Nov 12, 2006 02:50 AM
3774 Views
(Updated Nov 12, 2006 12:06 PM)
Please note this review is in continuation to my earlier review Written in the MTNL Dolphin Section of Cellular Service Providers in May 2005. Hence Before Reading this Review Reader's are requested to read that review also.
I will Highlight certain issues which I faced after converting my normal Trump Prepaid Connection to Jeevan Saathi Life Time Prepaid Connection which I still consider one of the biggest mistakes committed ever.
1-My Normal Trump Prepaid Connection which was last recharged on the 11th May 2005 with One Year Recharge Card was Valid Till 11th of May 2006. Now before the expiry of this Validity Period, I On the 23rd March 2006 converted my normal Trump Prepaid to Life Time Jeevan Saathi Scheme by Recharging with a Rs 990/- Recharge Card with Rs 100/- Talk Value Added to the Old Talk Value already present in the SIM and rest deducted as one time processing charges + service tax.
2-After recharging with a Life Time Validity Card the GSM Switch Software Extended the Validity of my SIM From 11/05/2006 to 10/05/2011 I.E for a period of 5 Years. Please note the most important aspect here the validity has been extended from the lapse of the original Validity of the Old Recharge Card from 11/05/2006 and not from 23rd March 2006 when SIM was Recharged with the Life Time Card.
3-Now the most doubtful point arose and to which almost no call center executive could clarify and all senior staff at MTNL replied wrongly was that the mandatory once in six months recharge required to keep the life time connection going would start from 11th May 2006 or 23rd March 2006. All Replied it would start from 23rd March 2006 while as I was 100% Sure that it would Start only From 11th May 2006 and would expire on 10th Nov 2006 as MTNL’s Prepaid Billing Software Extends Both Validity and Talk Value from the Date of Expiry of Old Validity If Recharged Earlier Unlike Other Pvt Operators who count it from the date of actual recharge & hence I continued my Connection till 10th Nov 2006 with nil recharge done since 23rd March 2006 & the Connection worked perfectly and Only on 10th Nov 2006 I put a Rs 100/- Top Up Card to keep the SIM Active for the Next Six Months.
4-Users of Life Time Prepaid Connection would be amazed to know that In the Past 7 ½ months
and even after the entire cash in my SIM Had Been exhausted by the 31st Oct 2006, not a single message came from the GSM Switch Software informing me that my six months period was ending on 10th Nov 2006 and that if I did not recharge by the 10th Nov 2006 the connection would be permanently deleted or converted to normal trump prepaid and thereby the one time life time charges of Rs 880/- would go waste. This I think is a deliberate thing on part of MTNL as it's Call Centre Computer Software is incapable of telling the last date of Recharge Done on the SIM to Count Six Months Expiry from that date.
5-Now the Most Sad Part of the whole thing is despite advertising & promoting only the Life Time Scheme in the Past One year MTNL has Reduced Call charges for it’s Normal Prepaid Users drastically and also removed the distinction between it’s own GSM and Fixed Line Network Calls @ 0.60 per minute while as for Life Time Users Calls are still costing higher with calls to MTNL GSM and Fixed Line being charged separately @ 0.90 & Rs 1.50 Per Minute.
6-Hence my Advise to all users is never opt for Life Time Jeevan Saathi Scheme, Only Opt for the Three Year Normal Trump Prepaid Connection of Rs 2700/- with Rs 2400/- Talk Time where the End of Validity of Talk Time, Grace Period of Cash C/f and SIM Expiry are crystal clear and not vague like Life Time Schemes.
7-Once a Connection is converted to the Life time scheme then there is no way one can convert it into a normal trump prepaid connection and one has to wait for a full six months without any cash recharge in the SIM and make outgoing calls from the Wired Phone or PCO. This is Utterly Ridiculous! Also the One Time Processing Charges In Life Time Scheme Will Go Waste. MTNL's Three year Normal prepaid Validity Schemes Give full talk time with only service tax deducted.
