Tuesday, May 28, 2013

DStv subscriber sues MultiChoice for R300 000 and demands an apology after being wrongfully disconnected.

A DStv subscriber in Nigeria is suing the satellite pay-TV operator MultiChoice for R300 000 (N5 000 000) and an apology, after being disconnected although his account wasn’t in arrears.

In a case before the high court in Abuja, a DStv subscriber is suing DStv over alleged breach of contract, claiming he was disconnected although his subscription to the pay-TV giant was fully paid up. As evidence he submitted payment receipts and even his DStv decoder smartcard.

Chuks Udo-Kalu now demands an apology from MultiChoice as well as exemplary damages. "My subscription was still running for more than a month in advance and they disrupted my services. I went in person several times to their offices, they did not do anything about it," he told The Daily Trust.

Chuks Udo-Kalu says he wants the high court to declare MultiChoice in breach of contract, to pay over R300 000 in damages, to reconnect him, and to apologise. "What they posted on my screen was that my account has been suspended. To my mind it's like your banker refusing to pay you when you know you have money in your account."

"I asked my lawyers to write, they wrote, they replied promising to fix it and they did not, so I came to court."

So far MultiChoice Nigeria has not filed any documents and MultiChoice's lawyer also failed to show up on May 23 in court despite agreeing on the court date. Judge Yusuf Halilu has now postponed the case to June 11.

I've asked MultiChoice Africa for comment on the case; by the end of Monday's business day there hasn't been a response.