CONSUMER COMPLAINTS

Cheated by the irresponsible dealers

1970-01-01T00:00:00+01:00

NCCC received a complaint from Norfaizah Binti Subari @ Rahmat. Complainant was approached by CELCOM dealer to sign up for package which suppose to give a good deal. It was stressed by the dealer that the billing process ONLY will start once the complainant activate the line. By the way this were not in the term and condition. Trusting his words, complainant signed up for the said package.

Complainant nightmare began few months later when she was slapped with RM 481.11 telephone bill from CELCOM. At that moment the complainant have NOT even detach the sim card from the pack. When the complainant contacted the CELCOM for an explanation, it was more frustrating an according to customer service it is the dealer’s fault who have misrepresented. Complainant have no choice but to settle the outstanding bill. Complainant feels why is she being asked to pay for a service she DID NOT use. Complainant felt very frustrated as the whole deal is tricky and terms and condition any package must be made clear and transparent to customers.

Complainant forwarded her complain to NCCC. Upon receiving the complain the main issue here is misrepresentation. NCCC forwarded the issue to CELCOM and a cc copy to Multimedia Communication. Upon investigation made by CELCOM. Justice were served when CELCOM waived off RM 433.85 and CELCOM will take severe action against irresponsible dealers.

NCCC’s advise, those with similar problem should seek assistance. As for Norfaizah who did not give up although the matter occurred in 2004 and finally settle in June 2007.

Yesotha Balakrishnan

Executive - Complaints Handling & Investigation

National Consumer Complaints Centre (NCCC)

No. 1D, Bangunan SKPPK,

Jalan SS 9A/17, 47300

Petaling Jaya, Selangor

Tel: 03 - 7874 8096

Fax: 03 - 7874 8097

Courts makes their costumer humiliated

1970-01-01T00:00:00+01:00

I am writing to express my disappointment and frustration of what Courts, "Your Life Our Inspiration" has done to me - the humiliation that it has tossed on the face of my family and me.

I took a credit facility from Courts, Cheras Branch in October 2004 to purchase a 54 inch television. The facility was for 36 months and the promotion given at that point of time was FREE 2 MONTHS INSTALMENTS. The free instalments will only commence after the payment of 34 instalments (free for the 35th and 36th instalments). I have been servicing the instalments without fail on or before the 11th every month (as required) until 11 September 2007 (34th month). Since the card has been stamped with the abovementioned promotion, I assumed that I am now free from my obligation towards Courts. I did not receive any reminders or phone calls thereafter.

Came 2008, to my surprised, a gentleman came to the house on one fine evening. I can't remember the exact date but it seemed that he is a debt collector. He told me that there were 2-month instalments not paid. I showed him the instalment card and he himself was also surprised. He promised that he would communicate the outcome to the office and since then, nothing happen.

On 21 July 2008, I was outstation. At home, there were my mother and a relative. Courts had again sent another gentleman, now not to enquire but to take the television away due to non-payment. My mother, being disgraced, called my husband and my husband had to calm her down and informed her that the credit had been fully settled in September 2007. He spoke to the gentleman and it seemed that the system did not capture the promotion offered. He insisted to be contacted by Courts representative. Then only Courts called my husband, telling him that she is new and she did not know about the promotion. When asked if its true that payments are still outstanding, why cant Courts send reminders to us. She promised to check but again, promise is a promise. No calls received. Courts does not want to admit that its system is not up-to-date and the fact it cannot capture the promotion offered, it has made our life miserable. Well, you could not imagine what are the comments given/ questions asked by my mother and relative.

On 22 July 2008, my husband and me went to Courts, Cheras Branch. We wanted to talk to the Accounts Manager but we were then passed to somebody else. The representatives didn't even say sorry, took the card, xerox it, made adjustments to be sent to the HQ and have the guts to inform us that payments were actually up-to-date. When asked for explanation, they just keep quiet and ignore my questions. We requested for the card to be stamped with settlement so that in the event that Courts sent another gentleman to take the television away, we have evidence that payment had been fully settled.

Feeling unhappy, I called the customer service of Courts, HQ to relay what had happened. She requested for evidence that full payment had been made as in her system, there is still an overdue of 2 months plus late charges (after 1 week adjustment being made). I faxed the card and since then, nothing happen, not even a note from Courts to apologise for the mistakes done. Today, I called and she seemed to forget whatever had happened. I have to re-explain and she informed me, "You don't have to worry anymore as the system has been updated - no more owings". There is no sense of guiltiness from Courts side, as if the incident had never happened.

From today onwards, I swear that I would not buy anything from Courts anymore, no matter how wide the selection of goods are, choices and flexibility as what being claimed. Yes, there are many more out there who wants to be Courts customer but it has to always remember that without a proper and efficient system bundled with a human touch, it will be losing more customers than it could ever imagined.

Complaint : Water meter calibration - SYABAS

1970-01-01T00:00:00+01:00

WATER METERS CALIBRATION Would like to know if the water meters installed at home / residence are required to be calibrated before installation. Recent change exercise of water meters at our homes have resulted in abnormal higher bills.

Upon seeing them to complain about the matter at SYABAS Kajang, and after sending their staff to check on the meters, which they found to be OK, it was recommended that the house owner seek authorised SYABAS contractors to conduct a test on the meter -- for a fee.

I find this arrangement absurd. It seems, the onus of proving the meter is in good working condition, now lies with the owner, when in actual fact, the meters should have been pre tested and calibrated before installation. Records of all meter calibrations should be well kept by SYABAS, and be able to show proof to that effect, to consumers on demand. Was informed that the meters are not calibrated.

FORMULA USED ON TABULATING COST OF WATER CONSUMED DUE TO IRREGULAR READING PERIODS The Customer Rep was unable to explain satisfactorily on how water consumed was calculated based on the formula reflected in the bill. There appears to be x2 factor used, resulting in higher bill charges. Another concern raised was on the timing of bill issued. Is there a way of accurately determining the actual cost of water consumed, if a bill is issued at irregular intervals, resulting in total water utilised to fall into a different & higher cost bracket. For eg, a one day delay may cause the water consumption in cubic meters to exceed the lower bracket, thus charges computed are higher.

