Etisalat can cut phone services without notice

Etisalat has the right to terminate cellphone services or change phone numbers assigned to customers without prior notice, according to a landmark ruling issued this week by the Federal Supreme Court. The court confirmed an initial ruling by the Court of First Instance in a case filed by a customer against etisalat for terminating cell phone services that he had gained access to. Court records showed that an etisalat customer, whose identity was not divulged, purchased 22 etisalat mobile phone lines, shelling out a total of Dh2,200. Bribery charge Four days after the lines were activated, etisalat deactivated them at once without alerting the customer. The consumer subsequently filed a case against etisalat after failing to persuade officials at the corporation to restore his phone connections. Etisalat alleged that the numbers were obtained against payment of a bribe of nearly Dh1.5 million to one of its employees tasked with selling cellphone connections. Service clauses An etisalat official maintained that etisalat had acted in accordance with its standard customer service protocol. He clarified that clause seven of the customer agreement allows etisalat the right to change phone numbers, and clause nine allows the company to terminate services if a customer were to violate the agreement. The official told Gulf News: "These numbers were special because they follow easy to remember sequences, and are highly desired and are traded for higher value than random numbers."