Whom the gods would destroy, they first make mad. EasyBuy’s refusal to obey the laws of Nigeria fits this description.
EasyBuy is a service that lets people buy smartphones on an instalment service. Operated by New Edge Finance Limited (the same people behind PalmCredit), EasyBuy has become a popular service in Nigeria, as more people embrace the concept of credit. But EasyBuy is also quite popular for its abusive corporate culture in its loan recovery activities.
Their abusive practices include:
- stealing their customers’ contact list and calling and sending abusive/defamatory messages to those contacts.
- threatening and harassing their customers with extremely abusive language over late payments.
- Cooking up false court records.
- Threatening the family members of customers who are late with payments.
The Nigerian economic landscape is a rough one understandably, and late payments are inevitable. Actually, it isn’t a Nigerian thing: all over the world, defaults and late payments are occupational hazards of running an instalment payment business. Yet, there are rules and regulations governing what actions are appropriate and that prohibit abusive actions.
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What the law says
Firstly, section 35 of the Data Protection Act states clearly that it is a criminal offence for a digital loan app to access the details of their customers to recover its money. EasyBuy has breached this act and has acted criminally.
Secondly, the Cybercrime Prohibit and Prevention Act of 2015 states that any person, who knowingly or intentionally transmits any communication through a computer system or network to bully, threaten or harass another person is liable to imprisonment of 10 years and a fine of N25 million. EasyBuy has consistently breached this act.
In Nigeria, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) is the government agency responsible for maintaining sanity when it comes to protecting consumers. The FCCPC has repeatedly taken action against the abusive activities of loan apps and services in the country.
In February this year, after doing some house cleaning of loan apps, the commission published a statement affirming that it was “intensifying enforcement efforts and adopting a zero-tolerance stance towards any exploitation of consumers or abusive conduct, whether in balance calculations, loan default enforcement, or recovery processes.”
Indeed, it is understandable that financial service providers need to recover their funds after disbursing loans. This is a valid need. However, with the emergence of loan apps in Nigeria came an abusive approach to loan recovery that can best be described as agbero behaviour. It is definitely also unlawful behaviour.
How EasyBuy has been acting like street thugs
Narrated below are the details of what has transpired between me and EasyBuy on this matter:
I acquired a smartphone last November (2023) on a 12-month instalment plan through EasyBuy and I have kept up with my payments since then. My monthly payment of ₦39,500 per month is scheduled to end on the 18th of November 2024.
My ₦39,500 payment for this month of August was due last week Sunday (the 18th) and by the next day, EasyBuy representatives began to call and send threatening messages that they would defame me to the public. One of them threatened my family (screenshot below).
I don’t take threats lightly, especially one to my family, and I replied those EasyBuy reps that they were in violation of the laws of Nigeria and that I would take a stand should they carry out their threats.
I had told the first EasyBuy agent that called me that I would sort the payment out latest Friday that week. He kept being belligerent, insisting that they would defame me and then hung up abruptly.
He followed the call up with a message threatening to violate my contacts and to defame me. I replied to tell him that if they did that, all bets would be off and I would take certain actions of my own. Those actions would include me witholding further payments till November when the last payment is due, and me fighting the company to the hilt using all legal channels.
EasyBuy and their reps then went ahead with their threats. I have received notice from multiple contacts that they have been called or messaged by EasyBuy since Thursday last week, with messages that were defamatory to my person. I have filed away screenshots of those messages as evidence.
I intend to make sure that EasyBuy answers for these violations of the laws of this country, ensure that they pay heavily for this behaviour, and that they put a permanent end to this practice.
The law is clear on this matter. Many Nigerians have let fear keep them from taking a stand. I have chosen to take that stand and will fight EasyBuy to the very end.
Of course, EasyBuy has since disabled the device that I bought, and I have no issues with that. It is within the ambit of the law to do that, along with any other legal action. What I will not allow them to get away with is the impunity of thinking that you can do anything they like. They will not get away with violation of rights and defamation. The law is clear on these.
As a first step, I have filed a formal complaint with the Federal Competition & Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) and will follow up on that.
Secondly, I will not be paying a kobo more on the device in question till I have seen this matter to a logical conclusion to the full extent of the law.
Thirdly, I will be actively speaking about the abusive corporate culture of EasyBuy, be it on blogs, on social media, or at physical events. Everywhere I go, it will be a relentless war against this monster that takes pride in being a violator of the laws of Nigeria.
Late payments are not a crime; EasyBuy’s actions are illegal and unlawful
Late payments on loans or subscriptions is not a crime; EasyBuy’s actions in threatening me and my family, in violating my privacy, and violating the privacy of my contacts, however, are crimes – clear violations of the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
EasyBuy will not continue to violate the rights of consumers unchecked. I intend to fight this abuse and illegality to the end, no matter how long it takes.
