I recently tried registering a domain on Indiatimes.com - they claim to be a reseller of top-level domains. NEVER, NEVER GIVE YOUR MONEY to Indiatimes - I booked my domain on their website on the 8th August and paid for 5-year registration and an amount of Rs. 1, 795 was debited from my card the same day. I also got a confirmation email from them(with a confirmed Order No. 973335) saying that the domain will be registered within 24 hours.
Next 2 days I kept checking, but the domain was NOT registered in my name! I checked with my bank - the amount was ALREADY CLAIMED by the merchant(that is, Indiatimes)! I started calling their customer support number published on the website - THAT IS ANOTHER FRAUD - NOBODY answers that phone - it keeps going into an IVR and you are kept on hold for 10, 20, 30 mins and then either it disconnects or you get frustrated and disconnect!
I then called their Delhi office number - 0124-4187000. The man at the reception forwarded the call to some department - nobody picked up the phone there, (no voicemail either) and of course, that was the end of the call - this kept happening EVERY TIME I CALLED! Finally, the man at the reception HIMSELF SAID " THis is a DAILY DRAMA - so many customers call and they don’t pickup the phone"! JUST IMAGINE - THEIR OWN EMPLOYEE knows about the kind of fraud the company is doing!
Finally, he gave me the email ID of some Mr. Rajiva Singh - who is supposed to be a VP - I wrote a detailed complaint to him - NO RESPONSE. Even repeat emails got me no response! I guess THIS IS THE CULTURE OF THE COMPANY - from TOP TO BOTTOM, they are all crooks and cheaters!
I have been following up till the 18th of August - finally, (some REALLY STRANGE LUCK) I think somebody picked up the phone by mistake - and I spoke to some lady called Bhavana. GUESS WHAT SHE TOLD ME - "Sir, there has been a problem in the registration and your money will be refunded in 15 days’ time"!
I COULDN’T BELIEVE THIS!1. It takes 5 minutes to register a domain(i have registered a domain before) - Indiatimes could not do it in 10 days!2. They TOOK MY MONEY AND DID NOT DELIVER THE PRODUCT! This is outright CHEATING/ Fraud!
3. They SAT ON MY MONEY for 10 days - and they DID NOT SEND ME A SINGLE communication, except the email that actually confirmed my purchase!4. They don’t pickup phone calls from customers!
I AM STILL STUNNED that such a large and reputed group such as Times of India group IS CAPABLE of committing fraud of this nature - I am now planning to take legal action and publicize this in the rest of the media. THEY CANNOT GET AWAY WITH THIS!