Where Is My Celcom Bill AGAIN?

I don't know what is wrong. Is Celcom no longer sending out bills to us? Do they expect all of us to get the bill online from the Celcom Online Billing website? If so, why were we not informed of the change?

I don't know if there really is a change, but I did not receive my June Celcom bill and I had to call them up to request for a copy of the bill.

Yet again, I have failed to receive my Celcom bill for July. I guess, once again, I will have to call them up to send me a copy of it. I have already settled my bill but I prefer to have a hardcopy on file.

Is anyone else not receiving their Celcom postpaid bills or is it just me? Shall I blame Pos Malaysia for losing it or blame my neighbours for keeping my bills, if they were wrongly delivered?

MYR1000 Second Hand OR MYR1800 New?

So to serve my purpose of using my upcoming Celcom 3G connection, I am going to get a smart phone first and then a laptop in a few months' time. I figured that I can tout a smart phone anywhere I go easier compared to a laptop. Besides, I am going to use a smart phone to blog so with a full keypad, albeit a small one, it would be more comfortable typing than on a regular mobile phone keypad where I have to type SMS style. People who know me know that I rarely type long SMS text.

My friend, who is a 3G Celcom and Maxis subscriber, proposes to come over to my house with his smart phone to check if my area has the signal. He also asked me if I wanted to buy his Nokia E61 for MYR1000. To be frank, I don't like the look of Nokia's E series and E61 does not have a camera. If you have been reading my blog long enough, you would know that I have been thinking of buying a digital camera. If I were to pay MYR1000 for a gadget, I EXPECT it to come with a camera.

By the way, my friend has only been using his original E61 for a few months and he is letting go at MYR1000 including memory card and other accessories while he upgrades to Nokia N95.

Again when I am forced to make decisions, I get confused. Should I spend about MYR1800 to buy a new Nokia E61i when I also don't like the design but it has a low quality 2.0MP camera? Or do I spend about MYR1500 to get a Nokia N73 that comes with a digital camera that takes kick-ass pictures?

The Nokia N73 is one of the cheapest Nokia phones that could be used as a modem as well. Its screen, although large, is smaller than the E61 and the keypad is like the regular mobile phone keypad so I would have to tap on it like tapping out an SMS every time I wanted to compose text or blog.

How? How?? How???

Celcom Mobile Broadband

Today, I called up Celcom to ask about their mobile broadband packages. Even though I am their prepaid user, it does not bring me any advantage. Even though I am a Telekom Streamyx user, I do not gain any benefit as well. I was told that if the Streamyx bill is under my name, I could take the package that cost MYR88 per month. But hell, not only is the bill NOT under my name, the address is not the address shown on my MyKad either. Hence, my previous post Utility Woes.

However, I was told that they are currently having a promotion which will end at the end of this month, where if we buy a 3G data card from Celcom at the price of MYR999, we will have the first four months of mobile broadband usage FREE.

Subsequent months will be MYR99 per month.

I just asked my friend though. He said that it would be cheaper if I were to transfer the telephone and Streamyx bills, which are currently under my mother's name and address, to my one name and address, and then migrate my prepaid mobile line to postpaid, where I will be getting a free mobile phone, and then buy a Nokia mobile phone that can act as a modem as well.

By using a Nokia, which he is also using so he is telling me from his own user experience, I could get online from my mobile phone or connect to my PC or laptop.

By the way, as a Streamyx user, I could then qualify for their RM88 per month package. Errmm.... let me think about it though I know my dad will be damn happy to get the Motorola, his favourite brand, for free! Gah!

Celcom Post Paid

As you know, I am a Celcom prepaid user. I was thinking of converting my prepaid line to postpaid. It would be awesome if I could keep my current number. I went to Celcom's website to check but the website doesn't have much information. I hate flash sites because they are so slow to load. You know how Streamyx is!

So I called up their customer service. They said that I could keep my number *yippee* but they have two types of packages. One is the new minutes plan and the other is the ordinary postpaid plan that have to pay MYR30 per month just to keep the line active.

The minutes plan has a lower tariff overall for both voice call and SMS. The problem is, the minimum package is MYR50 with 250 free voice minutes and 20 SMS. I had to get them to clarify that if I do not make any calls at all and sent out 21 SMS messages in one month, how much would my bill be?

I was told that it would be MYR50.08 since the voice minutes would be burned and after the free 20 SMS, I would be charged 8sen per SMS. Since I send out more than 20 SMS per day, this kind of package is not for me. However, their Spiderman promotion package is quite attractive. Can get free Sony Ericsson or Motorola handphone!

But if I take the normal postpaid package, don't use the phone at all also MYR30 gone wor! How lah? I think I better stick to my prepaid. And by the way, I am still waiting for my ZERO access fee post paid package. Got or not?

Why Is Celcom ALWAYS Down?

Call me dumb or whatever, but I don't get it why Celcom is always scheduling downtime for long hours. Since a couple of months ago, I have experienced three occasions of downtime that last for six to seven hours, usually starting from midnight or 1am and to be frank, that is the time I am most active in my phone usage, making an receiving calls and SMS.

Unfortunately, during such down times, I can’t even check my balance (yes, I am a prepaid user), let alone make or receive phone calls, SMS or MMS.

If you think that I should get a secondary line, I really don' see why I should. I have Celcom and I expect it to give me the best service and support. The same goes to Maxis and Digi, if I were their customer.

I can understand that there are times when they need to do some system upgrades but for heaven's sake, DIVERT our calls and NOT cut of our communications totally!

The Celcom Network

Within two weeks or so, Celcom has taken their entire network offline TWICE. I am only a Celcom mobile user, thankfully, but it was darn inconvenient without a phone line during the long six and seven hours of downtime from midnight to 6 and 7am respectively. These are exactly the hours that I use my phone the most! I am a night owl, you see?

I wonder why Celcom has to take the entire network down from phone to data lines. Don't they have a back up system where they can reroute the traffic to another line temporarily?

I know they are upgrading the system so that we, the consumers, have better facilities. However, do they know that when their system is completely offline that they are losing mush revenue from the downtime? Even though it is planned, they could have planned better, you know what I mean?

I hope there will not be a third time. Otherwise, we should be compensated!

Whoa Celcom SO Good!

I received sms from Celcom informing that now they have this service called REVERSE CHARGE SMS.

Wah, so dem good ler. Can sms and let the recipient pay for it hehehe, but of course, I think the recipient must agree to accept sms from a particular mobile number first gua. Maybe need to register somewhere first.

I went to Celcom website for further information but there's no mention on this Reverse Charge SMS also... but I didn't try to send SMS to 22333 lah.

This is the perfect service for me, since my phone always no credit or suspended.

I play, you pay lorrr =)