IDEA can change your validity

I am a tortoise when it comes to spending. I normally keep my mouth shut until someone try to take out things out of my pocket, forcibly. This is the story of how rabbit lost to tortoise, once again. IDEA finally respected its own tariff plan and apologized for its folly.

My Idea validity was about to expire. I enquired about renewal plans from their head office at Pune and obtained tariff plans. I sometime take my neck out before spending. So I called up Idea toll free customer care helpline and enquired about renewal plans, validity and talk time. The young agent at the other end was fresh recruit and expectedly was not aware of facts and figures.

I admire long ears and short tail of rabbit. So I decided to walk-in in nearby IDEA franchise and purchased renewal plan as per tariff card. Franchise executive too promised me 7 months validity, talk-time of 136 at a recharge of 349. It was all ok till I checked my validity – it was up by 6 months only.

Complaint was lodged with customer care agent of IDEA. Since immediate redressal was not available I insisted for complaint docket number or service request number. (80708794, Date 20-09-2008) Call back was assured and race with tortoise and rabbit began. In the first leap, I was astonished by question from caller – What was the name of the executive who has recharged your mobile? How it affects validity? Oh, yes, it should not, I will revert on this.

In the second leap, Sir: What is the date printed on tariff plan you are relying on? It doesn’t have any? Why don’t you print it on tariff plan – are you playing with laws? I will revert on this.

In the third leap, Sir: You will have to come to our office and then we will decide. Ok, fine. Send me SMS invitation and I would love to visit Idea for getting justice. I will revert on this.

In the fourth leap, Sir: We have increased your validity from 6 months to 7 months. Bye Bye.

Conclusion: Tortoise again won the race. Idea lost it. Who won or who lost is immaterial, who fought is more important. The message I wish to pass – Don’t rely on rabid plans. Fight for justice till you get it or till you die. If you are dead, you are already won.

The Bigger Picture: Its TRAI recommendation that price list should be provided to consumers on demand. Service providers are trying to play smart with this guideline and are smartly putting line – The Company reserves the right to withdraw / modify the plans at any point of time in the event of policy changes without prior intimation to the customers. Wow that’s great legal brainwork. Isn’t it? But playing with the law sometime can boomerang heavily. Idea would have been required to substantiate date wise policy changes and date was tariff changes.

Advise: While obtaining price list from telecom providers put the date on it. While paying, refer price list and ask to give full description of services purchased or as mentioned in price list.

Conclusion: Unless regulator, who prefers to sit in closed doors, becomes transparent in its functioning, we have reason to say – IDEA can change your validity.

~ Avinash Murkute, Pune

September 05, 2008

The Good Teacher Instructs
The Excellent Teacher Invites
The Superior Teacher Involves, and
The Great Teacher Inspires.

On Teachers Day I take pride in saluting all teachers and
all those who helped me reach greater heights.

Thanking you and best wishes for Teachers Day 2008.

Avinash Murkute
Galaxy4u Pune

Abhinav Bindra won the FIRST GOLD MEDAL in 2008 Olympic. Let us congratulate him and celebrate!

We the elite of India make merry when everything is favorable to us but remain quite to vulnerable acts of terrorism. How they, the terrorists, can vandalize our peace and cause mayhem? This week it was at Jaipur. Last time it was at Varanasi, Malegaon, Hyderabad, Akshardham and so many other places.

Acts of terrorism collapses whole mankind and takes away peace of mind of all individuals. The pain caused by death of innocent Indians can never be explained in few words. Although Government gives some monetary compensation to victims, is that sufficient for a widow or for a family who lost bread winning member? Is compensation a panacea to deaths of thousand innocents?

Accusing intelligence failures will not serve any purpose. Every citizen will have to become vigilant about such coward anti-national activities. Every citizen should come forward to report suspicious acts of migrants and acts of those who are helping such mayhem. How should I behave if such acts are repeated is not known to me! Am I supposed to know that? Does citizens should render some assistance to fight terrorism? Citizens are totally ignorant about what to do about acts of terrorism.

We pass the buck by saying - It is the duty of police. Recently I saw a sticker on entrance of a lift of a commercial complex – Self Policing is Best Policing by Pune Police.That’s a small but good move.

