AE Technologies receives approval from NCC

1. 1. INTRODUCTION

AE Technologies Ltd is a Value Added Service (VAS) provider, duly licensed by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to offer value-added services in the telecommunications industry. AE Technologies Ltd provides operator subscribers services such as Caller Tunes, Sports Infotainment, Gaming, Lifestyle etc, which can be accessed through SMS, USSD, and IVR channels. This Consumer Code of Practice “this Code” is made in furtherance of the regulations of the Nigeria Communications Commission’s requirement based on the Nigerian Communications Act (NCA) 2003 and Schedule 1, General Code of the Consumer Code of

Practice Regulations 2007. This Code applies to the provision of Mobile Value Added Services in line with the published NCC’s General Code of Practice. This code explains our practice and procedures in dealing with customer complaints, whenever they arise. It provides information on how a customer can report and

obtain an explanation, together with a resolution from the company. It sets out the type of complaints, how the complaints should be delivered, how we will resolve it, and what can be done by the customer if unsatisfied with our response.

 

2. 2. OBJECTIVES OF THIS CODE

The primary objective of this Code of Practice is to ensure that members of the public use mobile value- added services with confidence and assurance that they will be provided with accurate information about all services and the pricing associated with those services. The Code aims to equip customers and consumers with a mechanism for addressing any concerns or complaints relating to services provided by AE Technologies Ltd as a licensed VAS provider, as well as a framework for impartial, fair, and consistent evaluation and response to any complaints made.

 

3. 3. REVISIONS TO THIS CODE

In order to ensure that the Code remains pertinent in the face of constantly evolving technology, the provisions of the Code will be reviewed regularly. The latest approved version shall be posted on the website, subject to the approval of the NCC.

 

4. 4. SCOPE OF THE CODE

Unless otherwise specified, this Code of Practice applies to all clients and VAS business partners of AE Technologies Ltd. As well as complying with this Code, AE Technologies Ltd shall also comply with any existing contracts and agreements it has with Mobile Network Operators and Private Network Operators in accordance with existing laws and regulations.

 

5. 5. DEFINITION OF TERMS

In this Code unless otherwise defined, any word, phrase, or expression shall, unless the context requires otherwise, have the meaning given to it herein and the terms below shall have the following meaning:

 

1. “Commission” or “NCC”: The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) established by virtue of the

Nigerian Communications Act 2003

 

1. b. “Telecommunications Law”: Telecommunications Laws passed by legislative Acts of the Nigerian National

Assembly

 

1. c. “Content”: Content is information and experiences that may provide value for an end user/audienc

Content may be delivered via any medium such as SMS or web.

 

1. d. “Content Providers”: Individuals, organizations, and companies who supply content to Service Providers or Value Added Service Providers for use in their Services;

 

1. “Code”: This Code of Practice for Customer Services & Protection

 

1. f. “Customer” or “Client” shall mean any of our corporate customers, whether jointly or severally.

 

1. g. “Short code”: A short code number allocated by the Nigerian Communications Commission or the Service

Provider for Premium Rate Services;

 

1. h. “Telco”: An NCC licensed Mobile Network Operator (MTN, Airtel, 9Mobile, Glo etc) or Private Network

Operator;

 

1. i. “AE Technologies Ltd”: AE Technologies Ltd

 

1. “Telecommunications”: Any form of transmission, broadcast, or reception of signs, signals, texts, images,

sounds, or data by wire, optical means, wireless or other electromagnetic means”

 

1. k. “Services” shall mean/refers to any mobile value-added service, whether one-off or recurrent, provided by AE Technologies Ltd

 

1. l. “Value Added Services”: Services characterized by: i. Adaptation in the form, content, code, protocol, or any other representation of the data transmitted by a subscriber or user through the telecommunications network without changing their content; or ii. Provision of data to a user or customer including re- composition of data transmitted by them; or iii. Provision of stored data for interaction with a user or a customer

 

1. “Value Added Service Provider”: The provider of Value Added Services including Telco’s offering Value

Added Services over their own network.

 

application providers, for access to all network operators that have the capability to transmit Value Added

Services, to end users.

 

6. 6. CODE OF PRACTICE FOR AE TECHNOLOGIES LTD CUSTOMERS

 

1. AE Technologies Ltd as a VAS Licensee shall provide guidance to its customers and employees in respect of disputes or complaints relating to the provision of service by them and the time frame for handling complaints through this procedure.
2. b. AE Technologies Ltd shall advise customers on charging and related enquiries.
3. c. AE Technologies Ltd shall provide its customers with advice and procedures on the proper use of value- added services.
4. d. AE Technologies Ltd may consult the Commission once every year about the operation of the Code of

Practice.

