TXTPower presses NTC action over
mounting complaints vs. Globe, Smart
"Order refunds or rebates for consumers, if needed"

Sept. 5, 2001

WHILE in the middle of a 20-day reprieve from the cuts in free text messages via a Temporary Restraining Order, the texters' group TXTPower today reminded the National Telecommunications Commission to immediately act on the mounting consumer complaints over lousy services provided by Smart-PLDT and Globe-Ayala.

"The NTC should know that the consumers are not just protesting baseless reductions of free text. Its been a long time since honest-to-goodness government action is taken on consumer complaints regarding dropped calls, weak signals, delayed message delivery, disappearing callcard credits, billing problems and others," said TXTPower spokesperson Anthony Ian Cruz

"How long will the NTC allow Globe-Ayala and Smart-PLDT to get away with highway robbery?" Cruz asked, pointing out that more than 93 percent of the seven million cellphone subscribers are on prepaid. "We pay them in advance but get unspeakably bad service."

"Its a right of consumers to get the services promised them by companies. Right now, there are mounting complaints over the non-delivery of the promised powerful, digital service by Globe-Ayala and Smart-PLDT to their subscribers. It is government's duty to protect consumers," Cruz said.

"Especially at a time of all kinds of cartels and oligopolies gripping consumers by the neck, the government, through the NTC and other agencies, should intervene, act on rampant consumer complaints, and, when justified, order refunds or rebates for the affected consumers," said Cruz.

Cruz suggested that the NTC set up a Cellphone Users' Complaints Desk that will officially receive complaints from irate subscribers. "This would be helpful so that the NTC would know the seriousness of the problems besetting subscribers, the abuses committed by the telecom oligopoly and, from there, decide on what actions it should take on behalf of consumers."

"The NTC should also ask Globe-Ayala and Smart-PLDT to go trash their marketing blitz and instead open wide their offices to complaints engendered by so many problems connected with their services," he added.

"Up to now, it seems that the NTC is only there for the telecom oligopoly, letting it get away with unjustified price increases and not minding whether or not cartelized companies deliver the goods as promised to consumers," said Cruz

These demands, Cruz explained, are legitimate. "We are simply asserting our rights as consumers against abusive telecom oligopoly. If anyone has to apologize, its Globe-Ayala and Smart-PLDT because they do not deliver to consumers all the services we deserve to get."