The practice of forfeiting unused internet data once the validity period ends has drawn attention from IPB University Consumer Behavior and Marketing Expert, Prof Megawati Simanjuntak.
She believes the practice disadvantages consumers and potentially violates the principle of fairness in consumer protection.
“From a consumer behavior and protection perspective, forfeited data quotas are clearly detrimental. Consumers feel, ‘I have paid in full, so why does my product simply disappear?’” she stated.
Prof Mega explained that Law Number 8 of 1999 on Consumer Protection guarantees consumers the right to fair treatment and to receive honest information.
“If this forfeiture system is not explained very clearly from the outset, or if it appears one sided, then it contradicts the Consumer Protection Law,” she said.
According to Prof Mega, such conditions may reduce consumer trust in telecommunications operators. Consumers may perceive that business actors are not acting in their best interest.
Differences in Perception
Prof Mega noted that the issue of expired data quotas is also driven by differing perspectives between operators and consumers. Operators view data quotas as time-based services, while consumers perceive them as purchased goods.
Consumers regard fully paid data quotas as digital assets with economic value, which should not simply disappear due to time limits without compensation. This treatment differs from other sectors, such as electricity token purchases.
“Once payment is made, consumers feel the product belongs to them, similar to when purchasing electricity tokens. We do not expect unused tokens to expire merely because a certain date has passed. As long as there is remaining balance, it should still be usable,” said the lecturer of Consumer Behavior.
According to her, this difference in perception triggers feelings of loss and disappointment. In the long term, consumers may feel deceived and lose their sense of control.
“If this continues, consumers will tend to become less loyal. They can easily switch to other operators,” she said. She added that this phenomenon also encourages consumers to shift to WiFi services, which are perceived as less disadvantageous.
As a solution, Prof Megawati suggested implementing fairer schemes, such as limited data rollover to the following month. She also highlighted the importance of honesty in determining package validity periods.
“If it is labeled as one month, then it should truly be one month, not 28 days,” she emphasized. In addition, operators are encouraged to offer package options transparently so consumers can choose according to their needs. (Fj) (IAAS/CAA)
