If you can't find the "optical modem" when returning the broadband, you'll have to pay 200 yuan?, "Giving" to "renting" Unicom | Deposit | Processing | Business | Needs | Renting | Broadband | Users

Recently, some users reported that when they were applying to unsubscribe from broadband services at China Unicom's business hall, the hall requested a return of their "optical modem". Consumers initially thought of it as a "gift" but instead of a "rental", and if they couldn't find it, they would need to compensate 200 yuan or even more. A reporter from Beijing Youth Daily found that in addition to China Unicom, China Mobile, China Telecom and Gehua Cable also have users roast about similar problems. In the second-hand market, there have also been a large number of "dedicated withdrawal" optical cats, priced at only 25 yuan. Users have expressed that many of them are not clear about the content of the contract when handling business, and are not very familiar with whether hardware such as optical modem and set-top box are given as gifts or rented, such as the compensation price for loss, whether the fees charged are installation fees or deposits, etc. The staff deliberately blurs the wording in order to promote sales, resulting in continuous problems when returning broadband.

phenomenon

Many people roast that "if you want to unsubscribe to broadband, you must return to the Optical Cat"

Recently, Ms. Tu, a user, reported encountering a "pitfall incident" while withdrawing from China Unicom broadband. She said that when she moved, she couldn't find the optical modem. When she went to the China Unicom business hall to check out the network, the staff said, "If the equipment is lost, it needs to be compensated for more than 200 yuan." She even felt grateful that it's not a gigabit broadband, "otherwise it would cost more than 700 yuan.".

Mr. Zhang, a user, also had a similar experience. He told users of China Telecom and Gehua Cable in the Beijing Youth Daily that his experience was similar: "When it comes to optical cats, I get angry. Advertisements say that optical cats are given away for as long as they are open. When they apply, they say they will rent them for free, but when they break down, they ask you to pay for replacement, and when they return them, they have to return them.". "Only when you lose it do you know that the set-top box is not a gift. When you start a business, you say it's a gift, and if you return the broadband, you'll have to pay for it."

The second-hand market has seen the emergence of "dedicated optical cat set-top boxes for network withdrawal"

"The attitude of doing business is good in every way, and stopping business is difficult in every way". The reporter of the Beiqing Daily found that there are many similar roast, and most users are very dissatisfied with the fact that "various matters were not clearly informed when handling business". In order to promote broadband, the salesperson will not clearly inform users of some key matters in advance, including what hardware equipment needs to be returned when unsubscribing, how long the contract period is, whether the deposit is paid or the installation fee, etc., resulting in users being "in the dark" and spending a "wasted money" when unsubscribing.

On some second-hand platforms, there have even been a batch of light cats, set-top boxes, and other products sold specifically for return to the business hall, with very cheap prices.

"The set-top box for returning to the internet, including a complete set of accessories, is available from China Unicom, China Telecom, and China Mobile to ensure a successful return!" A merchant told the Beijing Youth Daily that a set of set-top boxes is free of charge for 29 yuan, including all accessories such as the set-top box, remote control, power cord, and high-definition cable; A set of cats costs 25 yuan, including cats and power supplies; Cats and set-top boxes both cost 50 yuan per set.

The merchant claimed that these products are all bad and cannot be used for personal use, but if you take them back to the internet, you can "guarantee that there are no problems. After you successfully return to the internet, you can confirm receipt.".

The Beijing Youth Daily reporter saw that there are many merchants selling "dedicated optical cats for network withdrawal", and their sales volume is also quite large, with thousands of units sold in one store.

investigation

The operator refers to the equipment as "rented" and needs to be returned

Due to sales tactics, many users may not be able to determine whether the devices promised to be "given" upon network connection are legally considered "gifts" or "rentals"? The reporter from Beiqing Daily called China Unicom's broadband experts as a consumer, asking "How to handle broadband and whether a light cat will be given as a gift?" The other party repeatedly said, "We will provide you with the light cat and box, and you can pay the installation fee to the master at that time." The whole process did not mention whether it was a "gift" or a "rental". In order to clarify the specific policies related to unsubscribing to broadband, Beijing Youth Daily reporters called the customer service of the telecom operators separately to inquire.

A customer service representative from Beijing Unicom told the Beijing Youth Daily reporter, "The optical modem is rented to users for free. If broadband unsubscribe service is processed, it must be returned to the business hall." The contract period needs to be at least 3 years before it belongs to the user. If it is lost, compensation of 200 yuan or 400 yuan will be required depending on the type of optical modem.

Beijing Mobile customer service stated that the optical modem and set-top box gifted during broadband unsubscription must be returned. If they have been in use for more than 3 years, they do not need to be returned. If they are lost, compensation will be required, which is 250 yuan and 220 yuan respectively.

Beijing Telecom customer service personnel told the Beijing Youth Daily reporter that the optical modem is rented for free to users, but when returned, it must be returned to the business hall. No matter how long the contract period is, the optical modem must be returned. If lost, a compensation of 300 yuan will be required.

