Home » Malaysia Inc » Consumer

Don’t Forget Tax Relief for Your Broadband Service

Update : This is for 2010′s tax submission, not 2009.

E-filing system has now ‘opened’ for business as usual, for taxpayers to submit 2009 income tax form. It will be opened from early this month until 30th April for personal and 30th June for businesses. What’s cool this year until year 2012, taxpayers who subscribed to internet broadband will enjoy special tax relief amounting RM500 each year.

The special tax relief is one of the key initiatives announced by federal government during Malaysian Budget 2010, to boost internet broadband usage in Malaysia. Each individual taxpayer is eligible for the tax relief.

Telco companies which stand to gain the most from this initiative, has put up messages in their broadband webpage to remind users about this benefit, which acts as indirect promotion as well. Out of 3 major telcos that put up this message, Maxis has the most informative message. The message include the information about the tax relief itself with sample calculation, computer loans for civil servants as well as computer tax relief for non civil servants.

Go check out any affordable internet broadband package now, to ensure you’re not to miss this tax relief.

Maxis
tax relief maxis Dont Forget Tax Relief for Your Broadband Service

Celcom
tax relief celcom Dont Forget Tax Relief for Your Broadband Service

Digi
tax relief digi Dont Forget Tax Relief for Your Broadband Service

Admin 16 March 2010 Consumer , , , , , 3 Comments

Mechanisms to Offset RM50 Credit Card Tax

One of the unwelcome move in Malaysia’s 2010 budget is the new RM50 tax imposed on each credit card issued to customers. The motive behind this move is said to curb the unwise speeding habit among certain customer which could sometime end up owing thousand of unsettled debt to credit card issuers.

While I agree that certain quarter has abused the credit cards for something unnecessary, but credit card has become a necessity for some such as travelers, businessman, tourist or just regular folks who frequently using it instead of bringing cash.

No one spared from this tax including those that keep the cards without using it (as backup) or one the use and pay the card prudently. Like millions of credit card holder out there, I still in the dark on the mechanism that credit card issuers will be using to impose this tax to the credit card holders or how to get the waiver.

Fortunately, TheStar has come out with very useful graphic showing the mechanism, that each credit cards issuer will use to offset the tax . If you’re currently holding more than 1 cards, it is going to be troublesome to call each credit card issuer to sort this out, and then keep track of it. Here are some of the important point you should take note.

  • Only Bank Rakyat unconditionally subsidizing the RM50 tax
  • MBF Cards does subside the RM50 tax with at least Rm300 permonth or RM3600  per year of spending.
  • between 9500 to 15000 points required to offset RM50 tax
  • RM50 Cash rebate offered by Eon Bank with at least 3 transaction in 2 months

4339540438 34ddc3617e o Mechanisms to Offset RM50 Credit Card Tax

Graphics courtesy of The Star.

Admin 8 February 2010 Consumer , , , , No Comments

The Maxis Broadband’s saga continues..

I feel symphaty to another user who has nightmare using Maxis 3g broadband service. Beside the poor service, it looks like dealing with the customer support service is even worst experience. It raised another question whether this peoples were well trained to serve the customer as best as they can?

It remind me of what was happens last year, Aizat of Tazsara is having similar problem too, up to the level that leads him to do a police report(not sure if it has resolved now). 

It is very common nowaday, to heard about the poor internet connectivity issue raised, regardless who the service provider is. This is something that must be given serious attention and speedy action by Maxis particularly or any other telcos.  A lot of peoples depend on your service to do everything from business until personal matter. So it has to be reliable and fully tested too. But tt is very unlikely though.

Like what Meshio wrote, they’re selling kind of beta service level and rake millions of profit from it. That’s seems to be true looking on the the service’s poor connectivity, plus frequent disconnecting that he has experienced. Tested services won’t behaving like that even on the worst circumstances. When you pay over 100 monthly for something, you’ll definitely expect something good in return, right??

Like everybody else I have another question, does this service tested extensively on various location which Maxis claim to have within its coverage? Or just putting the claim that service is subject to the locations that they have no idea it will work?

Nevertheless, the biggest problem here is, how the customer support service actioned againts your report. The common practice in multinational companies or outsroucing companies is to have a ‘Service Level Agreement (SLA)’  and set of codes to follow upon working on certain issue raised. Failure to comply to this will affect our perfomance during the yearly assessment.

On this case, it doesn’t make sense when the issue reported earlier can’t be found, if it was entered into the system properly and not in a piece of paper. How they’re following up the status update with customer, the workaround and suggestion should be logged into the system as well for future reference.  The ‘taichi‘ strategy – kick the customer to various department so they frustrated and give up the claim,  shouldn’t be come out at the very first place, if everything is well documented.  Additionally, treating consumers as they’re dumb enough, by giving ridicoulous suggestion/workaround should never been on any support personal piece of mind. 

Sad but true, the customer support service in service oriented companies in Malaysia should be revamped. This ‘amateur’ business strategy could end Maxis up on the dead end road, if our consumer behaving like the developed countries’s consumer who has not hesitation to bring the  disatisfaction up to the court. On this case, let the justice do the business then, which normally favor the consumer.

The Malaysian corporate should also take a look at how Dell is restructuring its customer support service after the famous Dell Hell posts by Jeff Jarvis, renown American journalist.  

