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Blackberries are getting very popular lately, lots of great apps and social networking capabilities. but that’s not the case if you’re living in Saudi Arabia.
This all started when i bought the BlackBerry torch, I used my SIM card provided by “Mobily” and I was shocked that most of the vital services aren’t working, so i sent a “compliant e-mail” to Mobily’s Support.
A replay came a week after saying “everything is taking care of, our beloved customer” but there was not even a 1% change in the services, that felt like a lil slap that pushed me a bit forward and then i decided .. a blog!
I don’t wanna make this a boring post, so i’ll cut to the chase and share the defects that i’m facing.
- Social Networking apps like Facebook, Twitter are fully not working “don’t even start”. as a result the social feeds app.
- BB Podcasts isn’t working “not even the icon shows”.
- BB Maps isn’t working “not even the icon shows”.
- AppWorld application isn’t working “access denied”.
Off-course I end up calling the “Call centers” to ask for support and help, but the staff had no clues at all and adviced me to simply “try again” or “pull the battery”. one of the operators once said “ahh ,, sir ,, the same thing happened with my IPhone, but i tried it again and it’s working now”. Another one said smartly “ya know, bb maps is working on my BB bold, how about you install the bold device software on your BB Torch” !!, i don’t know how far this idiotic answers can stretch to. The services aren’t activated, and i know it can be fixed. But here’s the point, some of us just “accept” whatever the company says and act according to it, and some are even glad with only BBM in there devices.
well, … i’m not.
I’ve done a lil research about the whole thing and this is what i found out.
- In Saudi Arabia, SR99 at “Mobily” will get you a month subscription, 1GB of internet browsing, BBM and mails, but no appworld app access,no BB Maps app running, no social networking apps working.
- In UAE, SR99 will get you a month subscription with the services working and 10GB for internet browsing. it’s nice to note here that Etisalat and Mobily are the same company, with different subscription plans for Saudis.
- In Egypt, (also Etisalat) SR51.75 will get you a month of working services and unlimited internet browsing.
- In Indonesia, SR21.15 will get you a month of working services and unlimited internet browsing.
- and finally, Mobily didn’t even updated a “Device software” download link for the torch yet !! check =>”https://www.blackberry.com/Downloads/entry.do?code=AF5D5EF24881F3C3049A7B9BFE74D58B“
Until when this low level of awareness will keep us easy victims to such low standards. When I bought the BB torch, I was hoping for all the services I heard about and saw in the marketing campaigns, I don’t even know if “RIM” knows about this. I don’t know if “Mobily” is willing to fix any of that. and I really wonder how the contract of Providing the blackberry services have been signed and approved with this big portion of services being not recognized or working or even explained in Mobily’s packages advertises.
I wrote this post to share it with Blackberry,Mobily and the Customers of those services.
Blackberry “RIM”: Do you know about this?. not making sure that your services are working and provided properly, and signing the contracts, way to go for a “customers-increase” plan.
Mobily: let alone the low amount of GB you’re providing, the high amount of cash your sucking, and the poor network coverage, but can’t you even meet the standards and get everything working?.
Finally, the customers, you sure are felling how unfair this whole situation is, will YOU stay loyal, or should you join the android or iPhone communities.
On behalf of myself and other Saudi blackberry users, we want to say that blackberry is a great device, a great tool, but it lacks so much in Saudi Arabia, therefore, we’re demanding instant correction acts and fixes, want all of the services that we heard and paid for “fully working”. Social Feeds apps, BB maps, BB podcast, Appworld Access. We need RIM and the cellphone providers here in Saudi Arabia to reevaluate decisions and force changes and respect us as valuable customers. and off-course we want an increase in the downloading amount in our subscriptions, an unlimited package like the rest of the world would be a sweet compensation. Oh and, “with no increase in fees! As it’s already high”
I wonder, is anyone facing similar problems with STC and Zain?, are you satisfied with the points i mentioned up there?, Do you want unlimited download plans?, Do you want the other services “apps”?, Share us with your thoughts, comment and vote, thank you all for your valuable time and input. ^^
p.s. Follow the updates of this campaign on Facebook and Twitter by following the links at the bottom of this page.
Khalid A. Joharji
December 13, 2010 at 2:38 pm
Finally someone spoke up! i really hope “RIM” read your blog and start working in fixing these stuff, a lot of my friends switched to iPhone as you mentioned and lost their loyalty to blackberry, in fact blackberry well lose a great share of its users if they did not force those companies to provide their services correctly, am sure “RIM” was hoping that a gov. official such as “customer safety – حماية المستهلك” would be the ones who investigate on such major problems but in fact THEY DON’T IN SAUDI ARABIA
to tell you the truth i was an STC user and my blackberry wasn’t that helpful , i didn’t feel the importance of the device till i came to USA and used AT&T sim card , its really just a chatting device in saudi but here it’s a full TOOL that provide you with all your needs.
well written blog and thanks for speaking up , i didn’t think i would find anyone from Saudi write here 😛
Mr. Mohad Al-Nwehy
December 13, 2010 at 7:10 pm
I agree that is true, in Saudi Arabia people use BlackBerry to chat only, because they are forced to.
