Hi All, I’m from Bangalore. Using Airtel DTH from Jan 2009. I made a decision to go for Airtel Digital Tv which soon turned out to be outright wrong and expensive decision.
I had to search a lot in Bangalore before I got my connection from Airtel centre in Rajajinagar, Bangalore. I wasted my whole day just for doing this. Later I wasted 3 precious hrs with one of the worst and pathetic customer service centres for fixing up the installation appointment.
The technicians visited next day and after fixing up, i was not able to use the so called universal remote because they were not able to load some of the functions from my Onida remote to the Airtel remote. Finally they decided to call my Onida remote as a Duplicate and Fake one ( their judgement) and told me to use both the remotes, one for TV and other for Set Top Box(STB). So, **All the blah blah everywhere you see about Airtel Universal Remote gone bust at one go.. Great going!!
After I started using, quickly I realised that STB would take few minutes to switch on. When u press the power "switch on" button on remote the STB light will blink and again it’l be off. U have to repeat it many times till the STB decides that it will switch on.. Strange things do happen with Airtel Digital Tv!!
But I had no option but to ignore because if I call Customer care I will have to practically bang my head to make them understand my problems with simple english! Customer service Representatives cant even understand simple understandable english let alone speak english!!What a fantastic Customer Service!!
After 4 months of usage(with all the troubles), one more strange thing started to happen. Suddenly I wont be able to use any of the functions on remote except "power" button. I cant change the channels, cant see any display information on screen. It will be hanged on the channel u will beviewing!even if I switch off and switch on the mains, it just wont work.i can only see whatever thechannel was on, cant do anything else.
Customer service this time for a change advised me to remove the view card, clean it and put it back. But the view card was clean and shiny. Anyway I did it but of no use. Again we waited for a day for "engineer" to visit and this "engineer’ finally told that there is a problem with STB. As we need to pay 800rupees for new box insted he told he will fix the current one and he did something on the back hand side of STB. It worked..But only for 5min.!!
Again I banged my head with Customer Service immediately and brought to their notice that my problem was not resolved. They agreed to send the same person same day without any charges also they agreed to put a new STB without any extra cost. But nothing happened.. I called again the next day only to hear that according to their report my problem was closed. What the Hell? Does Airtel think that customers are Donkeys? After again banging my head for an hour they told that they will send the "engineer" next day and replace the STB "without any charges".
But "engineer" who came next day, demanded from me 800Rupees for new STB. When I informed him that Customer Service guys told me that I won’t be charged a penny for this, He argued with me that his manager has asked him to take the money. When I asked him to put me in contact with his manager, he acted as if dialling the number and told that his managar was not responding! This arrogant so called "engineer" was talking with me as if he owns Airtel, he doesn’t know how to speak with a customer and over that holding the new STB in left hand here he was standing in front of me in my house blackmailing me to pay 800Rs. **When I shouted that I will never pay a penny for this.
He suddenly started uttering that according to him my Set Top Box was working fine and there*is no problem with it and he would give the same report!! Now I knew what game was going on.... I asked him to vacate my place immediately if he is not solving my problem.(even if he was standing in front of me for one more moment I would have for sure broken all of his teeth...and I know it’s not a good thing to do!).
Again when I reported this to Customer Service, they suddenly changed track and strated saying that "If our Engineer reports that your STB is fine, then it will be fine and you need to pay 800Rupees for new STB". Now when I started shouting at them my call was disconnected halfway by the representative.
After that nobody has turned up till date and according to them my problem is solved. And I have been charged with 100Rupees for every visit that these Idiots make. My one month’s recharge amount has been totally deducted by Airtel as service charges.
Now I am not able see any channels except the one in use. Sometimes it will correct itself and I will be able to cahnge the channels without any display information and sometimes with display information. As of now at the time of writing it is not working at all. STB is kept as a showpiece below my TV.
Now, I have serious doubts about Airtel’s intentions. They are out there just to make money. Nothing Else! Their equipment is seriously sub standard and it will last only for few months. Airtel’s Service "engineer’s" are out there to make money for themselves and they will be polite only at the time of installation. They are examples of how bad a service guy can be! Dont be fooled by the first impresions!! And Airtel’s Customer service is one of the worst I have seen and heard in India. It can’t be worst than this I think! Aren’t there anyone in India who can monitor these sick service providers who loot the money?
*So guys, If you are going for Airtel Digital Tv, be prepared to face all these and be prepared to buy new Set Top Boxes every 6 months!
*Frankly I think there are better service providers in market today and I advice all the new buyers against going for Airtel Digital Tv. And exisiting customers Beware! If your warranty period is over better take a new connection!