As part of efforts at assuaging aggrieved consumers of Digital Satellite Television (DSTV), the Consumer Protection Council (CPC) has advised Multichoice Nigeria Limited, the owners of the cable television to introduce pay-as-you-go subscription for its subscribers.

CPC, at a recent meeting with top managers of DSTV, said the time was ripe for the introduction of the pay-as-you-go subscription in the interest of millions of subscribers of the satellite television.

The agency sought to know the reason why this form of subscription could not be introduced in Nigeria as it has been done in other climes for the economic well-being of consumers.

According to the Council, the pay-as-you-go subscription would allow consumers get value for their money, give them an option of choice as well as enable them control their consumption.


Besides the suggested introduction of the pay-as-you-go subscription, the Council also canvassed for some form of compensation to subscribers for loss of transmission signals, usually experienced by them during adverse weather conditions, particularly rainy season, known as “rain fade”.

Other issues discussed at the meeting included proper and adequate supervision of DSTV dealers and agents and seeming delay in resolution of consumer complaints by the company.

Responding, the delegation from Multichoice Nigeria Limited disclosed that the firm did not have the platforms to implement pay-as-you-go system of payment but promised to look into it.

The delegation explained further that Multichoice is an access-to-content selling company and could not determine what it could purchase or sell to the smallest unit which would allow a pay-as-you-go payment system to function.

On the issue of compensation for down-times for signals, Multichoice explained that loss of signals during the rainy period is a natural occurrence, which could hardly be curtailed, promising, however, to look into the Council’s position that some form of compensation should be given to subscribers for this occurrence pending the development of a new technology that may solve the problem.

The company pointed out that it has always been committed to speedy resolution of consumer complaints, stating that there may, however, be slight delay in resolution if the problems were technical in nature.

While giving Multichoice the opportunity to further deliberate on the issues discussed at its management level, the Council was insistent that the Nigerian consumers must be given choices and options available in other countries and mandated the company to look into the above issues with despatch.

http://allafrica.com/stories/201211160598.html

I am totally in support of CPC. This cheat called DSTV need to compensate their subscribers for loss of transmission signals.

@Mods, is this not worthy enough to grace the front page? Thousands of subscribers are short changed by DSTV. Nigerians need to join CPC In making these demands!

I support it too, i subscribed for three months and i don't think i have watched it more than 5 times.

These SA companies have started again. The same way Emp-tea-hen told Nigerians that pay per second billing is not possible anywhere in the whole world only for Glo to come and put them to shame by being the first to implement per second billing. Na their fault? If we had good administrators manning our affairs, sebi na to license a service provider and relax the entry procedure for new entrants and create competition to reduce DSTV gra gra. Let's give the devil it's credit Obj get swagger walahi. You can imagine the arrogance with which the DSTV officials are speaking with. They can only do such only for Naija because they know that the people they are dealing with don't know what their responsibilities are...mscheew

They should be enforced to start it, not begging

The Best Idea and Decision So far in 2012,If only it could come true.

Super1759: I second this, @least my subscription will extend throughout the year

Govt should get itself involved in protecting Nigerians.
CPC have my full support.
Better, they are figthting for me.

When I saw CPC; I was thinking that Buhari's Party has suggested something extra ordinarily positive instead of destruction, only to realize its Consumer Protection Council.

Okija_juju: WTF is this shiit about?! There is no place in the world where Cable Television is Pay-as-you-go..

If you cant afford Cable TV, stick to fhucking public TV...

bros e , anytin is possible!

If this can work, den its a welcome idea.


E no good to pay subscription for 1month when nepa go bring lite only 3days.

U pay to subscribe, u still use fuel to watch am.

Billyonaire: When I saw CPC; I was thinking that Buhari's Party has suggested something extra ordinarily positive instead of destruction, only to realize its Consumer Protection Council.

sarcasm, of course u knew it wasnt CPC party. and if they were, u would have questioned their authority on the issue.

The last time I checked anything in bulk purchase is usually cheaper e.g bag of garri, browsing, carton of goods etc. I hope you guys in support of this silly idea will realize this. DSTV will be happy to hear this cos they are about hitting a jackpot.

