World Consumer Rights Day – ‘Your Phone, Your Rights’.

I asked several of my friends which technological device that makes their life easier, they could live without using for a month.

Most of them identified the television, the radio,microwave and computer as viable options. Less than half of them identified their phone, as a device that they would be willing to sacrifice.

When I asked why their phone was not included, they responded that their phone was their life.

Phone a necessity

If that response seems exaggerated to you perhaps you have not fully entered the new ‘phone era’. Everyone has a cell phone and these phones are no longer just a means to communicate, they have become gateways to the information highway, the Internet.

The loss of a phone or disruption in service can aggravate the most mild mannered person. Often persons can be heard having one sided calls not realizing the connection has been broken. “Hello, Hello….can you hear me now?” These words usually signify the worse of all evils, ‘the dropped call’.

World Consumer Rights Day

It is no surprise then with all these revelations, World Consumer Rights Day celebrated on March 15, 2014 had as its theme, ‘Your Phone, Your Rights’.

Consumers value their phone service, so it is only fitting that they enjoy the right to fair treatment by their telecommunication providers.  The providers should make it clear the rules governing each service so consumers can make an informed choice.

I still remember when I ended up with a ring tone I hated and had no way of knowing how to unsubscribe  from the service. This is because calling customer service felt too much like a chore as I was perpetually put on hold. Customers must never be made to feel as if they are ‘trapped’ by their phone service.

Often consumers sign contracts for post paid plans without fully understanding the terms of service and this results in low levels of satisfaction. Those with prepaid plans can get their calls ended abruptly with no indication that the credit is about to expire which results in confusion.

Recent events in our island’s courts have highlighted the easy access to the private text messages sent on our phones. This presents a new dilemma as consumers want to ensure their privacy is protected.

So do you know your phone rights?

Teri Ann Renee Paisley

Gleaner online Writer

Tags: consumer rights