JEDDAH: A new software system at the Saudi Telecom Company (STC) is still causing incorrect bills to be sent to customers. An STC source had initially said the company would solve the chaos by the end of September, despite the system being installed in July, but customers are still complaining.
Some have reported receiving statements showing double or triple the amounts actually owed while others have stopped receiving bills altogether. Customers on premium services are also being incorrectly charged for international roaming.
John McLeod, a project manager based in Jeddah, said he received a bill after Ramadan for SR1,000, despite being out of the country for a month. "It all started last May. I didn't get a bill and the line was increasingly being cut off. When I asked I was told I had reached my limit," he said.
McLeod started getting charged double. By the end of July, he had paid almost SR2,500. "STC said pay the bill and then we'll straighten things out. They promised me that the problems would be fixed after Ramadan. They're good at handling problems. Yet I'm still getting doubled bills," said McLeod. He has now bought a Mobily chip and is using it for his outgoing calls, at least until the problem is sorted out.
Fatima Al-Zahrani is another unsatisfied customer who opted to switch to Mobily. She said she is fed up with the poor service STC provides. "I'm sick and tired of this chaos. My bill limit is SR500. I received a bill after 4 months of delay for SR2,000. How is that logical?" said Fatima angrily.
Ahmed Obaid, a reporter, uses his mobile frequently for work purposes. He said he has not received a bill for the past five months. "I didn't call them up to check on the bill and I don't intend to. As long as my service is up and running why do I care?" he said sarcastically.
In September Arab News quoted an STC official, who refused to be identified, admitting there was a problem and the company was 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 at the time. "STC has begun to resolve the billing issue where customers are receiving wrong amounts due."
The inaccurate billing has caused some phone lines to be disconnected because the system automatically blocks outgoing calls once an account's 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 has received more than its usual volume of calls and complaints."
© Arab News 2009
