I have a prepaid airtel sim card. Everyday without fail airtel sends me at least three sms’s offering all sorts of add-on services such as cheaper std / isd etc. etc. These sms’s would arrive irrespective of whether I was within my circle or roaming. My usual response was to delete these sms without reading. Today (31st May 06), by sheer chance I happened to read one of these sms’s. I reproduce the sms here exactly: ’’Dear Cust, as per rqst Hello Tune with monthly rent of Rs 30 & free downloads is in process of activation. To avoid activation sms ’’DTH’’ by 6.00 pm on toll free no.250’’. Let me state that I did not send any request for any Tune/Bunes. What horrifies me is the sheer audacity of Airtel. If you do not respond they will activate... My God these guys need their bollocks kicked !! I do not know when they started this form of looting. I use a prepaid sim card so have no way of knowing to how many such services I might have unknowingly subscribed to. Does that mean Hutch is better? Absolutely not. Prior to Airtel, I had a hutch post-paid (monthly billing). I ended up paying more than what I would on a prepaid so I cancelled it. But they still send me monthly bills for rental. This in spite of calling them several times and Hutch responding by saying that I need not worry it will all be rectified etc. But the billing continues. (No I do not pay those bills) So watch out guys, there’s a new scheme in town; - its called ’’Don’t respond, get billed for free’’.
And now here’s a new one: I get billed Re 1/- for local mobile to mobile (airtel to airtel) but Rs 1.50 for local airtel to airtel sms !!! No Jokes. This is for real check it out.