GSM regulations must be clear

I am a GSM XL subscriber and my cellular telephone number is 081-833-0321. As I was in Singapore and Malaysia between Nov. 18 and Dec. 7, 1999, I changed my prepaid service to a postpaid service on Nov. 19 so that I might enjoy international roaming facilities. I asked a member of my family to execute this by using his/her credit card. I also emphasized that I would be fully responsible for the expenses arising in regard to the cell phone under number referred to above, although the facility was used under the name of this family member.

I should have been able to return from the postpaid service to the prepaid service on Dec. 8 because I no longer needed the international roaming facility, but as I also know that migration of less than one month would be subject to the imposition of charges amounting to Rp 55,000, I postponed migration until Dec. 21. Therefore, I was really surprised when I was told to pay migration charges of Rp 55,000 on the grounds that this particular cell phone number had undertaken migration of over one round. I then inquired where I could find the regulation to this effect and I also asked to be given a copy of the regulation. The GSM XL side, unfortunately, could not show the regulation in question and simply said that the regulation had been stipulated by the company and had to be applied to all GSM XL subscribers.

This caught me by surprise because as a subscriber/consumer I had to know my rights and obligations, including, of course, the mechanism related to my cell phone number. If such a regulation does exist I wonder why I was not informed of it, orally and in writing, when I migrated from the prepaid service to the postpaid service. I have gone over all the signed documents but none of them explain the existence of such a regulation. Again, I wonder why a cell phone operator as big as PT EXCELCOMINDO PRATAMA has applied a subscription regulation known only to the personnel of PT EXCELCOMINDO PRATAMA.

If GSM XL's products are really intended for the benefit of consumers and there are regulations that the consumers must abide by, the consumers must be informed of these regulations before they are applied to them. In that case, it would be true to say that consumers know their rights and obligations.

I will not make a problem about the Rp 55,000 migration charges as this amount is quite insignificant to me. However, I do not want to see consumers disadvantaged because of unclear regulations. Let me suggest to GSM XL that they be more open about information that their subscribers deserve to know. Consumers are obliged to know their rights and obligations in the clearest manner possible, aren't they?

RIDWAN TJOKROUTOMO

Surabaya