Dtac internet Scam or Not?

[Equalizer]

Every time my internet package expires i feel i am getting unauthorized internet charges. I have a Samsung Galaxy III and if my balance is not enough to renew my subscription I.E if the monthly subscription is 799 baht and i have 750 Baht in credit Dtac take it upon themselves to deduct 49 baht per day from my balance for internet until it cleans the balance to zero. I called them up and asked them who is authorizing them to take this money from my account. They said to me that there is a feature in my phone that when activated opens the gateway to the internet. I said to them that this gate has to be passed through by yourselves because you are allowing the internet to pass through it. I then proceeded to ask them what on earth something in the settings of my phone should allow them to take money from my balance without asking me to authorize it. They said the system is set up to automatically connect me to the internet if this is in the on position and it is up to me to turn it off if i do not want to be charged. My question is how can this be legal within the realms of trading standards. How can something in the settings of a phone allow a company to force a service on you without asking first? Would you not agree that if there is not enough in the balance to top up the Internet subscription, the service should cease altogether until you top up and activate it again? Similarly if you had for a novice user example, 1000 baht in credit with a new phone you know little about and because you turned on a button in the phone a provider thinks they have a right to go ahead and use the money without so much as a message asking you to authorize the use of the gateway? To me this is blatant robbery and very devious.

[elfpattaya]

Turn off the Data option on your phone. All the phone companies do the same not just DTAC.

[yankee99]

No different then pressing the the call button when making a call. Turn your internet data button off.

[chiang mai]

"To me this is blatant robbery and very devious".

 

If all else fails and you can't blame it on somebody, read the instructions!

[Ling Kae]

Turn off the Data option on your phone. All the phone companies do the same not just DTAC.

 

That's exactly right, just turn off all data comms and then there are no charges.

 

Further to that, when I go home for 6 Months there are no charges to my account.

 

I personally think DTAC is one of the best phone companies in Thailand.

[Pattaya Pat]

It's that word 'scam' again that gets bounded around on here for even the smallest of problems. There really are some oddballs posting on here.

[chiang mai]

It's that word 'scam' again that gets bounded around on here for even the smallest of problems. There really are some oddballs posting on here.

 

Myths and conspiracy theories must be maintained and propagated!

[Kaoboi Bebobp]

No scam but it happened to me too. I didn't have enough for the next 30-day period so DTAC started taking baht by the daily handfull. But it was my fault. You can bet I heed the last day notice from DTAC and refill. Frankly, I think other providers are worse, especially the one starting with the numeral. 

[SurfRider]

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"Every time my internet package expires i feel i am getting unauthorized internet charges...my subscription I.E if the monthly subscription is 799 baht"
   
AIS users can get WiFi Internet for 69 Baht per month.  You can sign up for it on your phone/device at any AIS WiFi hot spot. Charges are deducted weekly from your Top-Off account.  keep your phone's "Mobile Data" option turned off and the device will connect automatically to any AIS WiFi whenever you're near one.
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[tropo]

It is not a scam. It's part of the deal and would be clearly stated in the terms of service. You just have to do your homework and learn how these services work.

 

 

You have to turn off cellular and data services if you don't want to have a recurring daily charge. On the iPhone there's 2 buttons to switch off.

 

There's something else that should be mentioned. The 49 baht charge is from midnight to midnight, so if you turn on services at 1 minute to midnight, by the time midnight turns over you'll be charged 49 baht x 2 IF you have sufficient credit. I've been caught out with this.

 

DTac has a lot of different Internet deals and they can be hard to follow. You really need to be careful if you're worried about losing some of your credit. I've lost quite a bit of credit while learning the in's and out's of the various plans.

[tropo]

.
"Every time my internet package expires i feel i am getting unauthorized internet charges...my subscription I.E if the monthly subscription is 799 baht"
   
AIS users can get WiFi Internet for 69 Baht per month.  You can sign up for it on your phone/device at any AIS WiFi hot spot. Charges are deducted weekly from your Top-Off account.  keep your phone's "Mobile Data" option turned off and the device will connect automatically to any AIS WiFi whenever you're near one.
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3BB have got free Wifi too for broadband subscribers. It was absolutely useless anywhere I tried it. It was a total waste of time even trying to join the hotspots.

[smileplur]

Turn off the Data option on your phone. All the phone companies do the same not just DTAC.

 
I personally think DTAC is one of the best phone companies in Thailand.

I guess it isn't too difficult to be "one" of the best when there are only three real options!

[smileplur]

No scam but it happened to me too. I didn't have enough for the next 30-day period so DTAC started taking baht by the daily handfull. But it was my fault. You can bet I heed the last day notice from DTAC and refill. Frankly, I think other providers are worse, especially the one starting with the numeral. 

Is there a new mobile phone company out there that I'm not aware of? Which one begins with a numeral? The three big ones are: AIS, True Move, and DTac. Personally, I use AIS ansd am very, very happy with their service. I'm on a post-paid plan which makes a world of difference for me in ter,s of pricing, connectivity, and incentives to stay. On a two year contract, the final four months were free which was a nice break after 899/month for my iPhone. After those four months,they rolled me into a new package and I changed my billing to go directly n my credit card. Suddenly, my bill went from 899/month to 529 somehow. I'm not going to mess around with it now, but it worked out great for me!

