A microfinance bank, OPAY, yesterday, grappled with intense backlash after a customer, Okunola Akinropo, made waves in the aftermath of his visit to their offices to air his grievances over unresolved transaction disputes.
A bricklayer and disgruntled customer, Akinropo’s visit had escalated quickly into a gathering of irate customers, all echoing similar complaints.
But in a response to the mounting dissatisfaction, the OPAY management had acknowledged experiencing delays in resolving issues and assured customers of their commitment to resolving all outstanding matters.
The customer’s outcry, unfortunately, gained traction on TikTok, a social media platform, which accused OPAY of fraudulent practices.
He recounted an episode, where three weeks ago, he attempted to withdraw N190,000 from a fuel station, using his OPAY credit card, but the transaction was declined, prompting him to initiate a transfer, only to discover that he had already been debited.
He added that despite exhausting all available complaint channels, he received no response regarding the disputed transactions.
According to the Central Bank of Nigeria’s guidelines on customer resolution timelines, individuals are required to initially report any complaints against their bank at the respective bank branch, where the issue originated.
Subsequently, they should allow a period of two weeks for the matter to be addressed and resolved.
In a subsequent video, he reiterated that the issue remained unresolved.
“I would usually go to a fuel station to withdraw cash. On the 20th of March, we wanted cash of N190,000 so I used my OPAY ATM card to withdraw N191,000 as N1,000 would be charged to the petrol station,” he explained.
But when he lodged his complaint, he said several other customers at the branch were also experiencing similar issues, including delayed responses or unresolved transactions.
A representative of the bank, who preferred anonymity, acknowledged that while efforts were underway to address such concerns, some customers always escalated matters unnecessarily.
The representative said: “While we acknowledge the issues raised, it’s important to note that such challenges are not unique and are part of the ongoing process of managing customer resolutions.
“We are actively working to rectify the situation and assure our customers that their concerns are being taken seriously.”
However, in an official statement by the OPAY management, they addressed the circulating video on the social media and attributed delays in resolving card disputes to industry-wide challenges.
They reassured customers of their commitment to collaborating with stakeholders to expedite resolution and expressed gratitude for continued patience and understanding.
In the statement, OPAY stated: “Our attention has been drawn to a video circulating on social media, where some customers voiced concerns regarding card disputes. We want to clarify that these disputes are taking longer to resolve due to an industry-wide solution.
“We are diligently collaborating with all relevant stakeholders to resolve the issues as quickly as possible and will provide swift update on the progress. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience and deeply appreciate your continued understanding.”
(ThisDay live)
