₦airaland Forum

A Nigerian man has shared how he successfully recovered ₦50,000 after mistakenly purchasing a 300GB Airtel data bundle for the wrong phone number, in a story that has sparked conversations about customer service and honesty.

According to him, the mistake happened because the phone number he intende d to recharge ended with 2, while the number he accidentally selected ended with 6.

Immediately after realizing the error, he contacted the woman who received the data, explained the situation and even sent her the transaction receipt as proof. However, instead of assisting, she reportedly accused him of attempting to scam her and insisted there was nothing she could do. She allegedly stopped responding to his calls and messages afterwards.

Rather than accept the loss of ₦50,000, he decided to contact Airtel customer care. After providing the transaction ID and other requested details, the telecom company reviewed the complaint and reversed the value of the transaction as airtime, allowing him to purchase the 300GB data plan again on the correct line.

The incident has generated mixed reactions online. Many Nigerians commended Airtel for resolving the issue and praised its customer support for acting promptly. Others argued that the unintended recipient should have cooperated after seeing clear evidence that the purchase was made in error.

The story also serves as a reminder for subscribers to carefully verify phone numbers before confirming expensive airtime or data purchases, especially as mobile transactions become increasingly common.

For many Nigerians, the biggest surprise was not just the recovery of the ₦50,000, but the fact that a telecom company was able to successfully reverse such a high value mistaken purchase after proper verification.

Source: https://www.gistreel.com/man-praises-airtel-after-recovering-%e2%82%a650000-mistakenly-used-to-buy-300gb-data-for-another-line/

Women and their wahala, if na man him go understand and make refund

50k for 300gig?, let me check if mtn can give me that much

The woman sef.. couldn't sej check her data balance and gift back the data to the sender..these things are not hard..

There was a time I mistakenly recharged 5k instead of 500 on my MTN line. They refused to revert the transaction till today despite all the begging and pleadings

Airtel did well but they should review their network services

When it comes to online purchase of data and airtime, I don't think there is anything the wrongful recipient can do to make a refund unlike funds which can be transferred when it is initially sent to a wrong account number.

Something our banks cannot do.

Yes it's possible because the data haven't been used at all

This is supposed to be an avoidable something. When carrying out transaction, wisdom demands that you should check it very well. If you no dey see properly, you can call any of your siblings that you're comfortable with to help you confirm it. Error of this nature takes luck to resolve it.

Confirm transaction properly before something bad reach you.

CRIMINALITY STARTS FROM THE MIND,THAT WOMAN SHOULD HAVE GONE TO AIRTEL TO REVERSE IT. BUT SHE,CHOSE FRAUD IN HER MIND.
WOW!!!! This is HUGE PLUS FOR AIRTEL NIGERIA,USE AIRTEL ALL THE WAY

When I was selling data then, I mistakenly sent 10gb to someone instead of 1gb I contacted the person she said she can't do anything about it
I later contacted Airtel customer till today nothing happened she just used my 10gb free of charge.

Sunisonflex39:
The woman sef.. couldn't sej check her data balance and gift back the data to the sender..these things are not hard..

Weytin concern market woman (assuming) with checking data balance?

To her, na scam alert. And we can't blame her because many scammers use same method of 'help me send am back' to enter their victims.

The service provider has done the needful because, to an uneducated fellow, the data is gonna waste unless she has children who could use it around.

PARADIZEPRIEST:
CRIMINALITY STARTS FROM THE MIND,THAT WOMAN SHOULD HAVE GONE TO AIRTEL TO REVERSE IT. BUT SHE,CHOSE FRAUD IN HER MIND.
WOW!!!! This is HUGE PLUS FOR AIRTEL NIGERIA,USE AIRTEL ALL THE WAY

See how you quickly concluded and called the woman a scammer, shame!.You don't know if it was all these market women without smart phones and doesn't even know how bulk data works. Mtn does same too, I have mistakenly bought 30k data for my broadband I stopped using and contacted them, they reversed it to credit for me and converted the SIM to 4g. It's a normal thing for the owner to have contacted the Airtel before the woman. What if the woman is not tech savvy?

Bluna:
There was a time I mistakenly recharged 5k instead of 500 on my MTN line. They refused to revert the transaction till today despite all the begging and pleadings

It is your line. You should have sold it to others near you. Nothing to lose sleep in your case.

It makes no sense to contact the recipient. Money transfer is not same thing as data.

Contacting the telecom operator is the only way.

Well I can’t blame her, what did he expect her to do ? Give him 50k that she may not have to give ?

The mama go don dey pick Nollywood movies wey she go use guy man data watch
E go shock her when Airtel go tell her 2MB data remaining

T0BY:
This is supposed to be an avoidable something. When carrying out transaction, wisdom demands that you should check it very well. If you no dey see properly, you can call any of your siblings that you're comfortable with to help you confirm it. Error of this nature takes luck to resolve it.

Confirm transaction properly before something bad reach you.

You are wise until it happens to you.

No one is infallible.

Never.....say......never

Rare case of Airtel doing the right thing

That’s commendable from Airtel

I've always said it that most Nigerians are criminals. We carry religion for head like gala, yet mistakenly pay 5k into the wrong account and see the person's true colours. I'm glad he received his money back.

Airtel did well.

The girl must have been enjoying the 300gb with nothing go happen

I can confirm Airtel is good with situations like this, I remembered when my auto sub decided to renew itself without my knowledge after loading airtime for a higher plan, when I contacted Customer Care, they immediately resolved the issue and credited me back the amount that was deducted.

But, you see that anyhow MTN, i had to involve NCC for them to cancel the sub that i used my fingers to cancel auto sub for, they refused even after it was clear that the error was from them, oya kuku deduct the whole money for the bigger data that i wanted, they said mbaa, oya refund me since the auto sub was from you guys but still dem no gree, na when i report give NCC, b4 dem recredit me.

Bluna:
There was a time I mistakenly recharged 5k instead of 500 on my MTN line. They refused to revert the transaction till today despite all the begging and pleadings

But in a month, you spend more than 5k on data.

A woman nearly die my 70k coz her number was on my transactions list and it's a POS. When I threaten her life it was her husband that even called me back and ask for my account number. I tell am to keep 5k for changes and send the rest

Bluna:
There was a time I mistakenly recharged 5k instead of 500 on my MTN line. They refused to revert the transaction till today despite all the begging and pleadings

You for call NCC, very anyhow people that MTN wey you dey see so

Me that prides myself with always checking twice was once carried away when I wanted to subscribe for my old mama.

Na so the person after hearing me out, started ignoring my calls o. Ordinary 10gig o, I kukuma stopped calling after the second ignored call.

This man is lucky, he met some of those we want to be many in today's Nigeria as e scarce o.

The guy try oo not easy at all

Bluna:
There was a time I mistakenly recharged 5k instead of 500 on my MTN line. They refused to revert the transaction till today despite all the begging and pleadings

You were dealing with xenophobes from sad Africa in MTN, they thought you want to take their jabs in their Kentry by recharging a wrong number.

The market woman did what’s best for her

It’s Airtel responsibility to reverse not hers
It’s like making transfer to wrong bank account and expecting the recipient to transfer to you …no
You simply go to the bank for reversal

If recipient transfer to you and law enforcement officers claim she recieved and spent illegal money how will she explain it

The only thing I learned here is that 300GB is 50K. That will be my go-to subscription since 100GB now flows like a leaky faucet.