Likewise, if bills are issued earlier, it will result in a lower consumption for the current month, but much higher bills for the subsequent month. The same applies for ANGGARAN or ESTIMATE readings. I certainly expect better service after the utility body had been corporatised. Issues:-

Requirement on water meter calibration & records of calibration.
Costs of calibartion borne by customer.
Costs resulting from faulty meters borne by customers, when meters not calibrated against the standard.
Consistency in the time frames for billing customer. Is there a procedure on this? There appears to be lack of transparency on this. Meters should be read on timely basis and billing dates should be consistent, without fail irrespective of public holidays, etc.. Consumers are made to pay extremely higher costs if water usage falls in the third bracket.
Formula used should be explained to customer.

Can you enlighten me on the above issues?

Thank you.

Reply By Syabas

SYABAS CLARIFIES COMPLAINT ON WATER METER CALIBRATION

1. Requirement on water meter calibration and records of calibration.

All consumer water meters are manufactured in accordance with internationally accepted standards and specifications on accuracy and endurance. To confirm compliance with the standards and specifications, the water meters are individually tested using special meter testing facilities at the manufacturer’s factory before the meters are installed at the consumers’ premises. For this purpose, the meter testing facilities are calibrated and accredited based on accepted international standards, on a scheduled basis by the relevant authorities. Any water meter that does not pass the factory tests is rejected at the factory itself. All the consumer water meters that have passed the tests are delivered complete with the test certificates and these records are kept by SYABAS.

However, these meters installed at the consumers’ premises in good and accurate working condition will start to under-record the flows after some time due to wear and tear. It is due to this reason that meter change usually results in higher bills because the new meter is now recording correctly at the actual flow. The abnormally high bills after the meter change could also be due to leakage inside the consumer’s premise which has not been recording by the previous meter probably having been also faulty. Hence, the statement that the house owner was
recommended to seek an authorized SYABAS contractor to conduct meter test for a fee is a MISUNDERSTANDING, in that the house owner would have been advised to quickly repair his internal leakage using a licensed plumber to avoid wastage of water and further high bills. In this case it is the responsibility of the house owner to repair the leakage at his own cost since it is after the meter and the house owner is free to choose any licensed plumber.

2. Costs of calibration borne by customer.

Whenever the consumer feels that his water meter is over recording resulting in higher bills, he has the option to request SYABAS to conduct a meter test. The fee charged by SYABAS for the meter test is a deposit as gazetted under Second Schedule of Water Supply (Selangor) (Charges) Rules 2006, Water Supply Enactment 1997 as follows:-

Charges for meter test:

(a) Deposit for testing 15mm meters or smaller sizes : RM 22.50
(b) Deposit for testing 16mm to 20mm meters : RM 30.00
(c) Deposit for testing 21mm to 50mm meters : RM 75.00
(d) Deposit for testing 51mm to 80mm meters : RM150.00
(e) Deposit for testing 81mm meters and : Actual cost plus a 25% meters of larger sizes with a minimum of RM150.00

The meter test will be carried out at SYABAS’ meter testing facilities which is also calibrated and accredited by the relevant authorities. In this case, the consumer is also invited to witness the test. If the meter is found to be truly over recording by more than 3%, then the meter test deposit will be returned to the consumer and his meter will be replaced with a new meter, otherwise the meter test deposit is retained by SYABAS. This is to pay for the cost of removing the meter from the consumer’s premise and conducting the meter test.

3. Costs resulting from faulty meters borne by consumers, when meters not calibrated against the standard.

All meters when installed at the consumers’ premises are tested for accuracy and are in good working condition. Over time these meters will begin to under-record flows due to wear and tear or even become faulty due to several reasons. In any case these old meters which are no longer within their accuracy range or meters found to be faulty are replaced at SYABAS’ own cost and NOT borne by customers. Only in cases where the meters are found to be still working within its accuracy range after testing the meter on the customers’ request, the cost of testing according to the gazetted schedule of charges has to be borne by the customers

4. Consistency in the time frames for billing consumer. Is there a procedure on this? There appears to be lack of transparency on this. Meters should be read on timely basis and billing dates should be consistent, without fail irrespective of public holidays, etc. Consumers are made to pay extremely higher costs if water usage falls in the third bracket.

All customers under SYABAS are billed monthly and on a timely basis, i.e. within a billing period of 31 days, irrespective of public holidays, etc. However, sometimes due to various reasons which cannot be avoided, there may be instances where the billing period is exceeded. Hence to overcome the bills falling into the third band due to late reading, SYABAS has introduced a Prorate Billing formula for all SYABAS’ customers from 1 December 2007. Thus, with the prorate billing formula in place, the calculation is apportioned to reflect the 31 day billing period irrespective of the actual reading period.

5. Formula used should be explained to customer.

The Prorate Billing formula has been published widely in the media as well as shown clearly in every water bill. For example if the consumption has been read as 50m3 over a billing period of 35 days instead of 31 days, the billed amount is apportioned as shown below:-

Consumption = 50m3
Actual Billing Days = 35 days
Billing Period = 35/31 = 1.13

Billed Amount based on Prorate Billing Formula:

1st Band: 20m3 x 1.13 = 22.60m3 x RM0.57 = RM 12.88
2nd Band: 15m3 x 1.13 = 16.95m3 x RM1.03 = RM 17.46
3rd Band: (50m3 - 22.6m3 - 16.95m3) =10.45m3 x RM2.00 = RM 20.90
Total Bill = RM 51.24

Hence under the Prorate Billing Formula, an additional 2.6m3 is charged under the first band and another additional 1.95m3 is charged under the second band which otherwise would have been charged under the third band.

Touch 'go' Unfair Terms

1970-01-01T00:00:00+01:00

I have a Touch n Go card (purchased in 2001, where a deposit of RM15 was required). The TnC card has became dormant because I have stopped using it sometime in 2006 since my new Mykad had TnC feature enabled. On 9th July 2008, I visited TnC Hub at Taman Desa (TnG HQ) to reactivate the said card but I was shocked to learned that a RM5 reactivation fee and a \"Dormant fee\" ( Dormant fee was the term used by the lady at the service ounter ) of RM5 every 6 months (total of RM20) is chargeable to my balance of RM24.50 (RM15 deposit + RM9.50 reload), in order to reactivate the card. I was very much pissed off with this monopolistic blood sucking company and their dirty tactic to siphon off prepaid money from uninformed
depositors/card holders.

