A Safaricom M-PESA customer is demanding answers after an attempt to reverse money sent to the wrong recipient turned into a frustrating dispute, with the company ultimately informing him that the reversal had been cancelled because the recipient did not give consent.
The complainant says he requested the reversal immediately after realising his mistake, expecting the transaction to be corrected, but instead received conflicting updates about whether the request had been received, whether the recipient’s account had been restricted and whether the money could still be recovered.
In a complaint sent to Nyakundi Report, he says the situation became more confusing when he was informed that the recipient’s account had been locked and that the full amount would be reversed, only for him to later be told that the available amount had dropped to KSh3,370.
He says he was asked to wait from Saturday evening until Sunday morning for the partial reversal, but after following up on Sunday, he was informed that the money was no longer available. The customer questions how funds could become unavailable after assurances that the recipient’s account had been restricted to secure the money during the reversal process.
He sought assistance from Kinoo Police Post, where officers advised him to obtain clarification from Safaricom on the sequence of events and establish who might be responsible before deciding on the appropriate legal action.
He also questions what recovery measures were taken against the recipient, whom he says operates a business with a registered Pochi la Biashara account and active transactions.
Safaricom’s response, shared by the customer, stated that consent had not been received from the recipient and that the reversal had therefore been cancelled, advising him to contact the recipient or report the matter to the police.
Greetings XXX,Thank you for emailing us, We failed to receive consent from the recipient and hence the reversal was cancelled, kindly liase with the recipient or report to police for assistance. Happy Customer Service Week! We appreciate your continued loyalty to Safaricom.Our sincere apologies for the inconvenience caused.
Peter is now seeking a documented explanation of what happened at each stage of the reversal request, why the amount available for recovery changed, what steps were taken to secure the funds and whether the failure resulted from the recipient’s actions, a breakdown in the reversal process or another cause.
He has also requested a physical appointment with Safaricom’s M-PESA reversal, investigations or customer escalation team. His complaint reads in full:
Hi Nyakundi ,... Does safaricom Only rely on the recipients Consent to honour a customers Revesal request.... I sent wrong amounts during transactions and requested reversal immediatey but it has escarated to whole drama with Safaricom Insisting that the Recipient did not give consent .....Dear Safaricom Customer Care, RE: REQUEST FOR CLARIFICATION, ACCOUNTABILITY OR PHYSICAL APPOINTMENT REGARDING FAILED M-PESA REVERSAL What mistake did I commit or omit when raising my reversal request? What explains the inconsistencies in the feedback I received, with some messages acknowledging receipt and subsequent action while others reported a failed reversal request? I still fail to understand how your supposedly reliable, trusted and better-option systems managed to lock the recipient’s account, promising to reverse the full amount, only for me to be informed later that the amount available for reversal had reduced to KSh 3,370. I was then asked to wait from Saturday evening until Sunday morning to receive this partial amount. On Sunday, after failing to receive the promised amount, I followed up again, only to be disappointed by the communication that the funds were gone. I was advised to seek police assistance. However, the officers at Kinoo Police Post did not see the crime as I had explained it. They advised me to obtain clarification from Safaricom regarding the queries raised so that I could understand what happened, who bears responsibility, and who I should pursue legally, and on what grounds. If the recipient is responsible, I need to understand exactly what they did and how the funds became unavailable despite the reported account restriction and ongoing reversal process. The officers themselves questioned what happened to the account lock that was supposedly intended to secure the funds until the reversal was successfully completed. Furthermore, what happened to recovering the money from a recipient who is on record as operating a business, with a registered Pochi la Biashara account and active transactions? What recovery measures were taken, and why did they fail? I am requesting clear, factual and documented answers, not another generic response. I need Safaricom to explain the sequence of events, the status of the reversal at every stage, the reason for the conflicting communication, the disappearance or depletion of the funds, and the specific actions taken to recover my money. I also need to understand whether this failure resulted from the recipient’s actions, a breakdown in the reversal process, a system or operational failure, or another cause. Please clarify the evidence available and the appropriate procedure for pursuing accountability. Given the seriousness of this matter and the unanswered questions, I hereby request a physical appointment with the relevant Safaricom M-Pesa reversal, investigations or customer escalation team, or formal guidance on the appropriate way forward. I have a right to understand what happened to my money, why the reversal process failed despite the assurances given, and what options remain available to me. I look forward to your specific response and a clear resolution.
Safaricom needs to clarify whether recipient consent is the only factor considered when handling a reversal request, what happened to the funds after the reported account restriction and what recovery options remain available when a reversal is cancelled.