GESTAPO: sticker needed to sell/trade-in your cell phone!

[yebo]

[SIZE="4"]the GESTAPO are out to get full control of our lives![/SIZE]

just read this from abs-cbn/philippine star today, what do you think?

All cellphones will be required to bear NTC stickers soon


By MARY ANN REYES

The Philippine Star

The National Telecommunications Commission is set to issue an order that will require all mobile phones being offered for sale to bear NTC stickers, in a bid to assure consumers that the phones they buy come only from legitimate sources.

The NTC noted that while the commission has existing rules on the manufacture, purchase, sale, lease and/or retail of mobile phone units, parts and accessories, there are still a great number of cellular phones coming from authorized dealers and suppliers that does not bear the NTC stickers.

These undocumented cellular phones, according to the regulatory body, are being offered for sale by both licensed and unlicensed cellular phone entrepreneurs, contrary to existing law.

In its draft rules, the commission said it intends to enhance the existing regulatory measures to prevent market distortion brought about by undocumented cellular phones, which lead to unprotected consumers and loss of revenue for the government.

As proposed, all cellular phones sold in the market must bear the NTC sticker, including second-hand cellular phones. While mobile phones that are currently being used by subscribers are not subject to the requirement, these handsets will be required to carry the sticker once they are offered for sale or sold as second-hand to authorized cellular phone sellers or resellers.

According to the NTC, the manufacture, distribution and attachment of the tamper-proof NTC sticker shall be done solely by the commission to provide assurance that the cellular phones come from legitimate sources and thus translate into assurance and protection for consumers. "This shall also serve as an instrument to discourage suppliers/distributors to underdeclare the number of units they import," it said.

All new imported cellular phones prior to their release from the Bureau of Customs shall secure the NTC sticker from the commission by presenting documentary evidences coming from the BOC that the cellular phones are subjected to import taxes and other Custom duties.

In the case of cellular phones already offered for sale, authorized suppliers, distributors, dealers, sellers and resellers shall secure the NTC sticker by presenting either the official receipt issued by the source of equipment which should come from the authorized suppliers or distributors, or copies of payment of Custom duties.

Meanwhile, owners intending to sell their cellular phone without the NTC sticker to authorized sellers or resellers shall secure NTC sticker by presenting either the box of the cellular phone with the IMEI sticker still intact; the official receipt by authorized dealers, suppliers, sellers and resellers covering the purchased cellular phones; or an affidavit attesting that he or she is the owner of the cellular phone and the same was purchased from a legitimate source.

Suppliers, distributors, dealers, sellers, or resellers who engage in the purchase, sale, lease and/or retail of cellular phones without the NTC-approved sticker shall be fined P5,000 per unit.

[Alpha_One]

Meh. I'm not too fond of cellphones anyway. Besides, if the Gestapo isn't out to control my life, my parents/relatives/friends/classmates are, this is the main drawback of the cellphone.

I'm not anti-tech. Just not too fond of cellphones. Long live the days when I can just "not care" and be arbitrarily unavailable.

Don't take my word for it though. My opinion is mine only... I'm the kind of guy that if given a choice, I'd throw the bloody cellphone down the MRT tracks.

[nicolodeon]

Another BS stopgap measures. Eh paano yung mga mayari ng lumang celphones na gusto ng ibenta yung units nila - like me?

Pure friggin BS from a government agency that should pay more attention to bigger issues than cellphone thefts.

But hey, at least they are doing something. We got to give them that...

[mazdamazda]

Nic... as said in the report, the sale of 2nd hand phones is still allowed just as long as you have the said sticker.

Ok yan... to curb the trading of stolen mobile fones.

[metatron]

Naghahanap lang ng bagong pagkakakitaan ang NTC. As if its really going to deter people from buying, selling and trading illegally acquired phones.

[nicolodeon]

Nic... as said in the report, the sale of 2nd hand phones is still allowed just as long as you have the said sticker.

Ok yan... to curb the trading of stolen mobile fones.

I'm for the principle pero how about them folks na nawala or itinapon na yung box? O kaya yung gustong ibenta yung lumang cell nila na either natanggal na yung NTC sticker or nabura na yung markings pero legit naman? For example, may 5110 at 3210 pa ako sa house na gusto kong ibenta. However, I dunno where the boxes of those phones are anymore. AFAIR, the 5110 does not have an NTC sticker anymore whilst the 3210 eh malabo na yung NTC markings.

Oh well, I might just resign myself into having Nokia paperweights.

--------

IMO this would generate heat from vendors. Pwede namang i-disable ang nanakaw na cellphone eh. Thing is, karamihan ng nananakawan ng cellphone eh walang tiyaga na i-report sa NTC or does not know that you can report stolen phones sa NTC. Another issue is the red tape sa NTC: it takes FOREVER to have a stolen phone blocked! Ang daming red-tape tapos may proof ka na ikaw ang may-ari ng phone (receipts, etc.) eh ang dami pang tse-tse buretse.

When my wife's Samsung got stolen, we duly reported the incident to NTC and went to their office as per advised. Abay tatlong araw kaming pinagpabalik balik. In the end na block naman pero Jowsko, sayang ang araw!

[_Qwerty_]

pihadong ang dali daling gayahin nyang stickers na yan.. eh di useless din kung marami nang pekeng stickers..

tsaka yung papa disable na cellphone.. useless din yun.. dami nang nag u unlock non.. binabago lang yung IMEI.. di pwede na ulit..

[ssaloon]

eh pano kung sales of CP's by individuals and not through merchants or stores?

[theveed]

Honestly, I don't see what's wrong with this proposal, it's a good idea actually for the economy coz bulk of the phones here are pretty much smuggled in (no tax).

The issue I have is, as usual, implementation... The Phil has tons of good laws that are passed, but implementing it is another issue.

In most cases, the people that will enforce this law will ask themselves "pano ba pagkakakitaan to..." before anything else hehe.

[ess]

Okay lang sa akin ito so long as those stickers aren't big and ugly enough to make my cellphone look ugly.