[Kaoboi Bebobp]

 

No scam but it happened to me too. I didn't have enough for the next 30-day period so DTAC started taking baht by the daily handfull. But it was my fault. You can bet I heed the last day notice from DTAC and refill. Frankly, I think other providers are worse, especially the one starting with the numeral. 

Is there a new mobile phone company out there that I'm not aware of? Which one begins with a numeral? The three big ones are: AIS, True Move, and DTac. Personally, I use AIS ansd am very, very happy with their service. I'm on a post-paid plan which makes a world of difference for me in ter,s of pricing, connectivity, and incentives to stay. On a two year contract, the final four months were free which was a nice break after 899/month for my iPhone. After those four months,they rolled me into a new package and I changed my billing to go directly n my credit card. Suddenly, my bill went from 899/month to 529 somehow. I'm not going to mess around with it now, but it worked out great for me!

 

 

AIS or 1-2 Call, same same.

[smileplur]

AIS and 1-2-Call are not quite "same same"! 1-2-Call is a product offered by AIS for prepaid mobile connectivity. AIS has many products, as I said in my post, I'm a very satisfied AIS customer. I have been with them for a number of years. I started with "orange" as it was known back then (now Trur Move), but I found out very quickly that their coverage was really poor. Back then, I couldn't get a signal when traveling all too often. My girlfriend at the time always seemed to have a connection with her AIS 1-2-Call SIM. This was particularly true in Issan. As a result, I switched providers.

Over the years, these three have built their networks substantially. I've never had the need to justify trying DTac's services; however, I have tried True's services a few times over the years when I was still a prepaid customer. Although their network has grown considerably over the years, I've experienced better performance regarding signal strength in most cases with AIS. As a result, I've always turned back to AIS.

It wily be advantageous for me to switch to True Move because I use other a True products, but the financial incentive isn't strong enough for me to sacrifice better signal strength in the places I travel to.

What bad experiences have you had wit 1-2-Call that would cause you to dismiss AIS as a viable option?

As for the OP, I feel that Dtac should not force their service upon you like they have done. Is it possible for you to get a post-paid account? This would eliminate your problem entirely. Ultimately, it might also help you keep a few more coins in your purse depending in your usage and needs.

[thairastawoman]

Stop downloading all these stupid applications full of malwares...

[Suradit69]

It's that word 'scam' again that gets bounded around on here for even the smallest of problems. There really are some oddballs posting on here.

 

Yes, any time Khun Farang does not understand what's going on, it must be a scam. It couldn't possibly be that he can't cope.

 

If 7-Eleven doesn't give him change of 10 satang on an internet  bill, despite there being no coins that small, it's a scam.

If someone at the Laos border doesn't want to take his torn $50 bill, it's a scam.

If DTAC doesn't send someone 'round to get his written consent for every 49 baht he's charged for a service he's using, it's a scam.

 

Some people really shouldn't be allowed to cross a busy street without someone holding their hand.

[tropo]

 

It's that word 'scam' again that gets bounded around on here for even the smallest of problems. There really are some oddballs posting on here.

 

Yes, any time Khun Farang does not understand what's going on, it must be a scam. It couldn't possibly be that he can't cope.

 

If 7-Eleven doesn't give him change of 10 satang on an internet  bill, despite there being no coins that small, it's a scam.

If someone at the Laos border doesn't want to take his torn $50 bill, it's a scam.

If DTAC doesn't send someone 'round to get his written consent for every 49 baht he's charged for a service he's using, it's a scam.

 

Some people really shouldn't be allowed to cross a busy street without someone holding their hand.

 

Billing a person 49 baht per day after their plan has run out could be considered a good service as many people rely on staying connected and would not keep enough credit on their phones to pay for a follow up plan.

 

Keeping a monthly plan going is quite easy with a little planning. Just keep a decent load on there and you'll never have to worry. If it is too difficult, then get a post-paid plan so you'll never have a problem again.

 

For anyone who may be interested, CAT have a good range of post-paid and pre-paid plans at competitive rates. They even have specials for existing broadband customers. It should be quite a pleasant experience at the CAT office on Pattaya Klang. You'll be treated like a person rather than a number or nuisance, as is usually the case in Dtac, True and AIS offices. They are also never busy there and have a very pleasant, good English speaker at the front counter.

 

If you switch over to post-paid, for a small fee you can keep your existing number.

Edited August 12, 2014 by tropo

[smileplur]

For anyone who may be interested, CAT have a good range of post-paid and pre-paid plans at competitive rates. They even have specials for existing broadband customers. It should be quite a pleasant experience at the CAT office on Pattaya Klang. You'll be treated like a person rather than a number or nuisance, as is usually the case in Dtac, True and AIS offices. They are also never busy there and have a very pleasant, good English speaker at the front counter.

 

If you switch over to post-paid, for a small fee you can keep your existing number.

