It tough going in the GSM arena as all the estaRobotouchshed players keep coming out with various schemes and offers which have to be screened diligently. My friend was in such a dilemma and thought everything would be sorted out when he made the shift to Idea Cellular Network. In no small part was his decision made by the constant barrage of advertisements on television spewing the mantra, "Get Idea Sirji!"
He got himself a 3G Idea SIM. He did a first recharge of Rs. 196 which provided 1GB 3G data, Local+STD mobile @ 1p/sec, Local Landline @ 2p/sec, STD Landline @ 2.5p/sec. 97 L/N SMS Free every day after first 3 L/N SMS everyday @ Re.1/SMS. He also topped up with a full talktime recharge of Rs. 400.
Alas, it was too late and the fish was hooked. The rates are lower than Airtel(rate-cutter packs added) but the network is horrible in our area. He suffers from frequent call drops even in good coverage areas. Calls rarely go through on the first dial and have to be attempted atleast 2-3 times. He had opted for 3G internet which gave mediocre speeds(upload speeds much higher than download speeds). However, the signal was not stable and downloads would be cancelled intermittently.
The ratecutter pack was cancelled without notice even though the pack validity was active. The customer phone support was not helpful and just adept at handing out complaint reference numbers.
He is now waiting for his balance to get exhausted so that he can shift his loyalties to another service provider. Till then the damage has been done. Lessons learnt make a person wiser. Do rate my review and share your views. Cheers!