Malaysia is among the countries that has mechanism protecting the interest of local grown companies. But it backfired to the consumers when the customer support taken for granted after the sales.  It is interested to see if internet/wireless lisence are opening its door to foreign telcos/wireless (very unlikely) , what is the reaction of local tecos/wireless company here. Getting improved or could it mark the end of ‘over-charging for lousy service’ era??

Although the issue with Maxis 3G broadband is not as severe as Stremyx likes before (that lead to seting up of screamyx and various other medium to voice disatisfaction) it still giving bad image to general, that Maxis is just another internet provider company who’re greedy and careless of their customers.  Now that I won’t recommend Maxis 3G to anymore.

I use Maxis 3G which is registered under the company I work before. The perfomance is average even in the Klang Valley. Surprisingly, the 3G service not available in Cyberjaya and its neighbouring Putrajaya. I did make query online but probably because of under whom my account was registered, the treatment is fairly good. And perhaps, because no money involved here.

Having any problem with telcos with regards to any services??

Please follow this instruction, thanks to Ashraf from MyCeloteh forum. I blog about it as well before. 

1) File a formal complaint to Maxis customer service centre through email, courier, registered post or by hand (whichever do you prefer) and request your complaint ID (C xxxxx).

Your request letter may be written as below:
“I wish to terminate my account and request a full waiving for any penalty. The reason is because
my living area is not under Maxis 3G coverage and I have suffered a unacceptable slow data rate etc.”

2) Meanwhile, file the same complaint to the address below and mention your complaint ID (or you can just call the Hotline number to file your complaint)

Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC)
63000 Cyberjaya, Selangor
Attention: Consumer Protection Department

Tel: 03-86888000
Fax: 03-86881880
Complaint Hotline: 1-800-888-030
Email: aduanskmm@cmc.gov.my

MCMC will then write a letter to the Maxis General Manager and your case shall be solved very soon. 


Admin 14 January 2009 Consumer , , , , , , , 8 Comments

KPDNHEP’s price watch

Price watch

3095048741 59b0b3e00d o KPDNHEPs price watch

Consumers are among those that cheering with the initiatives by Ministry of  Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (KPDNHEP) for creating a Price Watch. Price Watch compare the price on numbers of essential household items (foods only at the moment) on major hypermarket (Carrefour, Giant, Tesco, Mydin, Jusco, The Store) all over the country

In current economic situation like now, it is important to spend wisely, and the ability to make such comparison online is applauded. Apart from giving consumers more choices, it ‘provoke’ hypermarket to cut down the price, and indirectly encourage them to be the ‘low price’ market leader

One thing that consumers hopeful is that, such initiative keep getting updated frequently and continuously.  And it’ll be great is more items can be included.

via

Admin 10 December 2008 Consumer , , , , 2 Comments

A glance at wireless internet broadband in Malaysia

The ultimate goal of having internet broadband wireless 3G card, is to be able to connect to internet without boundary. It is pointless, if the service availability is limited to certain locations in major cities, not to say the performance itself that is so-so. When 3G was introduced few years back, local internet population welcomes the move. I’m hopeful that it would be a better alternative to Streamyx and makes TM run for their money. But I have a feeling that it s turning out otherwise.

I was in my hometown last weekend, accompanied by my mobility gear. It’s been 1.5 years I’m with this 3G telcos, without seeing any improvement in term of performance. I’m still being ‘feed’ with 2G or GPRS connection which performs slower than the those oldies technology ‘dial up’ connection. Disgruntled over the issue and lack of initiative to make things better, so I’m writing this up on my Windows Live Writer, and pending of posting.

Upon signing the T&C, I’m aware that it is clearly indicated that the service availability is subjected to location. TRUE, but after years of using it without seeing any improvement, as a human, I can’t contain the frustration. Furthermore, we’re paying ‘premium’ for the so-so service. It just doesn’t make sense to someone like me.

I’ve no visibility of what is going on (and probably not interested to know), on the telco level, but as the end user, we always expect things to get better over time. Not to say that I’m not grateful, but with the amount paid monthly for the service, I feel that we deserve better than that.

Lately, there are a lot of complaints about the similar things. Unless they’re visually impaired or deaf, they should be pretty much aware of what is going on. Or perhaps they’re more eager to fulfill the shareholder’s interests for better ROI.

Not an economy literate, but rather than spending lavishly on entertainment sponsorship or oversees acquisition (especially volatile African/East Asian market), why don’t put more capital on infrastructure, R&D and customer services. With wider and better coverage as well as lower bill, I bet they’ll be more people willing to go online.

On the positive side, Malaysia is ranked top 5 countries connected to internet in Asia with 59% penetration. But in contrast, our broadband penetration is at lowly 17.5%, even though it grows steadily from quarter to another. As I said earlier, this is where more effort is required from telcos to architect the growth further.

With current rate, internet broadband (wired or wireless) is a huge money making machine for local telcos, so don’t let it slip from the plate, or foreign telco will step ahead of you.

Some figure from MCMC.

3076231014 c57c6f2614 o A glance at wireless internet broadband in Malaysia

3076230880 db4b684e68 o A glance at wireless internet broadband in Malaysia

Admin 2 December 2008 Consumer , , , , , 3 Comments
Page 1 of 212