Beware: Swelling

Beware: Swelling phone bills

From Suara Karya

I live in Pamulang housing complex, Jakarta, and pay my telephone bill through my office via direct debit. My family makes minimum use of telephone, as my husband and two daughters have cellular phones of their own. While normally we spend around Rp 200,000 on the phone, our April 2003 bill for our March telephone usage amounted to Rp 1,089,280.

Checking with the telecommunication office in South Jakarta, we found out that at 1:27 a.m. on March 20, a premium call had been made on our line for a duration of 12,630 seconds, or about three hours and 43 minutes at a single stretch. As we were sure none of us had made this call, I reported the matter to the telecommunication office on April 15 and was promised a cable inspection.

On May 28, network officers inspected the telephone line at our home and declared it in good condition. They asked me to sign an inspection note, but I refused for fear of it being taken as our acknowledging the premium call we had not made at all.

Our neighbors had also experienced the same thing, but they had been reluctant to report the incident.

I hope the telecommunication office will settle this case of theft. Meanwhile, all residential telephone subscribers should watch out for swelling telephone bills to avoid making payments on calls they have not made.

PENNY SUSIANI Jakarta