THE Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) says forcing subscribers to use credit for internet bundles within a given timeframe by mobile service providers is illegal and service providers risk being prosecuted.
CCPC consumer and public relations director Brian Lingela said the practice is likely to violate section 53(1) of the Act which provides that in a contract between an enterprise and a consumer, the contract or a term of the contract shall be regarded as unfair if it causes a significant imbalance in the parties’ rights and obligations arising under the contract, to the detriment of the consumer.
Mr Lingela said the Act further states that an unfair contract or an unfair term of a contract between a consumer and an enterprise shall not be binding. “Ordinarily, the commission would have to investigate this and assess whether the Act has been violated and if the assessment tests are positive, then parties would have to answer,” he said.
He said this in response to a press query in Lusaka yesterday.
Airtel and MTN have been selling internet bundles and are telling clients to use the bundles within one month failure to which they lose out on the balances a situation which has riled some customers.
Zambia Consumer Association (ZACA) has also bemoaned the high cost of INTERNET bundles charged with unfair conditions attached to internet services by mobile service providers.
Airtel regulatory manager Jerome Kawesha said a comprehensive statement will be issued on the matter by afternoon yesterday. The association has since challenged Zambia Information and Communication Technology Authority (ZICTA) to discharge its mandate and protect consumers.
ZACA executive secretary Muyunda Ililonga agreed with complaints from subscribers and expressed disappointment with telecommunication service providers who have taken advantage of exploiting consumers regarding the INTERNET bundles.
Mr Ililonga is of the view that competition in the telecommunication industry should have order and quality customer care to benefit consumers. He said the association has observed that despite the competition in the sector, telecommunication firms are charging exorbitant high INTERNET charges and are subjecting consumers to unfair conditions.
Efforts to get a comment from ZICTA failed as the international relations manager could not answer her mobile phone since Tuesday.
[Zambia Daily Mail]
but why are you showing a picture of GBM’s cellphone ba LT?
Don’t urge or appeal to them, fine them for each infraction! And why don’t we have lawyers in Zambia who can take on these firms through class-action suits on behalf of cheated consumers?
These chaps are stealing from us for sure. Urgent need to find a lasting solution to it twapapata.
Ba LT sure you couldn’t take a picture of a better looking lamya sure?
very simple impliment rollover airtime and credits to the next month .
subcriber should have 90 days to top up with a minimal amount to keep his or herv line active , failer of which it automaticaly gets de activated . for you mambala.s who travel for extended times , hoging valuble phone lines slots .as for the month to month credit . it should rollover on to the next month , and so on and so on , ,provided your line is active within the 90 day window , really there should not be a problem rolling your valuble credits to the next month .
its like having some one come to your restaurant ,ordears an expensive meal and you give him 30 min to eat up n leave or risk having his remaining food taken from him . if he wants to stay on he needs to order a new plate at cost ………crazy .
Please look into Iconnect’s billing method also. If you do not use your band width within a month then you lose it. Help us, we are being reaped off.
LT please don’t be sadists..post a better pic of cellphone.
is that a rubber band around the pictured phone?
Pant ilya ni phone yandi bane.
Vingenesi mu kamwala remand prison mukalibe kuvipoka ma license
as any one stopped to ask how much in lience fees ZICTA is charging MTN ZAMTEL and AIRTEL !!!!
Having internet bundles for a specified time is ok as long as customers access the internet at all times during that period. My experience last time i was in zed was pathetic in internet or mobile communication. Even recharging airtime can be very difficult at times. Worse off, mobile service providers kept on sending pathetic sms’s for their marketing campaigns.
That is a Sat Phone bane. Can even work in Chiengi!!!
the phone on the pix shows how zambians can keep phones for ages nangu yalitobeka…umwina zambia fye……its too much…
I think these phone service provider are indeed taking advantage of the customer. Is that the newly found freedom is what is bringing this service thieving awakening. The major problem is with internet services more so from Airtal. These are the bigest thieve. I bought a bundle which ordinaryly took me one month to use. This time in finished in 3 days, even with the use being the same as always.I made a querry and these fools at Airtel kept telling me I had used all of it. Worse I was on the net on not more than 6 occasions and my bundle finished. These thieves from india need to be checked. They are money mongers.
Where there is political will things can happen. If indeed ZICTA, CCPC, ZCA (what ever you call these organisaitons) are aware about this problem, the need to take action. “Deeds not words”. For many years I have complained to Celtel, call them Zain, or Airtel. I remember having a long conversation with the provider in Chipata, Livingstone and Kitwe about the bundles and how they dissappeared within a month. They all said that was the rule; I was very upset; but I had to accept because I couldnt do without internet for more than a day. Ala there are many things to be sorted in this Country called Zambia – we need a very strong leadership at all levels of service provision.
Zambia is one of the few countries where such rubbish is entertained. If you were to check on the conduct of some of these multinationals operating here, their conduct is differnt in other countries. Zambia allows even a very small shop in Kamwala selling gum to charge in US Dollar. Zambia allows a person to come all the way from China, India etc get a work permit as an INVESTOR only to stand the whole day on an elelvated paltform in a shop checking for shoplifters. I went to one manufacturing company in Chinika area and the whole accounts dept is full of Indians who cannot even speak English. I am sure they have work permits. Hahahaha kekekeke. Very funny. Let us get serious.
Why don’t we first ask this questions:
1.How much does ZICTA charge ISP and Mobile operators for their licenses and short codes annually?
2. How much do the service providers buy bandwidth from carriers?
Guys, lets get real for once, those arguing ISP and Mobile service providers are charging too much should first find out how much service providers are charged in license fees and to buy bandwidth
I have another question. If you know you use 300MB every month and you buy a 1GB bundle are you seriously doing yourself a favor by buying more than you need? Why don’t you buy a smaller bundle which you’ll finish within a given time frame rather than crying over your careless spending.
We get billed here in OZ each month and there are no credits that can be used in the following month.
This is the whole idea of bundling.
The provider can set limits based on average usage and bill accordingly.
I pay $29 per month no refund and contracted for up to 12 months.
500mb of data free and calls to any network free after 7pm all night.
The last night of the month i call anywhere to use up credits.
GOVT JUST SHUT UP AND LEARN DEMAND AND SUPPLY
.
I am using an Iphone 4s, a blackberry 1000 and i doubt zambians have even seen these. The country is so backwards
Thanks
You are a godamn ***** mushota! You must be living in a dream. You economic refugee!
Mushota is really a chicken
With dure respect to national laws, here in UK, you dont carry over your airtime. Last night was last day of the month on my package so I had to make calls just to use up talk time or else I lose it. Actually every month I lose a lot of airtime in £s and internet capacity.
However if in Zambia doing this is breaking the law then service providers should be prosecuted and charged.
Please people educate what are these bundles u keep talking up? A very simple explanation will be adequate. Am completely lost
Airtel has not been consistent in its internet service provision. There are several times that I have failed to access the service, despite having a bundle that is limited to only one month. So at the end of the month, I would have only used half of that bundle (500 MBs) and lost out K63,000, almost a monthly subscription for 20 My T.V satellite channels. This is daylight robbery, so ZICTA should reverse this condition and allow us to use the bundle as long as it lasts.
Mushota, you are just disgracing your self… so what if you are using those kinds of handsets? its your own business not ours… focus on the topic and comment…