 

7. 7. APPLICATIONS OF CODE

The Code shall govern the provision of services to consumers by AE Technologies Ltd. In the event of a conflict between the code and the General code, this code shall apply.

AE Technologies Ltd shall provide consumers with information on their services that is complete, accurate, and up-to-date and in simple, clear language.

This would be made available to both the customer service department of the company, web portal, and also in the Welcome message after opting in for the service.

 

AE Technologies Ltd shall endeavour to respond in a timely manner to consumer requests for information on their services, and such information shall be provided free of charge and shall include at least the following:

Current service arrangements, including information about the service and tariff for all services offered to the public, shall be readily available via appropriate media, including electronic format on AE Technologies Ltd’s website.

Any request in tariff changes would be done under the auspice of AE Technologies Ltd in consultation with the Service Provider. Approval shall be obtained for any tariff change, and adequate information with an option to opt-out shall be given to the user/subscriber.

AE Technologies Ltd shall also endeavour to ensure that subscribers have a good Service Level Agreement.

 

8. 8. SERVICE CONTRACTS AND DURATION

AE Technologies Ltd shall supply or make available on request a copy of the contracts or agreement for the provision of services, and such contracts shall be written in plain and clear language.

 

9. 9. DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES

AE Technologies Ltd offers Mobile Value Added Services, including sports content services, infotainment, caller tunes, gaming, and lifestyle services.

AE Technologies Ltd shall follow all applicable rules and regulations of the Commission.

Pay all assessment fees and operating levies due to the Commission and/or the Government. Promptly notify the Commission of any change of address and contact information.

Treat each customer equally to all other similarly situated customers, free of prejudice or

disadvantage.

 

Respect customers’ right to select different value-added services and vendors.

Administer procedures to prevent deceptive and unfair marketing practices aimed at potential or existing customers.

Protect customers’ right to privacy by safeguarding records and personal information against unauthorized use.

Respond to consumer complaints or inquiries made by the Commission, thoroughly and quickly.

AE Technologies Ltd is responsible for ensuring that the content, promotion, and operation of all its services (whether provided by themselves or by their partners) comply with all conditions of this Code of Practice and its existing regulatory licenses.

AE Technologies Ltd shall ensure that all agreements, alliances, or partnerships of any kind entered with Value Added Service Providers, Content Providers, Media, or any other party for the provision, promotion, or exploitation of Value Added and/or Premium Services are in conformity with the rules established by this Code of Practice as well as the Telecommunications Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the regulations issued by the Nigerian Communications Commission.

 

11. 11. PROVISION OF INFORMATION TO CONSUMERS

 

General: Separate minimum periods will apply to the service we supply and to other users depending on the pricing option and service you choose. The minimum service duration or period of service for some of our services is a daily request, while the maximum period of service for our services is 30 days (renewable on expiry). For our SMS services, the service will begin on the day you purchase the service via SMS, as activation is done almost immediately. Please note that AE Technologies Ltd’s services are available in all parts of Nigeria. However, our services are network dependent, and certain services may not be available on all networks.

Contracts & Duration: Prior to requesting the service, every subscriber will be expected to read our terms and conditions, which detail full terms under which we provide products and services to our customers. It governs the contractual relationship between us, and if any discrepancy exists between the Service Contract and Consumer Code of Practice, the Service Contract shall take precedence. A copy of our standard Service Terms is available for download at our website on  www.aet.ng

 

Terms & Information: A sample of our contract terms and related information can be made available upon request.

Description of Services: Our Services range from Caller Ring Back Tunes, SMS Infotainment Content such as Gaming, Sports, etc. For a detailed description and pricing of our services, please send an email to [email protected] or reach us on a call via +2349014656587.

 

12. 12. SERVICE SUBSCRIPTION

Customers may subscribe to the service via SMS or web channel. AE Technologies Ltd upon receipt of subscription request will issue a short message service double confirmation.

 

13. 13. CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITION

All terms and conditions of a contract regarding the provision of any of our services shall be clearly stated in the contract or agreement. Furthermore, contracts entered by AE Technologies Ltd with its customers shall have a specific duration which shall commence on a definite date to be stated in the contract and shall terminate on a certain date albeit in accordance with the termination provisions in such a contract.

 

14. 14. ADVERTISING OF PACKAGE SERVICES

Where AE Technologies Ltd represents in advertising materials that a service is provided as part of a package, AE Technologies Ltd shall ensure it is able to supply all components of the service package. In the event that AE Technologies Ltd is unable to supply any component of the package, appropriate information about this limitation shall be included in the advertising materials.

