Against everyone’s warning, I took an Airtel prepaid number.
GPRS pack was renewed without my consent and the charges were deducted from my balance without my permission. I was sent a message to tell me that the amount has been deducted. If they can send an sms to inform me that they have deducted some amount, why can’t they send an sms to ask me if I want it or not?
The customer care told me it will not be refunded. They also told me that if I had got it topped-up/activated the first time from a retailer, it would have not been renewed. But since I took a top-up from my prepaid balance through*567#, it will keep getting renewed automatically till I deactivate it.
I don’t think there is any other company that is using such smartass tactics anymore because people are either using MNP or simply throwing away their sim cards if they find themselves cheated.
Mr Sunil Mittal, How many people does your company cheat to be able to pay your salary? You couldn’t possibly be unaware where your salary comes from. Whoever is in charge of Airtel product development / marketing must be plain stupid. Are they really expanding? If they are, then they must be hooking pushovers, first time users and people like me who don’t listen to good advice. Sooner or later, their user base will migrate to no-bullshit companies.
I am sending an email to the nodal officer and the appellate officer with a link to this post. I expect to hear exactly what the customer care told me. If they don’t refund my money, I will be calling up Mr Sunil Bharti Mittal’s cell phone which is always annoyingly picked up by his PA who sounds too much like a corp comm chap. Why does he not take his own calls? Troubled by useless, service messages?