Dtac Vs. Ais On Gprs Service (Sharing My Bad Experience)

[pinaysinger]

Hello everyone I just want to share my experiences about subscribing to GPRS Packages of DTAC and AIS

Both has failed to make me a happy customer

I am a Filipina, working as a singer for 6 years now here in Thailand! I love internet! Cannot live without it!

My job as a singer requires me to move every 3 months to a different branch of the hotel where I am working, so I cannot commit myself to a home base internet connection like broadband or any kind.

GPRS Package is my only option.

MY EXPERIENCE WITH DTAC

I have started using my phone as a modem, first my Nokia, I have tried using unlimited 1 day package and i found it very good. Not bad, I can surf the net during my free times.

I became an internet addict just like everyone else LOL so Ive decided to get a 1 Month Subscription of Unlimited Usage.

I was enjoying my UNLIMITED PACKAGE it until one time I've got a disconnection. Thought its just another downtime from them and waited patiently for the system to be back up.

The connection has been on and off and I can hardly get to the net. The problem persist and I totally do not have internet connection for a few days (if im not mistaken 4 days)

I called the DTAC Center. I was complaining about the service and the operator asked where I am. When I told her my location she apologize that there was a TECHNICAL PROBLEM in the area.

So I reminded her that I have bought a ONE MONTH UNLIMITED PACKAGE and I do not have a connection for several days and she just said Sorry.

I asked if they can give me extra days to extend my subscription to make up for the lost days that I did not fairly get my paid service.

I had no luck she just hang up on me and say Sorry.

MY EXPERIENCE WITH AIS

I was unhappy with DTAC. Switched to AIS. I was using it for a couple of months now, so far I am happy it is faster than DTAC in fairness.

Until tonight I was really DISAPPOINTED. I was subscribed to Monthly Unlimited Package worth 799Baht.

Received an SMS my monthly subscription has expired and system cannot activate due to insufficient balance.

Topped up ฿800 that made me a balance of ฿ 841.00

Waited for the system to activate, still no luck!

Called the call center for support, she said "Mam you need 850s (around that). If you top up now I can activate it immediately for you!"

I have topped up in no less than 2 minutes, adding up my balance to 900++

After a few, I received an SMS "you have UNSUBSCRIBED TO YOUR GPRS Pacakge 799B If you want to subscribe again please dial *138*79#

This operator is Funny! I asked for Activation and she UNSUBSCRIBED ME!

I was desperate to get internet! So, knowing that I have enough money on my credits I dialed *138*79# as per instruction from their SMS.

I have received a confirmation sms on 8:19 PM (GPRSUnlimited799BWifiBundle has been activated)

Welcome to GPRS Package 799B Free Edge/GPRS and WiFi Unlimit. To request WiFi Username & Password, press *389# Your package will be valid for 30 days

a 100++ baht was left on my phone credits (i can use it for calling later)

Wow at last I can use my internet again! (I am using a Samsung Galaxy Tablet)

I have been surfing nicely

Until i receive an SMS on 10:28 PM "Your balance is insufficient. Please top up your account in order to continue enjoying your value added service"

Where's my money gone?

Package Unlimited Activated at 8:19 PM and after 2 hours i have lost my phone credits.

I need to top up 50B to call the call center (I do not understand why do they have to charge a client for support, cannot call support when u do not have money) Well... business

Operator received my complain, explain her everything from the start.

She told me Mam you used internet while you do not have a subscription package. (So what is the SMS confirmation for?)

I was talking and she hang up on me. Rude yeah?

I believe Call Center Agents must be well trained and must know how to handle customers complaints.

Called Call Center again. I was angry this time and asked the girl in the other line if she is the same operator I was talking with.

She's not. In fairness to her, she took time listening to me and she decided to check my account.

I was complaining about Why should I be charged double for using the net?

Bought a package which they activated and deducted from my balance and AGAIN CHARGING ME ALSO FROM MY PHONE CREDIT 1 BAHT PER MINUTE for using the net? I have a package!!!

What kind of system is that?

I told the operator it is not the "Money" but the quality of service. I am afraid to top up my phone because they might charge me 1 Baht per minute for using the net while I AM ALSO TAKEN some 800s Baht for the stupid package.

When a customer buys a package, she must not be deducted anything anymore from her phone credit.

Told her that she might want to bring this up to her superiors attention or their system developer (wherever)

If they continue this SYSTEM then it is WRONG!

She told me that she will monitor my account further if it will still charge per minute and she will submit this issue to the department concern.

I was hoping to get my money back and I WAS HOPING THAT THEY CHANGE THEIR SYSTEM!

If not, MANY ANGRY CUSTOMERS will come out.

Some customers just keep quiet and just spend money and do not want to be bothered with small things.

But to me that is not rich, and all my MONEY EARNED was HARD EARNED MONEY, well you cannot just let anyone take that particularly you do not want to PAY FOR A POOR SERVICE or be taken advantage of.

Not much money but the most important thing is that customer get JUSTICE.

You pay and you get what you paid for.

You speak when you think its wrong.