In TnG Website, the terms and conditions of deactivated card are as follows:
http://www.touchngo.com.my/WhatTNG_card_TNG_2_V.html

I have few questions to ask:

Does TnG make enough effort to create awareness for this \"Dormant Fee\" ?
Does TnG has the right to automatically deduct depositor\'s prepaid money with consent from the depositors?
Why can\'t TnG send the dormant money to unclaimed money department just like what have been practised by local financial institutions? (for dormant savings or fixed deposit accounts, I suppose banks can t touch depositors money isn it ?)
TnG was licensed under designated payment instrument (DPI) from Bank Negara Malaysia pursuant to section 25(1) of Payment Systems Act 2003 (PSA). Under this act, can TnG take away public money deposited with them under the pretext of yearly maintenance fee?
http://www.bnm.gov.my/index.php?ch=17&pg=671&ac=581#emoney
http://www.bnm.gov.my/index.php?ch=14&pg=17&ac=404&full=1

I need to write a complaint letter to The Star, Bank Negara and KPDNHEP for two main reason. First is to highlight this unfair practice to the public, second, to exercise my duty as a consumer to report this matter to the relevant authority.

Astro, please improve your billing system

1970-01-01T00:00:00+01:00

My family was an Astro customer since many years ago.We have decided cancel this service and effective since Nov2007. However, Astro still send bill to my house and urge my family to make the payment.We have stop to pay this back on Apr2008. I call a numbers of call to Astro customer care to claim back the money they owe me. 3 months time, I\'d made more than 10 calls, almost 2 calls a month and now 3-4 calls a week. the customer care agent promise me his/her manager or finance people will call me back and tell me how to pay me back the 4 months bill I have extra paid.Hey man, try imagine that I\'ve been waiting for 3 months and no action making by Astro still.

NCCC : This complaint has been forwarded to MCMC for immediate attention and action.

Dear MCMC,

Subscribers have to go through severe hassle just to deal with Astro customer service. I don't agree with this kind of service. Astro customer service must improve. If previously subscribers were made to pay RM10 penalty, I think Astro must also be made to pay compensation to the complainant for the delay in performing a refund.

Can you imagine that this complainant has actually cancelled the service but his parents kept on paying as they were receiving the bills. What is wrong with Astro billing systems? (I have actually interviewed the complainant)

Points to Note :

1. "We have decided cancel this service and effective since Nov2007. However, Astro still send bill to my house and urge my family to make the payment.

2. "I call a numbers of call to Astro customer care to claim back the money they owe me. 3 months time, I\'d made more than 10 calls, almost 2 calls a month and now 3-4 calls a week. the customer care agent promise me his/her manager or finance people will call me back and tell me how to pay me back the 4 months bill I have extra paid"

3."Hey man, try imagine that I\'ve been waiting for 3 months and no action making by Astro still.

Thank you

Darshan Singh
Director-NCCC

"Treat Others The Way You Want Others To Treat You"

Perodua Service Center

1970-01-01T00:00:00+01:00

Dear Sir / Mdm, I wish to enquire that do i have the right to ask for the compensate from perodua service center? What kind of compensate i can request from them ? The reason i make this complaint is because i send my car "VIVA" to Perodua service center to check alignment and service. My car was drove by the Technician for test drive and he hit my car to the lorry and now my car is put in the workshop at Perodua. I hope that i can get the reply as soon as possible and what action i can do on it ? Thank you. Complainant

NCCC : The above complaint was sent to Perodua for immediate action and below is the response. Credit to Perodua customer service team from NCCC. Keep up the good work guys.

Good afternoon Mr. Darshan,

We are pleased to inform that our service centre has managed to settle the issue amicably with the customer in a meeting held at Perodua Ipoh1 Service Centre last Friday. Below are the solutions as agreed by both parties (in writing).

All cost of repairs inclusive of parts and labor amounting to RM3,675.70 is borne by the contractor Giulia Energy* as the party held responsible for the incident and to be paid cash to Perodua upon the discharging of the said vehicle to the customer tentatively on Tuesday,15/7/08.

Compensation/goodwill of RM1,000.00 nett (after negotiation/final amount) for the 10 days loss of use, hardship and other necessary cost incurred and claimed by the customer/plaintive, paid by the contractor Giulia Energy.( Payment made immediately to the customer/plaintive via Public Bank cheque no 055732 dtd 11/7/08 amounting to RM1,000.00)

As for Perodua, we have given the assurance to the customer that all the necessary repair and replacement of genuine parts and the quality of the materials and spray works are done according to the standard.

We have also given the assurance to the customer that their warranty terms and conditions of the vehicle and other mechanical and major parts such as the engine, gear box etc remains and follows accordingly with their existing 3+1 warranty programme.

Note: Giulia Energy is our appointed in-house contractor for Perodua Ipoh1 Service Centre.

Hope that the above would be satisfactory at your end. Please let us know should you need further clarification.

Regards,
Customer Relations Department

Complaint on Pizza Hut shortchanging customers

1970-01-01T00:00:00+01:00

On 5th July 2008, at 21:30, my family and I had our dinner at Pizzahut Pandamaran, Klang. We occassionally came to this restaurant because it is the nearest pizza hut to our place and my children like to eat pizza. However, there are two things that I want to highlight here based on my visit this time.

First: I noticed that once the customers finished eating, the workers rushed to the table and cleaned up the dirty plates and tables for the next customers to seat. However, the way the workers clean up the tables needs to be trained. This is because during the cleaning, they make a lot of noise picking up and stacking the used plates and glasses in front of other customers. We as customers feel very uncomfortable and annoyed with the noise.

Second: The second incident happened on the billing. That night we had sensasi delight set 8 plus other things which totaled up RM75.10. Upon checking the bill, I noticed that the restaurant has charged me twice for the service charge and tax for the sensasi delight menu. The price promoted was RM31.00 before tax and service charge; RM35.65 after tax and service charge. However, n the bill it was charged at RM36.00 (extra 0.35)Including other orders the total bill was RM65.30. Surprisingly, I was charged once again for tax and service charge on this total where by right those charges should be on other menu only which prices were before tax and service charge.

