The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) has revoked the certificate of registration of Got Deals Mobile Inc., a mobile content provider for Globe Telecom, following an investigation in connection with a complaint lodged by a netizen on alleged theft of prepaid load.
A recent NTC decision also mandated Globe Telecom to implement a strict opt-in system in order to protect their consumers from unauthorized load deduction.
In a news statement released over the weekend, the NTC said the decision should serve as a warning to all value-added service (VAS) providers to faithfully comply with the provisions of the commission’s rules and regulations in the conduct of their business, as their business is imbued with public interest, which the state has the duty to protect.
Other public telecommunication entities are also enjoined to strictly implement a stringent opt-in and verification system so that unauthorized load deductions will be averted, the NTC said.
VAS providers offer services outside the standard calls and SMS, such as ringtones, wallpaper and infotext, among others.
The NTC’s revocation order was triggered by a complaint filed by Feanne Hontinveros-Mauricio, whose social-media post on “load theft” has caught the attention of netizens who have similarly experienced unauthorized deduction from their prepaid load credit.
Prepaid subscribers complain that their load credits disappear due to their supposed “subscription” to certain services of the VAS provider even without their knowledge or authorization.
It has since been investigated by the commission to pinpoint the source and cause of disappearing cellphone loads. Both Got Deals Mobile and Globe Telecom were summoned last month by the NTC to an investigation.