Shanghai Daily news

Family says ill father can not make calls

Shanghai Unicom has sued a 74-year-old man for failing to pay his phone bill since July 2003, but his family says the deaf and cancer-stricken senior could not have purchased the cellular service.

The senior man surnamed Ye received a summons on Sunday and the Zhabei District People's Court will hear the case on September 2.

The company claims Ye owes 1,079.64 yuan (US$130) including service charges and penalties dating back to July 2003.

The family was "shocked" after receiving the summons, said Ye Liudi, 45, the man's daughter yesterday.

"My father lost his hearing abilities when he was 14 and he was diagnosed with lung cancer last March," the daughter said. "He has been in bed at home or in hospital struggling against death. He could not have used any mobile phone."

A net service agreement dated on December 9, 2002 allegedly bears the man's signature.

The service costs 100 yuan a month, according to Xinhui Company, a client agent for Unicom, which completed the deal.

A manager, surnamed Shen, from Xinhui, said they required all applicants to register for the service in person and show the original copy of their identity card in 2002.

Ye's daughter said Unicom sent an employee last October to visit their home and request payment - the first time they heard about the mobile phone bill.

She offered her father's authentic signature to Unicom's customer service center for a comparison.

A manager from the customer service center said: "The two signatures look similar, but we think it's subject to the court to find out whether Ye did actually sign it."

Ye's family said they were considering countersuing Unicom.

The daughter blamed the company for giving her parents, both in their seventies, mental stress due to the summons.