Hi,


This is Kumar Arindam from Bangalore. I have been a postpaid costumer of the prestigious telecom company Airtel since Feb 2009. I have been paying my bills judiciously for last 27 months. Last 4-5 months ago I subscribed to Mobile Office 98 plan. It’s a basic GPRS plan which offers 2GB of data usage per month. Here I would like to site Airtel’s comments on this particular plan:
“Check your mail, connect, tweet, blog and do lot more with the power of Mobile Internet Super Saver (with upto 2 GB usage) anywhere anytime only on your airtel Mobile.”
Tech bangalore comments:
“Airtel has recently rolled out a new GPRS pack which is very competitive with GPRS packs offered by new providers like Docomo. With new plan user gets unlimited browsing all through the month for just Rs.98. Though Airtel calls it “unlimited”, it comes with fair usage policy limit of 2Gb. If you are using GPRS only on mobile device, 2Gb is more than enough for a month. If you are connecting your laptop or PC to browse internet, then you should be counting on those bits!”
In my home I have a 2MB/sec unlimited download net connection. Thus I never had to connect my computer to browse net.
Getting excited of the attractive benefits of this plan I took it up. Being a software engineer I know what the volume of 2GB of data is. For first 2-3 months I was charged 98 rupees, as my usage was way within the 2 GB limit. I was charged 1646 rupees as my Airtel postpaid bill last month. I was charged some 350 rupees for my monthly calls and 1300 for GPRS. I sent an email to Airtel for the same. The content is as follows:
Hi,
i have been using mobile office from last 3-4 months. My bill for the same amounts maximum 100 rupees. But this month i have been charged 1300 rupees. But my usage has always been the same. Costumer care says that i have taken up som airtel GPRS where i have never subscribed to such things. How come my Mobile Office got cancelled? Please look into this. I am highly disappointed with the service.

96633XXXX
Arinyyyy
Response:
On receipt of your concern, we reviewed your bill dated 03-06-2011 and have verified the charges of Rs.13366.20/- levied in your bill towards GPRS.we have already provided discount of Rs.12582.90/- towards free data of 2GB of GPRS 98 pack.There appears to be no overcharging in your account. We would like to assure you that we have deployed a state of the art billing system which ensures that your bill is always error free.
Being a normal consumer I have no way to review what internet I have used. I cannot trust the itemized bill too. All I know is I have not used that volume of internet and I hav no idea how it came in my Bill!!
So I decided to keep my GPRS usage to as low as possible for the month of June. 2 days ago i.e. on 20.06.2011 I got a message that I have exceeded my 2GB quota of free internet. Which is IMPOSSIBLE. I called up Customer Care asking clarifications.
· I was clearly said that my data usage cannot be calculated before the bill is generated at the end of the month.
· I asked to discontinue the GPRS service, to which I was said that if I do so, my MO discounts wont be given to me and I will end up paying some 13000-15000 rupees.
· Unable to address my querries properly the sales person said that his manager will get back to me within 4 hours.
So I decided to continue with the service till the month end. Still I felt like bringing my discomfort and discontent in the eyes of authorities. So I sent one more email:
Hi,

Last month i had sent an mail regarding my billing issues. I had complained that i have been charged extra for Internet usage. I have MO-98 plan, which offers me 2GB of free data. Being a Software engineer, i know what amount of data 2GB is. Last month i got an response from you guys saying the billing is proper. Now this month I have not used internet at all. hardly in a week i use internet for 5 mins but yesterday i got a SMS saying i have exceeded 2GB of data!!! I do know what 2GB of data is. I am highly disappointed with this service and i would like to terminate it.You guys are just mentally harassing me..

I have Broad band connection ie Unlimited 2GB/sec connection. Why ll i use net on my phone!!! I hope to get a proper treatment here. Please escalate to which ever forum you need to.

966330XXXX

Regards,
Ariyyyy

Response:

We regret to inform you that we are unable to check the details of GPRS before bill generation as the details will reflect only after the bill generation.

Hence, we request you to revert to us back after the next bill generation to initiate further in this regard. Also, we assure you that we will provide necessary adjustments towards the same if the charges are other than your usage.

Getting disappointed with such response I sent one more mail:

HI

If you are not able to check the details of my GPRS usage, then how come I get an SMS saying i have used 77 MB more than my free 2GB data. When i have not used GPRS. This is an unprofessional response from AIRTEL. Please take this matter into priority and provide me an explanation. I dont want to pay extra at the end of the month when the bill generates. Else assist me how do i close my airtel account.


Thanks,
Arinyyy

Even if I got an acknowledgement mail saying I will be contacted in 24 hours, I have not recived any response in last 28 hours. But today evening I got an SMS which said :

“Your GPRS usage as on 22-06 is rupees 3079. Kindly make an interim payment of 3079 to continue enjoying GPRS services.”

I called up customer care again with these new concerns, as I was supposed to be contacted by some Manager in 4 hrs but it had been 25 hrs still no one had contacted me. I was said I was called from airtel at 8.23 pm of 22.06,2011. A white lie. when I raised my concerns on Rs 3079, I was said that my usage is 2GB and 177 MB extra. Until yesterday airtel was not able to process this data but in a day they had all the numbers figured out. I am a common man. I don’t understand the complex billing process or other technicality these companies hold on to.

My final email:
"
Hi,

After sending several mails, several complains... i get my bill as 5350 rupees for last month.. AIRTEL HAS A FAULTY BILLING SREVICE. Kindly rectify it. I have not used internet of rupees 100 why the hell shuld i pay 5000 rupees for that!!! You guys may say this is your usage n stuff.. butyou guys are wrong, I have rarely used GPRS this month, n why will i pay for services i have not used!!!! Please I beg you.. dont harass me..

As i have no other options.. I am filing a consumer case.. It is pathetic service from such a prestigious company.

9663301996

I can make a payment of 5350 and continue the services but I cant stop wondering is this the way prestigious companies like Airtel harass common people? In my knowledge 2 of my friends have paid such amount in bulk and then converted themselves from post-paid to pre-paid. I see no other alternative in front of me too. Where are my rights? Is this the way these company do profit? I wonder how many people might be getting treated in the same way. How many such 5000 the company would be earning in a week? I wonder if such questions are cropping up in minds of others to.

Through this forum I would like share my concern and pain with everyone. I would be extremely grateful and thankful to you if you consider my problem as a commoner’s problem.

Thanks;
Arindam


contact details: 9663301996