When I asked the supervisor (I guess) who worn blue uniform, she told me that she can't do anything because the cashier is already set up by the management. What?? Is this the way Pizza Hut cheating its loyal customers? When I recalculated, I should pay only RM69.70. That night I paid an extra of RM5.40. If 100 customers eat the same menu, Pizza Hut will get RM540 easily by cheating the customers. Most of the customers don't aware this because they don't bother to check the bill. But the management of Pizza Hut must be honest to its customers.

It is our rights as customers to get clear clarification on this matter.

Thank you for your attention.

Yours,
Concerned Consumer

Complaints on imigration officer

1970-01-01T00:00:00+01:00

The purpose of writing to the press is because I get no response from the Immigration Department and “warkahuntukpm” after writing my complaint to them. Two years ago, I just got my new international passport and I went to Singapore for my cousin’s wedding but unfortunately I got myself wet due to heavy rain. My passport was wet but it still looks good shape just for some watermark. I was worried for the condition of my passport so I had to seek advice from the immigration office in Malacca.

They told me to wait for a month for the result of whether the passport was still useable. They took my passport with them and asked me to wait. After a month, I got a letter telling me that I had to pay another RM300 for a new passport that would only be valid for 2 years.

This punishment was too harsh and it was even worse than losing a passport. If I had known all this would happen, I wouldn’t have gone to seek the advice as the passport was still usable. My uncle who had a wet passport and the condition was even worse than mine was able to use his passport to go to Singapore and Indonesia. Two years ago I wrote as a Form 6 student and now I am writing as an undergraduate. I need the passport to continue my education or to work overseas. I felt that I had be victimized and I really felt that I had be punished enough as the passport that cost me three hundred dollars was only use once.

I hope that the immigration department will considerate and be kind enough to issue a passport for me that can last for five years and not two years.

Being a undergraduate in the local university and am not working I sincerely hope the immigration department will considerate and let me apply for a new passport that for five years

For 3 years that I had been punished, can I now apply for a new passport that gives me 5 years?

Thank you

From
Disappointed tourist

Auto subscription of Membership: Unfair to Consumers

1970-01-01T00:00:00+01:00

This compliant is to express my dissatisfaction with the delivery of service awarded me from Celebrity Fitness in the process of termination of my membership with Celebrity Fitness Gym as well as their response to my request that Celebrity Fitness refund the monthly fees of RM149 charged for the month of May, 2008. I have listed in chronological order, the sequence of events that has occurred to give you some clarity on this situation. I signed up with Celebrity Fitness on 23 April 2007 with a 12-month contract which allows a monthly billing amount of RM149.00. I was charged RM298 in 27 May 2007 and subsequently RM149 on a monthly basis.

I decided to terminate my membership in March, a little more then 1-month before my 12-month contract expired. I walked into the One Utama Branch to express my intention and to find out the necessary procedure to affect this as I believed I needed to provide 1-month notice prior to termination of membership. I was serviced by one of the Celebrity Fitness customer service representatives, Hani. I was informed that â?¢ I did not have to complete any documentation to effect my cancellation â?¢ Once the 12-month period was up (On April 2008) the contract would lapse automatically?¢ I would be charged for the last time in April 2008â?¢ I would have access for the usage of the gym until May 2008 (as I had paid for an additional month in April 2007 when I signed up) â?¢ I was able to transfer my gym membership to someone else

I have since received my credit card statement and was surprised to find I had been charged my monthly fees of RM149 on 27 May 2008. On 18 June, I contacted Celebrity Fitness to enquire as to the reason why my credit card is still being charged the monthly payments. After some checking, I was informed that I remained a member until I complete a Membership Cancellation Form, and that the 12-month contract auto-rolls over if there is no instruction from the client.

I informed him that I had walked into the gym in March with the express purpose of canceling my gym membership and that I had been informed as itemized above and that I would like a refund of the monthly billing of RM149.

He was able to check my records and informed me that he had a record of my intent but the gym had not acted on my instruction as no form had been completed. Furthermore, I was informed that he was not authorized to affect a refund of the monthly fees but that I would be able to talk to his manager who would be able to assist me if I walked into Celebrity Fitness anytime before 10pm. I walked into the One Utama branch on18 June 2008 at 9.00pm and explained my situation to the customer service officer at the counter, Nadya and highlighted that I would like a refund of the monthly fees.

Although Nadya was able to assist me with the necessary documentation to complete to affect the cancellation of my gym membership, I was again disappointed to find that the manager had left for the day and that she was not empowered to assist me with the refund request except to complete the necessary form. I went home that day and wrote a complaint letter via e-mail to their customer service e-mail address expressing my dissatisfaction with the level of service awarded me and with the misinformation I received on the procedure for my gym membership termination. This should be standard procedure for all staff especially front line customer service staff to know to ensure that the information relayed to the client is accurate.

I waited for a reply on my e-mail to no avail, so I took leave on 23 June 2008 and contacted Celebrity Fitness to ask what their solution to this complaint would be. When I spoke to the floor manager, Arel, I got the distinct impression that my complaint e-mail had not even been read by him 4 days after the fact. I personally walked into the One Utama Celebrity Fitness branch to talk with the floor manager, Arel with regards to this issue so that I could resolve this.

I am made to understand that Celebrity Fitness practices a \'NO REFUND\' policy. However, in light of the chronology of events that had taken place I asked for an exception handling of my case. I also relayed to Arel when we met that I was not interested in \'Free access\' to the gym in lieu of the refund as the reason I am discontinuing my membership is because I can not make the time in my schedule to come to the gym regularly.

I received a call from Celebrity Fitness Operations Manager, Siti Dewi, on 6 June 2008 informing me that my refund request had been rejected as I had not put in the cancellation documentation on my first visit to the gym back in March. She sited that Celebrity Fitness was unable to provide the refund as it was not common practice, there was no written documentation (at which point I highlighted that I had already explained this situation in my mail, and am told that it is my word against the staff\'s) and that it went against company policy. Furthermore, she informed me that I am able to get 1-month free access to the gym AND if I was unable to make use of this access, I could transfer the access right to a friend.

At this point I am most irate with this situation. I have stated time and time again that I have chosen to cancel my gym membership because I cannot make the time in my busy schedule to go to the gym regularly. What good is offering me one month free access to the gym? I cannot make use of this offer. Furthermore, I am UNHAPPY with the service that Celebrity Fitness has provided to me and WILL NOT refer this gym to anyone that I know.

