NTT DOCOMO and it's new discrimantion policy

[moyashi]

I got this from my favorite "Gaijin" Rights activist in Japan!

Subject: NTT DoCoMo and its misguided "foreigner tariff"

Hello all. Just something I finished typing up--a website on NTT DoCoMo's
new policy of forcing foreigners to pay 30,000 yen deposits on cellphones.

debito.org .... the community for more on this.

I would post the whole email but ... I'm not sure how Debito would say.

In my honest opinion NTT is way worse than M$ and is the Devil of Asia.
Now, I have one more reason to hate this company :angryfire

I don't have to pay this fee since 1.) I use direct debit and 2.) I have permanent residency but still this is whole hearted BullSheet.


Hmmm ... with iMode starting up in Europe ... will non-residents have to go through the same thing?

 

[thomas]

I've read about that on ISSHO (Tony Laszlo's organization). Well, yes, it IS discriminatory, no doubt about that. On the other hand, if they really have such an abundance of fraud cases with non-Japanese involved, I can understand their financial concerns.

In Europe such policies would contravene constitutional regulations, apart from international or supranational non-discrimination agreements such as the UN and the European Declarations of Human Rights, brabrabra....

Now back to earth, the point is as long as you have a registered domicile in a European country providers do not care where you come from. Tariffs are of course the same for everyone!

I really don't know a lot about NTT and their policies...

 

[Tachi]

Well, for what it's worth, the phone companies in the US are equally hated by all, too. Lousy service, for high prices.

But this is interesting. I had a cell phone while in Japan - it wasn't an NTT DoCoMo phone, but I forget what the carrier name was. I didn't have to pay any unusual premiums at that time. In fact, cell phones were dramatically more expensive in the US than in Japan, at that time (up to 1999).

Can someone tell me what ISSHO is?

Thanks.
Regards,
Tachi

 

[moyashi]

wasn't ISSHO a mailing list through usenet ??

Apparently it's the boys in blue taking advanatage of NTT.

But interestingly enough there is no mention of underground activities!!!
aka yakuza

I have a few friends ... some ahhem EX if you know what I mean.
There was a racket going on that you buy a phone for $200 and use it for a whole month to call anywhere even the North pole. Then you just dump it at an out of the way garbage can or renew it

I dated a cute Japanese girl who mentioned she owed $1800 for 2 months of usage.

Now, with many foreignors from certain locations with their ties to the mob, triad, the Russian mafia, and the yakuza ... it makes you wonder who NTT is really targeting.

 

[thomas]

ISSHO

Their entry in our directory:

ISSHO Kikaku
Non-profit organization formed by Tokyo-based foreign nationals which uses performing arts projects, symposia and computer networking to facilitate the internationalization process in Japan

=> http://www.japanreference.com/cgi-bin/jump.cgi?ID=944

 

[thomas]

Debito.org

Just wanted to add that Debito/Dave's web site is an excellent resource for anyone interested in Japan, not only for those fighting "gaijin discrimination".

That's why Debito.org was selected Website of the Month in April 2001.