A TNM customer, George Steven Ngaunje, has taken the telecommunications company to Malawi’s communications and competition regulators, accusing it of misleading consumers after an “unlimited” internet bundle allegedly expired before the promised 30-day validity period.
The complaint has reignited questions about the transparency of data packages marketed as unlimited.
Ngaunje said he submitted evidence to the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) and the Competition and Fair Trading Commission (CFTC) after his TNM Mbembembe Unlimited Night Bundle stopped working earlier than expected.
Ngaunje said he purchased the K12,000 bundle on June 27 to support overnight work for an international freelance project, but claimed the data portion was removed from his active packages on July 9.
He alleged that efforts to get an explanation from TNM through its Crossroads branch and customer care channels did not provide him with written terms explaining why the package had ended.
Ngaunje said TNM instead sent him usage records in CSV and Excel formats after he requested clarification on the bundle’s conditions. He claimed that the interruption affected his work and led to the termination of an international freelance contract.
In a follow-up statement, Ngaunje said TNM management later contacted him and offered a reimbursement, which he declined, arguing that the matter was not about recovering the K12,000 but about the transparency of how “unlimited” products are marketed.
He questioned TNM’s reported reliance on a Fair Usage Policy, saying such policies should reduce internet speeds rather than completely disconnect customers from the service.
Ngaunje said he wants regulators to examine whether products advertised as “unlimited” clearly disclose any restrictions before customers make purchases.
TNM had not publicly responded to the allegations by the time of publication, while MACRA and the CFTC had not announced any findings on the complaint.
