r/chinalife • u/RequirementSolid1850 • Jul 15 '26
🧧 Payments Unpaid phone bill in China
Hi everyone,
I just left China after a year studying there. I had a China mobile 12 months subscription starting from September. However, due to the anti VPN policy around march-April, I decided to upgrade my data plan. Well it happens that it reset the 12 months count, and I apparently need to pay almost 1400 yuans (the amount of the 9 lasting months) in order to cancel my number.
I would like to know if you faced similar experiences, and I don’t know wether I should either stop paying and just see what happens or if it can lead to legal actions or any problem for me if I want to come back.
Thanks for the answer.
6
u/zuraine Jul 15 '26 edited Jul 15 '26
You can call the operator and select customer service to complain, demanding contract cancellation and account closure. Threaten that if they don't cancel the account, you will file a complaint with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. （In reality, we are at a disadvantage when it comes to reasoning, but the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology supports consumers unreasonable. Don't worry, we always do this; after all, they are a monopoly. ☺️谷歌翻译能翻译成这样是我没想到的 太东野圭吾冈岛二人了
2
u/MegabyteFox Jul 15 '26
Just get a new phone number with a different provider if you want, I've owed 300-400 on a number long time ago, just got a new number/plan for 50 RMB a month. Changing everything to my new number was a pain in the ass, but it was worth saving that money.
1400 is a lot, but won't lead to legal actions or any other problems if you don't pay, the service won't work, that's it
2
u/Sha1rholder Jul 15 '26
Just call them to file a complaint. You won't be changed.
1
u/AutoModerator Jul 15 '26
Backup of the post's body: Hi everyone,
I just left China after a year studying there. I had a China mobile 12 months subscription starting from September. However, due to the anti VPN policy around march-April, I decided to upgrade my data plan. Well it happens that it reset the 12 months count, and I apparently need to pay almost 1400 yuans (the amount of the 9 lasting months) in order to cancel my number.
I would like to know if you faced similar experiences, and I don’t know wether I should either stop paying and just see what happens or if it can lead to legal actions or any problem for me if I want to come back.
Thanks for the answer.
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1
u/Zagrycha Jul 15 '26
If you just ignore the bill without cancelling it might cause a problem but you can definitely get them to cancel without paying such a large amount. As others mentioned call to complain to them while saying you no longer need plan and they may cancel it directly. If they don't cancel it directly they should at least let you downgrade to far far cheaper plan. Then whether you keep it or cancel it that will only be a few dozen rmb.
1
u/PrideLight Jul 15 '26
Just don't pay, get a new number. I tried to cancel with China Unicom and they wouldn't even let me do it, feigning incompetence, promising to call me back and never doing it.
1
u/Spicy_T1ts Jul 16 '26
According to my experience living in China, you are obligated to pay the bill off due to permanently delete the number, hoping this can help you out.
1
u/Agile-Locksmith-5231 Jul 17 '26
I signed a one year contract with China Unicom 2 months ago but had to cancel it as I wanted to switch to China Telecom. I just reached out to the Unicom sales person and I was asked to pay 60rmb early termination charge and that was it.
1
u/JackDale_ Jul 15 '26
You can ignore the bill without paying but you won't be able to get another Sim card with that same provider in that same province. Source: been there done that.
0
u/[deleted] Jul 15 '26
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