PTCL launches new packages OR finds a new way to rip us off!
PTCL recently launched three brand new packages for its consumers. But where every other telco in the country is slashing its call rates and finding other ways to make money, PTCL has actually increased its rates! While almost brilliant in their design, the new packages can and will inflate your telephone bill quite a bit so be prepared for a hefty setback at the end of this month if you use your PTCL line at all.
Here’s how.
Before, each call used to cost Rs. 2. Even now, each call costs Rs. 2. But before, one call used to be for 5 minutes, before you were charged for another call. They have conveniently taken the call duration down to 2 minutes. Meaning that call charges per minute have increased by almost 150%! from 40 paisa’s per minute to 1 rupee.
And that’s not all. Sometime ago, off peak calls were metered at 1 hour! Meaning that you could talk for an hour for just Rs. 4. This went into effect after 4 PM all the way upto 7 AM. They’ve changed that, and now off peak calls are charged Rs. 2 again… but now only for 4 minutes and only between 9 PM to 8 AM.
This means an increase of 400% in per minute call charges, up from 0.06 paisa’s per minute to 0.25 paisas.
How’s that for a punch in the face? With electricity, wheat, oil and gas prices going up so.. basic telephony now follows suit.
By the way, the much criticized Pakistan package also got a little revamp, with its 5000 minutes monthly limit cut down down to 2500 minutes, essentially making these calls 100% more expensive. (You get half the value in Rs. 200 now than you did before).
Does this mean a new trend will start emerging in the telecom industry? Leading to higher call charges in the name of new packages?
P.S.
All existing users have again been ‘shifted’ to the new packages automatically. So much for having a say in how we want to be served…
5:06 pm
Thats why they call it “Feel The Difference”
8:54 pm
Very interesting – Babar and TM should highlight this issue
10:41 pm
I can’t believe PTCL has done the “auto rip off” act again. Mansoor – I am writing about consumer complaints actively these days. May I cross-post this at my blog?
11:14 pm
Please do Babar – this needs to be highlighted and talked about
11:29 pm
by all means babar. it would be an honour to be cross posted on your blog.
11:30 pm
shafiq: am i feeling it now or what! funny thing is, since im from a military background, i’ve had a PTCL line installed at my home for the first time in 25 years
i never knew much about these issues before.
1:55 am
Someone should write to PTCL asking for a clarification…. and keep pestering them until they answer.
11:38 am
eitesalat is getting is money back that it has paid to take it over, so they r making progress in this one & only area all else is just pathetic. Geo Musharraf for making ptcl privatized
4:25 pm
Now is there anything we can do to stop theses lunatics – as the Pakistan package only faced hurdles when the public felt the apparent pinch – will they ‘feel the difference’ this time?
11:26 pm
Mansoor,
Thanks for providing this important information. It should not be taken lightly by PTCL consumers. If you could confirm the authenticity of this outright daylight robbery by PTCL, then we can take this up in the print and electronic media to expose PTCL.
11:08 am
ptcl lost a lot of his customer with these packages
11:24 am
saud: the authencity can be confirmed via looking at the past pages of PTCL for their rates and comparing them to the current ones. (past pages can be viewed via waybackmachine or a similar archiving tool).
akram: question is, where will these customers go? on the personal front, its okay because we can move to cellphones or even worldcall/warid, however whats the solutions for offices?
9:53 pm
Not only the local calls the ptcl has increased international calls and all the calls coming to pakistan from abroad as well.they ahve increased the artes by 100% making it very difficult for Pakis living abroad to stay intouch with their family.
The goovt is formulating ridiculously old policies whcih are highly absurd and in the worst interest of teh consumers and does not deserve to be implemented.
pls can anyone bring out this issue in public as the consequences will be on all the consumers.
if we wont point the faults to the govt they will keep playing havoc with us.not that will listen to us but at least we can try to object to those jugheads who know nothing abt economic rules but profit.
3:40 pm
Yes ! that is so true … yesterday when i saw my PTCL bill…my eye balls were almost on floor….whats going on with PTCL?????????
9:00 am
Cross Posting @ Islamabad Metblogs too!
a bit late though …
9:48 am
i want view the ptcl bill on ptcl.com.pk
5:03 pm
It’s clear that now the thumb of people of pakistan will bow down. when the monthly rate of DSL was 299/ the thumb was up. BY BY PTCL