 

 

As my post indicates, I wasn't aware that CAT had become a major player in the mobile market.  Thanks for the information.  If this is accurate, it would seem that there are now 4 major players in the game which is always a good thing.  Increased competition should have an impact on lowering prices in most economies.  This being Thailand, it seems that the rules of supply and demand have an extra variable thrown into the mix where such logical thinking and approaches to a market's function, mobile telecommunications in this instance, don't always apply in a traditional sense.  Nonetheless, I will take a look at the offerings on the table from CAT, despite being a happy customer with AIS.  It's good to know what's out there.  Thanks again.

[smileplur]

There isn't much information available about post paid plans on CAT's site.  I am looking here: http://www.mybycat.com/index.php?lang=en

 

Does anyone have a link that provides more information about the plans available? 

[chiang mai]

 

For anyone who may be interested, CAT have a good range of post-paid and pre-paid plans at competitive rates. They even have specials for existing broadband customers. It should be quite a pleasant experience at the CAT office on Pattaya Klang. You'll be treated like a person rather than a number or nuisance, as is usually the case in Dtac, True and AIS offices. They are also never busy there and have a very pleasant, good English speaker at the front counter.

 

If you switch over to post-paid, for a small fee you can keep your existing number.

 

 

As my post indicates, I wasn't aware that CAT had become a major player in the mobile market.  Thanks for the information.  If this is accurate, it would seem that there are now 4 major players in the game which is always a good thing.  Increased competition should have an impact on lowering prices in most economies.  This being Thailand, it seems that the rules of supply and demand have an extra variable thrown into the mix where such logical thinking and approaches to a market's function, mobile telecommunications in this instance, don't always apply in a traditional sense.  Nonetheless, I will take a look at the offerings on the table from CAT, despite being a happy customer with AIS.  It's good to know what's out there.  Thanks again.

 

 

CAT was the original player in the Internet market, they own the International gateway!

[balo]

Just order a monthly subscription from Dtac 699 baht smart phone package. Unlimited internet so you dont have to worry about turning off data. This is a postpaid subscription . 3g speed up to 3 gb, then reduced to 384 kbs. Still good for surfing the net. Edited August 13, 2014 by balo

[tropo]

There isn't much information available about post paid plans on CAT's site.  I am looking here: http://www.mybycat.com/index.php?lang=en

 

Does anyone have a link that provides more information about the plans available? 

CAT's Internet sites don't offer much info. I got my info recently in a leaflet which was included with my internet bill. I know it's a pain, but you'll probably have to visit their office on Pattaya Tai and pick up a leaflet.

 

I haven't got the leaflet, but I think post-paid plans are the same price as pre-paid plans.

 

They have a special on right now, as indicated on their website. It looks like they have a 6 month carryover plan on their data limits, which could be appealing to some. Perhaps someone who reads Thai could translate this promotion.

 

[attachment=279075:CAT prices.png]

Edited August 14, 2014 by tropo

[tropo]

Just order a monthly subscription from Dtac 699 baht smart phone package. Unlimited internet so you dont have to worry about turning off data. This is a postpaid subscription . 3g speed up to 3 gb, then reduced to 384 kbs. Still good for surfing the net.

They didn't give you the special they've been running for quite awhile for pre-paid plans where you get double the allowance (6 GB and 12 GB)?

 

I suppose when they hook you into a post-paid plan you can't get deals.

[skippybangkok]

AIS and 1-2-Call are not quite "same same"! 1-2-Call is a product offered by AIS for prepaid mobile connectivity. AIS has many products, as I said in my post, I'm a very satisfied AIS customer. I have been with them for a number of years. I started with "orange" as it was known back then (now Trur Move), but I found out very quickly that their coverage was really poor. Back then, I couldn't get a signal when traveling all too often. My girlfriend at the time always seemed to have a connection with her AIS 1-2-Call SIM. This was particularly true in Issan. As a result, I switched providers.

Over the years, these three have built their networks substantially. I've never had the need to justify trying DTac's services; however, I have tried True's services a few times over the years when I was still a prepaid customer. Although their network has grown considerably over the years, I've experienced better performance regarding signal strength in most cases with AIS. As a result, I've always turned back to AIS.

It wily be advantageous for me to switch to True Move because I use other a True products, but the financial incentive isn't strong enough for me to sacrifice better signal strength in the places I travel to.

What bad experiences have you had wit 1-2-Call that would cause you to dismiss AIS as a viable option?

As for the OP, I feel that Dtac should not force their service upon you like they have done. Is it possible for you to get a post-paid account? This would eliminate your problem entirely. Ultimately, it might also help you keep a few more coins in your purse depending in your usage and needs.

If your a 2g user, your correct. If 3G, True has a lot more coverage than any other operator, and the coverage of their 3G network has been bigger than their 2g network for quite some time. Last I hear they had about 13,000 3G sites on 850 MHz which is about 39,000 equivalent on 2100 MHz ( AIS / Dtac ). Last I heard AIS claimed about 15,000 sites

Not sure where your based, but I get a lot of 4g in Bangkok, and a lot of big cities in Thailand.


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