TRA 2015

TRA in 2009 (on the topic of Skype):

"I don't see the TRA being anti-consumer," he said. "We opened up the market. We are trying to protect consumers. The TRA is a government agency. We have wider issues to worry about. Consumers only have their own concern to worry about." (source: http://gulfnews.com/business/telecoms/tra-denies-anti-consumer-charge-1.266598)

TRA in 2015 (on the topic of actual consumer protection):

"The TRA had said last year that as of May 18, only 55,555 mobile numbers had been successfully transferred out of 190,185 requests submitted in the first five months of the mobile number portability service’s availability. 

The regulator also said that the 134,222 rejected applications included some that had been resubmitted more than once by the holder of the number. 

In yesterday’s statement, the TRA said that a joint team would be formed comprising the TRA and the operators “to find appropriate solutions to customer complaints”.  (source: http://www.thenational.ae/business/telecoms/uae-telecoms-regulator-steps-up-oversight-into-customer-complaints)

Given that it is 2015 and du and Etisalat still do not have any real interconnection between their broadband networks (i.e. 0 competition) and given that roughly two thirds of all mobile portability (i.e. Etisalat>du or du>Etisalat) are failing (i.e. roughly one third competition), has the TRA really done a good job of worrying about the "wider issues" thus far?

Credit Card Warning

How many times have you handed over your credit card to a cashier only to have it returned as soon as its been swiped without your signature being checked against the one on the card?

I tell the cashier "please check my signature", but I wonder if the message sinks in. They don't care if someone has just paid for something with a stolen card.

If it happens to you, I think the best course of action is to educate the cashier as to why they should be checking signatures. Then, you should inform the management that signatures aren't being checked and how it is in their interest that they do this in future. You could also threaten not to go back to the shop as you don't feel happy using your credit card in there while the signature is not being verified.