Safaricom has moved swiftly to quell a public backlash following a sudden reduction in the value of its popular ‘No-Expiry’ data bundles, which the telco has termed a system error.
The backlash began in last week when customers noticed a sharp decline in the data volume received for standard price points. The unannounced changes saw popular bundles significantly reduced:
- Ksh 50 Bundle: Dropped from approx. 255MB to 102MB.
- Ksh 100 Bundle: Reduced from 400MB to 200MB.
- Ksh 250 Bundle: Slashed from 1GB to 500MB.
- Ksh 20 Bundle: Reduced from 75MB to 45MB.
Following the uproar on social media platforms, the telecommunications giant says it has taken steps to rectify the situation, confirming that the slashed rates were not a permanent price hike.
In a statement, Safaricom confirmed that it has fully restored the original data allocations for all “No-Expiry” price points. Customers purchasing bundles today will receive the standard value they were accustomed to before the disruption.
“The issue with your non-expiry bundles is fixed and extra bundles added,” the company said in a text message to subscribers.
Additionally, the company has refunded lost data to affected customers. Subscribers who purchased bundles during the period of the glitch and received reduced value have been topped up with the difference to ensure they received the full value of their money.
Addressing the cause of the disruption, Safaricom communicated that the cuts were due to a “technical issue” affecting their billing systems, rather than an intentional commercial decision to increase prices.
The company sent out apology notifications via SMS to its massive subscriber base, expressing regret for the inconvenience caused.
Go to TECHTRENDSKE.co.ke for more tech and business news from the African continent and across the world.
Follow us on WhatsApp, Telegram, Twitter, and Facebook, or subscribe to our weekly newsletter to ensure you don’t miss out on any future updates. Send tips to editorial@techtrendsmedia.co.ke
