Complaint Rating:

Company information:
India
www.airtel.in

Dear all,

I have an airtel prepaid connection and I am a person who talks to the point on mobile and I prefer not wasting my mobile balance for gossips etc.

This all started in march 2007, when I got a sms from airtel customer care:

"Rs 15 have been deducted from your account for your last VAS download. Thank you for using Airtel missed call alert service." Of course not willing to pay 15 Rs for missed call alert, I immediately called customer care. After much of "Please wait, maa'm, I will check", I got an answer from the customer service guy that the service was given because "I asked for it". Shocked by this invention, I told him that never in my life have I requested such service by call, sms or reply to call or reply to sms with airtel customer service and there is some error in airtel database. The person adamantly told me that "If our system says that you have asked for it, you have asked for it." I again told the person that I have never requested such service. But like a taped message, his reply was the same. "If our system says that you have asked for it, you have asked for it."

I requested the customer fellow that if he says that I asked for 'Missed call alert' service, he should produce me proofs and date and time, when and by which medium have I asked for missed call alert service. The person said that "Sorry Maa'm, We cannot disclose the information." After much of argument, The person told me that they would not refund the 15 rs deducted, and If I want that next month 15 Rs not deducted, I should sms mca cancel to 511 and confirm within 24 hours that the service is really canceled.

Helpless, but not willing to lose Rs 15 again next month, I sent the sms to 511. When called to ask whether the missed call alert service is canceled, I got a reply from customer care that "The service is still active, but it will surely be canceled within next 24 hours."

Next month when I saw Rs 15 deducted again, I immediately called customer care and informed about the matter. Again I got the reply about "sms mca cancel to 511, will be canceled in next 24 hours" etc etc. This time also I sent the sms. I also mailed to 121@airtelindia.com about this. Git an automated reply "your request will be processed within 24 hours." But no one from customer care reached me about complaint.

Now 7 months are over since I first called customer care. 15 X 7=105 Rs already deducted form my account. I resent the complaint mail 4 times. Every month I send sms about canceling missed call alert service, every time new customer care guy tells me that this time the service will surely be calceled, and next month I again see Rs 15 deducted from my account.

Is there any other way than sending sms about canceling a service and being restless because it is not canceled, or talking to any tina, mina or asif from airtel call center and their false promices?