MTN DENIES INCREASING PRICE OF RECHARGE CARDS{via@winsomemedia}

Have you bought MTN recharge cards over the
expected price this year? Retailers of MTN
recharge cards have alleged an increase in the
price they buy recharge cards in bulk as
responsible for increase in the retail price. Some retailers add N20 over the normal price
(based on value) of all MTN card denominations
they sell. For instance a N200 MTN card may be
sold at N220. The arbitrary increase is applicable to only MTN
recharge cards in most parts of Lagos. Some retailers said the cards were scarce and
dealers have now capitalised on the scarcity to
increase their retail prices. “MTN cards are scarce in Lagos and dealers are
selling to us at increased prices, so we too have to
add N10 or more to each denomination to recoup
our money,” a retail vendor, Emeka Ogor, told
Thisday. Worried about this development, the management
of MTN has therefore said it has not effected any
retail price increase in any of the recharge card
denominations, stating that the face value of all its
recharge card denominations remain the same. Corporate Services Executive, MTN, Mr. Wale
Goodluck, said: “We have not effected a price
increase and the retail price of the various
denominations of our recharge cards and recharge
vouchers remain the same. “Our recharge vouchers come in the following
denominations: N1,500, N750, N400, N200 and
N100, and must be sold at the face value.” Disturbed by the new development which started
last week, Goodluck said: “Any such hike is
contrary to MTN’s wishes or knowledge. MTN has
a well-established distribution structure and all our
authorised partners within this structure are obliged
to sell recharge cards at their face value. “Any variance from the authorised face value of
recharge cards is without MTN’s knowledge or
authority.” “MTN’s 55 million customers can purchase airtime
via recharge cards or recharge vouchers as well as
through a virtual top-up. The airtime recharge
options are generally distributed via a very
extensive trade and distribution network which has
over the years successfully enhanced accessibility to airtime and customer
convenience,” he said. Goodluck assured customers that the company
was working assiduously to arrest the situation
and urged its customers in the affected areas to
explore other options of purchasing their airtime,
such as the MTN Virtual Top Up (VTU) or MTN
Auto-Top Up.