Here’s something that ought to warm the hearts of everyone who looks at MultiChoice and thinks Monopoly. News coming out of Nigeria (sorry, its not Zimbabwe) is that a Justice in a federal High Court granted an order of interim injunction restraining MultiChoice from enforcing its increase on DStv bouquet prices that was supposed to take effect on the 1st of April.
The issue all stems from the annual price increases that MultiChoice has effected in every country where it provides its DStv Pay TV service. In Nigeria this was represented by a 20% price surge. Locally prices increased by at least US$1 for the entry level bouquets and up to US$5 for the premium package.
There were outcries from a lot of countries across Africa, with thousands of DStv subscribers in countries like Zambia actually starting petitions on social media.
This class action which was filed by two subscribers identified as Adebayo Osasuyi and Oluyinka Oyeniji, is the first of its kind in Nigeria, despite threats of similar action from a group of subscribers back in 2012.
In Zimbabwe, there hasn’t been any action taken by any subscriber collective, despite the usual grumblings that follow the annual increase. There doesn’t seem to be any other indication of a similar legal action being taken up by subscribers in other countries as well. The usual notion is that the regulators will step in, but that never seems to happen.
The Nigerian federal court where this case was filed has adjourned until the 16th of April 2015 when it will hear the case. The outcome will be for Nigeria only, but if MultiChoice is censured in any way, this will likely set a precedent in other countries where subscribers feel shortchanged by increases that MultiChoice has always justified as necessary for the delivery of quality content.
Do you think that local DStv subscribers should also gear up for class action against MultiChoice and DStv Zimbabwe to contest these annual price increases? Do you think that they will do it anyway?
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15 comments
ARGGHHHH – COME on with the Click baiting – GROW UP TECHZIM –
this click baiting shit is really uncalled for –
The article title was not meant as click bait. We appreciate your concerns and have made an adjustment.
try “Nigerian high court blocks new DSTV prices”
I have always asked myself if we can be united in these fights. Our bouquets prices are different from those in SA and I wonder whats the issue here. I phoned DSTV and inquired and no satisfactory answer was given save to say we will forward your concerns to marketing department. I never heard anything thereafter. Why are they that expensive compared to other countries???
techzim, being the zim tech info monopoly can waste readers’ time by having a misleading title.
they know their target market is Zimbos,
they know you are going to assume its the Zimbo high court,
they know you are going to open the article,
they know ads will pop all over and they will get paid for it,
they know you will get pissed,
they know tomorrow you will be checking their site again coz they are the best source of zimbo tech news.
The article’s heading isn’t meant to be a waste of time. It is also not our intention to drive traffic through misleading titles. We have, however, made an adjustment to accommodate your concerns.
Nigel what is it with the sensationalism??? why can’t you write things as they are and not so misleading!!!
It wasn’t our intention to have the article heading border on sensationalism. However, In line with your concerns, we have made an adjustment.
I will not negotiate with thieves and will never again as long as there is breath in my body pay the bastards one cent. Internet streaming TV service is on the way. The day DSTV/Multichoice die will be another day for celebration. I wish them nothing but the worst of every possible situation that the future might be able to present for their organization of robbers.
dstv should stop giving us SA adverts
Eish: disappointing headline. Is it too much to ask for to include “Nigeria” in that headline? I’d still click on the story, but with the right expectation.
“High Court stops MultiChoice from raising DStv subscription fees” on a Zimbabwean tech blog. And its a case talking about Nigeria. Seriously?
As always we take your concerns seriously. As such, we have made adjustments to the headline to offer a more transparent representation of the article’s content.
On a slightly different issue does anyone have an idea on what the technial challenges dstv has faced to suspend subscription payments via ecocash. Is it the real reason or they are some disagreements which have surfaced?
The incereases have prompted me to downgrade my bouquet.
nigel kkkk….U adjusted the headline after how many clicks…Plus your Newsday link still reads “High Court stops MultiChoice from raising DStv subscription fees April 8, 2015” which by any standard is Click Baiting.