Nigerians welcomed with open arms the liberalisation of the telecoms sector 12 years ago. They jumped at the opportunity to talk, notwithstanding how much it will cost them. LUCAS AJANAKU writes on the ways service providers cheat their customers.
He is now scared of recharging his mobile phone. Reason: Each time he recharges, the airtime is wiped-off even without making voice call, assessing data service or using the short message service (SMS) platform.
The subscriber, who simply identified himself as Tolu, became frustrated. So, when the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) introduced the mobile number portability (MNP) about three months ago, he thought respite was on the way. He thought all he needed to do was to port to another service provider and still retain the number he has become used to since the coming of the global system for mobile communication (GSM) in 2001.
Tolu was shocked as his efforts to port have been frustrated by his network, the donor operator.
Tolu’s fate is similar to that of millions of subscribers nationwide. They just buy cards (airtime) but cannot account for how the airtime is used. As usual, they pick their mobile phones, hoping that there is enough airtime in it only to discover that their service provider has blown the airtime off.
Findings show that the operators explore one or all of the following avenues to blow their subscribers’ airtime.
‘Flashing’ with conventional numbers
One way the operators undo their subscribers is by using the 11-digit mobile telephone numbers to ‘flash’ their customers. Some of the operators resorted to this method because the subscribers have become used to the initial three-digit code they were using to call their customers.
The idea is that when the unsuspecting subscribers see the ‘flashing’ they will easly mistake it for a missed call. The subscriber will be left with no choice but to call back. Mrs Esher Akomolafe, a subscriber said she fell victim several times because she has youngsters in school who depend on her. “I have three young ones in school out of Lagos, so when they are broke, they could use their friend’s mobile number to ‘flash’ me so that I could call them. I have called such numbers only to discover that it was from my operator,” she lamented.
Billing without call
It has become the practice with some of the operators to also send bills to their subscribers for calls not made. Such bills are sent in quite neglible sums. For instance, it could be N10 but could be sent about four or five times a day in intervals.
Data service bill
Data services ought to be optional for subscribers. So, it is curious when some operators send bills intermittently to their subscribers that they have spent certain amount of money accessing the internet.
These bills are sometimes sent to the mobile phones of people who are barely literate and could hardly think of configuring their mobile phones to access the internet.
“When I bought my Nokia Asha phone recently, my service provider sent internet setting configuration to me no sooner had I inserted the SIM. I am not sure if I ever accessed the internet through the mobile phone, yet I get bills. I called my operator but its only promises I get,” a subscriber who identified herself simply as Efe complained.
Imposition of ring back caller tunes
Some of the operators force ring-back caller tunes on their subscribers. What they do initailly is that they give the subscribers the impression that the service was going to be free but as soon as the subscriber swallows the bait, opting out becomes a problem and deduction for such services is the first the service providers go for at the end of the month.
Though provisions are usually said to be made for opting out through specific code sent to certain numbers, it is better not to go in at all because going out becomes a great deal of problem to the subscribers. “My mummy was surprised that her caller ring back tune is our Lord’s prayer. She initially asked me to help her opt out but after several attempts, she gave up and accepted it, afterall she is of the Roman Catholic faith,” an intern, who simply identified herself as Uloma said.
Imposition of alerts
Some operators are also in the habit of imposing alerts on their subscribers. Such alerts are either on football, Bible and others
These alerts are most times, imposed on the subscribers by the operators. Though they are dissatisfied, they are usually left with no choice but to see it as an incurable disease that could only be endured.
NATCOMS response
President, National Association of Telecoms Subscribers (NATCOMS) Deolu Ogunbajo, said the body has been inundated with complaints by aggrieved subscribers over being short changed one way or the other by their service providers.
He said alerts are also of great concern to the NCC. This, according to him, has made the regulator to now restrict the time the operators send alerts to their customers.
“Caller tunes are a global practice. What we are going to do now is to step up education and enlightenment for our members not to accept some of the codes the operators send to them,” he said.
For unsolicited data connection, Ogunbanjo said: “A lot of people have complained about data too. In the court process we are doing, we are asking the court to put in place, a proper consumer management scheme and put an era of sanctions in place. If a subscriber complains, even when they accept liability, it takes them so long to right the wrongs if they ever do. What we are pushing for is for a penalty that will have time limt attached. So if the time limt for that penalty is exceeded, it should attract further punishment.”
Efforts to get the reaction of the Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) was futile as calls made to the phone number of the Chairman of the group, Gbenga Adebayo, was not picked. Also, a text message sent to him was not acknowledged at the time of going to the press.
Also calls to Mrs Ngozi Obidike of Lagos office, Consumer Protection Council (CPC) were not picked.
