DStv is going on a binge of self-serenading; and appears quite pleased with itself! What would celebratory adverts not do: turn a regulator’s sanction into some self-purloined triumph?
The facts: The Consumer Protection Council (CPC), following subscribers’ complaints against Multichoice Nigeria Ltd, in the provision of its digital satellite television (DStv) subscriber service, found the firm’s hand literarily in its subscribers’ cookie jar, in a cocktail of sharp practices.
Here is the CPC release on the affair, by its spokesperson, Abiodun Obimuyiwa, as reported by New Telegraph:
“After an extensive investigation, the CPC has substantiated allegations of violations of consumer rights by Multichoice Nigeria Ltd, in its provision of its DStv service. Consequently, the council has issued far-reaching orders, including suspension of service when consumers are away; release of free-to-air channels, even when subscription expires; compensation across the board to consumers for lost viewing time; introduction of toll-free lines; and reasonable equitable spread of popular sports channels, among others.
“The multinational pay-media company,” the release continued, “is also required to present written assurances in line with Section 10 of the council’s enabling law that it will not engage in any conduct which is detrimental to the interest of consumers,” aside from CPC’s order that, for 18 months after rolling out the sanctions, the CPC shall inspect Multichoice processes to ensure it is complying with its directives.
With the tone of the CPC indictment, no one would be surprised at how DStv, in subscribers’ mind at least, had been growing in notoriety, en route to becoming perhaps the vilest corporate persona in Business Nigeria!
Well, it is good news the company is taking its punishment and pledged itself to correcting its bad conduct. It is good for subscribers. It is good for Multichoice. It is good for the market.
What is not so good is how DStv has seized the airwaves, beatifying itself as some benevolent corporate uncle out to dish out favours to its cheated customers, not someone caught cheating; and forced to make restitution.
It has projected its compact bouquet as some reloaded goody with extra subscriber gravy at no extra charge. It has also pushed the slash in the prices of its two decoders to prices hitherto half their asking prices. But where is the evidence those hardware were not, ab initio, overpriced, in a market Multichoice is a virtual monopoly? In any case, spinning sanction as benevolence reflects exactly that cheating mindset that landed Multichoice in soup, in the first instance.
Besides, the deal is not “slashing” the prices of hardware, where the fairness and equity of those prices cannot be independently determined. It is rather slashing its Shylock tariff which, it would appear, has made many a subscriber vote with their feet.
It is also in correcting its many operational glitches, many of which border on technical incompetence, of not immediately hooking up subscribers that just paid their dues, thereby cheating them on viewing time, while the bill continues to run.
Unless and until Multichoice fixes fairer tariffs and corrects its operational glitches, it would appear morning yet on its day of consumer troubles — and regulator’s sanctions.
END
This sanction on DSTV is long overdue, most especially the issue of pay-per-view subscription by customers.