Dec 03, 2005 04:33 PM
2388 Views
(Updated Dec 03, 2005 04:50 PM)
So once I found myself asking the customer care executive about how to go about disconnecting my Airtel connection. And as I feel the urge to get rid of this service provider again I read a news item about Airtel customer base touching a new high of 2 million. Anyway, so my story goes.
I was happily using my Airtel prepaid card when I got a call from one of their agents about a beautiful scheme enticing me to switch over to billing. With a little bit of deliberation, I could agree that the scheme was really good, and I gave them a go-ahead. I paid Rs. 500 deposit for the sim card and when the connection was activated, I found to my dismay that many of the promised things were not in the plan. Airtel refused to care about their agent's unethical marketing strategies , which in itself is illegal. Then they sent me a letter telling me about giving me a refund of my deposit of Rs. 500. But the refund never arrived.
I asked them to revert me back to my prepaid days but was 'threatened' that I would lose my deposit if I disconnected before 6 months. And so my letter writing and running from pillar to post began at Airtel. Soon I found myself being offered an alternate plan that ''was supposed to reduced the impact'', and for which I had to pay Rs. 200 more only ''instead of the regular Rs. 600''. So now I was into this new plan. One day I received a call for quality of service survey and I responded ''Poor''. Immediately, my 200 Rupees were given back to me in my next bill. Haah!
All through this while, I suffered very poor connectivity. I complained. They noted down my address of residence. Then they called about about having ''noted the point''. It is a different thing it has improved now, but I dont know if that is at the cost of indecent exposure of radiation to people living underneath the cellsite.
Well after a small period of lull, once again the phone rang and I was offered yet another beautiful scheme. I called up Airtel customer service and told them the details of the scheme. I also told them how I was duped before and that I just had to be sure before committing. They said yes the scheme exists. Dont worry, go ahead. I go ahead. But it seems this time the scheme was really good - my plan was never switched to it.
After another small period of lull, of course the phone rang again and this time it was the beautiful scheme again. I called up Airtel customer service and told them the details of the scheme. I didnt forget to remind them how I was duped before and that I just had to be sure before committing. They said ''Yes, Yes! The scheme exists exactly like you say it... instead of the agents, we can activate the scheme for you ourselves''. And so I say ''Yes. Please do'', and I apologize to the agent.
Although the scheme was activated, it didnt come with what was promised! Duniya gol hai, is after all, true! And that is why I asked yet again how to disconnect my Airtel number, and what will I lose? Luckily I am not going to lose the deposit this time... and I am so excited about this! I hope to switch the moment a good offer comes up! Wow!!
On a serious note, I was thinking about possible remedies to the situation. And at the moment I can look not towards another service provider, but only towards TRAI. I am aghast that this was just one regular me going through this so often that even by a simple rule of averages it must affect almost every customer with a mobile connection. I feel that public amenities like communication infrastructure should be more closely regulated. The financial implications of such services are so broad ranged that unethical practices of telecom players needs regulation badly in economical as well ethical interests of the nation. I feel connection subscription should be made more process based, and change of plans should be accompanied with official deal documents from the provider. At the moment it appears that the fast pace of globalization & retailing is already beyond the consumer's control, and it wont be long before it goes out of the hands of the providers themselves, and eventually the government.