Please advise if I have any grounds on consumer rights to demand my refund from this organization. However, if nothing else, I would like this complaint published to ensure that no other unsuspecting consumers undergo the same unpleasant experience that I myself have had to endure.

Faulty Brand New Proton Savy

1970-01-01T00:00:00+01:00

We are writing to notify you of the continuing problems we have had with our newly purchased vehicle [Proton Savvy 1.2 AMT, manufactured in 2007] and to request that you repurchase or replace the vehicle. As you may recall, we previously notified you of these problems in a letter dated June 10, 2008. We purchased the vehicle from Proton Edar Mutiara Damansara on May 10, 2008. We received the new vehicle only on June 3, 2008 and on the very next day, which is June 4, we began having trouble with the automatic transmission. The vehicle was in complete stall on the road and it was then taken back to Proton Edar Service Centre in Mutiara Damansara on the same day. Please refer to our previous letter dated June 10, 2008 for more detail information.

We got back the vehicle only on June 21, after receiving both verbal (by Roslan bin Mohamad, Senior Operation Manager of Mutiara Damansara Branch) and written confirmation and assurance (by Proton i.care Centre) that the concern highlighted would not re-occurred. Unfortunately, on June 25th evening around 9.30 p.m., the automatic transmission error illuminated and appeared again. The vehicle has to be restarted in order to move. We then notified Mr Roslan and Mr Devan immediately through SMS. On June 26th evening the transmission error signal again and the vehicle was in complete stall again.

Therefore we have no choice but to take the vehicle back to the service centre on 27th June morning. How can a brand-new vehicle broke down again and again, when we were told that the car is safe to drive after necessary rectification and thorough test drive by your Proton Specialist. This is really putting my life and my family\'s life in stake!! To date, the service centre has been unable to completely solve the problem. Thus far, our car has been out of service for more than 20 days. Attached are copies of our previous complaint letter, the reply letter (Ref: i.care-LO-(DV)-08/06-014) by Proton Edar and the delivery inspection checklist by Mutiara Damansara Service Centre.

The NCCC has forwarded this complaint to Proton Management and Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs for attention and action

Dear Lieta (proton),

Please find a complaint on Proton product quality for your kind attention and immediate action. It is sad that a new vehicle fails to operate as desired. Under the Hire Purchase Act there is an implied warranty that a vehicle must be fit for its purpose. In This case proton has failed that test.

Thank you

Darshan Singh
Director-NCCC

"Treat Others The Way You Want Others To Treat You"

Response from Ministry Secretary General

To PROTON Management,

I would appreciate a report on the service provided to the complainant thus far. Additionally, I would like to see that the complaint is given due regard given the fact that the car is new and a new car stalling many times, I believe, is and should not be the norm.

Thank you.

Mohd Zain Mohd Dom
Ketua Setiausaha
Kementerian Perdagangan Dalam Negeri & Hal Ehwal Pengguna
09 July 2008

Reply by Proton (solution offered)

Dear Dato’,
On behalf of Proton Edar, I apologize for the delay in updating you on the reference complaint.

By the way, we have been communicating with customer on regular basis & for your information, we are mailing out (by courier) an official offer letter to customer tomorrow morning on 3 possible options for her to choose from which could be summarized as follows :

Option 1 : upon complete repair & testing, we will return customer car on this Monday 14th July;
Option 2 : to buy-back & replace customer’s car with a brand new Savvy;
Option 3 : to totally buy-back customer’s car by settling the finance outstanding balance & refunding her with any paid down-payment for the old Savvy.

We shall update you for any development on the reference case.

Best regards,

Lieta VM
Head
Customer Management Centre
Proton Edar Sdn. Bhd

http://www.nccc.org.my/webimages/proton_logo.jpg

Big disappointment for Courts Mammoth

1970-01-01T00:00:00+01:00

To whom may concern:

I just found this complaint centre after serving Yahoo with “Courts Mammoth complaint” as key word. I was not surprised when I found a complaint to Courts on this site about Samsung handphone, I feel quite sympathy for his case, but I think mine is worse than his case.

It started from me and my wife started moving to our new house, and we happily ordered few furniture items from Courts (Setapak). We spent credit card about RM 2400 including delivery fee. When it came to the delivery day, me and wife haven’t received any call from them until late evening which they promised will give us a call before they come.

Then, we take initiative to call them, a staff answered my call and said he will check it out for us and will return a call. So ok, we waited for his call, after an hour there was still no call, so we felt anxious and called him…but no one answered the phone no matter how many time we called, it was about 20 over times we called, still no one answered. It was really suprising because it was general contact number, not even successful to call alternative number which was given by them. Eventually we got nothing (bedroom set, dinning set, and coffee table) which were supposed to be delivery on that day, we were extremely sad.

On next day, we didn’t behave angry and call them to check the reason and made delivery appointment again. Suprisingly, none of them said sorry and gave me any reason. I felt to them it was normal incident. After we made the delivery appointment, another big disappointment again. That time was worse, no one answered the phone at all when we called, even hardly some responded the call, the line will be passed around until it cut.

It ended up no delivery again on that day. We tried to wait for a call from them, but no call at all after that, it made us felt abandoned aside from them. Finally we decided to call and demand to delivery must be done on the same day due to too many disappointments we had. One of their staff said will double check with his store manager and will return a call.

After a long moment there was no call again from them as usual, we decided to make a move to Courts Mammoth Setapak to check on the spot. When we arrived, the manager did respond us and he also felt something wrong about the order, then he told me one of the purchased items (dinning set, made in China) was out of stock because all goods had been returned back to China last week due to the bad quality. They don’t feel guity at all for not informing us about this matter, another big disappointment.

We were advised to cancel that item and rest of them will be delivered on the appointed date. Guess what, same thing happened again, million calls but no one answered….that time we were not angry because we assumed it was their service quality for customers. We then made haste to Courts Mammoth (Setapak branch) again and asked what was going wrong. No one can answered my question, that time I knew the manager was at downstair, but he didn’t serve us.

There was still no “Sorry” from any of them, what on earth! If I am unprofessional person like them, I could shout and asked for reason of why they treat their customer like that but I didn’t do it. We were extremely angry, I believe no one could endure it. I know it was my first time and the last time to shop there. I swear I won’t go there anymore.

