Update on 26th August
After putting this review on Mouthshut.com, Reliance customer care took keen interest in my problem and my STD/ISD now activated with a promise that my security deposit would be adjusted. I just hope that they send me bills on time now. Delay in billing would mean that the unbilled usage would go up and the same problem would get repeated.
Due to their active intervention, I have improved the product rating and customer service rating one notch. I hope that they are equally proactive always.
Update on 14th August
As written below, I had send request to Reliance (as directed by customer care at *333) on 20th July for security deposit adjustment against bill following by posted letter (got confirmation on phone), followed by a reminder sent by courier on 8th August. In last two days I called up thrice to get the update of security deposit. Here are three different responses:
Customer Rep 1: Sir, you have been given wrong info. you will have to visit Hyderabad town office and make a written requisition request. I am very sorry but whatever you have done so far will not help you in getting security deposit adjustment.
(Now incidently town office has same timing as my office, so either I leave office and go to town office or forget about security deposit)
Customer Rep 2: Sir, you have to send a fax at this .... number. (On countering that other customer rep said something else). No sir, it will be adjusted. I am sure of it. You have to go to Town Office if you want any adjustment soon..... Sorry Sir, it closes at 5 pm.
By the time I finished conversation with Customer Rep 2, I got SMS asking me to make some interim payment again. Irritated , I called up to Customer Care at *333 to know how I can surrender the phone. Customer Rep 3 (On being asked if I can surrender my RIM at webworld): Yes Sir, you can surrender your connection at web-world (and he gave a long list of charges, then suddenly), ....sir please hold on ....sir, you will have to go to Town Office .... (on being told that I can not because I have office to take care)....you can call up web world on these - these number and ask them if they have Exit Policy Form..if they have you can go to Web-world too.
Bottomline, If you are busy executive, do nto go for Reliance. God forbade if anything goes wrong, you will be making rounds to Reliance Town Office. Already there are enough government departments (Passport, Gas Connection, Electricity Bill, Ration Card) in this country that would force you to take leave from office to attend to them. Do not spoil your happy life with a near Sarkari Customer Service of Reliance. If you can , pay some money extra and get service from a good GSM operator. I used Orange for almost 2 years in Mumbai and never had to visit their office. However, it does not mean that things will go wrong, they may not for most of the Reliance customers but chances are more with Reliance because back office processes especially billing are really not streamlined.
On April 26th. 2003, I had taken a Reliance connection (040-31048424) in Hyderabad from Reliance Webworld located at Ameerpet under the POC1 plan. I had paid an upfront amount of Rs. 6, 350 apart from a security deposit of Rs. 3, 000 for STD / ISD. I was told certain tariff from Reliance India Mobile (RIM) to landline (local and STD) and to GSM cell phones. The tariff told were quite attractive but the Webworld sales agent did not give any printed sheet confirming the tariff but he assured that it will be applicable from May 1 when service is formally launched.
On May 1, service was launched. There was confusion about what tariff is applicable for some days and later we found that tariff were similar to those offered by other GSM operator. However, the treachery of Reliance did not end here.
On May 2nd. 2003, Mr. Mukesh Ambani announced that security deposits for STD / ISD facility would be withdrawn and that existing RIM customers who had paid the same would be refunded soon. Pursuant to this, I sent a letter on July 25th. 2003, requesting refund of the security deposit and got a telephonic confirmation that the amount of Rs. 3, 000 would be adjusted with my bill for the month of May 2003.
Thus far, I have electronically obtained only one bill (for Rs. 76) for the period April 26th. – April 30th. 2003, with due date as 23rd. August 2003. Upon enquiry with Reliance Customer Care, I was informed that the May, June and July bills have not been generated yet. However, despite not getting any bills for the period after April 2003, I kept on receiving SMSes asking me to pay an amount of Rs. 3954 against the unbilled usage.
As on August 7th. 2003, my STD and ISD dial-out facility has been disabled. A few calls to Reliance Customer Care proved futile as the concerned persons were unable to explain why despite the promise of adjustment of deposit with the May 2003 bill and despite not generating any bill, my STD and ISD facility had been barred.
Please note the following:
I took the connection 3 ½ months back and so far have not received any bill physically, and one bill electronically. Further, asking for payment against such “unbilled” amount is illegal and any such request cannot be complied.
Since Reliance had withdrawn STD and ISD facility as of August 7th. 2003, it is legally bound to refund or adjust the security deposit of Rs. 3000 against unbilled / billed usage and inform me of the pending amount taking into account the credit limit I am entitled to.
This entire problem was being created by sheer lack of professionalism on the part of Reliance. If Reliance sends me bills after adjusting Rs. 3000 as security deposit, I will pay the remaining amount promptly. They are unnecessarily losing business and goodwill of a good customer and many prospective customers.
I expected my bills to come on time so that I can pay on time and I would also like my security deposit to be re-imbursed or adjusted. I also expected the Reliance staff to have the courtesy to inform me about barring my STD / ISD.
I am totally disillusioned with Reliance and their service offering where a commonsensical decision cannot be taken. I have tried to seek redressal using phone, e-mail and letters but there has been no satisfactory response. The customer representatives are totally clueless and processes are non-existent.
Somehow for even small requests like adjustment of STD/ISD Reliance expect subscriber to leave their normal job and visit Webworld or write applications and send through fax. I urge all the prospective subscribers not to take RIM, as the grievance redressal mechanism is non-existent and three year lock-in under unfavorable circumstances is the worst you can expect in your life.