There should be comprehensive guidelines from law enforcing agencies about how to fight much menace. Having a common website offering tips and guidelines will be a smart move and good start. Nobody visits CBI website to check against whom RCN (Red Corner Notice) is issued. Why can't security agencies spread presentations on emails? We forward so many emails on what not topics. Security agencies too need to take measures to sensetize citizenry. Are they sticking to old ways? Let the crime happen? Let the premises of crime be established?

To conclude, I feel, terrorists should be scared of Indian Citizens. I invite more suggestions and feedback from learned, elite, netizens and MS members.

Respect those friends who find TIME for you in their busy schedule.

But, really love those friends who NEVER SEE their schedule when you NEED them.

This one is dedicated to all MS friends!

Regards

Welcome Every Morning With Smile On Your Face, With Aims In Your Eyes, Hopes In Your Heart And Determination In Your Mind. 

~ Good Morning.

Thought:

Apologising does not mean that you are wrong and the other is right. It only means that you valued the relationship much more than personal ego........

Regards

98 percent of MLM business are fly by night operators. If you happen to notice someone talking about Time and Money, most probably he is MLM agent and is going to dupe you. While studying mass communication, i have surveyed modus-operandi of various MLM companies, activities, operations, balance sheets and came to conclusion that their vision is to dupe customers and run away.

I am reproducing a news about one such MLM business fall out as under.

CHENNAI: Police arre
sted the Group MD, MD and 7 staff members of Quest Net, a private online multi-level marketing company, and sealed the company’s office on Mc Nichols Road in Chetpet. The arrested persons were remanded to judicial custody and sent to the Puzhal prison. The police also confiscated 71 kg of gold coins, 12 laptops and documents from the company.

According to the police, the arrest was made following inquiries based on a complaint lodged by V. Dinesh Kumar, who said that he had been cheated to the tune of nearly Rs.1 lakh over a period of two years. When the complainant had approached Srikanth, commission agent, seeking an explanation on Friday, he was beaten up and threatened with dire consequences.

A special team was formed under the direction of Police Commissioner G. Nanchil Kumaran, who conducted an inquiry and found that several others in Pulianthope and Otteri had also lodged complaints in the local police stations. Following the arrest, a group of persons on Saturday came to the Police Commissioner’s office to make a representation.

When they were not allowed inside, they gathered outside and raised slogans. Four persons were detained. By afternoon, hundreds of people gathered in a hotel near the Commissioner’s office and staged a protest. (Source Hindu)

Stay away from such MLM fly by night operators. There were many closures and cheating cases in the past...this is the suggestion.

“Media people of yester years used to joke that Print Medium is "Dharma Patni" and that Electronic Media is "Priya Sakhi".  When priya sakhi is instant, vibrant & colorful, the sluggish & pale dharma patni would extinct naturally.  But what is happening? Both print and electronic media are coexisting and vying each other.” This is the exact comment on what was said in one PR fraternity.

Social media scares Indian corporate, is the story published by CIOL. In sequel to this story MouthShut is being discussed at length in various professional forums. CIOL article can be found at http://www.ciol.com/News/Featu
res/News-Reports/Social-media-s
cares-Indian-corporates/2840810
5582/0/

I disagree with CIOL article that MS is the place only for voicing various customer deficiencies. In fact to experience the charm and bliss of MouthShut they will have to become member of MS. I also disagree with article that corporate are away from MouthShut. In fact, we have HDFC Bank, karRox, Club Mahindra, PCI and list is swelling ……who have an ear to the ground.

We have many success stories at MouthShut and I have proposed to submit white paper on importance of such effective tool.

Keep writing!

Hi,

Silence is golden but sometimes breaking the silence is absolute necessity. I have booked one domain name from VSNL / Tata Communications.  Domain name once booked is valid for one year and transaction can not be reversed. I want to know feedback and suggestions from MS members,

>> Should TATA be allowed to charge for domain name which they never booked?
>> Should TATA be allowed to show domain name as booked on three different dates?
>> Should TATA be allowed to repudiate their communication?

Awaiting a riposte.