Time: 6:15 PM (Start time) For some years now, I have often believed the data card vendors to be penny pinching and sticky finger thieves who treat prepaid customers with all the dexterity of smiling villains who would stab you, with unwavering smiles.
(Please read my earlier post about Idea Data card)
Time: 6:30 PM.
As is my custom, I usually go for a 800 rupee recharge(unlimited) and today, as fate would have it, I went for 1200 rupees recharge.
Time: 6:31 PM.
My retailer took my number and recharged the account using his cell phone. He showed me the recharge confirmation sms. Then I paid him, all of Rupees 1200.
That was a mistake.
Since I do not trust Reliance on principle, I called their customer helpline to confirm the recharge. I was shocked to hear that my account was not recharged at all!.
I was even more shocked to hear that this was because Reliance(without informing their customers) has increased their recharge bands from 1200 to 1300 rupees. Therefore, Rupees 1200 was not only deducted from my retailer’s account, it was also not credited my account. In short, Mr. Abni wished to have his cake and eat it too!
I wondered why would this illustrious business tycoon wish to swindle a middle class person out of Rupees 1200. I guess, he wished for his kids to have the change required to tip a parking attendant somewhere.
Time: 6:45 PM.
I did what every other hapless customer would do!
I asked the retailer to refund the amount.
He called the retailer’s helpline who had no clue if the recharge had been done or not, despite being told all the details such as the data card number etc.
Then my retailer called’reversal helpline’ which reverses the recharges done erroneously.
Surprise! Surprise!
Our dear’reversal helpline’ support staff says that since 1200 is a blocked amount, this cant be reversed at all.
He suggested that the customer accepts the inevitable and move on.
Not to be deterred, my retailer called the distributor who promised to mail the relevant parties who’may’ help us.
Time: 7:10 PM.
1200 despite being a small amount for the business tycoon is a significant amount for me, so I tried calling the retailer’s helpline to confirm my retailer’s explanation.
Retailer’s helpline was not willing to talk to me(customer) and asked me rather rudely to pass the phone to the retailer.
Retailer kept the phone on speaker so that I can validate what was being said. The retailer helpline staff reprimanded the retailer on giving the phone to me and then stressed that this amount can not be refunded as 1200 was a ’blocked amount’ and a’large amount’.
A war of words ensued between the retailer and the support staff with all of us in attendance. Expletives were used.
Funniest thing was that the retailer support staff after using the rudest language could not resist wishing us’Have a nice day’ just before he hung up!
Time: 7:30 PM.
I called the customer helpline again to get some sense into the proceedings . The customer helpline said that they cant do anything and asked the retailer to contact the retailer’s helpline(oh yes, we will surely do that!)
Time: 7:45 PM
With patience running out and more than an hour wasted, I decided to visit other retailer in the area, where after confirming the recharge denomination, I got my data card recharged with 800 rupees.
Time: 8:00 PM
It was not really about money when I tried(for the last time) calling the support staff again.
It was the deep rooted and well ingrained middle class stubbornness.
I was privileged to talk to a well meaning saleswoman who sympathetic young lady who tried her best to help me, but as you know, couldn’t.
The lady, despite being a reliance personnel was aghast that I had to spend 2000 bucks on something which should have not taken more than 800-1200 rupees.
She even tried talking sense with the retailer who(to be honest) rightfully said that how can he refund the amount when it has been deducted from him.
She promised that she will call me tomorrow to confirm the details and help me get my money back.
I thanked her and after listening to so many uninterested and rude reliance staff, I felt it necessary to compliment her on her initiative.
I even called her supervisor to congratulate him for having such a dedicated young lady!
Time: 8: 30
I left the shopping premises, marveling at illustrious business tycoon’s business acumen of swindling all the pennies that can be swindled.
Now please do not think of me as a naive person. I know that despite all the follow ups, calls, threats and wastage of time/money, I would not be able to get a refund from this illustrious company, much less than Mr Anna Hazare and Mr. Digvijay Singh would have a friendly tea session together.
My sole objective of writing this review is to hope solemnly that after reading this, not many of my countrymen would fall prey to this bunch of penny pinching and sticky finger thieves.