February 2011

Tuesday, 15^TH February 2011: Journal entry:

Diary,

This air pressure problem arose again today, my sister had a flat tyre and asked me to do her a favour and fill it up for her at BP Longacres. I drove there but today their pressure line was stuck, and when I asked one of the attendants for assistance he irritably attended to me. He acted like I was bothering him or something.  So when I got frustrated and mentioned that the station should improve this service or risk driving away people, the guy condescendingly told me to stop complaining and maybe get myself some new tyres. Can you imagine? And my sister’s car tyres are not even a year old!

Mwaba Mutale, Lusaka

Monday, 21^st February 2011: Journal entry:

Diary,

Again MTN disappointed me today. They are so evasive! I wonder why I cannot get hold of any of their agents every time I call their customer service line. I was trying to get hold of them all day. At first the call kept dropping or giving me an engaged tone. When I eventually got through they kept telling me every agent is busy. Since I had enough time on my hands I decided not to hang up about three times after they informed me I couldn’t be connected to speak to anyone. I wanted to see how long it would take to get through but mark my words I waited for close to 45 minutes and still I wasn’t connected to any agent. All they did was play back and forth songs and messages about their terms, conditions, products, and services. And speaking of which, why does that voice operator still advertise for weekend calling? Isn’t that promotion already over, they should’ve changed that by now. I mean, talk about updating your system..

George Sichinga, Lusaka

Wednesday, 23^rd February 2011: Journal entry:

Diary,

I think Airtel has stolen my credit. I sent two messages to my friend in the morning but I got no delivery message, they showed me that they were pending. In the afternoon, I received a message that delivery has failed but my credit was not compensated. You mean to tell me I was charged for a message that I did not “actually” send. Is it me or maybe this is wrong? This is pure daylight thieving!

Peter Mulewa, Kitwe

Thursday, 24^TH February 2011: Journal entry:

Diary,

Is air pressure still free or available anymore? I couldn’t get my tire pumped up from BP Libala, BP Longacres, and only managed to do so at Total along Alick Nkhanta. Thus, from my experience these last couple of days, I have resolved that perhaps only two stations within my relative reach seem to consistently offer this service; BP woodlands and Petroda Fridays Corner. The rest either don’t have or the facility is down on most cases. Makes you wonder why the facility seems to have been disabled at the same time by almost all stations. Is it because it is free? I wonder too where the owners of these pumps get the tyres pumped..mmm

Micheal Kabwe, Lusaka

Sunday, 27^TH February 2011: Journal entry: Review

According to the newly enacted Competition and Consumer Protection Act No. 24 of 2010 “a consumer has the right to redress: to receive a fair settlement of just claims, including compensation for misrepresentation, shoddy goods, or unsatisfactory services”. That being the case, Airtel should not charge me for a message that I send but does not reach the intended number.

Peter Mulewa, Kitwe

Diary,

On getting new tyres, the BP Longacres station attendant’s solution is illogical. But I was happy with another station attendant at BP woodlands who agreed with me that getting new tyres is not a practical solution because it is expensive. He accepted that brand new ones do not need to be air filled for over 12 months (provided you drive on good roads). But then he advised that if and when someone decided to buy new ones it is sometimes important to pay attention to how, where, and when you get new tyres. He enlightened me that most tyres have an expiration period which is about five to six years from the date of manufacturing. But some shops often sell you the tyres which appear to be new but their expiration is overdue. So if you can check these then you're good. If more attendants were so helpful and informative as him, filling stations would be crowded to the .......!

Mwaba Mutale, Lusaka

January 2011

Monday, 10^th January 2011: Journal entry:

Diary,

I was made to wait today. I wonder why these companies put up business hours that they do not follow. It seems it is now just a formality to put “Open 8:00hrs – 17:00hrs” because few of them actually open and close at these given hours. Banks are perhaps the only places that ‘try’ to adhere to these times (though they mostly concentrate on the closing hours). I was at Maiden Publishing House in show grounds to meet a publisher at exactly five after eight this morning. Now imagine my displeasure to find that the place was still not open. Actually, it seemed like the place has never been open this year before. I waited for more than thirty minutes and was about to leave when their secretary showed up, apparently without the keys to the premises! So now she and I sat out there on their veranda (entrance) waiting for the publisher to come. After another ten minutes and there was no sign of the publisher, I couldn’t wait anymore. I left, upset, and dissatisfied as a client!

