Absurd Smartone charge

hkjohn2001a · 25-09-2015, 02:25 PM

A couple of years ago, I left HK, but kept my Smartone (ST) mobile phone account as I still do a lot of business there. Due to continual hassles with ST's service - you seem to have to visit their shop every time you have a problem logging on to their site - I decided to move services when I was back in HK last month.

When ST sent me the final bill, they had included all sorts of data roaming and download charges that I know for a fact I have never used - or was charged for in my almost five years as an ST subscriber - and certainly never used in the month before I moved to CSL.

Having bank transferred ST 25% of the original HK$1,200 they claim is due as a sign of goodwill, they are threatening to pass the matter on to their collection department next Weds while only now having advised me of the official independent complaints procedure.

While the amount is only about HK$900, it's the principal of their charging me for services I have never used for the first time in the last month I held an account with them that sticks in my craw.

Any one got any idea as to what they can do if I refuse to pay or agree to pay in tiny monthly increments that will waste their time administratively?

HK_Katherine · 25-09-2015, 03:34 PM

You have left HK? Forget it.

shri · 25-09-2015, 03:34 PM

Here's an epic "worst case scenario" - https://geoexpat.com/forum/121/thread232753.html

Open Casket · 25-09-2015, 03:54 PM

Regrettably, China Mobile is no better. Along with China Mobile's bad service, you get far worse reception too.

Drunken Master · 25-09-2015, 04:18 PM

Also China Mobile claims they can't shut off data roaming at customer's request

Ehiogu · 25-09-2015, 04:51 PM

Originally Posted by shri:

Here's an epic "worst case scenario" - https://geoexpat.com/forum/121/thread232753.html

Wow I forgot about that saga. Was there ever a part 2 for that thread? did he ever tell us what came of it?

alph · 25-09-2015, 06:27 PM

Smartone has this absurd "You're in China now, here's a HKD$158 per day data plan that you've asked for once, but that I shall automatically activate for you forevermore, each time you switch on your mobile in China."

Was unable to get this waived - yeah, records show that I consume 0.03MB each time I switched on my phone.

HowardCoombs · 25-09-2015, 06:31 PM

Originally Posted by alph:

Smartone has this absurd "You're in China now, here's a HKD$158 per day data plan that you've asked for once, but that I shall automatically activate for you forevermore, each time you switch on your mobile in China."

Was unable to get this waived - yeah, records show that I consume 0.03MB each time I switched on my phone.

We got hit with that recently
https://geoexpat.com/forum/121/thread318589.html

After that, I went in there and told them to just turn it off. I dont want data roaming.

The funny thing is, once in a while, while I'm in Europe, my phone will suddenly roam and I'll get data access but I never pay for it since I've got it turned off

alph · 25-09-2015, 06:44 PM

Originally Posted by HowardCoombs:

We got hit with that recently
https://geoexpat.com/forum/121/thread318589.html

After that, I went in there and told them to just turn it off. I dont want data roaming.

The funny thing is, once in a while, while I'm in Europe, my phone will suddenly roam and I'll get data access but I never pay for it since I've got it turned off

Well, the thing is, I never have this issue anywhere else but China. I had a pretty basic phone when travelling and roaming is always off.

Turns out, they have this... crappy alliance with China Telecom (I think). I activated the internet plan once when I was on a high-speed rail and needed to check my mail urgently ("welcome to China... press 1 to activate your HKD$138 data plan for today"). My assumption was, you'll have to manually confirm each day. So I went ahead. Turns out, each subsequent day, even with data turned off, as long as you switch on your phone, you get charged - no confirmation SMS whatsoever.

I wrote their customer support team, they told me they can't waive it since it was activated - and that I need to access the smartone web panel thing to switch it off. So, I told them to turn off my data access FOREVER. And then told them, also, please cancel my mobile plan at the end of the month.