Finally Got Tired Of Airtel

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Some weeks ago, I complained about a failed specific AIRTEL USSD CODE to buy 1 GB data for N1000. When the code failed, I tried the general data purchase code of *121# which offered "1GB data for N1000" as one of its options after my credit had already fallen below N1000.

Having purchased smaller data with the "change" and being given less data than I paid for, I complained on Airtel's Facebook Page and the balance of data was restored. I wonder why I was shortchanged in the first place.

Today, I again loaded N1000 credit and made to buy 1GB data using that general data purchase option of dialing *121# only to see that the N1000 option had been removed from the list and the least bundle is N2000!

I then used the "quadruple your credit" option that promises to add 300% bonus offer and an alert promptly arrived that my balance had been beefed up to N4000.

A regular check on my credit balance showed zero indicating that my credit had been committed to the 14-day offer of calls, SMS and data.

But in spite of a mere 13 MB failed download attempt and turned-off pictures, the N4000 expired in less than 3 hours! The paltry download was halted midstream. They hurriedly halted the download progress at 97% so I would be compelled to start the download afresh after I topped up my credit.

A check on my credit balance still showed zero! I made no calls and sent no SMS. I did not download any email attachments and there was no live streaming of online videos. I confined myself mainly to Facebook.... sparingly clicking the "Like" button and refraining from comments...just to conserve data!

Obviously, AIRTEL RAILROADED ME INTO BROWSING OUT-OF-BUNDLE, a more costly option than in-bundle browsing! Even then, N4000 couldn't, in all honesty, have been so rapidly exhausted.

The dismal quality of services provided by our GSM service providers leads us to seek ingenious ways of wading through the muddled waters of telecoms in Nigeria.... one of such adjustive mechanisms being to register with more than one outfit.

In fact, the thinking of Nigerians is that the more the number of providers you are hooked up to, the lesser the probability that you would have drop calls and the higher your chances of making successful calls and enjoying data services!

Several complaints by hapless Nigerians and calls on providers to improve on their services invariably fell on deaf ears.

While some of the shortcomings of these companies are honest mistakes, many are borne out of downright tendencies to defraud customers! If a company has such propensities to shortchange its loyal customers, what are its chances of survival in a highly competitive market?

The annoying element is that these companies think we are so unintelligent that we are incapable of reading into their fraudulent antics.

And yet, Airtel has not always been this bad...so bad people now reject their free SIMs as they hawk them in open markets. If a company so desperately resorts to such marketing tactics, why should it blatantly rob its loyal customers of their money and incur their wrath?

My first SIM card was theirs...a "Buddie" package right from inception...and my latest line was gotten from them nearly half a decade ago which got stolen with my phone long ago and was not "swapped".

All it takes for the infusion of fraudulent practices into an otherwise honest company is a retinue of new but fraudulent managers....hoping to make profits at all cost...and by any any means.....even if they must steal covertly from customers.

I strongly implore the board of Airtel to expunge this crop of crafty extortionists and thieves from its ranks before the company totally collapses.

The company should also explore the possibility that its management might have been infiltrated by moles and saboteurs surreptitiously planted in its ranks by its competitors.

Afterall, rival companies can go to any length in the name of competition....industrial espionage and naked disruption by way of sabotage!

My response was clear and swift. I broke my two Airtel SIM cards into pieces. Afterall, I have other SIM cards. And what was I doing with multiple SIM cards anyway....poor services notwithstanding.

No point always whining about a thieving company when there are alternatives. Simply "port" to another provider.... or crush its SIM card into pieces!

Dr Tosin Akindele is a medical practitioner and public affairs analyst.

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Articles by Tosin Akindele