I’m a Qtel representative, and we don’t normally try to get in the way of discussions on Qatar Living, unless it’s to answer questions or respond to complaints.
However, since the CEO of our respected competitor has tried to turn a public discussion into an advert – and has posted a number of inaccurate statements into the bargain – it’s only fair that we provide our customers with some correct information.
To respond to some of the false statements:
• “There are high rates once you exceed your Shahry bundle.” Not true! The rate that applies is the standard Shahry Peak and Off-peak rates of QR 0.35 and QR 0.30 respectively, not a high premium charge. In fact, these rates are cheaper than the standard Vodafone charge of QR 0.50 for local calls!
• “You lose whatever minutes or texts you do not use by the end of the month.” Not true! There’s an automatic roll-over of one month for any unused minutes on all our Shahry plans.
• “Qtel customers don’t know what their monthly bill is until they get it.” Not true! You can find out online or use a variety of measures to check your balance. I’d argue there’s a bigger shock for the Vodafone customers who get automatic charges to their credit card without prior permission being sought.
• “You’re paying a BIG premium to be a Qtel account customer.” Not true! You’re paying QR 50 (receiving QR 25 worth of airtime) to become a Hala customer or as little as QR 25 per month to be a Shahry customer (on the one year payment plan option). You can then pay for whatever calls you make (which could be as low as Zero in a particular month, especially if you are travelling). However as it currently stands with Vodafone, you have to commit to paying at least QR 110 each and every month just for the right to start making calls on the Vodafone Network.
In terms of Flexibility, we think Qtel is offering much greater flexibility in our price plans. Qtel customers can pay however they want to pay, including prepay, scratchcard, cash and credit card. Our competitor is forcing people to pay by credit card – excluding a high number of customers - and surprising people with automatic charges.
Also – we think Shahry is more transparent than the Flexi plan. Customers can easily see how many minutes, SMS and MB of data they have paid for, rather than with Vodafone’s cash bundles, where you have to actively track voice, SMS and data activities, and work out for yourself how much of their cash bundle you have left at any point in time.
Qtel’s all for competition, and we made a pledge earlier in the year that we’d compete in a fair, transparent and open way. So we’re all a bit stunned when the CEO of our the new mobile market entrant posts misleading information on Qatar Living. However, we hope this is an aberration, and that we can look forward to clean competition in the weeks and months ahead.
Dear All,
I’m a Qtel representative, and we don’t normally try to get in the way of discussions on Qatar Living, unless it’s to answer questions or respond to complaints.
However, since the CEO of our respected competitor has tried to turn a public discussion into an advert – and has posted a number of inaccurate statements into the bargain – it’s only fair that we provide our customers with some correct information.
To respond to some of the false statements:
• “There are high rates once you exceed your Shahry bundle.” Not true! The rate that applies is the standard Shahry Peak and Off-peak rates of QR 0.35 and QR 0.30 respectively, not a high premium charge. In fact, these rates are cheaper than the standard Vodafone charge of QR 0.50 for local calls!
• “You lose whatever minutes or texts you do not use by the end of the month.” Not true! There’s an automatic roll-over of one month for any unused minutes on all our Shahry plans.
• “Qtel customers don’t know what their monthly bill is until they get it.” Not true! You can find out online or use a variety of measures to check your balance. I’d argue there’s a bigger shock for the Vodafone customers who get automatic charges to their credit card without prior permission being sought.
• “You’re paying a BIG premium to be a Qtel account customer.” Not true! You’re paying QR 50 (receiving QR 25 worth of airtime) to become a Hala customer or as little as QR 25 per month to be a Shahry customer (on the one year payment plan option). You can then pay for whatever calls you make (which could be as low as Zero in a particular month, especially if you are travelling). However as it currently stands with Vodafone, you have to commit to paying at least QR 110 each and every month just for the right to start making calls on the Vodafone Network.
In terms of Flexibility, we think Qtel is offering much greater flexibility in our price plans. Qtel customers can pay however they want to pay, including prepay, scratchcard, cash and credit card. Our competitor is forcing people to pay by credit card – excluding a high number of customers - and surprising people with automatic charges.
Also – we think Shahry is more transparent than the Flexi plan. Customers can easily see how many minutes, SMS and MB of data they have paid for, rather than with Vodafone’s cash bundles, where you have to actively track voice, SMS and data activities, and work out for yourself how much of their cash bundle you have left at any point in time.
Qtel’s all for competition, and we made a pledge earlier in the year that we’d compete in a fair, transparent and open way. So we’re all a bit stunned when the CEO of our the new mobile market entrant posts misleading information on Qatar Living. However, we hope this is an aberration, and that we can look forward to clean competition in the weeks and months ahead.