Almost everyone does not read the small print and as such saying Vodafone Ghana does not have the legal right to bombard its subscribers with advertisement text messages may be wrong—but at least, subscribers reserve the right to opt out of the many annoying text messages the telecommunication company keeps sending out.

Almost every day that I have been in Ghana, I’ve received some sort of advertisement such as the above from Vodafone Ghana and my friends who are other networks say, the value is the same.

It’s repugnant that Vodafone Ghana’s numerous text message advertisements to it subscribers do not have the usual STOP instructions.

In the UK which is somewhat the home of Vodafone, there is no way the network will be able to “pelt” it subscribers with countless messages such as what is being allowed in Ghana, let alone failing to provide the means via which subscriber can opt out of these irritating commercials.

It’s a piss take and according to several social media users who commented on this issue when I raised it, they’ve been fighting with their respective networks for months to opt out of the these text messages without any success.

Commenting on Facebook, Paa Ekow wrote; “Airtel is way annoying when it comes to this, I feel ur pain. Most can relate anyway!!!.” David Bankojo also said: “I have been receiving a lot lately. Also sent stop and didn’t work, I guess we all just have to suck it in and continue enjoying the low-quality service Chris.”

Ruby Adjoa Sackey stated: “You can try calling their customer care. Called airtel to complain about the same thing but it still persists though.” Apparently, when you check Airtel’s website, there are short codes where you can text STOP to, for these messages to stop coming. But those who have tried it say, it does work.

The truth is, subscribers do not have to go about looking for shortcodes to text to end these annoying messages—the various networks who send out the advertisements should provide at the end of each message an option for the subscribers to out of of future messages. That is what is done in other parts of the world where such spamming is well regulated and where the telecom networks respect their customers.

When you are busy doing something important, your message alert tone will beep—and when you stop look, it’s as usual another unwanted message from your network.

What’s most annoying for me is the fact that, I keep replying to these messages with ‘STOP’ and it does not even work.

This is pure nuisance which should be seriously looked at.

These networks operating in Ghana must cut down the number of messages they are saying–as well as provide instructions to promptly out of if you are not interested in receiving further messages.

We take everything for granted and the fact that all the networks are doing it leaves users with no viable alternative.