Make Consumer Rights Work for you!

Hello Sola,
I’m one of those that enjoy your column but I never knew I would soon be one of those writing due to unfair service from the telecoms industry; precisely, Zain.
I started using Zain from Econet days and I must confess that I enjoy them tremendously apart from the general hic cups which I believe is applicable, if not more, to the other networks.

However, right now, I AM NOT A HAPPY CUSTOMER! I bought two N500.00 recharge cards from a stationary vendor in front of my office but couldn't credit my phone with the cards because the system claims that it has been used by a previous subscriber. What! I tried again and again at intervals thinking it will be a mistake but the same message keeps popping up. I was mad! I work hard for my money to lose it this way. I would rather give it to the messenger in my office that runs errand for me than to lose it this way.

One of my colleagues trying to calm me down, explaining that it is possible that Zain printed the same batch number twice! I complained to the vendor who was at a loss as to what could be the problem. I sent my colleague to Zain service centre at Silver Bird Galleria and he was told that they will need to send a message to the Head Office. He even went to another centre at Ikeja on Saturday but was told that they don’t attend to these kinds of issues on weekend.

I then decided to send a mail requested that a new PIN should be sent to me as I couldn't recharge my phone with the cards I bought but the response I got was that the cards in question were loaded by another subscriber on the 2nd of June (I tried to load mine around 2nd week in June).

I sent another mail, this time explaining that the cards I bought were sealed in a foil which I personally removed and the silver lining concealing the PIN was very intact. These I personally scratched hence it beats me how another subscriber must have used the same card when I was holding it! The mail was sent over two weeks now and I HAVE NOT GOTTEN A RESPONSE!

Not even to say that they will look into it. They should find out if the error is indeed from their printing of a batch of cards twice or someone is playing a fast one on them but whatever they do, I need them to send me another PIN because I am so frustrated right now and ready to take this thing further if the need arise. I have my evidence which is the cards themselves, the person that sold them was complained to immediately and their service centres were contacted.

NB: Sola, if you read this mail please advise me on what you think I should do.I am not a hungry riff-raff as I earn an average pay working in the bank and happen to be a branch manager. I just need a PIN that works for the money I have already spent! Nneoma




Dear Nneoma,
Thank you for contacting me through this email. I would love to help you look into what your rights are in this circumstance but off my head, I would suggest you hold the vendor who sold the cards because that is the only way to verify that the cards came directly from the Zain batch or it is a fake card.

I would also suggest that you write a formal letter to the customer services department explaining the situation; but your case would be better helped if you could trace the distribution chain from your vendor to the major wholesaler via the batch number. That way, you can establish Zain's culpability in the case.

Please note that you would need to be patient and ready to follow this through as it might be a long process. I would encourage you to get to the bottom of this because you would be saving other consumers who might fall victim of this fraud if any is established. I look forward to your response and would be glad to help in any way to rectify this situation. Best Regards, Sola



Hello Sola
I am super thrilled reading your response. I nearly didn't believe that you’ll be writing back so thank you very much.

Though I can't be sure, I believe that the vendor is least culpable because he is stationary! If it were to be a hawker, then I will believe that he had played a fast one on me and secondly, this card is not the paper type that they pin together but the hard one that comes in a foil and the PIN number covered with a silver lining.

I think it is an error from Zain. It will be mighty easy for a fraudster to duplicate the paper cards instead of these hard ones but anyway, THIS IS NAIJA! I will take your advice and officially write the customer care unit via the same channel I used before hoping that this time, they will at least investigate it. Keep up this good work. Nneoma


Hello Sola,
I wish to inform you that I just got two Zain cards handed over to me now worth exactly N1, 000.00, thanks to you!

You said to follow the distribution chain and that was what happened. I sent for the vendor and complained to him and then gave him the photocopies of the card (I needed to hold onto the main card as evidence). With these, he sent it to the company he bought his cards from who in return sent it to the ones they bought theirs from and so on and so on! Voila! I have my refund back.

The advice you gave me should have simply be given to me by Zain instead of just telling me that someone has used the card. Thanks a million! I am happy not so much for the money but because I have learnt that things can still happen if you know your rights and consistently follow it through. You taught me that! Nneoma



Hello Nneoma,
Congratulations! I am very proud of you for insisting on your rights and having the patience to see the process through. Many Nigerian consumers like you would just bear that loss without complaining and that is one of the reasons our consumer rights structure is still so weak. I would like to publish your experience especially because there is a great lesson to learn from it. I hope you will permit me.

Please continue to exercise your rights as a consumer in every transaction because it will contribute greatly to the development of our great nation. I am honored to have been of help in this instance. Please do not hesitate to let me know if I can assist you in any other issue that has to do with consumer protection. Sola


Dear Sola,
The pleasure is mine for having you as an advocate, for free! Please feel free to use this experience and material as you please especially for better education of others. Nneoma


My Comments
This chain of e-mails was exchanged between Nneoma and me in the last six weeks or so and I decided to publish because I hope it would encourage another consumer to be more committed to expecting excellent service and where it is missing, to insist on it and not settle for less.

I also hope someone would learn the simple truth Nneoma learnt through this process; “If you know your rights and insist on it, follow through on the process, you most likely will get it! So while we await the body of laws that would codify our consumer rights, let’s make the effort to insist on basic integrity in transactions and good customer care.

P.S I also hope Zain will learn a thing or two from Nneoma’s experience too. A customer response system that does not respond to a customer’s need weeks after the first complaint is not efficient enough. Customer agents should also be better trained on how to help a customer get the best out of his or her experience with the brand. And what was that about not treating some particular issues at weekends? What if that was all the free time a consumer has? Is Zain trying to tell us their ideal customers are people who have time to follow through their process during the week? I sure hope not.

I however commend Zain’s prompt response down the distribution chain. It shows that the brand has made provision to accept responsibility for defaults when it can be established. One however wonders how such a fraud could have been perpetrated. NCC needs to investigate such instances to protect other consumers from Nneoma’s experience. Well done Nneoma! Thanks for proving that consumer rights can be enforced even in Nigeria! I would be glad to assist any other consumer keen on enforcing his or her rights. Just e-mail or call me. Together we can make Nigeria consumer safe and friendly.