The plans by DSTV, a subsidiary of Multichoice in Nigeria, to offer its potential subscribers Christmas promotional sales is being frustrated by its dealers in many parts of the country. The new offer, which promises to sell a complete DSTV system for N9,000  instead of the  original N24,900 is now being sold by the unscrupulous dealers at between N15,000 and N17,000 due to the unprecedented rush that greeted the offer.
DSTV unveiled the promotional sale last November to enable more Nigerians buy the package for just N9,000. But BusinessWorld Intelligence revealed that the sales promotion has been hijacked by dealers who have now artificial scarcity of the product to enable them sell at premium to customers.
Visits  to  some DSTV  centres in most of the South West states revealed  that  the package,  which includes decoder, smartcard, dish and installation, does not sell for N9,000 as announced by  Multichoice  as  dealers  use  the promo to mark up their profits thus defeating the purpose of the offer.
The promo which is Multichoice’s Christmas season sale is to enable new subscribers buy a new DSTV system. The new price of N9,000 does not however include monthly subscription as  subscribers will choose and pay for any DSTV package of choice separately..
Immediately after the announcement, Nigerians across the country rushed to DSTV’s designated sales points to avail themselves of the offer but many were disappointed that the system is not N9,000 as announced  by the company.
Investigations show that at first, it was sold for N9,000, but gradually the high demand prompted  the  dealers to push the price to N10,000. From N10,000 the price moved up to N12,000 but Nigerians kept buying. Four weeks after the promo was announced, the few people who managed to get the package paid over N16,000.
Further investigations reveal that most dealers, who had anticipated the rush due to the price slash, bought the decoders in large quantity but refused to sell them until it became scarce. DSTV has also run out of stock and has ordered for new ones.
At the DSTV outlet in Oshopey Shopping Complex in Lagos, one of the sales lady told our reporter: “We have run out of stock. But some of our dealers gave us some packages to sell for them; if you are interested you can pay N15,000.”
Although DSTV is insisting that the scarcity was created by the dealers, a source within the company said no dealer has so far been apprehended or disciplined. A worried consumer, Emeka Ejiofor, who spoke to our reporter lamented the ordeal he has undergone just to be able to buy the decoder for N15,000. “I have been to a DSTV office on the mainland twice now in the last two weeks and I was told that the product was not available. Just yesterday when I got there, a man who works in the office told me that he can get me one if I pay him N15,000. To my surprise, when I gave him N15,000, he immediately produced  one for me and said if I get him more people, he will give me a commission on each one sold.”