SHOCKED DU CUSTOMER SAYS Dh70,000 BILL ‘ALMOST GAVE ME A HEART ATTACK’
▶ David Tobias was charged for the wrong phone package plan, prompting calls for a consumer cooling-off period
A shocked du customer said he “almost had a heart attack” when he was charged Dh70,000 to cancel a phone package for which he was wrongly signed up after an online glitch.
Briton David Tobias, 48, was hoping to save some money on his phone bills last month by choosing a package with extra minutes.
Logging on to his existing du account online, Mr Tobias scrolled through the options and selecting what he thought was a plan that would cost Dh1,000 a month.
Instead, he was signed up for the Smart Plan Platinum, costing Dh5,000 a month, which is the most “exclusive postpaid plan in the UAE”, the telecoms provider says.
He realised the mix-up less than three minutes later after receiving a welcome message. Mr Tobias contacted du to amend it, only to be told he would receive a 13-month penalty – almost Dh69,000 with VAT.
A representative for du said the company investigated the matter and “confirmed that the customer accidentally upgraded to a Smart 5,000 plan on August 22 instead of a Smart 1,000 plan”.
“The team has also confirmed that this plan should not be activated online and the activation process should only be done after meeting the customer,” the spokesman said.
“The billing team at du is in the process of waiving the disputed amount and the customer was informed that he will be updated once the process is completed. We regret any inconvenience caused.”
The Smart Plan Platinum includes 5,000 flexible minutes, 500GB, 5GB roaming data and an Etihad Guest Gold Membership, a bonus of 35,000 Etihad guest miles and one Etihad Guest mile for every Dh1 spent. That adds up to a minimum of 5,000 guest miles a month.
Plan holders also receive a free device of their choice worth Dh5,000 and access relationship manager.
Mr Tobias, who has lived in Dubai since 1993, insisted he did not sign up to the expensive plan.
“I literally called them within two and a half minutes of receiving the text message after I had recovered my breath,” he said.
Mr Tobias said he was first
told the matter had been passed on to management and would be resolved. He then took a 10day trip to the UK at the start of September, assuming that the problem was being handled.
“While I was in the UK I got a text message to say my bill was Dh70,000 and I needed to pay it.
I almost had a heart attack,” Mr Tobias said.
When he arrived back in the UAE on Saturday it became apparent that his phone had been disconnected, but on Sunday, after being contacted by The National, he received a text to say his services had been reinstated.
Mr Tobias said that although he was relieved that he would no longer have to pay the cancellation charge, there should be a change in policy.
“The real issue is not so much the mistake but what happens if a consumer changes their mind,” he said.
Keren Bobker, an independent financial adviser and columnist for The National, said cases like this highlight the need for a cooling-off period, which apply in many other countries.
In the UK, mobile phone customers have a 14-day window. This begins the day after a customer agrees to go ahead with the service online, over the phone or in person.
Customers can change their mind without any cost the British consumer website which. co.uk says.
“There is no cooling-off period in law in the UAE, even for large purchases,” Ms Bobker said. “It is something that I’d like the government to introduce.”
People make mistakes and cooling-off periods allow them to be corrected without serious consequences, she said.
“We have some consumer rights in law in the UAE, although not as much as some expatriates expect, and having a cooling-off period would allow for matters to be easily and quickly resolved, saving time all round,” Ms Bobker said.