Rant: Telecoms are super annoying here

Taiwan Discrimination in Taiwan
1

They say I need 2 forms of id - np, here’s ARC and health insurance. The usual combo. This is just for a prepaid sim.

Nope, I need to go back and home and get my passport, even though I can’t get either without my passport (and pretty sure passport number is on my ARC).

In the end, my stubborn mother didn’t even open the sim card. They accept returns, neat - need passport just for the return, ARC alone won’t do. It’s only 800ntd.

Fine. I go home, come back, then they say the refund is processing. Come back on 3 days. What…? O_o

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I just exchanged my sim card because it was over 8 years old and I got a text message to come in and get a free replacement. Ran into the same problem as you. ARC/healthcare card/driver’s license… Nope won’t work need a passport they told me Taiwan locals can use their 身分證🪪 and another Taiwan for of ID, but I muse use my passport, as logically two forms of local ID aren’t good enough for me. So Iwent home got it and then thought, “They’re not going to ask for my expired one will they; even banks don’t ask for that.” I brought it for good measure. Of course they asked for it.

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I believe they require two forms of ID if you’re local. If you’re a foreigner you just need your passport (at least for pre-paid SIM cards). You don’t have to be a resident.

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There’s also the logic that you require a passport to get an ARC, so showing an ARC is showing a passport - unless a telecom believes they have better verification than government services that issue ARCs :joy:. In fact, I think the passport number is even on the ARC, although I could be wrong. I’m too lazy to look :pensive:

5

You don’t have to bring the passport.

Which telco? Also. Stick with foreigner-friendly ones like TW Mobile

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6

No you don’t. You don’t need your passport if you are resident.

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We required it, and they said it was by law they required it. It was FET or something like that. Red logo

8

They are lying to you.

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9

You are not required to bring a passport. Just lazy employees

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10

2 different branches required it - although they claimed it was a government req, it could be an internal company rule for those foreign hulligans :wink:

11

Nope. Just lazyasses. I always only bring my ARC. And I fight. I remind them and make them call head office.

When you comply, you legitimise this discrimination.

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12

How would you even fight that? They likely are lower level employees, id think, trained by mgmt.

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Calling the customer service centre and arguing with them. Don’t relent.

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I walked there, so I gave in to laziness ;( I’ll confirm the name later so we can inform others who discriminates.

15

Taiwan Mobile no longer asks for passports. I only spend my money there.

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16

How can you win an argument with them? All they have to do is lie and say you’re wrong. You’d have to prove them wrong. How would you do that?

And how does laziness have anything to do with it? It is easier to type a passport number than an ARC number?

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This was 台灣大哥大

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Stand your ground. Be a bit of a Karen. Keep pressing why a foreign country’s ID is needed.

Because it’s a misplaced perception that foreigners are high risk in a country that largely hates risk. It’s laziness in the fact that they just want to do the path of least resistance with misinformed store managers.

The reality is, you don’t need a passport. If you give in, you legitimise their discrimination.

Wanna fight back? Go to the NCC.

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19

You don’t need a passport. I don’t bring my passport in. If they resist, you fight.

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A year or 2 at Chunghwa Telecom I went to pay my bill and mentioned that I received a new ARC ID number and asked them if I needed to update it and they said it’s okay because they only use passport numbers for foreigners. Well I had also received a new passport recently at the time (new ARC had the new passport number) and they told me I could update that if I wanted to so I showed the lady my ARC, my Republic of China approved ID card that recognized my passport number and they said nope can’t use it. Has to be my passport…even a picture of my passport would work…but they can’t use their own RoC govt. approved/issued ID.