What else we could do other than cancel all purchase, so we asked them to cancel the order and debit the spent amount back to my credit card bank account. Horrible things not yet finished during they process the debit, still no one responded us until we took initiative to call to double check its status. Until one day my wife tried to submit complaint on Courts Mammoth’s website, finally some one from there called us to push the debit processing.

It ended up we still need to make a trip to there to check on it. When we were there, we were happy when we saw 2 Malay customers also complaining about the delivery and their bad service because we thought Chinese are not welcomed to shop there.

At least it was not about the race problem. I know I shouldn’t think like that, but it was too obvious that we were not served at all after sale.

Thanks for your patience to read such a wordy complaint, but I hope this will get their attention to improve their services because Courts Mammoth is one of the long set-up local store in Malaysia, it grows along Malaysia. I don’t want to circulate this complaint via email to anybody because I am a Malaysian. We tried to be supportive to local store, but after this case, we won’t be anymore.

Regards,

Celcom Refund

1970-01-01T00:00:00+01:00

Hi Mr. Darshan,

First and foremost i would like to thanks you to actually read my email. The issue i wanna talk is about the refund of the Celcom 100 Days 100 Cars Contest which was held a month ago. it has become a phenomenon issue to us all. But, as human I can resist it and i participated in the contest. Unfortunately, I didn't win after spending about RM 6300.00 and as a good costumer i paid my bill because i don't want any service interruption on my line.

Today, i got a good news that Celcom is refunding the money back but in terms of crediting it to the phone account. In a way it is like i have deposited RM 6300.00 into my Celcom bill (RM -6300.00).

My issue is, I did called the customer service (which is a totally bad experience for me) and asked if there is any possibilities that i can refund the money in term of cash. Reason being is that, I paid the phone bill using my credit card and i was hoping to get back the cash so that i can pay the credit card and help me in reducing (or not having to pay) the bank interest on the card charges. I bet so many people out there who already paid up the bills are crying for this.

Is there any way that your side can assist us the customer to get a refund in term of cash? Your cooperation is highly aprreciated and i'm looking forward to hear from you soon. Thank you very much and god bless you.

Zaidi
KL

Bernama: Complain If You Are Not Happy - NCCC

1970-01-01T00:00:00+01:00

I have read the above article posted in your website. Your organisation is doing a good job. However, consumers in this country are fighting a very steep uphill battle. It's not that they are not aware of their rights but the cards are stacked against them.

Firstly, many services in this country are privatised. Examples are Astro, Telekoms, Tenaga etc. Many of these companies are no better than robber barons! I remember some time ago, I went to a local bank(supposedly the biggest locally) to buy a bank draft and was charged RM5.00 for it when before, I have to pay only RM2.00. When I enquired, I was told that the rate had gone up a month ago. In fact, BNM is supposed to vet the charges imposed by the banks, so how did the charge go up by more than double in a blink? This shows that this institution is not effective at all! No wonder our local banks can make RM1 billion from banking charges alone!!!

Another incident that shows the abysmal lack of consumer protection was the time I bought a Palm V personal organiser which malfunctioned during the warranty period. I brought it back to the dealer for repairs and was told that it was the policy of the gadget's distributor not to repair any malfunctioning items but I would be given a reconditioned unit - meaning a second unit (to replace my almost new one).

I subsequently read the warranty leaflet which stated that if the country where their products are sold forbids the practice of giving a reconditioned unit instead of repairing it, then the malfunctioning unit will have to be repaired.

This shows how a government can act to protect their citizens from vitimisation! But do we have such a government? NO! Our government is never one given to protect its citizens judging from the way things are being privitised - even essential utilities. We also have to fight the local councils was well as the government which is more interested in acting against our interests than in protecting them.

This then is the situation facing consumers in this country!

Thank you.
Regards,

RAPID KL - Rude and Violent bus driver

1970-01-01T00:00:00+01:00

I was dissapointed with the services provided by Rapid KL, especially the driver. This story starts in the evening when I take a busride home.

First I took the bus and the driver checked the ticket I bought this morning. The ticket teared a little but all the important informations still can be seen .

When the driver saw the ticket, he was very angry and scolded me with a loud voice. After that the driver throw my ticket out to the window and told me buy a new ticket.

That time i felt so angry because the driver was so rude but I couldn't do anything about it. After that, I went to buy a new ticket but when I open my wallet, I saw that I just had a RM 50 note. I asked the driver if I could get my change back. But the driver spoke rudely to me and said something which I could not understand, but I heard he say that he will return the RM 48 to me at the end of the trip. When I went out from the bus, I went to take my change back but the driver say cannot take the money at here and that I must go to the Rapid KL's office to take it back. I ask a few questions but the driver stood up and declare a fight with me.

I am just a 15 year old kid, what can I do? So, I just kept quiet and went out the bus . After that i with my family go the the office and ask . There told me must wait until tomoro 6th of july ,2008 only got the answer.

Today morning 6th of july, 2008 the office people told me that the driver say \" saya tak perasan ada hal ini \" and cannot take back my change .

I hope u all can help . thank you

Celcom Broadband services so called unlimited

1970-01-01T00:00:00+01:00

I have been on Celcom's 3G "unlimited" wireless broadband service for 2 months for the RM98 package and while it has never reached more than 1MB/s for me, eventhough they advertise it as 3.6 MB/s, I am still pretty happy with the service. However, since last month, my speed drop tremendously to only 512kbps and it did have problem frequently once is every 2 weeks. During that period I cant connect to my internet for 2-3 days. I called celcom for technical assist, and they said they are having technical problem and ask me wait for 3 working days while I have to wait for 3 days until I can reconnect my internet. I have been so unhappy with the services that they given which always having technical problem.

Since the beginning of the May, my internet speed drop again to 384kbps. And on 6th of May, I received an annoying SMS from Celcom informing that I had exceeded 5GB/month allocation of my Celcom broadband service at 3.6MBPS speed, or else celcom will reduce my surfing to speed to I don't know, probably a minimum of 384kbps? What the heck ? I did ask the promoter about the unlimited download term before I signed up for the package. She did answer me there is no limit for the user to download. Annoyed and puzzled, I made a phone call to Celcom careline to get some explaination regarding the sms. I was told that they do not have the speed limit in action yet and I got such speed it is because they were upgrading their internet system until 9th of May. They promise my internet speed will return to 1.8mbps or may be 3.6mbps after the system upgrading had been done.

