JEDDAH: New software that the Saudi Telecom Company (STC) installed July 10 has complicated bill payment, but the problem should be solved by the end of the month, a source told Arab News.
Some customers have reported receiving inaccurate bill statements showing double or triple the amounts actually owed while others have stopped receiving their bills. Customers on premium services are also being incorrectly charged for international roaming.
Fahad Al-Ahmadi said that even though his billing limit is SR800, his bill reached SR1,600. Nawaf Mohammed set his billing limit to SR1,000, but his bill climbed to SR4,700.
Lana Ameen recently returned from a trip abroad. Her phone chip had expired while she was away. "I came back and got a new chip. I checked my phone bill online and I was shocked to find two bills: one for SR500 and the other for SR1,000. How could this happen when my chip was inactive for almost two months?" she said.
An STC official, who did not want to be identified, admitted there is a problem and said the company is working to fix it. "To shift from the old system to the new one, we expected a few problems. But they took longer to be resolved," he said. "STC has begun to resolve the billing issue where customers are receiving wrong amounts due."
The inaccurate bill amounts have caused some phone lines to be disconnected because the system triggers a cutoff once a limit has been exceeded. Adding to the problem, customers who have had their lines disconnected are unable to reconnect them because they cannot access billing information.
"The customer is stuck; no bill and the line is disconnected," said the STC official. "Our customer care center (902) has received more than usual calls and complaints."
The new customer management software, "has more capabilities in terms of marketing and understanding the customers more and their behavior," added the official.
Customers have begun circulating an e-mail requesting that people stop making bill payments until the problem is resolved.
"Did you notice that you haven't received a bill lately? Did you notice that your limit is SR500 and your bill is SR800? Don't waste your money and don't pay your bill unless you are 100 percent sure," says the message.
STC customer Sarah Abdulrahman said that she has not received a phone bill since June. "I traveled to the US at the beginning of June. I haven't received a bill, neither before I traveled nor after. I'm still waiting," she said.
Haneen Shaker has been calling STC's customer care center weekly wondering why the bill amount has remained unchanged. "After two months of calls, I was told I have to pay SR2,900," she said. "I was enraged."
By Hassna'a Mokhtar
© Arab News 2009
