Tata Sky fleecing the customers. Review on Tata Play

*Second of a multi-part posting

Date: 1 Sept. 2008*

Dear All,

I had posted a copy of my email to Tata Sky few days back  here. Pl. see it down below in this column. The Tata Sky call centre contacted me. I had to explain all my troubles all over again(So much for technology in CRM! They do not even capture customer's unresolved problems in detail!) Then a local service engineer in Dehradun(my place of living) contacted me. When I told him that as my set Top box has gone kaput within the warranty period, I will not pay the Rs 350/- for the engineer's visit. Just see. In case of a TV costing upwards of Rs 10, 000/- companies charge Rs 300/- for service, for refrigerators they charge 200-300, for water purifiers Rs 200-250 and for washing machine Rs 200-300. Tata Sky is charging Rs 300/- for a box that costs not even Rs 2000/- Guess how Ratan Tata is able to price his pet Nano at Rs 1 lakh! Very simple, he overcharges his existing customers of other Tata Group companies and subsidises Nano! The secret of Nano's magic price is open!

So dear friends visiting MouthShut.com. I am determined to fight Tata Sky till they replace the set top box free of any charge whatsoever. Because they have cheated me by not replacing it within the warranty period in spite of repeated reminders, buying time till the warranty period so that they can charge me for the engineer's visit and the price of the set top box.

I am forwarding a copy of this review to the Tata Sky also.

Bijay Bhujabal

The following posting was done last week.

Dear Tata Sky,

My customer id is 017266006633.

I have never seen an arrogant, rigid, unresponsive-to-customer's-plight, company as the Tata Sky. There has been problems in the set top box. I asked you guys to replace it well-before the warranty period by calling your call centre. They demanded money to replace it. I argued that there is problem in the box why should I pay, the product is in warranty period! I spent hundreds of rupees calling your call center where ill-trained, street-smart people always try to befool the customers with sweet empty talk. You guys kept on postponing the request and doing some mumbo-jumbo with it so that it worked for few days and again the problem re-surfaced. When I again told them to replace the set top box as it is continuing to give trouble they again demanded money and said that I have to pay for it as the warranty period is over. When the product is defective, why should the consumer pay for the service team’s visit and the product?

When I placed the message at your website, your auto response replied and sent service guys, who visited my home and opined that the set is defective and needs replacement. That is what I had exactly said before the warranty period. Now, it is clear that that your company has acted with the intention of cheating me and keep on passing the time so that the warranty period is over and you can charge me for the replacement of the product. I thought that after the report of your service guys you shall replace the set. But adding salt to injury, you sent me “Auto Response Closure SR: Service Request Reference Number: SR2207080054608”. Wah! What an efficient and customer-friendly company?

Why the company is so arrogant about your quality!? Are you the Rolls-Royce or Mercedes of set-top boxes? I had recharged for a full year last year. This year I had allowed it to lapse until you guys replace the box free of cost. What is more, your call centre once sent me the recharge SMS alert at the mid of the tight. Tell me, why should not I take the company to the court over these issues, why should not I go to the media including some internet sites and blogs to create awareness about your anti-consumer policies? I am giving you a week’s time. Next Monday, I am going you to serve you a formal consumer court notice and start other actions. Please take not, I am committed to the cause of consumers against exploitation and I am not going to give up.

I am sure the tone and content of this letter will help you to understand the agony of mine.

Bijay Bhujabal