In addition, the customer service personnel of Beijing Gehua Cable replied to the Beijing Youth Daily reporter that when unsubscribing to the cable TV business, the set-top box needs to be returned. If it is lost, compensation will be based on the number of years. For more than 5 years, compensation will be 200 yuan, for 2-5 years, compensation will be 400 yuan, and for 1-2 years, compensation will be 600 yuan.

track down sb. to interview

There are different opinions on the installation fee for the deposit, and it may not be possible for the cat to get the money back

In addition to the issue of returning the light cat, many users have also reported that they were not clearly informed whether they paid a deposit or installation fee when handling their business, resulting in trouble when unsubscribing.

Ms. Wang, a user, reported that she subscribed to China Unicom's broadband service in November 2021. At that time, the staff said that the optical modem was free to rent, but a deposit of 200 yuan was required. After refunding the optical modem, the deposit could be refunded. Ms. Wang believed that "paying a deposit for renting things is a normal rule, so she accepted it." However, when she went to the business hall to return the cat in March this year, the staff also claimed that the money previously paid was "installation fees", not "deposits.".

Ms. Wang also stated that when handling broadband services, the staff did not provide her with a deposit voucher. But when she contacted the business hall to withdraw from the internet, the online customer service kept asking her for a deposit slip, and without a deposit slip, she couldn't be refunded; The offline staff also said that there is no such thing as a deposit. The salesperson who previously handled it belongs to a franchise and has already withdrawn the store. We need to find this salesperson before we can refund it. Finally, Ms. Wang returned the light cat and the business hall did not refund the deposit.

So, is the fee paid during processing a deposit or an installation fee? The Beijing Youth Daily reporter called the Beijing Unicom business hall and received a response stating that currently, broadband services generally only require a installation fee of 100 yuan without any deposit requirements. The business hall will rent a router, optical modem, and all-in-one machine for users free of charge. When the network is disconnected, the all-in-one machine can be returned to the business hall, but specific charges still need to be based on the requirements of the regional business hall.

But after the Beijing Youth Daily reporter once again dialed the customer service of China Unicom to inquire about the inconsistent statements about the deposit between online and offline, the customer service said that because broadband services are processed online, a deposit needs to be paid, and can be refunded when returning to Guangmao. The reason for not refunding the deposit may be because it has not been three years, and the specific information needs to be checked by the person at the offline business hall. It can be seen that the statements of different customer service representatives from a Unicom operator are inconsistent, and it is no wonder that consumers have confused them.

analysis

The unreasonable behavior of deducting fees from light cats is mainly due to installation fees

The Beijing Youth Daily reporter learned that the total number of broadband access users in China has reached 614 million. According to the public data of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the number of fixed broadband access users will increase steadily in the first half of 2023. By the end of June, the total number of fixed Internet broadband access users of three basic telecommunications enterprises reached 614 million, a net increase of 24.68 million over the end of the previous year. At the same time, the revenue of fixed Internet broadband business also achieved steady growth. In the first half of the year, the revenue of three basic telecom enterprises from Internet broadband business was 130.1 billion yuan, up 6.3% year on year. With the steady growth of fixed broadband access users, the relationship between operators and users is becoming increasingly important for the good operation of the communication industry economy.

During the investigation, a reporter from Beiqing Daily noticed that when handling business in the early stage, users must carefully check the agreement, and there are three points that need special attention: first, it is necessary to clarify whether the package includes optical modem, set-top box, cables, plugs, etc., and whether the physical equipment needs to be returned when exiting the network; Secondly, it is important to clarify whether the fee charged is a refundable hardware rental deposit or a one-time installation fee; The third point is to always save invoices, receipts, etc. to avoid losses caused by incomplete information when returning to the internet in the future.

So, is there a problem with the operator's approach? In the view of Chen Yinjiang, Deputy Secretary General of the Consumer Law Research Association of the China Law Society, consumers generally consider light cats and other products as "gifts" rather than "rentals" as claimed by operators, because operators have not fulfilled their obligation to "inform". He emphasized that operators must ensure that consumers are fully informed in advance. When opening, they should inform consumers that these products need to be returned, and it is best to let consumers choose whether to rent them, otherwise it may be suspected of infringing on consumers' right to know.

Independent telecommunications analyst Fu Liang stated that there are indeed many issues with the refund of optical modem, and most of the money collected is not a deposit, but installation fees. In addition, Light Cat is free to use and does not need to be returned after a certain period of time. However, this period is often unclear; Secondly, when returning the light cat, it is required to bring all the attachments, but some cheap attachments are not in use and users cannot find them, so they cannot return them. Fu Liang suggests that operators should pay attention to the management details of broadband users and home package users throughout their entire lifecycle, giving users a sense of belonging. Otherwise, some details may give users a feeling of being trapped.