Bolt is the only 4G mobile internet provider in Indonesia (for now) and has gotten generally positive reviews for their (often spotty) service since they launched late last year. But a sneaky attempt to raise their prices and cut data plans has backfired on them, with many of the company’s 750,000 or so users angrily denouncing the move on social media.
The company’s new package deals maintains the same prices while slashing the 4G quotas in half. The company tries to cover up this fact by adding bonus data quotas to packages, which look good until you realize those “bonuses” are only good for the package’s first 7 days.
Bolt’s old packages
Bolt’s new package deals with “bonus” quotas
As reported in Tech in Asia, Bolt didn’t make any formal announcement on its website or its social media accounts regarding the price hike. And as noted in this story on Medium, the company sends subscribers emails every time they extend their subscriptions or purchase data plans, so there’s no excuse for the secret upsell.
In the above Twitter conversation, user @chawrelia ask if the quota was changed and why it was done without informing anybody. Bolt responds by saying, yes, the quota was changed but the term and condition are attached in order for you to read carefully. Then there’s a smiley face, which you can practically hear laughing maniacally.
Technically, Bolt is correct. Their terms and conditions give them the power to change the prices and quotas without informing their customers. But that legal truth did little to quiet customers on Bolt’s Facebook page.
More 4G providers will be coming to Indonesia in the near future, so hopefully Bolt will be forced to improve its services and prices or be destroyed by the forces of capitalism and social media.
