Switzerland forcing registration of PrePay customers

[Dave Emery]

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Switzerland forcing registration of PrePay customers

The Swiss parliament decided last year to make registration mandatory
for prepaid cards. By law, all mobile providers will have be able to
provide information about customers buying their prepaid products for at
least two years after the purchase. As of 1 July 2004, customers will
have to register when buying a prepaid card from Swisscom Mobile (NATEL
easy). Those who started using their NATEL easy cards on or after 1
November 2002 will have to register retrospectively.

The authorities are aiming to limit the misuse of prepaid cards by these
measures.
Customers will be registered when they buy a NATEL easy SIM card.  For
verification, proof of identity will be required in the form of a valid
passport, identity card or other travel document accepted for entry into
Switzerland. In addition to the customer's personal details, Swisscom
Mobile must also record the type of and number of the form of
identification presented. The NATEL easy card will only be activated for
use when all the necessary customer details have been recorded.
Customers attempting to make calls with an unregistered prepaid card
will hear a greeting prompting them to register their NATEL easy card.

Retrospective registration until end of October 2004

On 23 June 2004, the Federal Council decided that prepaid customers who
started using SIM cards on or after 1 November 2002 would have until 31
October 2004 to register. Swisscom Mobile will seek to ensure that the
registration of these customers takes place in line with the statutory
requirements and in as customer-friendly a manner as possible. The
customers affected will be prompted via SMS to register their SIM cards.
Registration can be made wherever Swisscom Mobile NATEL subscriptions
can be purchased. In addition to the customers' personal details,
Swisscom Mobile will also have to record their SIM card and mobile phone
numbers.


In accordance with the regulation, Swisscom Mobile will be obliged to
block the access of customers who have not registered by 31 October
2004. Retrospective registration also applies to those prepaid customers
who have already registered voluntarily with Swisscom Mobile in the
past. The only exceptions are NATEL. easy customers who have registered
formally (i.e. on presentation of a valid passport or identity card) in
a Swisscom Shop since the middle of April 2004.
On the basis of current information, Swisscom Mobile believes that
several hundred thousand NATEL easy customers will have to register
retrospectively.


Posted to the site on 05-Jul-04
http://www.cellular-news.com/story/11407.shtml

-- 
   Dave Emery N1PRE,  die at dieconsulting.com  DIE Consulting, Weston, Mass 02493