[Resolved]  Airtel — Refusal of advance payment refund (non installation of 4g connection [protected])

Address:	Mumbai City, Maharashtra, 400052
Website:	airtel.in

I am a senior citizen, living in Khar alone and had applied for a Home Wifi connection as my daughter was planning to come and stay with me and work on the internet from my home. I had applied for a Home Wi-Fi connection on 12th February 2016 and the payment against the installation of Rs. 3990 was collected by a service executive Mr. Abhay Dubey on the same day after conducting a network availability check at the premises with assurance of installation of the Home Wi-Fi connection within 72 hours after document verification process. The said amount was credited to Airtel bank account on 20th February 2016.

After passing of 72 hours there was no sign of the representative or the promised Home Wifi connection.

When regular contact and follow up did not help, we went to the nearest Airtel Gallery at Bandra on 26th February and lodged a complaint. The store manager Mr. Shaikh assured us of resolution within next 48 hours but nothing happened.We followed it up with reminders on 29th Feb and 1st March 2016. The Bandra Store Manager Mr. Shaikh then gave us the contact number of Kamal Pandey from the Andheri Lokhandwala branch for installation followup.

On 1st March Mr. Pandey assured us connection within next 24 hours. Nothing happened. We kept on following up with Mr. Pandey for installation of Home Wi-fi as we had only received a new simcard pending supply of the home wifi instrument. My application was for home wi-fi and not a 4G connection.

Between 1st to 10th March, we had written numerous emails to support and the nodal officer regarding delay in activation and installation of Home Wi-Fi connection by Airtel.

Surprisingly, in-between on 6th March 2016 we received a message that a bill is generated for your connection for Rs. 4647.31 against mobile number [protected] and after adjusting the advance of 3990 you have to pay the balance of 657.31 by 24th March 2016.When we followed up with customer care on 10th March as we have neither received the connection, nor used the number without instrument, they assured us that the bill would be waived as the connection was not activated till date with complaint reference number 68275851.

By this time, we were fed-up with delay in connection as it was nearly a month from our application date, we informed the call centre as well as Mr. Ashutosh who was supposed to be the Mumbai region broadband head to cancel our request and refund our money given for connection as Airtel is not able to provide me the Airtel Wi-Fi Home connection that I have applied for even after more than 25 days.

Even after putting in the cancellation request, instead of being apologetic for not being able to provide connection, even after receipt of payment, Airtel refused to refund the amount saying the same has been adjusted against activation charges.

How can a service provider charge me for a service not provided and instead of giving compensation for mental harassment for a month and the refund of application money blatantly refuse to refund the amount.