Where advertising materials indicate the price of a component of a service package, AE Technologies Ltd shall include in the advertising materials a statement of the minimum total charge for the package, and indicate any conditions that may apply to obtain the component at the stated price.

 

15. 15. AVAILABILITY OF SERVICE

AE Technologies Ltd services are not available on all mobile networks, and as our services are network dependent, services will be restricted to certain areas within Nigeria where mobile network service is available.

 

16. 16. DISCLAIMER– AE Technologies Ltd includes disclaimers to cover situations where service provision may be hindered by factors beyond our control, including force majeur

 

17. 17. TELEMARKETING– AE Technologies Ltd telemarketing practices adhere to all regulatory standards, and consumers are given the choice to opt out of telemarketing communications.

 

18. 18. PREVENTION OF UNSOLICITED SMS- AE Technologies Ltd shall ensure that consumer are able to opt- in and opt-out of unsolicited short messages service or voice calls utilizing any code provided by the Commission.

 

19. 19. CONSUMER BILLING

All services are paid for via credit available on the subscribers’ phone. Once service is requested for, the money is deducted from the balance of the customer’s account.

Unless otherwise promoted or advertised, we will normally bill you upfront (in advance) for any charges for the duration of the service.

 

1. Billing Information- The following information shall be contained in invoices issued to the consumer:

• Consumer name and billing address
• AE Technologies Ltd current business name address and registered number
• Invoice number
• Date of invoice and billing period
• Description of services provided by AE Technologies Ltd for which the consumer is charged
• Historical summary of charges including total amount billed, applicable credits, advance

payment or discounts, net amount payable by consumer or repayable by Host as the case may be.

1. B. Timing of Issuance of bill- AE Technologies Ltd shall issue bills and include all charges incurred within the specified billing period within 10 days of the closure of each billing period.
2. C. Payment Confirmation- AE Technologies Ltd shall make available appropriate and accessible

methods of verification of bill payments by the consumer.

1. D. Billing frequency- Consumer shall be provided with sufficient and advance written notification of any proposed changes to the billing period. The advance written notification shall be deemed sufficient by parties where it provides a minimum notification period of twice the usual billing period(s).
2. E. Prepaid options- AE Technologies Ltd will provide prepaid services and will follow similar billing and credit practices. Prepaid consumers will receive notifications of service expiry and renewal options.

 

20. 20. CONSUMER OBLIGATIONS

Consumers are required to ensure timely payments of bills and adherence to the terms of the service contract. Failure to do so may result in service disruption or disconnection.

 

Terms of Service: Consumers shall not misuse our services, including but not limited to dishonestly obtaining services or using services to send messages that are obscene, threatening, or otherwise contrary to applicable laws or regulations.

 

21. 21. PROTECTION OF CONSUMER INFORMATION

AE Technologies Ltd reasonable care to prevent any unauthorized access to customer’s personal information. AE Technologies Ltd recognizes the importance of privacy. We use personal information that we collect from customers in accordance with strict procedures and laws of the Federal Republic

 

of Nigeria. AE Technologies Ltd and its employees shall not disclose any proprietary or confidential information obtained in the course of the provision of its services or products to a customer, to a third party, without the consent of the customer who owns proprietary or licensed rights to such information, or in instances of permitted usage. AE Technologies Ltd employees have signed the AE Technologies Ltd Confidentiality Agreement on the protection of confidential information, which creates an obligation on each employee to ensure compliance with the Company’s policies and or Agreements.

 

General Principles: When ordering certain services, we may ask you for information such as name, address, contact phone numbers, and email address. We may also ask you for other relevant information about the service you are using or ordering.

 

Data Gathering- AE Technologies Ltd collects customer data in accordance with privacy regulations. Only necessary data is collected to facilitate service provision.

 

Data Storage: Customer data is stored securely, only authorized personnel have access to this information. In some cases, by law, we must keep information for a minimum period. Unless specific legal requirements say otherwise, we will keep information no longer than is necessary for the purpose we collected or processed the information.

 

Data Sharing– Customer data will not be shared with third parties without prior consent, except in compliance with legal or regulatory obligations.

 

22. 22. COMPLAINTS HANDLING

Information to Consumers: If you are unhappy with our service, please contact us and let us know. It is through your feedback that we continuously review and improve the overall quality of our

services. If you have a complaint, our formal internal complaints procedure is outlined below. We

are fully committed to addressing all complaints, fully and fairly, and in a reasonable time frame. We do try and resolve complaints by telephone; however, should you wish to receive a response in writing, then please let us know, and we will duly send you a written resolution to your complaint.