And yes, I also blocked every EasyBuy number that has sent me threatening messages or called me, as I am resolved to not entertain the uncouth barbaric personalities that the company deploys to be abusive to their customers. I have zero tolerance for their rude and unprofessional behaviour.
The above screenshot is a clear statement from a company registered under the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria threatening to violate a customer’s rights and threatening to carry out defamation. It is the audacity for me. The need to recover payments is valid; but there is absolutely no valid reason to threaten a customer with violation and defamation. What’s worse is that EasyBuy actually proceeded to carry it out. And I will not let it go without consequences.
The comany keeps digging itself into holes it will not be able to wriggle out of. The below screenshot is that of a message in which EasyBuy gives a fake filing number without any court filing; that’s them falsifying and misrepresenting court records:
For some reason, the dumb fools who came up with the above message suppose that everyone they are dealing with are all illiterates. It would be hilarious if it weren’t so stupid. The impunity of their lawlessness beggars belief.
Plus, the illiteracy of the empty heads that the company hired to handle payments recovery is amazing. They throw words around that they clearly have no idea what they mean.
I am not one to be cowed by threats and attempts at intimidation. Also, not many Nigerians have the backbone or the clout to fight this battle. I have both, and so I have decided to take it up as my fight.
My case against EasyBuy
In a nutshell, because I was a few days late on a ₦39,500 payment, EasyBuy has threatened my family with harm, violated my privacy, violated the privacy of my contacts, threatened me with defamation and carried it out, and also cooked up non-existing court records.
According to EasyBuy, I am a hardened criminal on the run with their ₦39,500 and I will be blacklisted and published as a criminal.
Yet, here I am out here in the open calling EasyBuy out for their lawlessness. Finding me isn’t so hard. I am in my wife’s house. Come and get me.
This is me saying publicly that as EasyBuy and its agents have gone on to carry out these multiple unlawful actions, I am resolved to not make any more payments until this matter ends with the following outcomes:
- EasyBuy issuing apologies to each of my contacts whose privacy they violated by contacting. The apologies will be via SMS, so those individuals can forward same to me as confirmation.
- An apology to me for violating my privacy and for defaming me.
- As compensation for the above atrocities, there will be no late payment fees imposed on me regardless of when this issue is resolved (even if it takes 20 years to resolve); I will not pay ₦1 above the ₦39,500 monthly fee.
- A public statement by EasyBuy apologizing to Nigerians for the company’s crass, abusive practices and a promise to not ever act in that manner again.
Only then will I pay the outstanding on the smartphone that I purchased through EasyBuy. As at today, all I owe them is ₦39,500. As by the time the dust of this will have settled, all I will owe them is ₦39,500 x4 = ₦158,000 for the 4 months left of my 12-month payments. Not a naira more. And if EasyBuy does not fulfill the above conditions, they are on their own.
Till then, I will be here “on the run”, as they claim, on mobility.com.ng, on social media, and everywhere else leading the campaign to end EasyBuy’s ugly and dirty impunity. I will do it and keep copying the FCCPC and other relevant government agencies till they take action against EasyBuy.
If doing business within the ambit of the laws of Nigeria is difficult for the guys behind EasyBuy, they should pack their bags and go back to wherever it was they came from. They are not above the law.
Saying no to impunity
If EasyBuy has treated you this way, as well, leave a comment using the comment form below. Speak out now. Let your voice be heard.
Also, whenever EasyBuy repents of this grand foolishness that they are carrying out, be sure to pay up whatever outstanding you have. I have every intention to pay mine, so long as EasyBuy does the right thing. I am not campaigning for irresponsible behaviour on the part of consumers. This fight is to end the lawlessness of EasyBuy, not so anyone should run away with their money.
How to file a complaint against EasyBuy
Also, if you will like to file a formal complaint against EasyBuy for their abusive ways, browse to the FCCPC website located at fccpc.gov.ng and click on the navigation menu, then under Quick Links, select File A Complaint. Then proceed to provide all the details of the issue you have with them. You will also be able to upload documents and screenshots as evidence.
Don’t forget this important bit: immediately they send you any abusive message, take a screenshot and save it. This is because those messages they send are set to auto-delete after 24 hours, and so will wipe out the evidence of their atrocities. They know they are committing crimes and so try to wipe all traces. Immediate screenshots are your friend.
If you get a call from them, record that call. Too bad I didn’t remember to record their call to me. But you must avoid that mistake.
Lastly, also take screenshots of the phone numbers that call you. Open your phone app, switch to the call log and take screenshots.
When it comes to fighting bad people, you need as much evidence as you can get. Take screenshots. Ask any of your contacts that they sent a message to take a screenshot of such messages and forward it to you.
EasyBuy messed with the wrong person
I expect that the lawless entity known as EasyBuy/New Edge Finance Ltd will activate their influencers and bots to swing into action against this post and other updates I will share everywhere else. Sounds like exciting times ahead. I have never been one to back away from a good fight.
