By Unekwuojo Nicole
A civil society group, Volunteer Media Advocacy for Accountable Leadership, has condemned MTN’s persistent deductions for unsubscribed services from its customers’ accounts.
The group threatened to take legal action if the telecom giant fails to stop the practice.
In a statement on Monday, the group’s national coordinator, Augustine Aminu, lamented the numerous complaints from Nigerians who are being unfairly charged for services they never subscribed to.
“It’s unacceptable that MTN continues to deduct airtime from customers’ accounts without their consent, especially in this difficult economic climate,” Aminu said.
The group alleged that MTN’s customer service fails to rectify the issue, with some customers receiving messages thanking them for subscribing to services they never opted for. The deductions, ranging from N25 to N100, occur weekly, leaving customers frustrated and exhausted.
According to Aminu, one of such deductions reads, “Dear Customer, your subscription to Efiwe Daily_50 has been renewed successfully and N100.0 deducted from your account. This service will expire and auto renew on 18/06/2024. Text STOP EDF to 3700 or dial 3051# to cancel your service.”
The group referenced a 2016 lawsuit between MTN and a customer, Oluwole Aluko, a legal practitioner, over alleged unlawful deductions.
“We will not hesitate to return to court if MTN fails to address this issue,” Aminu warned.
The threat of legal action comes as a last resort, as the group said it believes MTN must be held accountable for its actions.
The group therefore demanded that MTN Immediately stops deductions for unsubscribed services; refunds affected customers and improves its customer service to address complaints effectively