The Cuban Telecommunications Company (ETECSA) has announced a new international top-up promotion valid from June 23 to 29. The announcement comes amid growing discontent among users and their families abroad, who consider the current rates for sending credit to Cuba excessive.
In recent weeks, resistance from potential international recharge providers has intensified. Many believe the benefits don't outweigh the high prices, especially after the recent increase in data and voice plans. Criticism has flooded social media and online forums, reflecting the weariness of those who, from abroad, are helping to financially support their families.
ETECSA changes the message to identify refills
As part of this new promotional campaign, ETECSA has also modified the text message users receive when an international top-up is received. The new format seeks greater clarity and transparency, allowing easy identification of the transaction. The text will include the amount in CUP, the transaction number and added benefits such as tripling the balance and unlimited data during the early morning.
They triple the balance, but with limitations
As announced, those who receive top-ups during this promotion will see their balance tripled and have access to unlimited data between midnight and 12 a.m., valid for 7 days. However, these "advantages" have been described by many as insufficient, given the devaluation of the Cuban peso and the high cost of each transaction in dollars.
Little effectiveness in reconquering the foreign market
Despite the new advertising efforts, the perception of abuse persists among a large portion of the Cuban diaspora. Platforms that previously managed mass recharges are reporting a drop in demand, attributed to the disenchantment and financial hardship of those living abroad. The promotions, far from generating enthusiasm, are faced with a context where the priority is no longer keeping a phone active, but rather addressing more urgent needs.
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27 comments
Etecsa has made changes to the package prices, but maintains a USD exchange rate that bears no relation to reality. Our family recharges us with 20 USD, and what Etecsa adds to our main balance is only 1500 USD. cupIt's time to start giving the dollar its true value.
I no longer want international recharges and as I see it, it is the opinion of the general public that it is better to send that money to me and I can eat better.
ETECSA is destroying us 😪 ripping off megabytes at a higher price and lasting less. For God's sake, until when will they crush those who work and live off a salary or a checkbook?
This recharge, which is only from 12 to 7 in the morning, is absurd and crude. They have to stop, they are not doing anything worthwhile.
Maybe that promotion is a rip-off compared to the price of the USD here in Cuba.
Neither ETECSA nor any service company in Cuba can raise or lower prices for the population unless approved by the Council of State, so this must have been well-thought-out by everyone.
It has nothing to do with the price of recharging. Before, it was multiplied by 6 and 12 to encourage family members to recharge, and now that you can only recharge 360, they're putting it at three. It's so people don't recharge. I'd like to know how this is handled in the country.
scammers
Everything is wrong with ETECSA: the abusive prices, the undervalued top-up for both the family member who applies it and the recipient. For example, in Spain, 24 euros, compared to 1500 in Cuba, it doesn't make any sense. Paying there and here would be 10.000 pesos.
Smoke signals, if you find a way to light them, are the alternative we have left when the minutes are up.
It's a madness that increases day by day, messages are lost, voice minutes are lost, you can't recharge by transfermovil, what do we do? If the world already knows that recharges are a scam, for God's sake, really check that this is a necessity, not a luxury, let everything go back to how it was because I'm sure that even ETECSA has felt the change.
When they multiply x12, they will recharge what they want is to give a small balance so that it runs out quickly and they have to recharge again, but the dollar is at 380 and 20 dollars is 7600. cup There are 500 balance x12 is 6000 cup 1600 are missing so x12 they are still stealing from us. Check your offers and give one that is worth it.
We don't want help, we want what is fair.
Every time ETECSA does something, it causes discontent among ordinary Cubans. It's a shame there's only one communications company. In other countries, these imposed measures are measured because they know they're going bankrupt. This will cause discontent among well-to-do people and lower incomes.
Gentlemen, what you say or say is for pleasure. Here you do what you want. In the end, we are the ones who always suffer and no one is interested. None of that is going to change. Think about that. Besides, the only thing the sheep do is eat grass, nothing like that.
Good morning, may God bless you. We are always thinking about changing banks. There are never any dollars in the bank. Also, where is the Equality that my commander Fidel Castro said? Those who don't have family to recharge their account should hand over the phone because 360 pesos don't last long. The phone is not a luxury, it's a necessity. After you run out of minutes to talk, throw away the phone. Why don't you have a recharge option? This is the only country that regulates telephone service, forgetting about the internet, the use of the phone. Why doesn't someone who doesn't have a balance on the account have the option to recharge their account? Check that out. We are not Americans, we are Cubans.
You should multiply international top-ups by 12 and not by Three (3). That is useless and does not encourage international top-ups. I have told my friends and family not to put in important top-ups until they have x. 12 the top-up.
For all I care, they can shove their new rates up their asses, they're still very high. These people's style of stealing is uncontrolled.
It is disrespectful to limit Cubans in this way.
It's a shame...until now I had believed that we were a good country...
The first thing I disagree with is that they're charging 20 USD, which at Banco Nac de Cuba's exchange rate is 2400 pesos, for a 500-Cuban-peso top-up. They're setting the dollar at 25 pesos. The second is that even tripling the balance doesn't match the bank's current exchange rate. The third is that free internet all night. That's untrue. First, we work, and we can't do that. And second, how do we see the internet without power? How long are we going to continue doing things wrong? Please.
Internet in the early morning so that if there is never power and the 3 hours of power are for resting, what they have to give is the appropriate amount of balance since the dollar is at 360 cup and $20 dollars are 7200 cup and it's still a scam 1500 cup Please don't try to fool us. Check yourself.
If prices have sky-high, the logical thing would be to give more top-ups multiplying by 12, by 20, but no, they give this misery, until when will this abuse continue? All of us who receive international top-ups do not sell them, please, do something useful and respect yourselves.
They only do that to make profits from abroad, and then they say they have a blockade with the United States.
so is
What is the use of free Internet for those who work and cannot enjoy the service or option offered by these refills?
It serves no purpose to have internet during rest hours, not to mention power outages and poor connection.
To anonymous: Please, if we can't almost never connect to the switchboard all night, how do you think we can talk in such low power? You'll never sleep, and if the family is working at that time, even less.
Stop the abuse of this town, it's already been enough with the electricity and food issue. If we are the reason you live, don't allow this town to die. Turn back to that handle and don't say squeeze 🙏🙏🙏 for the love of God.