George Sichinga, Lusaka

Wednesday, 12^th January 2011: Journal entry:

Diary,

I was almost robbed today at Total Filling Station on Church Road. It was by a sneaky fuel attendant who started pumping gas in my car without resetting the meter to Zero. When he’d finished filling up the car in front of me he just transferred the hose from that car to mine and begun charging me from K40, 000. Well, I caught on and he apologised. But then I wonder how often do they do this (mind you not only to me)?

Justine Kakana, Lusaka

Thursday, 13^th January 2011: Journal entry:

Diary,

I am fed up with the quality of internet service in this country! I think it is only fair to say the internet service providers (ISP) are stealing my money every time I pay for the internet that is so expensive yet painfully slow. Just opening my yahoo email takes longer than ten minutes. Worse if I try a faster speed, I end up paying more. I have tried MTN, Zamnet, I-Connect and none of these have satisfied me, and now my brother who’s been an avid supporter of Airtel, says their network isn’t any better. And you’d figure that after buying ZAIN Airtel would be on the next level. I mean, they (AIRTEL) perform well in worldwide telecommunications, why can’t that performance translate to our Zambian market? And now MTN and Airtel introduced 3G which is needless to say expensive with a pay as you go subscription, why don’t they make this Monthly or quarterly subscriptions to allow for more browsing. Personally I think internet service should not be more than K100, 000.

Isaac Tembo, Kitwe

Friday, 14^TH January 2011: Journal entry:

Diary,

I had a flat tyre in the evening around 20:00hours and when I found the pressure pump at Petroda Filling Station at Friday’s Corner was locked, I proceeded without hope to Total Filling Station along Alick Nkhanta road, opposite Christian Voice complex.  I did not have any hope because almost every time I go there for this service they always say “the compressor is down” and tonight was not any different. The attendant even amusingly told me to go to Longacres. I really had to put pressure in that tyre because I am driving to Mufulira tomorrow morning. But I was saddened to have to move to Longacres, Kabwata, Libala, Chilenje, and finally Woodlands to get my tyre pressured up. Can you imagine? All these stations either don’t have the service or the “the compressor is down”. How is this possible? Are they being sincere or maybe they have disabled this facility for reasons yet to be communicated to us. Do the regulators even know about this? I wonder..

Keyala Sichinga, Lusaka

Saturday, 15^th January 2011: Journal entry:

Diary,
having been a loyal subscriber of Airtel (Zain) for seven years I have finally had enough. I never once thought I would change but I think the time has come. My I-Phone’s application has been constantly failing to connect and freely disconnecting, especially Facebook and Twitter. I thought it was a faulty package or something so I called them on 111 this morning and they told me my phone does not support this service.  The personnel was so helpful and what she told me well actually made sense and I thought maybe my phone doesn’t support this service (after all, these are just programmes). She then gave me a different number to call. But when I did they told me I was going to be blocked from calling customer care because I call too many times (or to use their exact term “I over call”). Can you imagine? And yet every time I call I always get disconnected. In fact I often only get connected after an hour or so. Besides, if they do not want me to call them when I have a problem then I might as well join a network that will professionally respond to my query regardless of how often I call.

Isaac Tembo, Kitwe

Sunday, 16^TH January 2011: Journal entry: (Week Review)

Diary,

First, I wish these companies can adhere to their business hours, lest they end up losing customers. It is unfair for them not to follow their hours when they are opening but only when they are closing their offices. It seems they only concentrate on the latter but when it comes to the former, they leave much to desire, which is often costly for busy and hardworking people whose business needs depend on time. On the other hand, other companies follow their business hours to the core. Companies like Spa Arcades, Flower Boutique, ZESCO Kabwata, and Barclays Longacres understand just how important it is to open and close their premises at the provided times of business. If more companies could emulate these companies they would reduce the number of dis-satisfied customers they have.

George Sichinga, Lusaka

Diary,

I have enough suspicion with fuel attendants for fear that I might be robbed of my earned gas. Others should too, especially if in the habit of not bothering to check if a reset has been done on the pump or not before refilling (make sure they inform you they are starting because if they don’t then something isn’t right). I mean, I am alert even for other tricks like if you're putting K200000 they’ll just put K20000 and since you are not paying attention you’ll not realise that one zero is missing. In fact, I will even check the number of litres, who knows? Also, other fuel attendants are receptive and truthful like at BP Longacres, Crossroads, and Total Filling station (Ben Bella Rd)

Justine Kakana, Lusaka

Diary,

You’d think with the Optic Fibre being installed the costs of accessing these internet services would be affordable. I mean, every month I paid almost K500, 000 towards my internet subscription which was awful. Then I bought a USB modem (SIM card fitted). But the speed is still something else; good, bad, and sometimes not there at all. So now I have resigned to go to internet cafes. Yes, public browsing has its problems but hey it is a little faster than these ISPs!!

