I purchased a Matrix sim card from an executive from Matrix Cellular Services, Ahmedabad Branch, for using the same on my business trip to Italy for a period of 18 days starting from 15th July, 2008 to 2nd August, 2008. The Matrix executive provided me with the rate plan which specifically mentioned charges only relating to the rental for the Sim Card and charges for incoming and outgoing calls.
I was informed that as a condition precedent to activating the Sim Card, I would have to give my credit card details. I was informed that Matrix would block Rs. 10, 000 of the credit card limit as security, for the Sim Card, till the time I am abroad. After which the Matrix representative will collect the Sim Card after which a bill would be generated and sent to me, after which I am supposed to make the payment.
After reaching Italy on 15 July, 2008, in the first week of using the Matrix Cellular Services, I suspected that, whenever I used Wi-Fi services at my hotels and at other cafes providing free Wi-Fi services, the GPRS would get activated without my knowledge or consent or any intimation from Matrix.
I referred to my Matrix plan as well as the TIM (Matrix’s partner/service provider in Italy) website; but neither had any information available on GPRS. It is further important to point out that there was no mention of this GPRS service on the Matrix Website. I immediately reported the problem to the Matrix Support Team vide an email dated 21st July, 2008, stating that I had not demanded this services and asking to deactivate the services. The email was acknowledged and received by Ms. Divya Pandey of Matrix Customer Support Team on the same day itself whereby my I was assured that the matter was being looked into and that the problem has been forwarded to the concerned department. After 9 days, I sent another email to Matrix asking for the status of the complaint made on 21st July, 2008, to the Matrix Customer Support Team. However no response was received from Matrix. I returned to India on 2 August, 2008 and on 5 August, 2008 some Matrix representative collected the Sim Card. I did not receive any communication regarding the problem faced during my business trip or regarding the bill till the next 25 days. To my utter shock and surprise, I received a call from HDFC Bank on 30 August, 2008 informing that Matrix has debited Rs.1, 51, 000/- in lieu of outstanding bill of the said usage of the Sim Card. And surprisingly at this point I did not receive any bill or intimation from Matrix, nor did I receive any reply to the problems faced on my business trip. I also immediately got in touch with the Customer Care Representative of Matrix, who claimed to be ignorant about this situation. After many repeated phone calls to Matrix’s Customer Case Representative, I was informed by Ajeet Gupta from the Customer Care that the billing is accurate and that such a high bill was the result of usage of GPRS. This is the same GPRS service that I had complained about and also had intimated Matrix to discontinue as early as within the first week of my being on the business trip.Subsequently there have been various correspondences with Matrix’s Customer Support Team regarding the said GPRS issue. However, Ajeet Gupta replied saying that the billing was accurate. On 1 September, 2008, I replied to Ajeet Gupta, explaining that Gupta had failed to address the complaint about the GPRS service and that it was not correct for me to pay for the services that was not asked for or demanded in the first place, leave alone being informed about it. Not getting any response from Gupta, I contacted Matrix’s local office representative Dhumal Suthar at Ahmedabad and also emailed him on 1st September, 2008, requesting him to look into the matter and asking them for the details of the bill which was till the said date not provided to me. In response, Mr Dhumal Suthar emailed me and other concerned representatives of Matrix for knowing the status of the complaint made by me on 21st July, 2008, as well as subsequent correspondences with regard to the problem of deactivating GPRS services and the exorbitant unjustified bill amount and charging the same to my credit card without any intimation. Matrix did not respond or tender any clarification for a week and in the mean time I tried getting in touch with Niraj, who was apparently looking after my case. However, my call was received by Dinesh from Matrix’s Customer Support Team, who informed that they are aware about his complaint and would revert shortly. However, after not receiving any reply, the same was informed to Dhumal Suthar vide email dated 9th September, 2008. I again attempted to get in touch with Matrix’s Customer Support Team on 11th September, 2008 for getting the bill details and the status of the complaint.On 12 September, 2008 I received a reply from another Customer Care Representative Vikas Srivastava, who was not aware of any earlier correspondences between I and the company. Along with the email, for the first time, I was provided with the bill details. the bill amounted to Rs. 1.76 lacs of which 1.68 belonged to GPRS! the company had charged Rs. 400/minute for the same!In the email, Srivastava assured me that they had taken necessary action to prevent the recurrence of such an event in the future. However, no information was provided of the necessary action taken. Also, despite the apologies and the said confession of the error, Srivastava maintained that the billing was accurate. Since I was supposed to hear from Niraj from the billing department, I emailed Srivastava on 12 September, 2008, that the confirmation about the bill being accurate was sent to me after due consultation with Niraj. To my surprise, Srivastava, who mentioned that the billing was accurate, replied that they are querying with the network department and shall revert when they get the reply.The bank has been asking for the transaction cancellation slip. Matrix has been grossly negligent in solving the problems and grievances. This act of Matrix is unjustified, unauthorized, illegal and amounts to nothing but fraud. Matrix purposefully did not look into the complaint and kept it pending so that they could bill such preposterous amounts to me. Such actions and false representations made by Matrix and its representatives not only amounts gross deficiency of services but also unfair trade practices.I am filing a consumer complaint and would appreciate if anyone with a similar incident, which I know are many, can come forward.