Customer Complaints On Premium Rate Services

Our attention is drawn to a number of customer concerns relating to involuntary subscriptions to Premium Rate Subscription Services. We continue to investigate these cases on a case-on-case basis and have reached successful resolutions with customers who have alerted us of such cases. However, we have noted social media complaints that a number of subscribers have been erroneously subscribed to the ‘Cheza Games’ service without their knowledge.

In light of this development, I have committed to ensure that all customers who have been erroneously subscribed to the ‘Cheza Games’ service shall be refunded by the provider of the ‘Cheza Games’ service for the amounts erroneously billed. We shall continue conducting investigations of al Premium Service Providers to ensure that our customers are protected and not exposed to such malpractices.

In the meantime, we shall continue to educate our customers on how best to manage Premium Rate Services to enjoy the best experience on our network. In addition, Safaricom recently deployed an intelligent system on our network that automatically updates the customer if they have signed up for any Premium Rate Services and asks them to re-confirm the subscription.

With the integration of the new system, we also launched the free-of-charge ‘My Subscriptions Manager’ service, which gives customers the control to regularly view and manage all their active services they may not wish to use. This can be accessed via *100*5# or *200*5#.

Lastly, premium rate services are run by Content Service Providers (CSPs) licensed by the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA), and all mobile service providers are obligated to work with CSPs. We remain concerned that some service providers who are supposed to ensure their services have a simple opt in and opt out option have not done so, despite continued operator and customer complaints. We will be grateful if the CA exercised its regulatory oversight by constantly reviewing the operations of the CSPs and even de-registered the one found to be defrauding customers or operating in contravention of their license.

My full attention is focused on resolving this issue for the continued benefit of our subscribers.

Bob Collymore

Chief Executive Officer

Our attention is drawn to a number of customer concerns relating to involuntary subscriptions to Premium Rate Subscription Services. We continue to investigate these cases on a case-on-case basis and have reached successful resolutions with customers who have alerted us of such cases. However, we have noted social media complaints that a number of subscribers have been erroneously subscribed to the ‘Cheza Games’ service without their knowledge.

In light of this development, I have committed to ensure that all customers who have been erroneously subscribed to the ‘Cheza Games’ service shall be refunded by the provider of the ‘Cheza Games’ service for the amounts erroneously billed. We shall continue conducting investigations of al Premium Service Providers to ensure that our customers are protected and not exposed to such malpractices.

In the meantime, we shall continue to educate our customers on how best to manage Premium Rate Services to enjoy the best experience on our network. In addition, Safaricom recently deployed an intelligent system on our network that automatically updates the customer if they have signed up for any Premium Rate Services and asks them to re-confirm the subscription.

With the integration of the new system, we also launched the free-of-charge ‘My Subscriptions Manager’ service, which gives customers the control to regularly view and manage all their active services they may not wish to use. This can be accessed via *100*5# or *200*5#.

Lastly, premium rate services are run by Content Service Providers (CSPs) licensed by the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA), and all mobile service providers are obligated to work with CSPs. We remain concerned that some service providers who are supposed to ensure their services have a simple opt in and opt out option have not done so, despite continued operator and customer complaints. We will be grateful if the CA exercised its regulatory oversight by constantly reviewing the operations of the CSPs and even de-registered the one found to be defrauding customers or operating in contravention of their license.

My full attention is focused on resolving this issue for the continued benefit of our subscribers.

Bob Collymore

Chief Executive Officer