It is an undisputable fact that subscribers of the various telecommunication networks (MTN, Tigo, Expresso, Glo and Vodafone) enjoy bonus credits and other promotional offers from service providers.
However, these telcos have found ways and means of shoving unwarranted text messages and voice calls down the throats of subscribers. The unfortunate situation here is that, inbox of subscribers are choked with these unsolicited messages blocking the rather important messages subscribers may be expecting.
What these telcos are losing sight of is that, their indiscriminate messaging are causing clients disruptive times, cutting out urgent calls and hindering the expectant texts and calls of their clients.
As if that is not enough, the messages received from service providers who legally have access to subscribers’ profile, other companies, hotels, restaurants and some institutions manage to send messages advertising products and services to subscribers, when they haven’t subscribed to.
The biggest controversy reflecting the heterogeneity of society is how they have access to subscribers’ profile. Subscribers would like to know if their contact details are sold to these companies. Or, could it be that the database of the various telecommunication networks have been hacked into?
Speaking with some MTN subscribers, they reaffirmed the aforementioned is very disruptive to their day. Some called it ‘distraction’ while others saw it as ‘invasion.’ Vodafone, Tigo, Glo and Expresso subscribers shared similar sentiments. Below is a copy of such messages;
“Are you a government worker? AFB offers instant loans for all government workers. Apply now by calling any of these numbers. 0570949023 0570949046 0570949008. AFB – All you can be” Sender – AFB 22-03-14 Receiver – 0540939***
Agnes Ansah, a student, complained bitterly explaining that anytime she received such messages some pesewas of her credits were deducted. “If 2p is deducted from about fifty thousand subscribers, how much will that amount to and who takes such unlawful money?”, she asked.
In an interview with the Research and Communications Manager of the Ghana Chamber of Communications, Derek Barnabas Laryea, he explained that Telcos have no idea about the flooding of subscribers’ inboxes with unsubscribed messages.
He explained further that, Telcos used to provide short codes to companies for promotions, however, customers got agitated and the National Communications Authority stepped in to regulate the various short codes. “But for messages from financial and other institutions, it is not done by the Telcos, the Value Added Services like Txt Ghana, etc. can explain better”, he added.
Meanwhile, the Sales Executive of Txt Ghana, Ernest Kwame Nti, disclosed in an interview that to send bulk messages to customers, they first create an account online. However, how to get contacts of customers is not their main task. He said they assist companies technically, but contacts of customers are either generated by those companies or by Data Collection personnel who collect contacts from people at various points such as malls, meetings or any gathering while others are also hacked.
Theirs is to have the contacts and either send the messages or assist those companies technically to send the messages.
He noted that such messages do not flood customers’ inboxes because of certain restrictions from the National Communications Authority (NCA) that unsubscribed messages are not sent more than once. “But some customers subscribe to certain messages unknowingly and those are the messages that come daily, weekly or monthly and attract fees but not unsubscribed messages”, he concluded.
As it stands, subscribers would continue to grief, lament and lambast while the Telcos and other telecommunication related providers continue to defend themselves.
But, has your inbox been flooded with such unsolicited junk messages?
The writer is a student-journalist at the Ghana Institute of Journalism. Email: boamahmavis@ymail.com