The solution : Oh sorry .. Wait a minute plz .. Now I have just received a PING!!! 😛
w slamatkom .
Mamdouh
December 14, 2010 at 9:31 am
but in my knowledge they offer and focus on what most of people use
segmentation
not serve all the customers with Apps or services not used just by 2 or even 5% of customers
so i prefer to do Questionnaire how many people use this and this and judge by your self
thnx
Khalid A. Joharji
December 19, 2010 at 11:36 am
this is no way a proper approach! we do not take the time to make a Questionnaire wither we deserve what we paid for or not!!! we already paid for the services they claimed they will offer!! why in hell we should think about losing our rights and not defending it?!!! you want us to work against ourselves to serve those giants corrupted corporations?!!!!
the 5% of customers have the right to use it or you just waved their rights cuz they are a minority?!!! its not their problem that the other 95% are ignorant of their rights and in fact if you educated the 95% they will ask for the services, even if they are not going to use it anyway.
i just wonder why would you back them up? seriously it doesn’t make any sense to me and in fact it pisses me off
D.Ookami
December 19, 2010 at 11:55 am
let us all “assuuuume” that his claim is right, although i’m sure a much higher percentage needs the services.
and yeah, it sounded very weird to me as well, maybe he’s from mobily or something.
still all comments are welcome, and @khalid, very wise of you, we need more ppl like you to read this post. thanks
D.Ookami
December 14, 2010 at 11:07 am
الخلاصة بالعربي:
هذا المقال يطالب شركات الجوال السعودية وشركة بلاكبيري بتفعيل الخدمات المطلوبة لتشغيل البرامج التالية:
Appworld لتحميل مئات البرامج للبلاك بيري من جهازك, مجانا او بشراءها.
Facebook, Twitter وغيرها الكثير من البرامج التواصل الغير مدعومة
BB Maps الذي يحتوي على خريطة السعودية دون اتصال بالإنترنت
BB Podcasts إلي هي عبارة عن Blog صوتي تقريبا, شرحه يطول.
والكثير من البرامج التي لم نسمع بها
ويطالب بزيادة كمية التحميل المسموح بها شهريا, كثير من البلدان عندها “تحميل غير محدود”, يعني تتصفح Youtube زي ما تحب.
كل هذي الخدمات متوفرة لمستخدمي البلاكبيري حول العالم, لكن ليس في السعودية.
موافقة او إعتراض, شارك برأيك ^^
hassan
December 15, 2010 at 4:00 pm
نطلب من شركة البلاك بيري ومن المشغلين في السعودية بتفعيل هده الخدمات المهمه في عصرنا هذا
Adas
December 16, 2010 at 5:28 am
we need all these services why they didn’t want to give it to us :S
uuuuuuu
December 17, 2010 at 1:32 am
نظاااااااالب بالتفعيل عاجلا
الهلالي
December 17, 2010 at 1:57 am
نطالب القائمين على الخدمه تفعيلها دون انتظار
وأبغئ أسأل كل دول العالم مثلنا لازم ينزل استفتاء ولا بس نحن ؟منجد غريبه
3zoz
December 17, 2010 at 3:28 pm
نعم نريد هذه الخدمات المهمة
زجوه
December 17, 2010 at 3:35 pm
إيوا نبعى الخدمات
Ợ̥я̩̥̊ ƌ̲̣̣i̶̲̥̅̊ǝ̩̥
December 17, 2010 at 4:21 pm
Yes. we need all these services >=)
فيـــــوووونـ ه
December 18, 2010 at 3:02 am
Yes .. We want these services ..
hadi
December 20, 2010 at 5:41 am
yes we need facebook, twitter and appworld
SHAH
December 21, 2010 at 11:41 am
hey all very nice blog all these points and all these lack of services i am talking about and asking in all there fb communities but no one seems to care or saudis didnt even know abt it they r just happy with the BBM which i hate … I am really disappointed with BB and RIM … I miss my Nokia E72 100 times better than BB . with all the services free apps Skype etc … if BIS of mobily keep like this I m switching to android of I phone at least u can use wifi with out data plan
aston
December 21, 2010 at 8:47 pm
نبي الخدمات وخصوصا skype
منتديات فور بلاك بيري
December 25, 2010 at 5:00 am
Yes .. We want these services ..
