How bill figures set MTN and 2 customers apart

By Prince Osuagwu

An alleged spurious telephone bill is setting Nigeria’s largest telecom operator, MTN, on war part with two of its business package subscribers, Messrs Umana Okon Umana, and Senator Anietie Okon.
Umana, the Secretary to the Akwa Ibom state government, is furious that MTN on December 2010, pilled a bill of about N3.07 million for him to pay for the month, saying the details of the bill did not sit well with him.
Also, Senator Okon has a similar case, where he is repudiating a bill of N527,790.19 he was alleged to have incurred in September 2010 .
Making both cases known to ICT reporters in Lagos, Communications consultant of the duo, Iboro Otongaran who is the CEO of Ikeja based outfit, Pro Data limited, frowned that an international business outfit like the operator, could put its customers through such harrowing conditions.
However, MTN through it General Manager, Corporate Communications, Funmi Omogbenigun, promised that the issues would be promptly addressed. She quickly dismissed claims that MTN does not care for its customers adding that it is in the company’s interest to ensure that its customers enjoy the kind of quality of service, information and complaints resolution that they richly deserve.
According to Otongaran, “Our client Umana has been suspended from the MTN network after he rejected a bill of N3, 073, 612.36, which was nearly 3000% above his monthly credit limit of N250, 000. He rejected the bill because it was  in excess of his credit limit, fictitious and arbitrary. He accepted a bill of N300, 000 only as charges related to phone calls only. MTN had unilaterally exceeded his credit limit in November 2010 when the subscriber travelled to Germany and the UK. About N2.9 million or 95% of the bill was classified as GPRS charges. The GPRS, as feature or product, was never made known to the subscriber; its financial implication to the contract was never explained to him. This whooping amount of money for the so-called GPRS charges was basically for just four days when the subscriber travelled abroad”.
He noted that the bill MTN is asking of Umana was the equivalent of about $20,000 or $11,500, arguing that there is no where in the world where an individual subscriber can run up such bills for just four days for GSM services, even if he had spent the entire days just making phone calls and accessing internet services.
He also presented the case of Senator Anietie Okon whom he said was billed N562, 749.44 in September 2010 for roaming calls he never made. Senator Okon, according to him, had travelled abroad and made calls on his other line not MTN but was surprised that MTN slammed him with a bill that could not have been his. He alleged that in spite of all representations, the phone company has remained obstinate and is insisting on collecting the bill.
But when MTN was contacted, its GM Corporate communications, Omogbenigun, said “we are in receipt of the complaints made by Messers Umanna and Okon. As a customer- centred organisation, we are concerned when any of our esteemed customers have any reason to complain. That is why our Customer Relations Division is thoroughly investigating the issues raised and we are confident that we will be in a position to make the necessary explanations and resolve all the matters under contention. In the meantime, we will immediately engage both customers and assure them of our commitment to ensure a satisfactory outcome for all concerned.
The management of MTN wishes to further state that the viability of our business is inextricably linked to customer satisfaction, and we do not take this responsibility lightly. It is in our interest to ensure that our customers enjoy the kind of quality of service, information and complaints resolution that they richly deserve.