CLAIMS OF DISCRIMINATION AT DDI
Courtesy of The Community Archive


From: "vijay kumar" <vijay693@hotmail.com>
Date: Tue Jan 16, 2001 7:04am
Subject: DISCRIMINATION BY DDI

DISCRIMINATION BY DDI
PAY $US 5,000 FOR A PHS?

I am Indian and permanent resident of Japan. I applied for PHS 64K data card to DDI Japan last month in Chiba through a computer shop. I gave the copy of my gaijin card and other documents to salesman as they demand and fill up an agreement form. Salesman asked to wait for one hour.

After two hour a guy from DDI yamashita (Shinsa kan) called at computer shop and said the DDI is not interesting to sale theirs products to Gaijins. This guy told me I must submit a deposit of Yen 500,000 ($US 5,000) first to buy a PHS of DDI.

Any advise??? Vijay



From: Cornelia Kurz <ckurz@tokyowithkids.com>
Date: Wed Jan 17, 2001 10:43pm
Subject: Re: [Community-J] DISCRIMINATION BY DDI

I have a Kyocera PHS telephone that I bought at BIC camera which is operated by DDI without more than a 20 minutes wait. So maybe this "policy" doesn't apply to mobile phones? I don't understand what the problem could possibly be. What are they being paranoid about now?



From: "Imtiaz A. Chaudhry" <chaudhry@gol.com>
Date: Thu Jan 18, 2001 2:51am
Subject: Re: [Community-J] Re: DDI Discrimination

we can understand that Dave is too much busy. Dave please keep good work and update us regularly.

Regarding Vijey PHS issue I can appoint someone to work on this issue but facts are not clear.

1-Why DDI refused this guy?
2-The name of shop and a phone # *My home in chiba and can investigate this case well*
3- DDI phones and unpaid bills etc?
4-Blacklist with any credit card company in Japan

I need detail and then will ask to DDI.

Of course DDI involved to sell customer data to Data bank and in 1998, An Australian called UMJ head office and reported the DDI forward his data to a data bank in Japan and he is black list gaijin now through Japanese data bank record. According to this person DDI could not provide the service which promised on agreement. DDI PHS did not work in saitama ken rural area which promised by DDI shop. And he never used this PHS or did not made any call from this PHS. He asked to DDI to cancel his account and DDI refused it without net cash payment with cancellation charges and threat him for legal action and said that they will forward his data to Japan data bank for BLACKLIST GAIJIN.

I have the contact information of this man. Anyway DDI is UGLY company in Japan and theirs behavior to foreigners is bad.

Looking Forward, Imtiaz Chaudhry



From: Cornelia Kurz <ckurz@tokyowithkids.com>
Date: Thu Jan 18, 2001 4:27am
Subject: [Community-J] DISCRIMINATION BY DDI

Maybe there is something that I don't understand either. What is a PHS 64K data card? What can it do? Why does it have to be purchased through/in conjunction with a mobile phone company?

This new thing mentioned by Chaudry is VERY INTERESTING. Up until now the common gossip had it that the banks in Japan did not share credit information about their clients, and that this was precisely one of the reasons why the credit card system is so cumbersome. (Unlike in the USA where there are 2 or three major credit information agencies which all the banks refer to when assessing new credit risks.)

On the subject of different mobile phone companies treating foreigners differently, I finally figure out that none of the PHS phone companies offer English language interface on their phones. Only some of the Keitai companies encourage it. NTT DoCoMo is one of them. I am trying to compile more info on this subject if anyone can help regarding the company they are using. Please send me an email directly.



From: Adrian Tanner <adrian@potato.hokkai.net>
Date: Thu Jan 18, 2001 10:50am
Subject: Re: [Community-J] DISCRIMINATION BY DDI

I use a J-Phone (keitai) which came with English language manuals and features a bilingual display. I found the staff to be very helpful and their literature states that foreign customers are welcome, provided they have a 'gaijin card' valid for at least three months (perfectly reasonable). To be fair, only some of the phone models have the English manual and bilingual display but there are several available at low cost.

Regards, Adrian Tanner, Asahikawa, Hokkaido



From: "vijay kumar" <vijay693@hotmail.com>
Date: Thu Jan 18, 2001 6:16am
Subject: Re: [Community-J] Re: DDI Discrimination

Thank you all,

>1-Why DDI refused this guy?

Because I am black or redlist in DDI record I paid my old PHS bill one month late from due date in 1997.

Actually my mother died in India in fall 97 and left Japan in emergency without paying my dues like phone, electric, gas and apartment rent after two months back to Japan and paid all dues with my apologies to these companies. I told the story to Yamashita (shinsa-kan of DDI) and he said this is crime to go outside without paying DDI bill and if you want to buy a PHS then must pay money and death certificate of my mother because you are a black or redlist gaijin.

>2-The name of shop and a phone # *My home in chiba and can investigate this case well*

will send you privately. This shop is a nice computer shop and they are kind to Gaijins.

>3- DDI phones and unpaid bills etc?

NO UNPAID BILLS. I am property holder in Japan.

>4-Blacklist with any credit card company in Japan

NO AND NEVER, All major cards are in my pocket.

Mr. Chaudry you are absolutely right, Yamashita said they are online with many data banks and exchange information with these databanks who provide black and redlist gaijin data to us.

Vijay