Thumbs up for the good work Gulf News is doing. I’m a Kenyan working in Dubai and I have an issue with du. Some of their agents came to our camp at Jebel Ali on July 20, giving out free sim cards, which according to them, the sim cards had an offer for internet browsing and free minutes for calling, of which one could unsubscribe and just use the sim card. So, I decided to take the sim card and registered my Emirates Identification with them. After the agent was done with the registration, he said that I would be sent an account. I was shocked and asked what account? That’s when I realised that I had been lured in and registered for a post-paid sim card. I told them that I can’t have a post-paid sim card since my salary doesn’t allow me to do so since I am a security guard. They said that they can cancel the registration since I hadn’t even opened the sim card, so they took it back.
On August 19 I received a message that I had a bill of Dh710.38. I was shocked! I contacted their customer care to inquire about the bill and the customer care told me that that was my bill for the post-paid sim card. I had to go to the du branch at Mall of the Emirates where I was issued a breakdown on how the bill was calculated. The number I called was in Pakistan, but I don’t have nobody in Pakistan. They later said that the contract via my email showed that I gave my ID and a June 2016 payslip, which stated that I had worked at a company since January 26, 1985 under the designation of Business Manager. I don’t know the company mentioned, the signature appearing on the contract was never signed by me. I don’t work with that company and my identification clearly states that I was born in 1990, so how could I have started working in Dubai in 1985? I told them the registration was fraudulently done and I even went to their office on August 30 and still no assistance was offered.
They have been calling me several times asking me when I would be settling the bill. I asked the agent who registered me and they said they can’t contact him and that I should go to the police even though the sales advisor’s identification is clearly shown on that contract. Surprisingly, they couldn’t get him. I later received a call from the customer care that the agent who registered me worked with a du partner company and that I should call them to find the agent. I asked du how I could call the company that they are partnering. It’s du who should be calling them, not the customer!
The issue is really traumatising and I don’t know how to settle it with them. I never used the sim card, the documents were fake, but they have failed to listen to me. What they want is the settling of the bill and that the sim card will be in my name for two years.
From Mr Nickson Omondi Odongo
Dubai
The management of du responds:
Our team has looked into this incident and as per feedback received, the disputed line is deactivated and the partner already cleared the outstanding amount. This has been communicated to the customer who can verify this at any du shop as well. We consider this case closed.
Mr Odongo responds:
I am very happy for Gulf News’ intervention in the case I had with du! This was fraudulent registration of a post-paid sim card and I’m happy to inform that the issue has been resolved. I am very grateful for Gulf News’ efforts to ensure that justice took its course in my case.
(Process initiation: November 11. Response from organisation: November 15. Reader confirmation: November 15).
Editor’s note: Do you have similar issues that you would like to raise with us? You can write to us at readers@gulfnews.com.
