Customers could pay dearly for replying to mobile content SMS

KUALA LUMPUR: Replying to a mobile content service message could mean paying more for your phone bill, said MCA Public Services and Complaints Department head Datuk Seri Michael Chong.
Chong explained that many people are unaware that the moment they reply to such a message, the content provider automatically assumes they are subscribing to the service.
"As a result of the caught off guard action, the public are made to pay for something they do not intend to subscribe to as each message costs the public between RM2 and RM5.
"To make matters worse, when these individuals approach their respective telcos to clear the matter and request for a waiver, they are asked to solve it directly with the content provider instead," Chong said during a press conference today.
He added that the telcos are being unprofessional and should instead be assisting the affected individual to solve the issue and not ask them to solve it themselves with the content provider.
"What's more alarming to me is that the telcos even informed the victims that the latter will be blacklisted if they do not pay the amount stated in their bill," he said.
As such, he advised people to ignore such messages or delete them immediately.
Chong said he would be having a dialogue session with MCMC as soon as possible to find a viable solution to the matter.
Meanwhile, Malaysia Mobile and Communication Association president Vincent Tan said that the public can always contact their respective network provider's hotline if they are unsure if they have accidentally subscribed to any mobile content services.