Misleading information by Bharti Airtel on 3g mobile charged extra, Lawyers seeking
Dear All,
Beware of Bharti Airtel, they will overcharge you on first available instance to cheat and swindle you. In fact you should lso recheck all your old bills, possibility is that you have already been a victim and don't know yet.
I had a very shocking experience with Bharti Airtel recently, regarding their 3G plans on cell phones. I frankly feel like scammed and the whole process totally fraud.
I had activated the 3G services with a 750RS plan on 7th November 2011 on my number 9810885586 and the billed amount till 22nd November 2011 was more than 5000.
On activation of services I had received an SMS which said "Rs 750,5GB Free,After 6.03315GB 100% Free" I had browsed and downloaded more than 7GB of data so it should be 100% free apart from 750Rs charges, but thats not the case. They have charged at much higher rate and the voice calls are charges separately.
I contacted back on 9th of December regarding the over billed amount and since then had written to Customer Care (121@in.airtel.com), the nodal officer (Nodalofficer.del@airtel.in,nodalofficer.del@in.ai rtel.com) and finally the Appelatte (appellate.del@in.airtel.com, appellate.del@airtel.in) but none of these fine professionals were able to comprehend the real issue.
All the time I've been told that bill is correct and I have been asking how it could be correct if you yourself have told me that upto 5GB free and after 6.03GB 100% free.
First they have some internal self declared limit that the moment your data usage reaches Rs5000 or 5GB, the 3G services will be deactivated and you will be charged on 2G services at much higher rate automatically. By the way this has never been told to me at time of activation or at the time when the self imposed limit was over.
Second, you will not know when your limit will get over as I didn't get any intimation about the exhaustion of limited 5GB usage.
Even after approaching the Airtel Customer Service, Airtel Nodal officer and their superior the Airtel Appellate authority these guys are saying that charges are correct. No one bothered to explain why the SMS said 100% free after 6.03GB and how they have reached this billed figure. I 've been called on 17th December, this date is 4 days well after the payment due date.
Now they say that above SMS message meant that after 5GB they will count from zero till the count reaches 6.03GB and for the entire thing customer will be charged.
Meaning that the SMS received, "Rs 750,5GB Free,After 6.03315GB 100% Free" should be read like 5GB+6.03GB = 6.03GB and not 11.03GB. Thats what was meant as mentioned in the SMS and bill.
What a SCAM!!
l keep getting e-mails that we (Airtel) tried to reach you but you were unavailable and all charges are correct, though I got calls from all over the India on same cell phone, which could be easily checked since its Airtel's service I am using.
after chasing and demanding explanations from 9th December I finally got reply that I have to pay 1.03GB of charges (though the Airtel decided 3G internal self imposed limit was up, I was to be charged for these services)
After that I got 2 more mails on 22nd of December saying all chrges are fine and ai have to pay up.
I responded back as below,
dear nandini,
thank you for responding back.
I had got an e-mail from swati mishra from appellate authority which I have reverted back. Below is a copy for your reference. Kindly do everything in your power to get this matter resolved at the earliest.
I am sick and tired for having to respond all these mails back and fourth.
Only because of pressing time needs I had refrained my self from putting this matter in a court of law but now I am rethinking that I've been wrong and someone should teach these responsible people some lessons in professional etiquette.
Trust of the customer been played like this and for petty amounts, if this is not fraud and theft and swindle I don't know what is?
I have no problem in voicing my opinions to gher authorities if required, I know you can only try to comprehend how much mental tension this has caused to me. My mental peace has gone and its so disturbing to know that a company like airtel can do these things.
Here is the mail for your reference.
Dear swati,
thank you so much for making things clear so far.
So now these charges are for 1.03gb that means the calculated amount should be for 1024*1024kb at the rate 3 paisa per 10kb, that amount came to rupees 3145.78, add to it 830.49 for clip bill plan as per the billed, plus 190.30 for calls and 48 rupees for sms the amount comes to 4214.51.
After adding 10% taxes (421.45) and 3% (12.64) for education & secondary education on service tax amount comes to 4648.61.
Do you still think the billed amount is correct?
I have this growing feeling that I've been a victim of fraud since long and only now I have noticed it and its like a constant screaming in my mind. Don't know how much money had been swindled from me in the past by airtel.
Based on this incident I had deactivated the airtel 3g service on my other number and had advised everyone in my family to do the same.
