When it comes to local mobile phone service, foreign students have a right to complain. A recent survey by MBA students at Nyenrode University collected the experiences foreign students have with Holland’s mobile phone providers.
The results: Foreign students receive poor service, have little choice and pay too much.
Foreigners often have great difficulty obtaining mobile phone subscriptions that fit their needs. Offers are usually in Dutch only, subscriptions bind people to one or two-year subscriptions, and foreigners are often asked for a deposit and/or residence permit when ordering a subscription. And even then, international calls are usually excluded from the monthly ‘bundel‘ subscription package. This leaves most foreign students with no other choice than buying grossly overpriced prepaid cards.
Demographics
Over the last two months, 1,265 people visited the TrendCall eSurvey website: trendcall.info. More than 600 international students and expats filled out one of four eSurveys. Most respondents (73%) were aged 20-29, with slightly more women (59%) responding than men (41%). There is, however, no significant difference in the answers of men and women. Most of the respondents were European (47%), followed closely by Asians (38%). Australasia was the least represented region (2%).
Providers
Most respondents (89%) have a Dutch mobile phone number. However, more than half of the respondents (56%) regularly use a foreign SIM card. One respondent remarked: “Dutch providers are remarkably suspicious of foreigners; they make us pay a 400 euro deposit!”
T-Mobile and Vodafone together supply about half of the market (51%): T-Mobile was most popular among Asians, Vodafone among Europeans. KPN/Hi is the smallest operator, with a 15% share of market. The best operator is Telfort, which was regarded as ‘good’ or ‘excellent’ by 55% of users. Respondents were least satisfied with the KPN/Hi service: 50% of users regarded KPN/Hi as either ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’, with a lack of information available in English cited almost unanimously as a major problem. As one student wrote about KPN/Hi: “You can’t even file a complaint, because all the complaint forms are in Dutch.”
More generally, one respondent remarked: “Phone companies in the Netherlands treat ‘allochtonen‘ (non-natives) as if we were lepers, refusing to set up accounts properly and just being full of prejudice.” Another wrote: “I’d like to see less of a “kan niet” (cannot) attitude from customer service!”
‘Inburgering’
More than half (56%) of the respondents have resided in the Netherlands for six months or longer. 11% have resided here three months or less. The longer people reside in the Netherlands, the more domestic mobile calls they make. Most people in the ‘three months or less’ group spend about the same amount of time making domestic and international calls, whereas most people in the ‘six months or longer’ group spend more than two thirds of their airtime on domestic calls.
Just over half (55%) of the respondents said they pay an average of 0.20 euro cents or less for domestic mobile phone calls. A relatively large number of respondents have prepaid subscriptions and therefore must pay more. One respondent wrote: “There’s often no other choice for foreign students but prepaid.”
ET phone home
Email is the primary medium for staying in touch with friends and family back home, followed closely by phone calls. The amount of time spent making international calls doesn’t really depend on the time people have resided in the Netherlands. Most respondents (94%) spend less than an hour per month phoning friends and family abroad. A small group of respondents (6%) said they speak for more than 90 minutes a month to people abroad. A relatively large number of respondents (36%) said they pay more than 1 euro per minute for international mobile phone calls, which usually aren’t included in the monthly ‘bundel‘ package. One respondent remarked: “I spend a fortune just on making quick calls to my family and friends in South Africa.”
Messaging
The number of sms text messages sent doesn’t really differ per age, sex or nationality. The average number of monthly sms messages sent per respondent is 23. A small group (1.5%) of respondents send more than 90 messages per month. Many Asian respondents reported problems with sending and/or receiving messages from their home countries. Also, there were many complaints regarding prices. One respondent remarked: “Current sms prices are pure robbery!” Another said: “Sms and international calls should be included in the month payment.”
Help
To help improve the quality of mobile phone service for foreigners, foreigners can fill in a survey form at: trendcall.info. The website will remain open for a few more weeks. TrendCall is currently involved in negotiations with mobile virtual network operators in order to secure a range of affordable subscriptions especially aimed at foreigners.