جروح المودة
December 25, 2010 at 10:12 pm
نعم نريد هذة الخدمة
neen
December 29, 2010 at 9:11 am
نطاااااااالب بالتفعيل عاجلا
Anas
January 5, 2011 at 2:08 am
نطالب بالتفعيل عاجلا لكي نرتقي لمستوى أفضل وأعلى
ياااااااااااااااليت
January 8, 2011 at 1:51 am
ايوه نبغا وش خصرانين اذا حطيتوها مجااااانا
Shahzoor Ali
January 9, 2011 at 10:05 am
Well Mobily, Zain, STC all sucks. They really need some better provider to kick their a$$. FYI they don’t even use BIS transport which minimizes much functionality. I started to hate reading emails on my BlackBerry only in Saudi Arabia subscribing t these shitty providers, PLAIN TEXT! Are freakin serious to just give us the plain text to read our emails on BlackBerrys?
Now its OS6, thank god they updated their Service Books within a month after the Torch 9800 was released in the US, I had no service for a month on my new Torch but they solved it soon.
The worst experience any could get with BlackBerrys in this country. Yes, RIM are aware and as we have humongous stupid “blocking” policy they just left us out.
Remember the phase of banning the BlackBerry Services? What happened that moment. It was in papers that Frenny Bawa from RIM visited Kingdom to solve this and carriers like mobily, zain (dont kow abt STC) literally said “F off!” to the govt and continued the service. Well, she came hell knows what was compromised and said the world they gonna install the BIS/BES server in the kingdom also said it is installed and tested, which I think is all hoax.
Abdul Hameed
January 19, 2011 at 11:49 pm
Well it is nice hear that Mr D.Ookami’s blog will help the saudi community to enjoy full BB Services if the service providers sign a contract with rim.
i am using STC which i feel is far better than Mobily and Zain,let us keep our finger crossed
ossos
January 20, 2011 at 12:03 pm
yes we want this services
SEAF
January 25, 2011 at 12:53 am
نعم نريد هذه الخدمات المهمة
Majed
January 26, 2011 at 9:01 am
I agree with you all. We need to use all the features of BlackBerry services just like other countries.
beb0
February 1, 2011 at 3:21 am
ياعاااااااااااااااااااااااالم نبغى خدمات
ونطالب بالتفعيل العاجل لكي نواكب تطور الدول المتقدمة في التقنية
majed abdulkreem
February 8, 2011 at 8:08 pm
ليييييييه تطبيق facebook وappworld ماااتفعلوها لييييه يعني احنا بدووو مانفهم
ابو سعود
February 12, 2011 at 12:52 am
ارجو تفعيل الخدمات في اقرب ،قت لاني احتاجها في مجال الاعمال ومتابعة رسائلي الخاصه على تويتر والفيسبوك شاكر لكم تفعيلها مقدما
a.sdfr
February 12, 2011 at 7:44 am
نعم نريد هذه الخدمات المهمة
loai jad
April 15, 2011 at 6:50 pm
yes we want this services
Abdulaziz Benjober
April 22, 2011 at 4:59 pm
و الله تعبنا و نحنا نقول بس ايش نسوي ؟
يارب يشغلونها عندنا و نصير زي العالم
yawah
April 23, 2011 at 3:40 pm
we need this sirvisies
sAsD
April 25, 2011 at 7:14 pm
معكم 100% خدمات البلاك بيري يجب ان تفعل .. لكي نستفيد من الجهاز بكامل مزاياه وهذا من حقنا
almustashar
April 30, 2011 at 12:39 am
اتمنى من شركة البلاك بيري الام انها تهتم في طلبنا هذا اشد اهتمام بحيث اننا ليس اقل من شعوب العالم ابدا فمن حقنا ان نتمتع بجميع مزايا البلاك بيري
Obaiabed
May 13, 2011 at 12:46 pm
I agree with you all. We need to use all the features of BlackBerry services just like other countries.
Ahmed
May 14, 2011 at 11:17 am
we need it NOW ..
I Agree!!!!!!!!
ameen
May 17, 2011 at 9:06 pm
نعم نبغا هدي الخدمه
صمت العواطف
May 18, 2011 at 11:13 pm
السلام عليكم روحمه الله وبركاته
وربي ان مضحوك علينا السعودين .. يعني ندفع 99 ريال كل شهر عشان بس ماسنجر ههههههههههههه ..
لاخدمات ولابرامج مفتوحه ..
اجل نسكر الخدمه ونفتح الماسنجر ابرك والله
اضم صوتي لكم ..
..
I agree
amjd
May 26, 2011 at 12:02 pm
نطالب بهادي الاشياء
saad
May 30, 2011 at 1:51 pm
نعم الحلم مجانا احلموو رح تلاحظون حتى بالحلم ماتلقون اللي تبون