I WOULD like to add my experience to the recent discussion on
puzzling data-roaming charges while overseas (SingTel's advice,
'Sign out of smartphone apps before travel', Nov 4; and Mr Nelson
Quah, 'Offer simple solution to data-roaming woes', Nov 8).
I am a full-time student who works part-time to support my
schooling. I had worked hard to pay for a 12-day study trip to
Shanghai in mid-September. Being on a tight budget, I observed the
advice from telcos and turned off my iPhone notifications and
push-mail services. So I was shocked when I received a $1,200 bill
for data roaming when I returned home.
During my trip, StarHub had sent me an SMS to say that I had
exceeded the daily data-roaming charge of $100 and the facility was
being suspended temporarily. There was no indication of the degree
of usage or excess.
According to the bill, $1,100 was charged for data roaming
between 7.49am and 8.18am during one day of my trip. That is,
$1,100 for 29 minutes of activity. What was puzzling was I had
accumulated the charges while I was still sleeping in my Shanghai
hotel.
It would have been helpful if StarHub had informed me
immediately about a surge in data roaming. As a student mobile plan
subscriber, StarHub could have verified the reason for the sudden
increase in irregular data use.
I phoned in seeking to clarify the matter but have received no
response thus far.
Apart from addressing the lack of response to customers'
complaints, StarHub and other telcos should be more transparent
about data-roaming usage and charges to its subscribers, especially
in cases such as mine.
Ernest Chan
