A Nigerian man has shared how he successfully recovered ₦50,000 after mistakenly purchasing a 300GB Airtel data bundle for the wrong phone number.
According to him, the error occurred when he accidentally entered a phone number that ended in “6” instead of his own line, which ends in “2”.
How the mistake happened
The man explained that he initially intended to buy the data bundle for himself but unknowingly credited another person’s Airtel line.
Realising the error immediately, he contacted the recipient, explained the situation, and sent proof of the transaction.
However, he said the conversation did not go smoothly, as the woman reportedly accused him of trying to scam her before refusing to engage further.
“I tried to buy data of 300GB from Airtel. I mistakenly credited another person’s line. Mine ends with ‘2’, hers with 6. I called her in the morning, explained myself and sent receipt to her… she claimed I was trying to scam her,” he said.
Recipient allegedly refused to assist
The man said despite further attempts to reach her, the recipient stopped responding to his messages and insisted there was nothing she could do.
Feeling left with no option, he decided to escalate the issue.
Airtel steps in and reverses transaction
He contacted Airtel customer care, provided the transaction ID, and submitted the necessary details for investigation.
After reviewing the complaint, the telecom company reversed the ₦50,000 value as airtime, allowing him to successfully repurchase the data bundle on the correct line.
He described the outcome as a relief, saying:
“They reversed the 50k last night as airtime and I did my data all over. Good riddance.”
Online reactions
The incident has sparked reactions on social media, with many users praising Airtel for resolving the issue efficiently.
Others used the opportunity to remind mobile users to carefully verify phone numbers before making payments, especially for high-value transactions.
There were also mixed opinions about the recipient’s reaction, with some arguing she should have assisted after being shown proof of the mistake, while others said telecom platforms are ultimately responsible for resolving such issues.
