Bizzare Dtac Scam?

[engrin]

My wife's family in Issan got a letter from Dtac saying she owes them 700baht. We are outside Chonburi so my wife calls the number and this guy said he's been trying to track her down. He said that 2 years ago my wife started some sort of Dtac plan and never paid in to it (monthly). Now that 2 years are up, they want their money with interest or something like that.

As far as my wife can remember, she bought one of those 25 baht SIM cards in a night market that come with 15 baht free minutes or something to that affect. She would top-up the SIM by buying phone cards at 7-11 (pay as you go). The phone/SIM card were stolen when she was at a market several months ago.

Could charges of 700 baht been run-up on a pay-as-you-go SIM card with no contract? Sounds fishy to me. The guy on the phone said my wife should drop by any Dtac office in Thailand and pay the money owed.

[bkkmick]

Sounds like BS.

Contact DTAC directly (via email or phone their main number) not via the number you've been given and double check with the main branch. If it's a scam then the number belongs to the scammer and not DTAC (even if someone says "Good morning DTAC!")

Edited February 11, 2011 by bkkmick

[engrin]

He did say she could drop by any Dtac office to sort it out.

[thaicbr]

The fact that he said go into ANY Dtac office kinda stops it being a scam. MAYBE it was a deal were the 15mins were free for a certain amount of time then into went to auto bill unless cancelled. Just pop into a dtac shop and check. Easy

[whybother]

What can they do if she doesn't pay?

Did she sign anything when she got the SIM card? Did she give them her name and address?

If there is no contract, then there is nothing to pay.

[Pib]

If it's a scam a visit to your local DTAC office with the letter in hand will tell the story.

I wouldn't be surprised that the money is indeed owed based on vague wording in cell phone programs which can easily make a person think they are getting something for free or at a low cost when in fact "if you look closely at the wording" it actually cost more than what it appears on the surface. Many Thai cell phone plans look great on the surface, but when you stick you head below the surface and look around you will see sharks.

[Digitalbanana]

He did say she could drop by any Dtac office to sort it out.

So why not do it. 700THB hardly going to break the bank for peace of mind. If there was no contract signed by wife there's nothing to pay.

[Cuban]

You need to see the letter.

I can see how this might be a DTAC scam or a third party scam.

I can't see how a service was provided if the phone was stolen (normally they dispose of the SIM card) and run up by the third party.

Unless there was a sign up process (how did DTAC trace her address? ID Card -> house book).

Either way please post a follow up to this case for others to learn from.

[bangkokburning]

This could be a scam. Drop by any office could just be a ploy. Wonder how the caller/scammer wanted to sort it out? Send money to a bank account? If it were linked to the number she is using, they would have deducted it LONG ago :-))

Having said that ...it is a letter, assume its on a DTAC letterhead and as one of the posters said....plans are so complicated....