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"I want to change from a 119 yuan package to a 39 yuan package. I tried to apply on the APP, but found that I could only apply for higher-priced packages such as 139 yuan and 159 yuan." Xiaoyun, a user from Guangdong, told the media that when she wanted to change her phone package to a lower price, she could not do it on the APP and could only call customer service or go to an offline business hall. In recent years, telecom operators have launched more and more diverse mobile phone packages for users to choose from, but when consumers want to adjust their packages to a lower level according to their actual needs, they encounter various obstacles. (Workers' Daily, August 19)

It is easy to upgrade phone packages but difficult to downgrade them. Upgrading is easy but downgrading is cumbersome. Upgrading is fast but downgrading is slow. Consumers feel "comparative inconvenience" in terms of procedures and "comparative discomfort" in terms of emotions. Behind this service contrast are the infringement calculations and routines of some operators and the inexplicable "selfishness" at work.

The ease of upgrading phone packages certainly provides convenience for consumers, but it also helps operators sell new packages, increase tariff revenue, and stabilize or expand customer resources; the difficulty of downgrading phone packages is full of obstacles, which is harmful to consumers but not beneficial, but helps operators retain customers and retain higher-standard package marketing. Obviously, it is easy to upgrade phone packages but difficult to downgrade, especially the buck-passing, jamming, and inefficiency in the downgrade process. The key lies in the operators' interest considerations with user retention and package revenue as the main goals.

Under such considerations, if the operator conceals the quantity and quality, price or fees, fulfillment period and method of the package, and other information that has a significant interest to consumers during the upgrade of the call package, or there are false and exaggerated publicity, false promises, and deceiving consumers to apply for packages, as well as artificial obstacles and efficiency reduction during the downgrade of the call package, it is suspected of infringing on consumers' right to know, right to choose independently, and right to fair trade, crossing the legal bottom line and the bottom line of integrity, and hindering fair competition in the market. Operators are too selfish and are obsessed with using the procedures and efficiency contrast of package upgrades and downgrades to retain customers for marketing, which will not only reduce consumers' consumption experience, but also easily backfire on their own reputation and industry market.

It is easy to upgrade call packages but difficult to downgrade them. This has become an unspoken marketing rule of some operators, and consumers have suffered for a long time. In this regard, relevant departments should focus on governance. In 2022, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology issued the "Notice on Further Standardizing Matters Related to Telecommunications Services", which clearly requires convenient business changes and cancellations, ensures that users without an agreement can freely choose the services or packages on sale under the same conditions, and provide the same processing methods for package downgrades and upgrades. In recent years, some consumers have been able to successfully switch to lower-priced packages through complaints, agency, etc. This is enough to show that some operators are not unable to downgrade their packages quickly, but do not want to be fast. "The same model and efficiency for package downgrades and upgrades" has no obstacles at the management and technical levels and is completely feasible.

Of course, to speed up and improve the downgrade of call packages, we cannot rely entirely on the self-discipline of operators. Departments such as Industry and Information Technology, Market Supervision, Consumer Associations, and industry associations should be problem-oriented and further improve telecommunications operation service rules and standards, clarify the principles of consistency in service and efficiency for upgrades and downgrades of call packages, clarify the processing mode, processing path, and service time limit for package downgrades, and clarify the responsibilities of operators and the ways for consumers to protect their rights.

On this basis, regulatory authorities should strengthen supervision and governance of the telecommunications industry, open up channels for complaints and reporting, and if they find that operators engage in false advertising, misleading consumers, refuse or shirk responsibility, or delay processing package downgrades, they should be interviewed, punished, and exposed, and ordered to make rectifications within a time limit. This will force and urge operators to standardize their marketing behaviors, optimize service processes, improve service efficiency and quality, and provide better guarantees for consumers to exercise their right to freely choose packages.