In January this year, Amos Mucyo purchased a new mobile phone from a regular phone shop in Kigali.

At the end of August, the phone was blocked, and Mucyo was told that it had been bought under Macye Macye, an installment payment scheme, developed by MTN Rwanda.

Mucyo realised that to be able to use the phone again he would need to make an additional payment to unlock it.

"I bought it in Kigali, and I live in Muhanga. The seller isn't someone I know well. I've left the phone and don’t want to waste more time and money,” he told The New Times.

The Macye Macye scheme was launched by MTN Rwanda in partnership with Bank of Kigali and the smartphone financing company Intelligra Solutions in November 2022. It allows customers to purchase smartphones and tablets through an installment plan. The initiative aimed to make devices more accessible for people who couldn’t afford to pay the full price at once.

ALSO READ: BK&039;s Macye Macye attracts 14,000 loans for smartphone financing

An incident in mid-August saw MTN customers complain about deductions from the mobile money wallets as part of Macye Macye. These included people who had not even bought any Macye Macye products.

MTN responded to the issue, saying they "apologize for the inconvenience” the deductions made on August 18 had caused. The company said the customers who did not have a Macye Macye loan had been refunded.

Ignace Vuguziga, customer of Macye Macye, shared another experience, saying he was overcharged for the phone he bought in the scheme and his refund has taken too long to come.

"I was supposed to pay Rwf120,000 for the phone, but after reviewing my payments, I realised I had overpaid by Rwf6,900. They assured me I would be refunded. Later, when my employer deposited Rwf 49,000 into my mobile money account, Rwf44,000 was deducted immediately, and I still haven’t received the promised refund,” Vuguziga said.

Vuguziga said that despite having visited MTN service centres in Muhanga and Ruhango Districts to get his concern addressed, he hasn’t got the refund.

"They told me to go home and wait for the refund, but nothing has happened since March. I’m now planning to visit Intelligra to seek further assistance,” he said.

ALSO READ: MTN, BK launch device financing drive for smartphone affordability

Vivien Katabarwa, Intelligra Rwanda Managing Director, addressed the issues with customers accidentally purchasing Macye Macye products by advising buyers to always purchase from authorized dealers or verified sellers.

Katabarwa emphasized that customers should check the source of the device and contact their customer service to verify if it is part of Macye Macye.

"If someone sells a phone before completing their payments, we might need to temporarily block the phone until the payments are sorted out. In some cases, we may have to take legal action to recover the remaining balance," Katabarwa said in statement to The New Times.

However, he said, they prefer customers to contact them if there are payment difficulties or plans to sell the phone, so they can offer solutions that protect both the seller and buyer.

In cases of blocked phones, Katabarwa reassured customers, saying "If you find yourself with a blocked phone, don't panic! Just give our customer service team a call. We'll look into your specific case and guide you through the next steps.”

He reiterated that the company would continue to resolve the issues in Macye Macye and emphasized the importance of security, including updates to their systems to prevent irregularities.

He advised against using unauthorized services to unlock devices, as this could lead to more problems or legal consequences.

Regarding overpayments, Intelligra noted that such instances could happen when payments overlap across different channels, but they encourage customers to contact customer service for refunds.

Emmanuel Mugabe, the Director of the Competition and Consumer Protection unit at Rwanda Inspectorate, Competition and Consumer Protection Authority (RICA), said that consumers who face those issues can approach RICA for support.

"Anyone affected by the issue in Macye Macye who hasn’t had it resolved should first contact that company. If the issue remains unresolved, they can reach out to RICA. We collaborate with the Ministry of ICT and Innovation and RURA to support consumers, so we will connect them with those companies and they can fix that or else it can reach the judiciary if they do not support,” he said.