On the 8th of May, I found my speed suddenly drop from 384kbps to 128kbps. I called again to them, they said this is because system upgrade still under progress, everyone has the same problem in Malaysia. So I give my trust to them and wait patiently until 10th of May.

On 10th of May, I log into the Internet and I found out my speed is exactly the same, still 128kbps. I called again to make the complain again, they told me the system upgrade is extended until 11th of May. I have to give my last trust to them and wait until 12th of May.

On 12th of May, I login again, and found out my speed is exactly the same, still 128kbps. I called angrily to them , they told me they will make a special report for me and request me to wait for 3 working days. This time I'm not believe what they told me again, then I called the 2nd time, another customer services people answer me that they are facing problem today, ask me to wait for 3 working days.

On the next day, I called again, they said they are facing problem again on the day. I doubt is this the fake reason they tell customer. Then I check internet forum about other celcom's customer view. They said they all facing the same problem. Some of them who not use up the 5GB/month usage limit yet could already enjoy the fast speed. Then, I realize that Celcom is cheating me with those fake reasons. I called again last night and ask them what happen, and once again, they tell me they are facing technical problem. I asked again about the speed limit, they said they do not have such speed limit. I forcefully ask them to answer me honestly again, then they put me on hold for few minutes, when they come back, they tell me they have a new fair use policy and do have speed limit for my package at maximum 1mbps download speed. What the heck? 2 different answer if I do not ask them forcefully. I said my speed only at 128kbps. They just said he could make me a special report and ask me to wait for 3 working days.

So, what is the meaning of UNLIMITED context here ? I had no such problem with Streamyx for the last couple of years as I did go for UNLIMITED package as well. And why on earth the celcom personnel did not mention to me honestly when I asked if there was a limitation download to this package ? Truly, celcom need to remove the 'UNLIMITED' words in their advertisement...they shoud show to public as Pay RM68/RM98 for 5GB @ 384kbps / 3.6mbps*

On top of the LIMITED surfing, the speed of my celcom is not as per advertised. I was in the UK last February 2008 and managed to do some surfing using my friend's broadband wirelessVodafone. The Vodafone serviced is also at the same speed as offered by Celcom but fortunately to say, it was as per subscription. I did manage to get the surfing speed of up to 2MBPS and unlike my Celcom broadband, my download speed especially at dinner time normally reach only up to 200KBS. See the difference? The fastest that I got from Celcom was up to 1MBPS and at 4 AM in the morning. I even begin to mention about intermittent connectivity of my Celcom broadband.

I am so disappointed with the cheating action done by Celcom and I request NCCC can take an immediate action on them to protect the consumer's right.

Consumer's Right for Eco-friendly products and packaging

1970-01-01T00:00:00+01:00

I would like to inquire how can Malaysian consumers persuade the manufacturers and suppliers for our consumption especially food packagings, to come out with eco-friendly, recyclable or biodegradable packaging material.

I recently found out that most of our food packaging are made of laminate plastics that are non-recyclable and non-biodegradable. And obviously, the overflow or rubbish and inadequate of landfill are caused by our own consumption.

I don't see as boycotting products would solve this problem, because we consume everyday. Even our fish and meats are packed in styrofoams and cling wrap. As I researched on the internet, many developed countries are trying to reverse these problems by implementing "cradle to cradle" products and recyclable bi-products. Making small changes like 'less is more' packaging. But we, as a developing country, are to engross by development and materialism, in which shopping malls is the heaven for all consumers and the landfill next to our housing area is hell that we ourselves have created.

SO FOMCA, I would like to know, how can I, as an individual consumer, initiate the spark to create our consumer rights to make greener choices. And I also would like to know what FOMCA have done to create this awareness. I hope to hear form you soonest.

Thank you.

Regards,
Ophie R. Riff
recyclemalaysia.blogspot.com

Reply by Mr Piara, Environment Desk FOMCA

Dear Ophie,

I appreciate the email to us. In deed you make a difference. I have done some surveys among those who use paper based packaging, especially stalls. There is not much difference in charges especially after the recent fuel hike on the packaging materials.

There should be mandatory move towards this, i.e. government can make it mandatory via regulations (food regulation) to pack it in such manner. Other materials can be governed by the new solid waste act (2007). The department is still struggling to come up with regulations as there are so many interested parties involved. However, once they are fully functional they can request under (extended producers responsibility) to reduce packaging.

If you feel you can do that, that’s a start. Secondly, get friends and relatives together to change into good habits. Once you start to bring your own container to pack, the food others may look at you differently (so Malaysian) but don’t give up, you may spark others to change. You can also talk to the stalls to make small changes. I personally carry a container as well as pack my own food to work. Write in a memorandum with your group of friends to supermarkets to change. In fact super market can allow us to bring our own containers to pack fish, meat, etc. but there are those who misuse this. Currently they allow us to bring our own bags for shopping. So start small, many Malaysians wants easy way out, as I said, you make a difference. If there are stalls or shops that refuse to change to minimal things, as a consumer you have a choice. You can always go to another. Currently we need to wait for the Solid waste act to be fully implemented to push for changes. That FOMCA will do time to time. “Cradle to cradle” concept is still in cradle for Malaysian scenario. It will take time to develop. Developed nations move towards it basically due to their lack of raw material supply.

I hope my lengthy explanation helps you. There is also a company “Ecopak” doing palm oil fibre based packaging and few others. They may be a help to this stalls.

ASTRO - Poor Customer Service

1970-01-01T00:00:00+01:00

Saya adalah salah seorang pelanggan astro. Kerana masalah kewangan saya tidak dapat membayar bill astro saya untuk beberapa bulan dan pihak astro telah menghentikan khidmat mereka.

Akan tetapi saya telah membayar semua bill yang tertunggak astro pada 17 June 2008. Walaupun sudah tiga minggu saya membayar, astro masih tidak menyambung balik perkhidmatan mereka.

Hampir setiap hari saya call customer service astro. Either cannot be reach or the computer will say ' SEMUA PEGAWAI PERKHIDMATAN KAMI SIBUK, ANDA AKAN DILAYAN SECEPAT MUNGKIN '.