Isaac Tembo, Kitwe

Monday, 17^TH January 2011: Journal entry:

Diary,

I was made to wait again today. I was at Zambezi Airlines at their town office at the Petroda House (Second Floor). Since their business hours say they open at 08:00 I was there about 10 minutes after eight but the Airline’s offices were not yet open. I waited for more than twenty minutes before they actually opened. And you would figure an airline company should at least stick to time. And as their motto goes “a neck above the rest” you would think they should be above the rest in terms of pleasing their customers’ needs whether financial and transactional. I was unhappy with this but I hanged around because I had no other option then. I was striving to get the 25% off from their available student fares. Which I am glad I did but if it were different I would have gone elsewhere because I was not that happy as a customer at the Airline Company.

Leah Phiri, Lusaka

Tuesday, 18^th January 2011: Journal entry:

Diary,

Well, today I was actually robbed of my fuel. I was at BP Manda Hill and these two attendants tricked me, while one was pumping my gas the other one was distracting me with out of sort questions about checking my windscreen or engine oils, and lured me into talk about football. It was only when I drove when I realised that my gas gauge hadn’t moved up a single notch!

Muyunda Shonge, Lusaka

Thursday, 20^th January 2011: Journal entry:

Diary,

I was almost conned through my Airtel (ZAIN) line today. I received the following message from +27789686965 : "Your mobile number has won 550,000 British Pounds on the ongoing Nokia UK. For claim email: nokiamobileltd@live.com and call +447045755171". To be honest I was happy for a minute even if I do not remember taking part in any competition. But then I found out that my sister received a similar message. It turns out almost everyone in my area did. I assume it is a mobile scam by outsiders because they asked some people to send them their bank details and all so they could transfer them their prize monies. They do not have my number, so my guess is they are randomly contacting numbers from some tracking network. How can someone send this many phony message to so many people? Don’t ZAIN have something to intercept or block such messages?

Mwansa Muyamwa, Kabwe

Diary,

I just realised that I don’t know which Airtel (ZAIN) tariff plan suits me. They are so complicated and I am uncertain which to use when I call or text too often.

Patricia Manunga, Lusaka

Friday, 21^st January 2011: Journal entry:

Dear Diary,

I was surprised today that MTN has new forms of tariffs. Why didn’t they advertise that or let us know. They keep sending me unnecessary messages on how many points I have and that I have one tariff migration. I know there was MTN pay absolute which allowed me to call any network at the same charge, MTN Standard that had varying charges for other networks, and Per second plus. These were the main ones. On their voice messaging operator they appeared this same way respectively such that I had them by heart. I did not even have to wait for the operator’s voice to tell me which button to press for a tariff I preferred. And then today I try changing my tariff and make a call and I realise that I have been charged irregularly. I check and find that they have changed their tariffs, the format too! Now they have Zone, Per Second, and Anytime. Well, why did they not let me know? And worse, I try calling them to help me understand this discrepancy and what do you know, I cannot go through the call centre. So now I don’t even know the charges for these new tariffs. As a commitment customer for over eight years I suddenly feel ill-treated

Daniel Kafwala, Lusaka

Sunday, 22^nd January 2011: Journal entry: (Week Review)

Diary,

The air pressure problem has worsened. And from further talks with people elsewhere it seems the problem is not just in Lusaka but most parts of the country as well. But the question is what is the Zambia Bureau of Standards doing about this? It is frustrating to have to move around the city to get a pressure pump, at night for that matter. Or is this supposed to be overseen by the Zambia Weights and Measures Agency (ZWEMA)? If it is then they are not doing a good enough job on this.

Lupupa Mulenga, Lusaka

Diary,

The Patents and Companies registration Agency (PACRA) is one public service provider that has impressed me. Their hours indicate 09:00hrs – 12:00hrs and 14:00 – 15:00hrs. From the various times I have been at PACRA, either earlier or at the exact opening and closing time, they have stuck to their hours. Not a minute more or less. Which I personally feel is encouraging for a government agency given the negative perception surrounding government institutions.