CPC please tell DSTV they can achieve this by selling minutes to we consumers, so when my decoder is on for 3hrs a day i am charged for that 3 hrs and i still have a lot of viewing hrs left.
sometimes i stress my purse just to please my guests, i forcefully subscribe just to make their stay pleasurable but if the pay as u go is adopted, i will deprive myself while i reserve my viewing time for my guests
Thumbs up CPC

Okija_juju:


How?!

So if you watch for 2 hours, they charge you for 2 hours abi?! Is it a mobile phone?!

DSTV will crash if they try that..

What about boxing where people pay per view

The same way Emp-tea-hen told Nigerians that pay per second billing is not possible anywhere in the whole world only for Glo to come and put them to shame

True talk.

Misplaced priorities.

CPC will not focus on industries that offer vital or sensitive services, like aviation and downstream petroleum, to Nigerians instead its TV?! There is also the fact that what they are requesting may be unfeasible.

CPC should give them specific time to implement the policy. Like 6 months to migrate to the new platform or sanctions taking against them. SA companies are highly exploitative. MTN said same for per second billing until glo came on board.Thank you Globacom . If it could be done in other countries I wonder why it is impossible in Nigeria. CPC carry go. U have my support.

Okija_juju:

If they make that mistake, some people go use 5000 Naira 'credit' in 1 year.. They will only put on their DSTV on match days or Big Brother eviction Sundays..

I dont support this rubbish.. DSTV is a luxury not a necessity.. If a man cant afford Cable TV, then he should watch NTA..

C dis mumu sha,dstv na luxury? Na. So brain sef be luxury for u.. Try say wetin u write aloud come record am,u go see say u too s.t.uPID!
Can't you pay as you watch? What's the Big deal there? Its not possible for Nigerians to use it d way ur Brain told u,tons of things to watch asides BBA and football..
Ozwo!

Okija_juju:

If they make that mistake, some people go use 5000 Naira 'credit' in 1 year.. They will only put on their DSTV on match days or Big Brother eviction Sundays..

I dont support this rubbish.. DSTV is a luxury not a necessity.. If a man cant afford Cable TV, then he should watch NTA..

C dis mumu sha,dstv na luxury? Na. So brain sef be luxury for u.. Try say wetin u write aloud come record am,u go see say u too s.t.uPID! Naa because of ppl like u Naija no dey ever move 4ward

Can't you pay as you watch? What's the Big deal there? Its not possible for Nigerians to use it d way ur Brain told u,tons of things to watch asides BBA and football..
Ozwo!

I doubt multi-choice would go with this.

Okija_juju:
I dont support this rubbish.. DSTV is a luxury not a necessity.. If a man cant afford Cable TV, then he should watch NTA.. [/b]

+100

Billyonaire: When I saw CPC; I was thinking that Buhari's Party has suggested something extra ordinarily positive instead of destruction, only to realize its Consumer Protection Council.

Me too, i was thinking "CPC is now taking on DStv"

Multichoice DSTV; a very dictatorial company is a group company part of MTN. The two companies are one and the same and their modus operandi is the same also. They both scam their customers at any slightest chance. I've long switched off from them.
Can you imagine I paid them 1 year subscribtion and got 11 months?. Efforts to get the remaining 1 month failed so I switched off my subscribtion ever since.

"...We did not have the platform..." bla bla bla. Well we have heard that before from emptyHen. Let them get the fvcking platform!

Good move if they can pull it off
That DSTV is a luxury is not the issue
That they are exploiting customers is the bone of CPC's demand.

When people visit from those countries CPC is talking about they wonder how Nigerians are able to watch several channels (example all the EPL matches) whereas in their countries you pay extra for popular programmes.

CPC should be careful that they are not going to short-change Nigerians in the long run.

The per-second billing that people are citing has not yielded extra for Nigerians. The GSM operators know how to cut you off after 3 seconds so you have to redial again. In fact they charge you even when you have not used your credit at all. To whose benefit is that?

Fellow Nigerians, read between the lines!