And this dialog will go on for at least 15 Minutes. Sometime we even have to wait for more than 30 Minutes. In my case, i tried to call astro customer service number for nearly 2 hours but its enggaged. When i really got fedup,

i call astro installation number and complain to them. The first guy just transfer me to some unanswered number. i was waited like a stupid for nearly 10 minutes hoping someone will answer the call.

Then i disconnect the line and call them again. This time the girl ask me to call the customer service. After i explain the problem, she gave me the direct line number to astro customer service.

But it took 15 minutes for me to go through all the computer messages and talk to the customer service officer, eventhough its a direct line number. Don't we have other works to do than listening to that irritating computer voices?

This thing also cause our phone bills up. i have heard about some people who reload RM 50 just to call astro, Tapi habis duit dengan hanya mendengar mesej komputer.

Is astro having any agreement with mobile phone companies to help them get more money??

If they don't have enough officers to entertain people, why don't they hire more people???

At the same time when we call to astro installation phone number, in just few rings the officer will answer. What is this? We only can get proper layanan if we give them benefits or money is it?

This is not first time and i am not the only one having this problem. So many people complaining about this all the time.

Dah lah harga minyak, barang runcit, charge astro semua dah naik, kini astro nak tambahkan lagi beban masyarakat dengan membantu menaikkan bil telefon.

Consider the problem that been facing by people in Malaysia and give us proper service. I am not asking astro to go house to house to check for the problems, i just want them to answer our calls immidiately when we want to complain, and solve the problems as soon as possible.

Thanks.

NCCC : This complaint has been forwarded to MCMC for attention and immediate action. Please read comments below.

Dear MCMC ,

Please find a complaint on Astro.

Points to Note :

1. Walaupun sudah tiga minggu saya membayar, astro masih tidak menyambung balik perkhidmatan mereka.

2. Hampir setiap hari saya call customer service astro. Either cannot be reach or the computer will say ' SEMUA PEGAWAI PERKHIDMATAN KAMI SIBUK, ANDA AKAN DILAYAN SECEPAT MUNGKIN '.And this dialog will go on for at least 15 Minutes. Sometime we even have to wait for more than 30 Minutes. In my case, i tried to call astro customer service number for nearly 2 hours but its enggaged.

3. At the same time when we call to astro installation phone number, in just few rings the officer will answer. What is this? We only can get proper layanan if we give them benefits or money is it?

Being a sole monopoly, Astro must pay particular attention to customer service issues.

Thank you
Darshan Singh
Director-NCCC

Beware of TNB bill

1970-01-01T00:00:00+01:00

Do you check you TNB bill? Just check how much to pay and how many used is not enough. Please refer to the attached file.(Click here to view the image)

Do you compare the Meter reading on section 'DAHULU' (Red circle) with previous month?

In this case, the April bill on DAHULU section is 29128, SEMASA is 29380. After paid the bill, the problem comes....

The May bill come, the DAHULU section by right should show 29380. BUT NOW, it still shows 29128 same per last month.

If we don't compare with last month, frankly, I had HAPPILY paid for the bill and TNB had HAPPILY got the extra RM72 from me.

At last, the entire TNB shareholder got smart dividend from our hard earns money.

Due to this bad service....I plan to change service provider. Opps...there is no alternate service provider.

The alternate is buying your own generator, use candle... I guess no one will go for the alternative service provider....

So... please check your bill and compare it month by month.

Now, better part is, this is computer error. If you don't discover this, then you pay for the EXTRA (this case, we got to pay extra RM72.80).

If you notice the problem....easy, just refunds to you, BUT do you know how time consuming and trouble to get the refund?

Why their mistake is our cost? Why there is no compensation on their mistake? The BEST part, how many people know they are actually, happily OVER PAID? When TNB officially want to increase the unit price.... Everybody jumping and complaint.

How they going to get extra and no people complaint? This is an art....

This is the evolution of TNB billing system..... Let the computer system do the mistake....and the mistake MUST FAVOURABLE to the company.

Come....we should proudly said: Malaysia Boleh, Cause we really BOLEH!

Eefuel is an illegal SCAM!!!

1970-01-01T00:00:00+01:00

Creative Consumer: Scams That Don't Save You Gas
Forget the Gimmicks: They Can Actually Cost You More at the Pump
By ELISABETH LEAMY
ABC NEWS Consumer Correspondent
April 21, 2008

"The average price for a gallon of regular gasoline could hit an all-time high today, and for months drivers have felt continuous pain at the pump.

"It's crazy, It's out of control," a motorist at a Washington, D.C., gas station told ABC News. "It hurts me in the wallet, in the heart, in the stomach -- everywhere," said another customer as he filled up.

When gas prices go up, so does hype about "gas-saving" products. The Federal Trade Commission warns that these gadgets and additives don't work. If they did, the government and carmakers would have incorporated them into their requirements and designs.

The Environmental Protection Agency monitors gas-saving claims and tests some of the products. The EPA says it's never found one that provides significant savings.

EPA scientists showed us how they can test fuel consumption by putting a car up on a rack and driving a computerized course. Over the years, they've tested more than a hundred gadgets and additives that claim to save gas.

But the claims -- especially on the Internet -- continue. The most common categories are additives you put in your gas tank, air bleed devices that pump air into your carburetor and magnets that claim to change the molecular structure of gasoline.

ABC News found an online ad that said by attaching a special magnet to your fuel line, you could save up to $20 per tank of gas. The device sold for $90 and claimed to increase gas mileage by 27 percent. Turns out, the FTC had already ordered the company to cease making false claims. But the ads kept popping up. To add insult to injury, this device and others are now sometimes sold as business opportunities that turn out to be pyramid schemes.

Some Red Flags

*Products that brag they can increase gas mileage by big percentages. The EPA has never found this to be true, even though it tries to test a few products in each category.

*Products that claim to have been tested by "EPA-Certified Labs." The EPA doesn't certify labs. And the federal government doesn't endorse gas-saving products for cars.

*Ads that feature glowing testimonials by satisfied customers. Think about it. Most consumers don't have a way to truly test their car's fuel efficiency.

Prepaid phone card business needs better control Rip-off SIM

1970-01-01T00:00:00+01:00

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

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