A few days ago, I purchased an Idea SIM from a shop. The same day it was activated. I handed over the valid documents - copies of voting card, elec bill and a photograph. My 3G service, too, was activated. I subscribed twice to the 3G plans and availed the service without any problem. Trouble started when I wanted to contact the Customer Care to enquire about starting DND.
But, whenever I dialed any number, I was getting a recorded audio that was telling me that they had not received my papers and I needed to contact their nearest outlet and submit the papers and photograph there. On contacting the shop-keeper I was informed that the papers were already collected the Idea man. He contacted concerned Idea Office from where they said the papers were valid and received by them. But, they could not explain why the recorded voice kept me telling to lodge the papers again. Then I contacted the number they gave and spoke to the officer. He said my papers were not valid, or were incomplete, so it was a must for me to go and provide the new set of documents. I asked him to send back my invalid papers to me, then I would submit fresh ones. He refused. About 10 days passed, my service was still active, and the nagging audio too. Finally, my service was stopped. BIG QUESTIONS ARISE. 1) Do I not have the right to get back my papers and photograph ? What will Idea do with them if they say the papers are invalid? Is there any rules and regulations formulated by TRAI regarding this?
2) If the papers are not received by Idea, why are they activating the SIM in the first place? They should verify the documents first for their validity and then activate the service.
3) It is possible that the Idea man who collects the documents from the shop keeper will keep the papers with himself to be sold later to someone else who does not have his own documents, for the purpose of getting a SIM.
4) My documents could be sold to a terrorists who come from abroad, and never possess valid documents of their own. This kind of practice by a Mobile Service Provider is directly or indirectly paving the road for the terrorist. Ministers will only bleat to the public about the stringent measures to be taken against terrorism, but will never pay attention to such practices followed by these multi-crore companies.
Alas! Some wisdom could be implanted in them!