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‘AIRTEL Must Pay For Their LIES’
“Airtel lied and keeps lying to me; I have no doubt to you too.
I am one of the many people who bought the Airtel internet modem (dongle) that was on promotion up to 31st July 2011. The promotion promised that if you bought the modem, which was for K250,000, you would receive free internet data of 100MB valued at K85,000, every month for three consecutive months.
Surprisingly however, the modem gave less free data than promised. In my case, it gave me 30MB per month for three months. For 6 months (July to December 2011), I kept phoning Airtel customer care to report the “defect” and all I got was the same story: “You are not the only one with such a situation, Sir. The procedure is: give me your sim number, I will add it to the list to be submitted to IT; then IT will credit you with outstanding free data within 2 hours. We are very sorry.”
Customer care my foot! Never even writing down query details; not once, not twice or three times, but almost 20 times. As if that were not pathetic enough, they even blocked my number twice for calling them more than three times a day; its how they have set up their call centre system – to deny customer care to the people who need it desperately.
There was another customer who received 100MB as promised, but only for two months instead of three. He too was told stories as “customer care” until he gave up. He vented his frustration on a consumer diaries blog, who followed up the story and alerted ZICTA. ZICTA contacted Airtel who profusely apologized and gave the gentleman his outstanding free data.
I couldn’t help but think that I still had not received my free data because my case had not reached “big bosses” for Airtel to be scared. So I came up with my own scare tactic.
I wrote Airtel a demand letter, explaining my situation, demanding billions of kwachas for breach of warranty, misrepresentation, negligence, unfair trading practice, etc and threatened legal action. It is now two weeks since my fourteen (14) days notice expired; no word from them, still no free data in my internet.
It is clear my scare tactic was not scary enough. It was not on a lawyer’s letterhead. Airtel quickly figured I was too small, merely a dispensable nonentity in their quest for profit.
Their other commercial lie is their internet bundle pricing. They advertise that their data bundle, say, 1GB, is K125,000. But when you load K125,000 into the modem, you get around K124, 000 credit. So you must buy an extra K1,000 card to be able to recharge with 1GB.
This is misrepresentation, a very unfair trading practice.
What You Should Do
There is hundreds of thousands of us internet customers with Airtel. So for every recharge, an extra K1000 from me, from you, the next person and so on, translates into billions of kwachas for Airtel. The same with the free data. The more of us they tell stories and refuse to give until we give up, ‘the more money in their pockets.’
Here is what you should if you have faced similar frustrations: contact me on www.facebook.com/mauricemakalu. I want us to launch a group complaint to both ZICTA and Consumer Protection. This is to show that instead of this behavior by Airtel being seen as normal human error, for which they can get away with a simple public relations apology, it is actually a deliberate setup, intended to induce customers to buy Airtel products for them to increase their sales and once they make the money, they frustrate customers who demand real value for services for which they pay sufficient consideration.
Are you thinking fraud??!! Me too; I wish I was in Mutembo Nchito’s chair. Considering the technological advancements at play here, I would like to know what judges think about this right up to the Supreme Court. I also wish the technologically compliant Fraud Act 2006 of UK were effective in Zambia.
There is two of us already. We need to be as many as possible when we write to ZICTA and Consumer Protection.
So has Airtel lied to you too? Take a step, inbox me on www.facebook.com/mauricemakalu. Let us get Airtel to pay for their commercial lies and send a message against such behavior in our economy.
I appreciate your proactiveness.”
Posted by Editor
on January 17, 2012. Filed under Forum, LATEST NEWS.
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Source Code
January 17, 2012 at 5:06 pm
We need major changes the telecoms sector. Communication is just too expensive in zambia..
B King
January 17, 2012 at 5:20 pm
but all Zambians are liars
kusebana
January 17, 2012 at 5:26 pm
never been Airtel, MTN and Boma CellZ, SATA revoke license yaba AIRTEL you have the powers in you mouth.
mtn
January 17, 2012 at 5:39 pm
The best network in Zambia is MTN.
Even their call centre is always available.
Y’ello!
EVIL GENIUS
January 17, 2012 at 5:58 pm
A fourth mobile network will do us no good,its like a cartel these guys have formed,a fourth guy will just join in.i say we jus boycott all these guys,how many subscribers are we??3million,even for 48hrs,and then they will take us serious,I wouldnt be surprised if ZICTA was in it on all this.
wemfula isa isa
January 17, 2012 at 6:25 pm
MTN gave me free data bundle of 10000MB -fuliiiii! Where else can go.
