Consumers and Voters – The Similarities

Its always a case of regret for voters after electing a corrupt, racist, arrogant and abusive government.

Things can change if voters wise up and stand together in solidarity to demand for a clean and fair government (this may not be effective if only a handful fight for it). Things are really heating up for change with bigger and larger groups joining forces now.

While the ruling government is fighting for their political survival, what is happening to the consumers? Are the latter protected from the ever greedy big business corporations?

These big-shot companies tend to forget when they were small players, like how polite they were when approaching consumers for business. Now, after establishing a considerable customer base, they turn big headed – arrogant and sarcastic.

How is it that corporations simply issue “verbal” Terms & Conditions as and when they like (is there even such a thing)? If it is permitted by the authorities then we, the consumers, are screwed.

Most customers do actually know that they are being taken advantage of by business corporations every now and then, but keep silent about it. There are just too many to mention and oftentimes we as consumers simply cannot do anything at all about it. These corporations are big timers with much support from you-know-who and lots of cash, making them sort of ‘untouchable’. Even if you were to approach the Consumer Associations, there is nothing much they can do about it except advise one to seek legal aid and quiet settlement. We can’t all afford to engage lawyers (which is something these corporations know) and, even if we can, they are ever ready to take us on.

Now, we consumers must wise up like the voters and stand together in solidarity to fight the big business corporations, should they infringe on our rights.

“Consumers should not be afraid of business corporations. Business corporations should be afraid of the consumers.”

On the 18th December 2011, I had a very bad experience at one of the DiGi Telecommunications Sdn. Bhd store. I was told that only RM100 and below can be credited from a prepaid to postpaid plan upon switching, and that any balance above RM100 in the prepaid package would be forfeited by Digi. I couldn’t accept this and asked how and why it was so. The staff replied that it was Digi “Terms & Conditions”, after which I promply requested to see a black-and-white copy of it. He then stated that it was a “verbal” T&C which, of course, made me mad (I have never heard of “Verbal” Terms & Conditions!). What irks me even more is that they could not provide a written copy of the ruling or even answer my questions. Instead, they just told me off saying, “don’t buy”. Wahlau, what an arrogant and sarcastic business corporation!

There are many people who love and adore Digi, and they should consider themselves lucky not to have undergone such similar bad experiences.

I tweeted about this incident. @DiGi_Telco then followed me and requested me to follow them back, so that they could DM (direct message) me. Below are my tweet DMs with @DiGi_Telco:

@DiGi_Telco

Hi, we’re sry tt u had a bad experience with us ytd. Pls contact us via our helpline to lodge a report regarding to that. Thx.
19 Dec at 14:18

@MalaysiaForAll
Just ans my tweets, I am afraid 2 talk to live digi person after the bad experience
19 Dec at 15:14

@MalaysiaForAll
Will u b answering my tweet Questions?
19 Dec at 17:40

@DiGi_Telco
Hi, v’ll try our best to do so. However, Twitter & FB pgs are nt d official CS channel 4 DiGi. Hope it explains why thr isnt prompt response
20 Dec at 10:11

@MalaysiaForAll
A faithful customer of digi prepaid 4 10 yrs yet receiving arrogant service but guess ‘faithful’ does not exist in this corporate world now

@MalaysiaForAll
Is it SOP of digi 2 tell customer off “don’t buy” when they cannot ans your Q. This make me angry & due 2 this that started it all
20 Dec at 15:33

@MalaysiaForAll
Is there such a thing as “verbal” Terms & Conditions? Can it be enforceable without a black & white written hard/soft copy?
20 Dec at 15:34

@MalaysiaForAll
Your staff claimed they r trained to talk the way they did & I feel they r wrongly trained, guess yr helpline is trained that way as well
20 Dec at 15:34

@MalaysiaForAll
Is digi prepaid & post paid not belonging to the same company?
20 Dec at 15:34

@MalaysiaForAll
Y only RM100 & below from prepaid can b credited 2 post paid acct when switch, any bal will b forfeited
20 Dec at 15:34

@DiGi_Telco
Hi, sry for the late. This is the criteria for credit conversion from prepaid to postpaid – Max credit balance of RM100.

@DiGi_Telco
If u’d like to find out more, pls call us at 0162211800.
28 Dec at 11:30

@MalaysiaForAll
Is the criteria make known to consumers in black & white? What happen to the balance, digi just take it away, like that?
28 Dec at 14:23

@MalaysiaForAll
Sorry, no talk to live person, your personal r trained to be arrogant & sarcastic, experience that in your store.
28 Dec at 14:24

I was told to call their ‘Help Line’, which I deem unnecessary. Both the staffs at the store and their helpline are trained by Digi. The answers provided are most likely to be unsatisfactory, and it may be more likely that one may receive further arrogant and sarcastic rebuttals, coupled with the phone being slammed down on them.

I have already made preparations to launch these issues on Twitter and Facebook on 4th January 2012, unless @DiGi_Telco can provide satisfactory answers to my questions.

If you are on Twitter, do please follow me and retweet. I am also on Facebook and Blogger, so do feel free to reproduce this article. Readers, please share your experiences in the comment box, not only about Digi, but any other business corporations as well.

 

We need to bring awareness among us, the consumers, that we do not take lightly to business corporations infringing our rights and mistreat consumers on their whims and fancies.