Consumer Protection Council Storms DSTV Over Subscribers Complains
Officials of the Consumer Protection Council (CPC) on Thursday afternoon raided the head office the premier pay-TV service provider, MultiChoice Nigeria, in Lagos.
The CPC officials went with a warrant, accompanied by policemen and journalists when they arrived at the company’s office at about 1pm.
The raid saw CPC officials leaving with laptop computers and important documents about the company’s operations.
The raid is said to be connected with CPC’s ongoing investigation into MultiChoice’s consumer satisfaction initiatives.
Sources at the CPC had disclosed that a hitch developed during a scheduled meeting between the company and CPC officials at the commission’s head office in Abuja on Tuesday.
The breakdown was said to have been occasioned by CPC’s demand that MultiChoice should hand over personal information of its subscribers as well as its exclusive contract in Nigeria.
The MultiChoice team, led by Managing Director, Mr. John Ugbe, was said to have drawn the attention of the CPC to the fact that the company owes its subscribers a duty to protect their personal information, adding that releasing sensitive information about subscribers would amount to a breach of the trust of subscribers.
MultiChoice representatives were quoted to have expressed readiness to cooperate with the CPC in its effort to ensure that subscribers obtain improved customer satisfaction, but rejected the demand that verges on violation of subscribers’ confidentiality.
MultiChoice was also said to have explained that its exclusive contract contains non-disclosure clauses and wondered what relevance it has to an investigation into customer satisfaction.
This investigation is long over due and I personally think Multichoice as Nigerians pay exorbitantly for their services, yet are denied quality customer service and even ripped off most times, simple because there is no better option at the moment.
I really really hope that something is done about this South African company that keeps abusing the monopoly they seem to have due to lack of real competition.