Chonya
January 17, 2012 at 6:34 pm
Let AIRTEL pay for its lies. why steal from innocent citizens.
KANFEX
January 17, 2012 at 6:38 pm
AIRTEL INTERNET IS PATHETIC, I ABANDONED THE SAME MODEM AND BOUGHT THE MTN ONE BECAUSE I WAS SPENDING A LOT OF MONEY BUT WAS NOT ABLE TO USE IT.
AIRTIME FINISHES BEFORE THE WEBSITE YOU ARE SEARCHING OPENS AND THE RESPONSE WE GET IS: “SIR, MAYBE THE NETWORK IN YOUR AREA HAS A PROBLEM THAT IS WHY YOU FACE THOSE CHALLENGES, TRY TO MOVE TO OTHER AREAS AND TRY” SO, SHOULD I SHIFT AND LEAVE MY EMPLOYMENT JUST BECAUSE OF BAD NETWORK?
umuntu ni MTN
January 17, 2012 at 6:44 pm
Am enjoying MTN bundles big time, I even introduced all intenet lovers at my place of work if you have bonus point you can redeem data bundles easily. airtel! airtel! malabishi fye!
umuntu ni MTN
January 17, 2012 at 6:51 pm
INFACT I have 61 000 points worthy 15000GB intenet bunddles. SO ALL ZEDIAN SWITCH AND SAVE YOUR MEAGRE RESOUCES.
cheatedby airtel
January 17, 2012 at 7:03 pm
I very much wonder why, we Zambians – Including myself have stuck to these thieves. I already have mtn sim and phone. bye bye airtel
bonzo geoffrey
January 17, 2012 at 7:22 pm
every where yo go.iam enjoying
sos
January 17, 2012 at 7:44 pm
just leave these thieves and go to mtn.and latest laptop with already made moderm and stop complaning.
Mp'nga Mbizi
January 17, 2012 at 7:47 pm
Alternatively, you can unblock their Huwaei modem, (its easy, search online for an unlock code) then buy an MTN sim card and dump these morons.
Sydney
January 17, 2012 at 8:09 pm
You are not the only one. The current Airtel router/gateway modems they are selling have a design fault. They do not come with an aerial making surfing the internet so bad due to the unit keeping dropping. Its the same thing with those “RedPhones” they brought on the market, The lose signal without you even knowing it
Gogo
January 17, 2012 at 8:14 pm
AIRTEL is cheating us of our hard earned cash. I personally have ditched them. I am now using MTN modem to access internet and so far so good. Way forward: ZICTA please probe this crooked company AIRTEL – it is stealing from its customers with impunity.
Katula
January 17, 2012 at 8:24 pm
If only I knew how bad ba MTN was I would not have wasted my time switching to them, humbly went back kuli ba Airfail. These bastards urging you on ku MTNined must be an employee telling ubufi bafikala!
Gate keeper
January 17, 2012 at 8:39 pm
AIR TEL IS SO PATHETIC,MAKES ME SICK TO THE BONE.THE PROMOTION THAT WAS RUNNING ABOUT WINNING A K10M EVERY WEEK,ITS SO FUNNY THAT I DONT KNOW ANY ONE THAT KNOWS ANY BODY TO HAVE WON THE CASH.MAY BE ITS JUST ME,BUT PLZ PROVE ME WRONG IF YOU CAN.
??
January 17, 2012 at 8:48 pm
Mtn has no call centre agents.
Original Zambian
January 17, 2012 at 10:04 pm
Maurice Makulu, there are (5) five of us here in my city in UK who were duped by Airtel while on holiday in Zambia. Its so frustrating to see these foreign companies exploiting innocent Zambians. The best PF govt can do is repossess the licence of Airtel. More credible telecommunications provider companies can take their place. Yes include many Zambians here in the UK, we will link with them all over this exploitative business.
The Unlocker
January 17, 2012 at 10:09 pm
I Think Instead Of Buying Another Modem…Why Not Have Your Air Tel Modem Unlocked?? It Works Fine….I Had Mine Unlocked….Now I Can Put Cell-Z or MTN..
mj
January 17, 2012 at 10:35 pm
chase them
Big ben
January 18, 2012 at 3:24 am
I have never had any issues with airtel modem its works very well doing my assignment with it now!! its a shame certain pipo have nothing to do and just sit creating cheap talk when there is nothing and others just go on making comments without thinking and have never used these modems.come to UNZA and see how many are using them and have never complained. its a big shame!!!!
