Some big businesses seems to be ardent with strategies for con or outright fraud.
Also with all the push by the financial authorities for reduction in cash transactions some companies such as 9 Mobile are bent on discouraging customers from electronic payment.

Some weeks back I did an electronic recharge (using USSD) for my 9 Mobile line of 300 Naira (Three Hundred Naira), I subsequently made a call on the line for just 2 (Two) minutes. To my surprise, the call summary showed that 46 Naira was deducted from my line. This was clearly outrageous as the call rate on my line was 11 Naira per minute.

To be sure my line has not been move to a more expensive call plan, I immediately called customer care. The explanation I was given was that electronic recharge attracts a 5% bonus. Which means for my 300 Naira recharge I got a bonus of 15 Naira. So far so good.

Regardless of your call plan, the bonus given for electronic recharge is charged at 23 Naira per minute (about 40 kobo per second).

If you make a lengthy call immediately after electronic recharge, God have mercy on you, as the exorbitant rate of 23 Naira per minute will not only wipe out the bonus but will also apply to your main balance. There in lies the fraud.

On probing the customer care agent further, I was told to avoid the exorbitant call rate I should opt for paper recharge instead of electronic recharge. Gbam!!!

My posers for 9Mobile are:
Why give me a bonus, I did not ask for and for which I was not informed only to apply an exorbitant rate to both the bonus and my main balance?
Why should I have to be out of pocket because I decided to recharge electronically?
Is it not possible to apply the exorbitant rate to just the unsolicited bonus and charge my main balance with my regular call rate?

The only sensible option is to recharge with paper voucher.

Wow... Hearing this for the first time
Whats your call package?

This is not new. That's why I avoid e top up. Cos they give you a bonus charged at .50k per sec, the bonus charge continues for the duration of the call, meaning till you hang up your call is charged at that price.

Main airtime = .15k per sec. Bonus =.50


I usually text everybody or call my other line to get rid of the bonus if I need to make a long call

Perhaps the same scenario applies to other networks. If that is the case then those promoting cashless need a rethink.