Notify consumer about the high charges

Editor
Today Paper

I refer to the reply "the choice is yours, don't let us restrict you" from the assistant director of the Infocommun Development Authority of Singapore (Today, 7 August 1997).

In my earlier letter, I suggested that the telecom firms should be required to notify the customer when their monthly bill reach a certain limit. This is to ensure that the customer is aware of the charges that are being incurred.

The Authority's reply is that the service providers are required to publish their prices, terms and conditions of service, and that they are available on their websites.

I invite the Authority to carry out a survey and find out if new customers, especially the young, are aware about the high charges that they have to incur on some services, for example, IDD calls or roaming charges when they are overseas.

The Authority should also carry out a mystery shopping to find out what information is being given to a customer who subscribe to a mobilephone.

If a consumer to visit the websites of the telecom firms, he or she will be bewildered by the wide range of plans and the lack of essential, consumer friendly information.

Market liberalisation does not help the consumer, if they end up having to pay more, due to lack of awareness of the high charges for some services.

We need some minimal safeguard to protect the interest of the consumer. They have to be provided with clear and relevant information, especially on the charges. They should be notified in time about the high charges that are being accumulated on their bill, in case they were not aware about it.

Tan Kin Lian