Cell phone operators warned of possible class action<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Consumers Protection Foundation
\n(YLKI) has warned cellular telephone operators that they could
\nface a direct or class action if they ignored complaints from the
\npublic.<\/p>\n
Deputy chairman of YLKI, Agus Pambagio, said on Thursday the
\nintroduction of the law on consumer protection enabled the public
\nto file a direct or class action against providers of products or
\nservices.<\/p>\n
Under the new law, consumers may file a lawsuit if they
\nbelieve a company's products or services do not match
\nadvertisement promises, he said.<\/p>\n
According to the new consumer protection law, which will come
\ninto effect in April next year, a company is obliged to provide
\ndetailed and true information on the specification, benefit and
\nmaintenance of all products and services. Additionally, companies
\nare obliged to treat all customers indiscriminately, provide
\ncustomers with the opportunity to check or test the product prior
\nto any transaction, provide guarantees for all products and
\ncompensate customers who suffer or do not benefit from the
\nproducts.<\/p>\n
Failure to comply with the regulations could lead to a jail
\nterm of up to five years or a maximum fine of Rp 2 billion.<\/p>\n
According to YLKI, the country's cellular providers were at
\nthe receiving end of many complaints from the public.<\/p>\n
Agus said the majority of cellular users lodged complaints
\nabout the poor quality of their prepaid refill service and the
\nfrequency of blank spots.<\/p>\n
\"Unfortunately, most of the cellular operators lack customer
\nservice support to respond appropriately to the complaints,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
He also warned operators to be more careful, particularly when
\nadvertising the specifications and benefits of their products and
\nservices.<\/p>\n
\"For example, if an operator says it is capable of providing
\nnationwide coverage, it means its service covers all cities and
\nremote areas in the country's 27 provinces.\"<\/p>\n
Agus said another significant issue in the cellular industry
\nthat needed more attention was the pricing structure.<\/p>\n
\"Please, be more rational and transparent in setting the
\ntariff, especially when raising the tariff. Don't set the tariff
\njust the way you want it.\"<\/p>\n
All of the fees charged to customers, including the initial
\ninstallment fee, monthly membership fee and utility fees such as
\ncall cost, airtime, roaming zone and features costs, are
\ncurrently controlled by the government, which decides the maximum
\nprice cap.<\/p>\n
Many cellular telephone operators, however, do not announce a
\nraise in tariffs to the public, he said.<\/p>\n
There are currently seven cellular phone network providers in
\nthe country, serving three systems: the Advanced Mobile Phone
\nSystem (AMPS), the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM)
\nand the Nordic Mobile Telephone (NMT) system.<\/p>\n
They serve approximately 1.3 million active cellular phone
\nusers. The cellular industry projects the number will grow to
\nabout 2 million by the end of the year, yielding some Rp 2.2
\ntrillion in revenue. (cst)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/cell-phone-operators-warned-of-possible-class-action-1447893297",
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