Posted this for your INFORMATION and a REVIEW of these companies and their SUPPORT SYSTEM.

Thanks for reading!

jam with me sometime!

-pinaysinger-

(if i have typo error or grammar error sorry not so good in English)

[GreenSnapper]

This is Thailand.

Zero service and technical problems at many levels. As a customer you have no rights.

Thanks for your report!

[David006]

Well that is an unfortunate experience with DTAC...

I have been using DTAC GPRS for a couple of years now in the boonies on the laptop only.( the antenna is at eye level about a click away..I call it my private cell site)..I have found that very rarely does it drop off and the service call centre girls are extremely helpful and polite ( though I have never complained about the downtime) These girls are so polite and chatty that my wife stands in front of me while I talk and gesticulates sticking her fingers down her throat in the "gag" mode....jealous ?? no way..NOT. Tell her that this lass at DTAC is probably old and fat and a thousand clicks away...that just promotes a series of "raspberries"..lol

cheers..

[pinaysinger]

Well that is an unfortunate experience with DTAC...

I have been using DTAC GPRS for a couple of years now in the boonies on the laptop only.( the antenna is at eye level about a click away..I call it my private cell site)..I have found that very rarely does it drop off and the service call centre girls are extremely helpful and polite ( though I have never complained about the downtime) These girls are so polite and chatty that my wife stands in front of me while I talk and gesticulates sticking her fingers down her throat in the "gag" mode....jealous ?? no way..NOT. Tell her that this lass at DTAC is probably old and fat and a thousand clicks away...that just promotes a series of "raspberries"..lol

cheers..

Actually the operator from DTAC was polite its just that she cannot do anything about my problem or just being lazy to do anything.

The complain was about having no connection for a couple of days when u paid for 1 month service.

DTAC must compensate the lost days, well they should offer that especially when they ADMIT that it is their fault.

At least the operator said "Sorry" to me before she hang up.

They are friendly at the start of the conversation but once you start complaining, there are agents who does not know how to deal with pressure. LOL

Not saying all (I have a few good and friendly conversations with some )

Thanks for reply!

[lomatopo]

At this point you should probably just get a new SIM and subscribe to the unlimited plan.

I think there may have been an initial billing issue, which was complicated by your call, and even further complicated by your subsequent *138 request. Your account may be to far gone to recover. I guess you could go to a AIS/One-2-Call or Telewiz shop and try to recover your account but this can be challenging.

2G data (EDGE/GPRS) performance varies greatly based on location, time of day and capacity. 2G data bandwidth is not guaranteed. Voice calls have priority, while 2G data gets to use left-over bandwidth. If many people make voice calls in your area they will use bandwidth that you might have been using for data. With a lot of calls the data connection will drop.

With One-2-Call you can check your balance and expiration date by dialling *121#, you can check 2G usage by dialling *139#.

For my AIS/One-2-Call 2G data plan (25 hours/107 baht per month) I receive an SMS 3 days before it will expire advising that it will be renewed. This gives you a chance to insure sufficient balance. Then I get another SMS when it actually renews.

You may want to set up some reminders if you are not getting these service messages from One-2-Call, check your balance frequently.

[pinaysinger]

This is Thailand.

Zero service and technical problems at many levels. As a customer you have no rights.

Thanks for your report!

This morning I've got my money back!

A clear proof that they've admitted it is their fault (they charged me DOUBLE for using the net)

If I did not complain I will be tolerating their tricky system LOL

I do hope that they would improve their quality of service, even if we are here in their country, they do not have the right to abuse us or just take our hard-earned money just that, regardless of amount.

and thanks to this forum that I can at least share my experience.

People should know.

Thank you for the 3rd operator she has been a good help.

:)

[pinaysinger]

SMS received at 6:48 am today.

Adjusted amounts already credited to your account. Pls check balance at *121#/AIS Call Center

[pinaysinger]

At this point you should probably just get a new SIM and subscribe to the unlimited plan.

I think there may have been an initial billing issue, which was complicated by your call, and even further complicated by your subsequent *138 request. Your account may be to far gone to recover. I guess you could go to a AIS/One-2-Call or Telewiz shop and try to recover your account but this can be challenging.

2G data (EDGE/GPRS) performance varies greatly based on location, time of day and capacity. 2G data bandwidth is not guaranteed. Voice calls have priority, while 2G data gets to use left-over bandwidth. If many people make voice calls in your area they will use bandwidth that you might have been using for data. With a lot of calls the data connection will drop.

With One-2-Call you can check your balance and expiration date by dialling *121#, you can check 2G usage by dialling *139#.

For my AIS/One-2-Call 2G data plan (25 hours/107 baht per month) I receive an SMS 3 days before it will expire advising that it will be renewed. This gives you a chance to insure sufficient balance. Then I get another SMS when it actually renews.

You may want to set up some reminders if you are not getting these service messages from One-2-Call, check your balance frequently.

Thanks for the suggestion!

I believe I am on a 3G and the reason I have chosen an unlimited package is because I do not want to be bothered by DATA USAGE. So Unlimited plan which is kinda PRICEY and by its package name Unlimited I was confident that I can use the service as often as I want regardless of data transfers.