Big ben
January 18, 2012 at 3:29 am
READING THROUGH THE STORY AGAIN,its seems the author is an AN FUSTRATED MTN Employee!!! pipo wake and dont be cheated!! this mordem is even faster!!
chabo
January 18, 2012 at 6:36 am
Chi Big ben re u from bengazi !!
unclejoe
January 18, 2012 at 7:11 am
guys why re u wasting yo time talking about the network thats owned by thieves jst y’ello everywhere u go instead of crying right now i ve 5000 data bundles whereelse only mtn and u re good to go.
FTJ
January 18, 2012 at 8:52 am
AIRTEL subscribers have themselves to blame. This company, from inception – in the days of Celtel, Zain etc etc, has always been owned and managed by crooks and thieves.
Why keep complaining when you can always switch to MTN and the soon to be Zambian owned Cell-Z???
muzoma
January 18, 2012 at 9:04 am
AIRTEL! Or is it SHIT-TEL? My foot! Away with you!!!
believe7
January 18, 2012 at 9:31 am
I flashed off the airtel software from their modem and now usin MTN….VIVA MTN!
wm
January 18, 2012 at 9:34 am
Indian business tactics!
cute
January 18, 2012 at 9:45 am
i just dont know why i dont like Airtel cant even buy thier sim card. imagine.
Umuntu
January 18, 2012 at 9:49 am
MTN modems are better and cheaper.
kutinakalya ka thandi
January 18, 2012 at 10:17 am
Air tel what u gotta be kiddin me.Airter need to upgrade unfortunately like every Asian company if believe in stealin technology
gaddafi
January 18, 2012 at 10:55 am
ka big ben uli tole sana. i dont knw the kind of a fool u re but i urge u to wakeup frm slumber land. y’ello.
mudenda
January 18, 2012 at 10:57 am
i dont know to take that modem i bought from airtel,i’ll throw it in lake mwelu
Swaz
January 18, 2012 at 11:19 am
I would shit on Airtel if it were a human being
Amailesi
January 18, 2012 at 11:36 am
I HAVE BEEN HAVING MY AIRTEL INTERNET MODEM FOR ALONG TIME AND I HAVE NOT EXPEREINCED NAY PROBLEMS AT ALL,THE CONNECION IS VERY GOOD.
IAM ONLY CHARGED FOR WHAT I USED NOT HOW LONG I STAY CONNECTED
Big ben
January 18, 2012 at 11:37 am
Chabo and Gaddafi i bet both of you have never even used a modem before by the way you are coming out just like most of the lot here making comments which are unfounded,i work with the modem daily doing my school research and Airtel is just the best!!!! please pipo appreciate the quailty service.
Big ben
January 18, 2012 at 11:44 am
Chabo and Gaddafi read Amailesi’s comment pipo with sense!!! done with the my research using the Airtel Moderm,no problems!! going to class now!! quality service received!!!
foolish idiots
January 18, 2012 at 12:09 pm
airtel are a group of confused liars.can PF pliz chase them away from zambia.foolish idiots.
kapala
January 18, 2012 at 12:30 pm
I was tring to redeem minutes from reward points, these chaps everytime they tell i ve got insufficient points when i ve 1,345 points. this time i found i had no points but nothing hs been credited to my account. very foolish airtel. mukangenemo chabe!
don
January 18, 2012 at 12:44 pm
Just Join us on MTN! Those chaps just want to show that they are leaders in mobile phones here in Zambia BUT their service is one of the poorest!!!
clement muyawala
January 18, 2012 at 1:33 pm
The way forward is to go for sweet yellow mtn am also one of those who bought a ka modem and i ended up being frustrated, it seems airtel has achieved the profits they were looking for and customer care is not a key interest any more.
Ine
January 18, 2012 at 7:03 pm
dude if want to sue just go ahead and stop wasting time posting your complaint to the wrong people.
my advice to use before you go rushing to the authorities is that you should get your facts right,all else you are fighting a losing battle. yes some of the things you have written are true but some of them are not, so get your facts before we start thinking that you just someone who is desperately looking for someone to pay your bills.
and i hope you intend to share the damages that you will payed with those who will help you (if 2
at all you have a case)
immortal
January 19, 2012 at 10:10 pm
don’t waste ya time just crack the modem and make it universal then enjoy free browsin lik i do
Muslim
February 29, 2012 at 12:45 pm
Honestly how do you trust fools like Airtel…??