Post by westgold on May 28, 2014 0:15:56 GMT 9
MANILA, Philippines -- Senator Ralph Recto on Tuesday filed a bill seeking to end the imposition by telecommunications companies of expiration periods for prepaid cards and the forfeiture of unused credits.
Senate Bill No. 2231 cites “rampant complaints that prepaid subscribers do not get the full value of the load credits that they paid for because of the expiration of prepaid call and text cards and forfeiture of unutilized load credits.”
Currently, prepaid call and text cards expire after two years while load credits expire within 15 to 120 days, depending on the denomination.
Calling this a waste of subscribers’ money, the bill, also called the "Prepaid Load Protection Act of 2014," intends to “make the imposition of expiration period on the validity of prepaid call and text cards and forfeiture of load credits prohibited acts with corresponding penalties.”
“This will ensure that every peso spent to purchase load credits are saved and usable until the day the credits are fully consumed,” Recto said.
Section 4 of the bill prohibits any telecommunication company providing prepaid services from:
Imposition of an expiration period on the validity of unused prepaid call and text cards
Forfeiture of load credits stored on an active prepaid phone account via prepaid call and text card or electronic transfer
Refusal to give a refund to any prepaid subscriber whose load credits were forfeited without any valid cause
The country has the most prepaid subscribers in the world.
In 2013, the National Telecommunications Commission said there are approximately 100 million mobile phone subscriptions in the country, some 80 percent, or 80 million, of which are prepaid.
Telcos also provide prepaid landline services.
www.interaksyon.com/article/87713/recto-files-bill-to-end-expiration-periods-for-prepaid-phone-services
Senate Bill No. 2231 cites “rampant complaints that prepaid subscribers do not get the full value of the load credits that they paid for because of the expiration of prepaid call and text cards and forfeiture of unutilized load credits.”
Currently, prepaid call and text cards expire after two years while load credits expire within 15 to 120 days, depending on the denomination.
Calling this a waste of subscribers’ money, the bill, also called the "Prepaid Load Protection Act of 2014," intends to “make the imposition of expiration period on the validity of prepaid call and text cards and forfeiture of load credits prohibited acts with corresponding penalties.”
“This will ensure that every peso spent to purchase load credits are saved and usable until the day the credits are fully consumed,” Recto said.
Section 4 of the bill prohibits any telecommunication company providing prepaid services from:
Imposition of an expiration period on the validity of unused prepaid call and text cards
Forfeiture of load credits stored on an active prepaid phone account via prepaid call and text card or electronic transfer
Refusal to give a refund to any prepaid subscriber whose load credits were forfeited without any valid cause
The country has the most prepaid subscribers in the world.
In 2013, the National Telecommunications Commission said there are approximately 100 million mobile phone subscriptions in the country, some 80 percent, or 80 million, of which are prepaid.
Telcos also provide prepaid landline services.
www.interaksyon.com/article/87713/recto-files-bill-to-end-expiration-periods-for-prepaid-phone-services