I refer to the letter MCPX Pre-paid cards: Consumers getting a raw deal.

I would like to highlight how mobile phone prepaid cards are a ripoff. I bought a Maxis 012 prepaid card for RM8.8O.When the air time went down after a week to 80 sen, I got my daughter to top it up for RM10.

Within 24 hours I got a text message from Maxis that RM2 has been deducted for what they call an 'SOS top up'. The number on the phone quotes a 22559 number.

We called up Maxis and their response was: 'Oh, we cannot explain the RM2 deduction because the system is down'.

I told that person that was not my problem and that they just couldn't deduct money like that from a prepaid account. It is akin to theft.

I also have a UK prepaid phone card. The difference?

1. The air time lasts forever. I just gave a phone to a friend (costs only 10 British pounds) with a Virgin Mobile prepaid SIM card (topped up with five pounds) if they ever need to call me on arrival at Heathrow at any
time.

In other words for only 15 pounds (RM100) you can have a mobile phone and a SIM card with the facility to call anywhere in the UK during say, the Olympic Games in 2012.

2. Most travellers use prepaid cards for calls from airports or seaports upon arrival to arrange for pick-ups. It is impossible to do this with Malaysian prepaid phone cards.

They are time barred and absolutely useless after only six months.

Now, not only do these Malaysian prepaid phone cards have a short validity period, they also have unexplained and unauthorised deductions.

Imagine a bank doing a RM2 ringgit deduction from your bank account. There will be a consumer uproar.

What we need is a consumer watchdog for mobile phone users or just switch your usage from one network to another until they learn to respect users as paying customers instead like making it seem they are doing us a favour. We do not just pay but pre-pay for the service

Source: MalaysiaKini

NCCC Comment:

We must remember that almost 80% of mobile users are pre-paid cards users. Many don't have excess to mobile bills. Although MCMC has directed Telcos to provide online bills but not even 1 telco has made a mass public announcement on it...thats CSR for them. Are they worried that consumers will be able to catch them red handed stealling?? Your guess is as good as mine.

Thank you

Darshan Singh
Director-NCCC