However, it is one thing to open at the exact time but another thing entirely to start operating at that time. What do I mean? Well, I’ve noticed a situation where businesses open but their personnel don’t start working just there and then but are busy moving about avoiding work until about 30 or 40 minutes later. And Pacra personnel are fond of this, especially at the certificate collection office, where the person opens the office, puts his jacket on the chair, and steps out only to be seen much later. If this could be avoided I am certain Pacra would be one of the most efficient public service providers I know.

George Sichinga, lusaka

Dear Diary

I wish mobile companies could take enough time to educate their individual customers on some of the most logical tariff options available on their networks. For instance, as a person who talks less and texts more or texts more and talks less I need to know which tariff best suits me. And when I say educating me, I don’t mean mere adverts that are often irrelevant and poorly produced. Because personally I feel every person has at least one tariff that suits them for instance, OT on Airtel is great with the 50 Ngwee off peak and GX is cheap for texting but very expensive for voice calls. Therefore, Airtel should be able to explain to me this instead of me finding out from unreliable sources or even before I scream unprintables every time I call on the GX tariff.

Steve Ilukena, Lusaka

Diary,

If MTN thinks they can push off Airtel (ZAIN) on the number one spot then they really need to do more. That is not to say that Airtel doesn’t have the same problems because they do. Only they get away with it, and how they do it is beyond me. MTN, how can you honestly change your tariff system and not tell your customers? They should try to communicate to me the most useful information that will enable me make informed decision on how I communicate through their network rather than sending me irritating messages every time I check my balance.

The Consumer Diaries!

The Consumer Diaries is a Zambian consumer’s mouthpiece written strictly by consumers for other consumers. It contains a compilation of reviews and comparisons of consumer products and services based on reporting and results from consumers themselves. This is done in order to help People have an opportunity to rate product/service experiences that they have had, and also to investigate new products or services in order to make informed decisions.   The blog consists of four pages; The first page-The Main Page, has consumer submissions on a broad range of subjects such as, but not limited to, which appliances and electronics have been more reliable, which companies offer the best services (e.g. Mobile Phone service, hotels/ restaurants, airlines/buses, automotive repair, Television programmes), and where are the best places to purchase products like electronics, appliances, clothing, food/grocery, and any other basic necessities.  These submissions are from consumers – not manufacturers, merchants or service-providers.  The blog, on any of its pages, does not publish outside advertising, accept free product samples, or permit the commercial use of its reviews for selling products. The blog maintains independence and impartiality so that it has no agenda other than the interests of consumers. All products or services reviewed/reported on here will have been purchased at retail and tried or tested by consumers at their own cost. Therefore, the Consumer Diaries blog is an unbiased and up-to-date source of reviews and information on a wide range of products and services from Consumers.

You are encouraged to make comments in the space provided on the submissions made; we want to know what you think. We will compile the comments (both negative and or positive)* and forward them to the product manufacturers or service providers cited. Their responses will be published on the blogs second page, the ‘Responses Page’-This is a page entirely dedicated to publishing responses and or reactions from manufacturers and services providers whose products or services have been discussed/talked about on our blog.

The blogs third page, the Consumer Education Page, is dedicated to providing information to consumers on various issues such Consumer Rights and responsibilities, processes and systems available for consumer redress in Zambia, where to get help on consumer related issues/problems, etc

The forth page; About The Consumer Diaries Blog, talks about what the blog does, how to use it and the its rules/parameters.

To make submissions, send your reviews to tendai.chiweshe@gmail.com

Please provide as much detail as you can.

Include your Name, contact details, Name of Product/Service and date of interaction with the service providers or purchase of the product.

*IMPORTANT: WE ARE FOR CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM! Avoid the use of foul language in your comments on any of the pages of this blog; the comments, as stated, are compiled and forwarded to the relevant people/institutions so for purposes of being taken seriously and to encourage quick redress, keep your comments as constructive as possible.

We will remove any comment that contains foul language

DISCLAIMER

Even though the Consumer Diaries blog endeavours to provide accurate and helpful information;

·         It makes no guarantees with respect to the information it contains.

·         It is not be responsible for the consequences of how one decides to use the information.

·         It is not be liable to users for any loss or damage resulting from any errors, with regards to the use of a product/service, or other site deficiencies.

·         It does NOT provide professional advice such as specific medical advice, etc. The information provided through the blog is meant to SUPPORT, not replace, the relationship that exists between the consumer and the market. The information in the here should be regarded as opinion, not fact.

·         The blog will not ‘approve’ products/services. The opinions raised here will be that of the posters, not the managers of the blog.  This means, the claims will not have been verified or checked by the manufacturers or sellers.

·         The blog will review all submissions for relevance before they are posted here.