<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR>SingTel should make clear the risk of hefty bills for data services
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><!-- show image if available --></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->MY SON recently subscribed to a broadband youth plan for data services for his laptop that comes with a free modem on a one-year plan.
After he took it home, he found the modem could not be used on his laptop. The next day, I gave him a lift to the Hello! Shop to have it checked. With a new modem the problem was solved.
While we waited, I learnt that my son had subscribed to data services that allow him to connect to the Internet from anywhere. The monthly subscription fee is $29, with free data transfer for the first 50GB. Excess data is charged at $0.001 per 2KB. This is equivalent to $1 per 2MB or $1,000 per 2GB. Or $25,000 for another 50GB.
Based on the data transfer speed of 1.5Mbps provided on the promotional pamphlet, I calculated it would take about 10 minutes to transfer 1GB of information, or about eight hours to transfer 50GB costing $25,000.
Seeing a potential danger, I asked the Hello! officer if we could set a limit on usage or if there was a maximum amount a customer could be charged. The answer to both was no, but one can log into one's account and monitor usage.
However, if a modem is lost or stolen, each hour that passes before a report is made to SingTel could cost the customer about $3,000.
I would like to ask the following:
Is it fair to charge $29 for the first 50GB and $25,000 for the next 50GB?
Would it not be clearer and fairer to indicate on the promotional pamphlet that excess data would be charged at $1,000 per 2GB rather than at $0.001 per 2KB?
Why can't customers set a personal usage limit? And why can't a reasonable maximum charge be imposed?
How can the authorities allow students to sign such a financially daunting plan without the knowledge of their parents?
Ernest Seah
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><!-- show image if available --></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->MY SON recently subscribed to a broadband youth plan for data services for his laptop that comes with a free modem on a one-year plan.
After he took it home, he found the modem could not be used on his laptop. The next day, I gave him a lift to the Hello! Shop to have it checked. With a new modem the problem was solved.
While we waited, I learnt that my son had subscribed to data services that allow him to connect to the Internet from anywhere. The monthly subscription fee is $29, with free data transfer for the first 50GB. Excess data is charged at $0.001 per 2KB. This is equivalent to $1 per 2MB or $1,000 per 2GB. Or $25,000 for another 50GB.
Based on the data transfer speed of 1.5Mbps provided on the promotional pamphlet, I calculated it would take about 10 minutes to transfer 1GB of information, or about eight hours to transfer 50GB costing $25,000.
Seeing a potential danger, I asked the Hello! officer if we could set a limit on usage or if there was a maximum amount a customer could be charged. The answer to both was no, but one can log into one's account and monitor usage.
However, if a modem is lost or stolen, each hour that passes before a report is made to SingTel could cost the customer about $3,000.
I would like to ask the following:
Is it fair to charge $29 for the first 50GB and $25,000 for the next 50GB?
Would it not be clearer and fairer to indicate on the promotional pamphlet that excess data would be charged at $1,000 per 2GB rather than at $0.001 per 2KB?
Why can't customers set a personal usage limit? And why can't a reasonable maximum charge be imposed?
How can the authorities allow students to sign such a financially daunting plan without the knowledge of their parents?
Ernest Seah
