The 6GB mobile data advertised as part of Econet’s new phone is not guaranteed

6 days ago, we bought the new Smart Kambudzi phone from an Econet store in Avondale. At the time the phone was ZW$3000, and in addition to getting the phone (duh) Econet were also promising that each buyer would get 6 Gb free data.

Well, 6 days later and multiple back and forths with Econet the 6 Gb data still hasn’t been credited and we’re going to have to buy a data bundle to see how well this phone performs on the 3G mobile connection.

An important thing to note is that, I’m not the one who bought the phone. A workmate did and came to drop it off. When my workmate bought the phone they instructed Econet to credit the data to my line. Simple right… Well, not really.

On the following day around midday, I sent a message to Econet customer support informing them that my line hadn’t been credited with the data as promised. They asked that I send the following;

• my full name;
• the registered ID number;
• the name of the Econet shop where the phone was bought;
• The device’s serial number and a screenshot of the serial number on the box of the phone.

I did all this the following morning – which is Monday- and I was informed that the query was being attented to. Fast forward 2 days there was 0 communication and I still didn’t have the 6Gb data. So I followed up and asked when the issue would be resolved and I was informed that “once the matter has been rectified you will receive a notification”.

Fast forward 2 days again and I’m still to receive neither the notification or the data.

It never works as advertised

So what was worrying for me is trying to imagine how people who don’t have access to the internet already get this rectified. Also people without internet are the target market for such a device – will those same buyers run to Facebook or Twitter to get the issue resolved? And how much data will they have to buy to go online before they get their data?

Does this impact how the brand is perceived?

Things like this have soured Econet’s reputation over the last few years. From Vaya promotions to promotions asking customers to sign up Yo Mix users for a reward – all these promotions have had people complain that the promised reward isn’t then given.

What could be the issue?

I don’t know for a fact why this has taken so long but right now it seems like every other person buying airtime/bundle is losing their money and not getting the airtime/data credited. This could mean Econet are drowning in customer complaints and are therefore getting to rectify things much slower than usual.

That would make me want to cut them some slack but the issue is if you don’t get the 6 Gb free data credited and then you buy a data bundle that too might not be credited. Fantastic!

Update: An Econet support staffer called me on the 15th of July to inform me that the 6GB data had been credited. This was true but it was still disappointing that the data was credited 11 days after buying the device.