Being the hr head of my organization I feel its my duty to inform all my employees and fellow hr community to do the same and sue you guys for these petty thefts.
Thats exactly what I 've been saying since the beginning that this is incorrect amount, god only knows how much amount in excess I had paid in the past for not calculating each and every bill I received just on the basis of trust on airtel.
Also please clarify why I should not go legal? this incident has made me realize that not to trust airtel.
Why after so much frustration and mental harassment I have still not received the updated bill? and why I should be paying the bill?
another thing I want to clear is that I've been following this since 9th december and bill due date was on 13th, why I should be paying for late payment charges now?
I would request to take stringent steps to avoid these instances in future and kindly reverse all the charges and bill for the 3g plan plus voice calls and sms usage.
Looking forward to a speedy and positive reply.
Regards,
s tahkur
I again got another mail of harassment yesterday saying all charges are correct and I need to pay immediately to enjoy uninterrupted service.
I had deactivated the 3G service on my cell phone and asked them few simple questions as mentioned below
I would like to have direct answers for the following questions and hope that this will be my last e-mail to airtel.
Kindly do not ask your representative/S to call me anymore, I am sick and tired of these calls.
I would like to have these explanations in written. And if something doesn't make sense I will call up your customer service.
1. How many days of 3g service has been used by me on my number 9810885586 after getting the 750rupees plan activated on 7th november 2011?
2. For how many days I have been charged for the above mentioned plan against the number of days the services been used?
3. The sms received on activation of services I had received had said "rs 750,5gb free,after 6.03315gb 100% free" do you think it means that I will be billed for anything other than 750 rupees if I use more than 6.03gb of internet service? in absence of any communication from airtel I was shocked to see the bill and only after chasing and demanding explanations since 9th of december I got a clear answer of 22nd of december. So is it a failure on customer's part of from airtel side? is it my fault for a failure in communications from airtel's side? (kindly answer all questions)
4. When DID airtel had sent sms / E-mail or personally called me up informing me that my 5gb limit was up and now I will be charged till limit will reach 6.03gb and and after that it will be free of charge?
5. On which date airtel had sent me communication informing that the 3g limit is over and under the new plan charged usage I will not be getting 3g services till end of the month or start of next billing cycle as showed in your bill?
6. I have been told by airtel various representatives that there is some internal limit imposed for internet usage for 4000 or 5000 rupees, was that communicated by sms or e-mail to me?
(even those representatives are not clear that limit is for 4000 or 5000 rupees.)
7. Any communique from airtel to explain that from 5gb to 6.03gb will be charged? the above mentioned sms only states that if I will use more than 6.03gb then I don't have to pay anything other than 750rupees.
I had received a mail from swati representing the appellate authority on 22nd of december 2011 in which she had clarified that the charges from 5gb to 6.03gbwill be levied. At the time of activation I have not received any communication from airtel distingushing the same and only because if that I have been asking to reverse the unconfirmed/Unexplained charges.
8.As per your mail below I have been given a discount of 17,328.90, you mentioned the word "given", I am sure under the 750plan a customer is entitled to that amount, please clarify if its not the fact.
9. Please confirm the appropriate authority address (both postal and e-mail ID) who may we sent a legal notice if we decide to go in a court of law against these misinformation.
I would be thankful for immediate response for above mentioned.
Regards,
s thakur
Everyone please beware while activating any service on your mobile from Airtel.
For the record we have mailed to Airtel customer care service, nodal officer, appellate authority and airtelpresence since December 09th, 2011; but to no avail. In fact in 1 instance on 17th December we had been contacted by an Airtel representative, by phone, who said that after 5GB the meter starts from zero and till the time it reaches 6.03B customer will be charged. Then on 22nd we got a mail from appellatte saying that from 5GB customer will be charged till 6.03GB meaning for 1.03GB, my question is why all this information was NOT made available at the time of activation of the said plan. It was a deliberate attempt to mislead the customer and information was deliberately obscured from us.
I have since then activated the call recording facility so as any more calls to harass us could be recorded.
Is there any lawyer present in this forum who could give opinion on this case, we would like to pursue it in a court of law.
(These are not the only mails been sent and received by us, there are plenty more.)
Anyone who has faced similar situation, please respond back to rashmitat@gmail.com.
regards,
S Thakur
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Originally Posted by Airtel_Presence
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