Unsolicited messages and forced
subscriptions have over time been the hallmark of the Nigerian telecomm service.
Telecom operators or their surrogates (3rd party content developers) flood subscribers
phones with tons of text messages every day, advertising one service or
the other.
Some even forcibly subscribe consumers to different services and
deduct various sums of money without the consent of affected consumers. Examples
of unsolicited messages can be seen in the following screenshots:
Consequent upon the foregoing, the Consumer Protection
Council (CPC) has over time been inundated with a barrage of complaints on
unsolicited messages, unsolicited advert calls and deductions for forced
subscriptions and other unsolicited services.
ROLE OF CONSUMER
PROTECTION COUNCIL (CPC)
Among others, CPC has the mandate to provide redress to
obnoxious practices or the unscrupulous exploitation of consumers, encourage
trade, industry and professional associations to develop and enforce in their
various fields quality standards designed to safeguard the interest of
consumers,. ensure that consumers' interests receive due consideration at
appropriate forum, and prosecute anyone who provides any service or proffers
any information or advertisement thereby causing injury or loss to the
consumer.
Cognizant of its mandate, CPC continues to resolve
individual complaints on their merit, as well as undertake advocacy to the Nigerian
Telecommunications Commission (NCC)for an enduring industry-wide solution to
the abuse of consumer rights in the telecom sector.
INTRODUCTION OF THE DND SERVICE
CPC was pleased to learn of the
directive of the NCC to telecom operators in Nigeria to introduce the
Do Not Disturb (DND) code across their networks with effect from 30th June
2016.The directive required all mobile network operators to dedicate a short
code for use by subscribers to opt-in or out of the ‘Do Not Disturb (DND)’
database on their networks.
However,
months after the said directive was given to telecom operators by NCC, complaints
about promotional and
marketing messages from 3rd Party services (Bulk SMS, VAS promos, etc) still
persist.
FACTORS
HAMPERING SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION OF DND SERVICE
Factors inhibiting the implementation
of the DND service include the following:
Lack
of Awareness:
While most Mobile Network Operators
(MNOs) have complied with NCC’s directive in setting up the DND facility on
their networks, there exists the
unwillingness or reluctance of the MNO’s to sensitise their
subscribers on the availability of the facility
and how to utilise same.
Technical
Hitches:
In some instances, the
Do-Not-Disturb service suffered technical hitches as they failed to work as
expected. In
this respect, there are insinuations among consumers that the so-called
technical hitches may be the MNOs ploy to deliberately frustrate consumers from
making use of the DND service.
WHAT
NEEDS TO BE DONE:
Consumer
Awareness:
Efforts should be galvanised by NCC and
the MNOs to bring to the knowledge of consumers the availability of the DND
service and how to use same.
Enforcement:
CPC supports the imposition of punitive
fines by NCC on MNOs that violate the Commission's directive on the DND
service. The Council's position, however, is that the enforcement of the DND service
should be stepped up by NCC to ensure that the MNOs comply fully with the
directive in the interest of consumers.
CONCLUSION:
Promotional and marketing messages from 3rd
party services, which include bulk SMS, VAS promos, etc, have become a
nightmare for consumers. The situation behooves all MNOs to comply fully with
the directives of the NCC on the DND service.
CPC, on its part, is
committed to its advocacy on this issue and will continue to stand by NCC on
measures being introduced to eliminate the scourge.
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