I recently got a card for a week’s travel to the US. The sales guy explicitly told me that the plan included a one-time activation fee + $1 per day charge for free 10 mins calling, both within the US and to India. He explicitly told me that after 10 mins, I would be charged $0.89 per min for a call to India. I double checked this with the guy who came to deliver my card, as well as the Bangalore International Airport counter.
All the sales execs confirmed the plan. Imagine my surprise when I got billed for over Rs. 3, 000! not only were all my calls, most of which were less than 1 min (only to tell my family to come online) were charged, but there were additional calls listed for 18 mins, etc. which I had never made. I contested this issue with Matrix, but they rudely declined to address it.
Their CS was extremely rude and said their exec never said anything about free 10 mins calling, and that it was only for ’incoming local calls’ (how does that qualify as ’calling’)? Not just this, they said we hear such ’fraud claims’ everyday and we are protected in every way - go do whatever you want. We’ve already blocked the money on your card and we will take it. The worst thing is that they gave me a complementary handset to use with my SIM, which they promptly took pack and erased the call memory, so I couldn’t even prove I hadn’t made those calls.
Not just this, when the guy came to deliver my card, he promised me a waiver on the activation charges due to ’a good engagement with my organization’. He made me send a confirmatory email from my official ID for this. This too didn’t’ come, and the CS too did not acknowledge any request on this front.
You might also want to take note that somewhere in the middle of the T&C of the tariff plan they give you, point 11 or 12 mentions that if you make a call and nobody picks up for 30 seconds, this also gets charged as an outgoing call.
Billing issues aside, what I do not expect is such arrogant and rude behaviour and complete lack of support and the nonchalant way of saying ’we have many more customers, we don’t care if you don’t come back’.
I recommend people not to fall for matrix BD people. They are absolute liars and will turn back on their words. It’s easier to just pay in local currency or get international roaming activated on your postpaid mobile. Most operators charge a deposit of Rs. 3, 000 and are at least transparent about charges. Do not buy Matrix cards unless you want a rude shock later.