Foreigners often have great difficulty obtaining mobile phone subscriptions that fit their needs. Offers are usually in Dutch only, subscriptions bind people to one or two-year subscriptions, and foreigners are often asked for a deposit and/or residence permit when ordering a subscription. And even then, international calls are usually excluded from the monthly ‘bundel‘ subscription package. This leaves most foreign students with no other choice than buying grossly overpriced prepaid cards.
Demographics
Over the last two months, 1,265 people visited the TrendCall eSurvey website: trendcall.info. More than 600 international students and expats filled out one of four eSurveys. Most respondents (73%) were aged 20-29, with slightly more women (59%) responding than men (41%). There is, however, no significant difference in the answers of men and women. Most of the respondents were European (47%), followed closely by Asians (38%). Australasia was the least represented region (2%).
Providers
Most respondents (89%) have a Dutch mobile phone number. However, more than half of the respondents (56%) regularly use a foreign SIM card. One respondent remarked: “Dutch providers are remarkably suspicious of foreigners; they make us pay a 400 euro deposit!”
T-Mobile and Vodafone together supply about half of the market (51%): T-Mobile was most popular among Asians, Vodafone among Europeans. KPN/Hi is the smallest operator, with a 15% share of market. The best operator is Telfort, which was regarded as ‘good’ or ‘excellent’ by 55% of users. Respondents were least satisfied with the KPN/Hi service: 50% of users regarded KPN/Hi as either ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’, with a lack of information available in English cited almost unanimously as a major problem. As one student wrote about KPN/Hi: “You can’t even file a complaint, because all the complaint forms are in Dutch.”
More generally, one respondent remarked: “Phone companies in the Netherlands treat ‘allochtonen‘ (non-natives) as if we were lepers, refusing to set up accounts properly and just being full of prejudice.” Another wrote: “I’d like to see less of a “kan niet” (cannot) attitude from customer service!”
‘Inburgering’
More than half (56%) of the respondents have resided in the Netherlands for six months or longer. 11% have resided here three months or less. The longer people reside in the Netherlands, the more domestic mobile calls they make. Most people in the ‘three months or less’ group spend about the same amount of time making domestic and international calls, whereas most people in the ‘six months or longer’ group spend more than two thirds of their airtime on domestic calls.
Just over half (55%) of the respondents said they pay an average of 0.20 euro cents or less for domestic mobile phone calls. A relatively large number of respondents have prepaid subscriptions and therefore must pay more. One respondent wrote: “There’s often no other choice for foreign students but prepaid.”
ET phone home
Email is the primary medium for staying in touch with friends and family back home, followed closely by phone calls. The amount of time spent making international calls doesn’t really depend on the time people have resided in the Netherlands. Most respondents (94%) spend less than an hour per month phoning friends and family abroad. A small group of respondents (6%) said they speak for more than 90 minutes a month to people abroad. A relatively large number of respondents (36%) said they pay more than 1 euro per minute for international mobile phone calls, which usually aren’t included in the monthly ‘bundel‘ package. One respondent remarked: “I spend a fortune just on making quick calls to my family and friends in South Africa.”
Messaging
The number of sms text messages sent doesn’t really differ per age, sex or nationality. The average number of monthly sms messages sent per respondent is 23. A small group (1.5%) of respondents send more than 90 messages per month. Many Asian respondents reported problems with sending and/or receiving messages from their home countries. Also, there were many complaints regarding prices. One respondent remarked: “Current sms prices are pure robbery!” Another said: “Sms and international calls should be included in the month payment.”
Help
To help improve the quality of mobile phone service for foreigners, foreigners can fill in a survey form at: trendcall.info. The website will remain open for a few more weeks. TrendCall is currently involved in negotiations with mobile virtual network operators in order to secure a range of affordable subscriptions especially aimed at foreigners.
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