 

mail. All AE Technologies Ltd subscribers can contact the help desk via email; email: [email protected] or via

telephone: +2349014656587. Before you contact our support desk, please make sure that you have the service you are subscribed to, your mobile number, and a summary of the complaint. This will enable us to process and resolve your complaints quickly.

 

Resolution Time: We aim to deal with problems as quickly as possible, and so our help desk assistance will try to resolve the problem as soon as possible. If this is not possible, they will inform you of a course of action.

 

Escalation: If you need to escalate a complaint about the way we have handled any aspect of your account or the way you have been treated when contacting the technical support or customer service desks, you may escalate by writing an email detailing the nature of the complaint to: [email protected]. Further escalation may be made to NCC if the complaint remains unresolved within a specific time frame.

 

Contacting You: When we need to contact you, we will use your e-mail address, mobile, or fixed phone number. We will contact you to advise on the outcome of an investigation into any complaint which our help desk agents were unable to resolve during the initial telephone call.

 

Special Needs: AE Technologies Ltd is aware of its legal and moral obligations to disabled customers. We offer several different services for our customers with special needs. These services are designed to not only meet the demands of the current regulations but to also enable us to offer the best possible service to these customers.

 

Special Literature: Copies of this code of practice in larger print are available by post from us. Our web developers are also working continually to improve the accessibility of our sites to disabled customers.

 

Charges: Complaint handling processes shall be provided free of charge. However, we may impose a reasonable charge for complaint handling processes where the investigation of the complaint requires the retrieval of records more than twelve (12) months old, and where that retrieval results in any incremental expense or significant inconvenience. Any such charges shall be identified, communicated, and agreed with the subscriber before we bill for it.

 

Action on disputed charges: When there is an unresolved complaint or billing dispute, the consumer shall be obliged to make payment of any outstanding amounts other than the amount that is specifically in dispute. We shall not impose any additional charges in the form of credit management or interest while the dispute is being resolved.

 

Changes to Complaint Handling Process: We shall, from time to time, and as may be required by NCC, review our complaint handling process. Revised and updated information will be posted to our website: www.aet.ng

23. 23. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS OF COMPLAINTS AND OUTCOME

An appropriate recording system for complaints and their outcome/resolution shall be set up and such system shall have all complaints and resolution stored in a discernible manner for easy identification.

24. 24. RETENTION OF RECORD

Any information collected and recorded as part of the complaint handling process shall be retained for at least Twelve (12) Months following the resolution of complaints or as directed by NCC from time to time.

Opt-in and Opt-out Option

Upon request for any service, AE Technologies Ltd shall provide the consumer with Opt-in and Opt-out options in clear, simple, and understandable terms.

25. 25. CODE COMPLIANCE

Licensees (AE Technologies Ltd’s) Responsibility: AE Technologies Ltd takes its responsibility to code compliance very seriously and recognizes the importance of developing and maintaining a good Code that is approved by the commission. The company is committed to an ongoing process of improvement in its operational performance, seeking not only to comply with legal or mandatory requirements but also proactively educate her employees regarding code compliance and providing the required information to the Commission as and when needed.

Compliance Monitoring and Reporting by the Commission: AE Technologies Ltd is in full support and agrees to work with the Commission as well as customers to ensure that the service it delivers in terms of quality and customer support continues to meet and even exceed developed standards and codes of conduct.

Consumer Complaints: All complaints by consumers will first be lodged and dealt with by AE Technologies

Ltd in accordance with Clause 7 of this Code. Where a Consumer lodges a complaint with the Commission and does not initially contact us, the Commission will forward the complaint to AE Technologies Ltd for resolution in accordance with our complaint handling process detailed in this Code.

Industry Complaints: Industry complaints are those made by one Licensee against another for an alleged breach of a consumer code. Industry complaints will also include complaints by a group representing consumer interests against a Licensee.

 

Commission Investigation: The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is empowered by law and is fully responsible for ensuring compliance as well as investigation into complaints or breach of code by either AE Technologies Ltd, her customers, or between AE Technologies Ltd and other providers.

Appeals Process: Where there is a dispute between us that cannot be resolved within 60 days from the first date of lodging the complaint with us, you have the right to refer the matter to the Head, Consumer Affairs department of the Nigerian Communications Commission.

Confidentiality: We will treat any information concerning any complaint or compliance in confidence and will not disclose it to anyone except in accordance with any instructions you have given us. However, there are circumstances in which we may be required by law to disclose information. Such requests come from the Statutory Authority. Any of such disclosures will be strictly controlled and made fully in accordance with the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.