Unsatisfied Customer Calls His Phone Service Provider 24,000 Times to Lodge Complaints

We've all been there. You call a customer service number, only for the agent to put you on hold for 30 minutes, and still not get your problem addressed. A man in Japan wanted none of that, so he called his phone service provider 24,000 times.

71-year-old Akitoshi Okamoto wanted telephone operator KDDI to apologise to him for allegedly violating their contract, local media reported. Apparently, he was upset that his phone was unable to pick up radio broadcasts, according to Newsweek.

He called the company dozens of times daily to express his displeasure, using public pay phones in Saitama. He was so persistent that he called the company 24,000 times in a span of two years.

Now those considering doing the same thing may want to think twice, as things did not end well for Okamoto. He was arrested by Tokyo police last week for suspicion of “fraudulent obstruction of business” for making 411 toll-free calls in a week.

The telco was initially reluctant to press charges against Okamoto because he was a paying customer. However, the large volume of calls allegedly made it difficult for their customer service team to address other clients. According to the police, Okamoto also allegedly insulted customer service staff and would drop the phone immediately after complaining.

He could be charged under Japan's "obstruction of business" statute, which places criminal penalties on individuals who make it impossible for companies to go about their daily operations.

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