[kictanet] Safaricom Attitude - Consumer Issues

[Edith Adera]

Andrea,

You are missing the point!

Edith


________________
Edith Ofwona Adera
Senior Program Specialist
ICT4D Program
International Development Research Centre | Centre de recherches pour le développement international
Regional Office for Eastern and Southern Africa
Tel: +254202713160 | Fax/Téléc: +254202711063 | Skype: edithadera
eadera at idrc.or.ke<mailto:eadera at idrc.or.ke> | www.idrc.ca<http://www.idrc.ca/> | www.crdi.ca<http://www.crdi.ca/>
________________________________
From: Andrea Bohnstedt [andrea.bohnstedt at ratio-magazine.com]
Sent: 23 August 2010 22:43
To: Edith Adera
Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions
Subject: Re: [kictanet] Safaricom Attitude - Consumer Issues

Edith,

Why do you find it so surprising that you can't send an M-PESA payment if you don't have an M-PESA account? Can you make Zap payments without having a Zap account?

In a bank, you can pay cash into someone's account without having a bank account, but you need to go to that person's bank, and you can't make a bank transfer either without having an account yourself.

Also, the need to register before you make any mobile money payments is, as far as I know, a banking sector requirement imposed by the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK), the Know Your Customer (KYC) rules to combat money laundering etc.

That you need an M-PESA-enabled SIM card is an old story - that's been communicated since the beginning of the service, I think, even if it's of course it's regrettable that the agent you visited didn't have one.

Many regards,
Andrea


On 23 August 2010 22:28, Edith Adera <eadera at idrc.or.ke<mailto:eadera at idrc.or.ke>> wrote:
There's need for consumer issues to be taken VERY seriously in the Kenyan Telecommunication market. I believe CCK is listening and this should not be allowed to happen to any Kenyan consumer.

As a non-user of money transfer services (I'm a proxy user), I decided to try the Mpesa service today as I did not have a 3rd party proxy to undertake the transaction on my behalf as I usually do. The last I tried to register for the service, I was informed that I had an old generation SIM card and needed to replace it yet the agent did not have the replacement SIMs. I was directed to follow a convoluted process of getting the replacement SIM, which I did not have the time for at that point.

Today, I was rudely informed that as a non registered user I cannot send money by Mpesa (Prestige service provider) - never mind that I have a very active Safaricom line. This puzzled me as in the banking sector, you can always bank money into any account at a bank in which you're not a "member".

So in search for an answer to this issue, I decided to call a Safaricom Officer (Ms Bernice - department that issues Short Codes) to get some assistance. I called her on my Zain line. As soon as she picked the call, she was very cold and retorted "for starters, you have called me from the wrong network - meaning from Zain - and secondly, you cannot send money if you are not a registered user".

My issue as a consumer is - why should I be rebuked for using my Zain line to call Safaricom? Is it a Safaricom policy that no one should call them using a Zain line or lines from other network providers? what does the CCK regulations say about such issues? My little telecommunication background tells me that the "consumer is king" and that a consumer must exercise their "right of choice" in a competitive market. why should I be dictated to what network I MUST USE or NOT use to make calls? Is this a reflection of the interconnection issues that are currently hitting media headlines?

I have taken this issue very seriously and demand an apology and response from Safaricom. I believe CCK will take appropriate action to ensure that this is not the modus operandi in the Kenyan telecommunication market.

Edith
Kenyan Consumer


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