5?

Cost of Living - Postal rates increase to RM1.30 from 60 cents on 1st Feb? PH government and Minister Gobind agreed?

Where is our Ministry that is supposed to be looking after all us consumers - Is the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail not aware of this?

Telecommunication charges - well, that Minister would be Gobind Singh?

Point 1 - Is not CELCOM bound by an agreement with customers - so, I do not think that CELCOM should be able to increase charges without getting the agreement of the customer? Maybe, they have some 'little clause' in the original agreement that alllows them to do so...later, they may start charging customers RM50 for itemized bills? Surely government approval is needed ...or has the previous BN government removed the need for government control.

TELEPHONE ITEMIZED BILLS - Why Important?

If Celcom simply ask me to pay RM200 this month, and RM74 next month...I, as a consumer will want to know what I am paying for? Is CELCOM overcharging? Am I a victim of 'fraud' - someone hacked and transferred his/her payment obligations to me...

I have had past experience when phone companies overcharged - they tried to charge me for a modem I never got - phone calls I never made ...A SMART Consumer checks the Bill, to make sure that what they are asked to pay is correct..

A few days ago, I had to go to CELCOM to complain about mistakes in my handphone Bill(no internet/date - just phone). It was the phone my elderly mother uses. Usual charges is about RM64, but the January 2020 Bill said that amount that had to be paid was RM180.50. 

There were 'International Calls' to Solomon Islands, Diego Garcia(2), Congo...and that alone was RM104-00. For what the Bill said was a 3 sec duration, the charge was RM26-00.

Of course, there was no such calls made by my elderly mother...

The CELCOM officer told me that she did not have to make call BUT if she picked up the calls, she would be charged...What nonsense? CELCOM should not be charging people for calls they receive...in Malaysia

The instinct of anyone when a phone ring is to pick up....

Celcom Officer's advice was to not pick up calls from UNKNOWN numbers - well, they provide the service for people to block phone numbers ... So when you receive the call, you cannot even identify who is calling. There may be legitimate calls from the hospital...the police ...DON'T Pick Up, says CELCOM?

Next, we are dealing with elderly persons here ...your phone rings, you rush to your phone and instinctively will answer not look and see if the number is known or unknown..

All kind of people calls us ...we may have people we know in our phone directory - so the name of the caller appears...but so many others also calls...

CELCOM or any phone company should not be charging people for calls they receive while in Malaysia...[It is different when you answer a call from Malaysia on your phone]

The CELCOM officer, when the complaint was lodged, said that this time they may not charge ...BUT if it happens again, they will have to charge...

Who gave my phone number to others - because I receive adverts(unsolicited) and even Raya wishes from some politicians on my CELCOM number - there is also this issue of privacy...[Is CELCOM making money through these 'adverts']

Anyway, Ministers Saifuddin Nasution and Gobind Singh need to look into this and correct matters ..


ONE - additional charges for itemized printed Bills should not exceed RM3 > remember these are existing customers. For NEW customers, CELCOM can have new agreement - no printed Bills? But for old existing customers - no changes in terms or rates we have to pay UNLESS the consumer agrees..

TWO - No more charging for calls received in Malaysia, even if from overseas... [The CELCOM officer said that these calls are possibly 'scammers'?]. Yes - BUT it is CELCOM that is benefiting from these 'scammers'??? Are scammers from overseas helping CELCOM make more money? 

NOT RIGHT

PH should do all to reduce COST OF LIVING...




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