Callertunez: NCC should investigate MTN auto-subscription ­–stakeholders

By KELECHI MGBOJI

Following revelation that MTN defraud Nigerians a whopping N2.7billion monthly through its automatic subscription to callertunez on behalf of subscribers, stakeholders have called on the National Communications Commission (NCC) to investigate subscribers’ dilemma in opting out of the service.

The regulatory body was also told to investigate why network providers apply auto-subscription device to compel subscribers’ patronage of the service without giving them any chance to determine the choice of tunes.

Wondering what code a subscriber who did not subscribe for any tune could use to opt out, some industry stakeholders who commented on the development deplored MTN’s highhandedness regarding subscribers’ difficulty in opting out of the caller tune service, stressing that the process need not be a complex one.

Subscribers and victims of rip-off also called on the NCC, the Consumer Protection Council (CPC) and other government agencies under whose regulatory purview this high-handedness of MTN Nigeria falls, to exert appropriate sanction against the company.

In a telephone interview over the weekend, the National President of Nigeria Association of Telecom subscribers, (NATCOMS), Chief Deolu Ogunbanjo, said there must be a system resolution that should be put in place to manage such issues arising from subscribers’ complains.

According to him, “if the subscribers are enjoying the service, then it is okay. But where there is no satisfaction in the callertunez service, the resolution of such complain now becomes vital,” stressing if a subscriber is not satisfied with it or he does not want it any more, he should be able to opt out with ease.

“On the issue of having difficulties in opting out of callertunez service, that is where NCC should come in as a regulator, so there must be a system put in place that anytime a subscriber wants to opt out he should be able to do so.

“Why must MTN force us to continue to subscribe to callertunez. If I have used a callertunez for three months and I don’t want it any longer, I should be able to quit. Talking of the ability to get off through callertunez service when we feel like, we will take that up with NCC when we meet”. Deolu added

Similarly, the president, Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Mr. Lanre Ajayi, expressed serious concern over difficulties which customers encounter trying to unsubscribe from callertunez service.

He said: “There should be a simpler way of subscribing and unsubscribing. This is a serious issue if subscribers are facing this kind of problem, and the regulators (NCC) should be informed about it and something should be done”.

In his response the Chairman, Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Engr. Gbenga Adebayo, declined to comment on the development saying: “I cannot hold brief for any operator, am not for and not against. As the chairman of the association, I can’t speak on behalf of any operator or an individual. If there are issues of any kind, channel it to MTN”.

But responding to the widespread calls for sanctions against MTN, NCC's director of public affairs Dr. Tony Ojobo, said that “if MTN is raking N2.7billion through the service, what has that got to do with NCC?

“On the issue of the inability to unsubscribe from callertunez, it is MTN that should be asked the question, which has nothing to do with NCC.”Ojobo said

MTN has come under widespread criticism in recent time over allegations that it is using its caller tunes service with the code number 4100 to defraud over 55.6 million GSM subscribers of a whopping N2.7 billion monthly.
Under the guise of giving subscribers the opportunity to subscribe to any caller tunes of their choice at the rate of N50 per month, the telecoms giant is raking in about N2.7billion monthly and approximately N33.4 billion yearly through the auto-subscription service to about 55.6 million subscribers.

But subscribers complain that they are being ripped off. For instance, after receiving several unsolicited messages, one of the subscriber victims (name with held by us) confronted MTN office in Egbeda, Lagos where he was directed to call Mr. Funso Aina of the Corporate Communications department.
When Aina was contacted, he was full of apologies but the following day the subscriber got a message to the effect that he had been ‘un-subscribed’ from the service which he never subscribed to in the first instance. When he demanded for a refund of his N50, he was merely told to “forget that one.”
Another victim, Chigozie, with a number that has last four digits as ..7141, lamented that MTN has in the last three months continuously subscribed him (unsolicited) and make deductions from his call credit, a development over which he expressed helplessness.
Similarly, Miss Uche who has MTN number that ends in ..2866 is not happy with MTN for automatically subscribing her number to a Callertunez without giving her the option to opt out or choose the tune of her choice.
Another loyal subscriber who has been using MTN number 08032637535, for 9 years said his own message on the 12th of October, 2013 at 5:12am reads: “Your service will expire on 2013-10-15. To renew the service @N50 monthly, take no action. For information on how to cancel, text HELP to 4100.”