I have just requested ONCE by *138 ( I just did request because the operator UNSUBSCRIBED in contrast to what she promised that she would immediately activate my monthly subscription after I topped up)

Yeah you're right I should be ready with sufficient funds when I know my subscription is close to expiring to prevent hassles like this

Thanks!

[4evermaat]

if you love internet so much, and move around, consider 3G services from either TrueMove or Cat CDMA.

With Cat CDMA, you can suspend your service when you leave the area, and re-activate when you return to an area.

And you can receive True 3G prepaid plans. Top up as needed.

[lomatopo]

if you love internet so much, and move around, consider 3G services from either TrueMove or Cat CDMA.

With Cat CDMA, you can suspend your service when you leave the area, and re-activate when you return to an area.

And you can receive True 3G prepaid plans. Top up as needed.

The OP has a Samsung Galaxy Tab. Not all models have a 850 Mhz 3G radio; I suspect theirs may not. So True isn't an option. Also not sure how they could CAT CDMA?

For the OP, it is great to hear AIS/One-2-Call sorted out your account. Over ~ 7 years I've had very positive customer service experiences with them.

[4evermaat]

The OP has a Samsung Galaxy Tab. Not all models have a 850 Mhz 3G radio; I suspect theirs may not. So True isn't an option. Also not sure how they could CAT CDMA?

For the OP, it is great to hear AIS/One-2-Call sorted out your account. Over ~ 7 years I've had very positive customer service experiences with them.

i was assuming OP would buy or have the necessary device to satisfy his internet fetish.

I can further comment that my friend in Patong used DTAC for a long time. Then he had disconnect problems and switched to AIS and had no major problems since. But then I tossed him my CAT modem before leaving and he loves that even more. I asked him if he has experienced a slowdown in CAT CDMA service, as reports here have indicated (including my own experiences). He said it's been working the same as January, 2011. Don't know if he still keeps AIS as a backup. He manually trades forex daily, and needs something stable to work with.

[jomtienbob]

At this point you should probably just get a new SIM and subscribe to the unlimited plan.

I think there may have been an initial billing issue, which was complicated by your call, and even further complicated by your subsequent *138 request. Your account may be to far gone to recover. I guess you could go to a AIS/One-2-Call or Telewiz shop and try to recover your account but this can be challenging.

2G data (EDGE/GPRS) performance varies greatly based on location, time of day and capacity. 2G data bandwidth is not guaranteed. Voice calls have priority, while 2G data gets to use left-over bandwidth. If many people make voice calls in your area they will use bandwidth that you might have been using for data. With a lot of calls the data connection will drop.

With One-2-Call you can check your balance and expiration date by dialling *121#, you can check 2G usage by dialling *139#.

For my AIS/One-2-Call 2G data plan (25 hours/107 baht per month) I receive an SMS 3 days before it will expire advising that it will be renewed. This gives you a chance to insure sufficient balance. Then I get another SMS when it actually renews.

You may want to set up some reminders if you are not getting these service messages from One-2-Call, check your balance frequently.

Thanks for the suggestion!

I believe I am on a 3G and the reason I have chosen an unlimited package is because I do not want to be bothered by DATA USAGE. So Unlimited plan which is kinda PRICEY and by its package name Unlimited I was confident that I can use the service as often as I want regardless of data transfers.

I have just requested ONCE by *138 ( I just did request because the operator UNSUBSCRIBED in contrast to what she promised that she would immediately activate my monthly subscription after I topped up)

Yeah you're right I should be ready with sufficient funds when I know my subscription is close to expiring to prevent hassles like this

Thanks!

I have a Galaxy Tab also and 1st month I used it on my AIS post-paid account I got a bill for 3x my usual bill. Well I bought the Tab from AIS and obviously the extras were for GPRS charges so I complained and the girls told me how to stop the data from automatically logging on to the GPRS system at night and when I wasn't using it. Yes they must make a big load out of the people who go oh gee! and say nothing. So anyhow I am fixed now 'cause I mainly use it on wifi. Gee I wonder why the hotels u work at don't let u log into their wifi for free?? it costs them almost nothing. So how about your battery life on the Tab? can you watch more that 2 hours of video on the battery? I can't. I am not sure if I got a bad battery or if this is normal & I don't know anyone else with one.

[lomatopo]

Get an unlimited plan, or a volume-based (MB) plan. Otherwise you have to remember to close the data connection every time you finish.

Yes, service providers love post-paid customers!

Hotels often charge for WiFi to make extra revenue, or 'protect' the service for their high-value customers (who might get complimentary service)?

[raro]

just switched from DTAC to AIS recently. Whereas I cannot say anything bad about either GPRS service, the call quality on DTAC was certainly better. I also get numerous calls dropped on AIS. Will look at it for another month and then it is back to DTAC. Or maybe TRUE?

[thaicbr]

I have DTAC and TRUE. The DTAC is far superior in 2g/ edge format.. not sure about the true 3G as it turns out the dongle i purchased does not have 850mhz .... live and learn,, at least it was cheap