Following the earthquake in Sichuan on May 12th, China's major mobile phone networks China Unicom and China Mobile set up a special service that gave customers in affected areas extra mobile phone credit to ensure that people affected by the disaster did not run out of credit and could therefore contact love ones and call for help.
Anyone in Aba, Chengdu, Deyang, Guangyuan and Mianyang on the China Mobile Shenzhou plan whose balance dropped below 50 yuan had 100 yuan added to there account between May 12th and May 31st.? Customers of China Unicom had 50 yuan added to their accounts when their balance dropped below 50 yuan.
Disgustingly some sim card retailers in other parts of the country saw this as a money making opportunity.? They quickly realised that sim cards with an initial balance of 50 yuan could be taken to Sichaun, and the sim card would instantly be worth 100 yuan after a short phone call.? Some phone card wholesalers made approximately 200,000 yuan overnight by buying large amounts of sim cards and flying out to Chengdu.
The increase to Shenzhou's plan in Sichuan was astonishing.? It is outrageous that people can take advantage of a national disaster.? China Mobile and China Unicom will be taking steps to combat profiteering, this may be done by adjusting the balance on the sim card when it exits Sichuan.? The Central Committee of the Communist Party have set up a supervisory group that will expose and punish people found trying to make a profit from the disaster.
