[Resolved]  Airtel — Non Activation of the SIM

Reference:: My Number [protected]

Dear Sir,

It all started with a message which I received on 15.02.2008 which was

“Mirror Number! Airtel has reserved [protected] especially for you till 20-Feb-08, For details send DET to 170(free) or call 12123 (free). To opt, send BOOK to 171.”

On 18.02.2008, the same message was again displayed. By this time thought that this was really interesting having a mirror number. I sent a sms DET at 170, for which the reply was “This information is not available at the moment . please try after some time.”

I called up at 12123 and got the bill plan. It suited me and I decided to go for it.

Then the real problem started. From 18.02.2008 I might have send message more than 100 times till 20.02.2008 but every time I got a reply “Thank you for your interest in Airtel’s new 99 series. This offer is currently not valid, we will contact you when the offer is available. Thank you.” In between I called up several times to your 121 customer Service, I got different types of answers each time e.g
-please try after some time
-the system is not working presently
- the date has been extended till 25th Feb, please try after one or two days.
- Please go to a Airtel outlet and they will give you the SIM after paying Rs 799, etc.

On 20th Feb, I went to the Airtel outlet HI-LINE, but only then I came to know that there is a password/ reference number, which was to be produced.
I talked to your customer care from there itself, and I was told that your booking has already been done and the SIM will be dispatched to your address. Having this information I was convinced, and waited for another two days, bur that courier never came.
In the mean time I received yet another SMS for reserving the mirror number on 23.02.2008. Same message, only difference was the date was extended till 29.02.2008.

I again talked to your 121 service on 23.02.2008 regarding the SIM (which according to the earlier conversation should have reached by that time). To my surprise I was told that there is no such booking made. To my getting furious the operator transferred me to Mr. Arjun Singh, I explained him the entire situation and he assured me to get into the matter and resolve it within 24 hrs.
I then got an SMS on 26/02/2008 at 8.07 PM as:
“We hope that you are satisfied with the resolution provided for your request. Your reference number is[protected]”
I confirmed to your office regarding the number if it was the password for the mirror number. I got the answer in affirmative.

To my great satisfaction, on 27.02.2008 I went to your outlet at HI-LINE at M-5 Connaught Place, New Delhi, they also took the reference number got me filled the Customer Enrolment Form, took Rs. 799/- and gave me the SIM bearing number[protected], with an assurance that the number will be activated by the same evening.
When the number was not activated even after a day, I again called up customer care and got different answers each time. “It will take 24 hrs, It will take three days, It will take three working days, etc”
Then finally a call from Mr Shahid from HI-LINE saying that it cannot be done because your reference number is 9 digit whereas it should be 6 digit number (as if I was the person who created the reference number).

I had to every time repeat my whole story to your customer care executive to state my problem, I DON’T KNOW HOW MANY TIMES, but nothing happened.

It may be noted that IT WAS AIRTEL’S OFFER TO ME FOR A MIRROR NUMBER, WHICH I ACCEPTED AND AIRTEL HAS MADE A JOKE OF ME.

NOW I HAVE IN MY HAND, A SIM WHICH IS NOT ACTIVATED, COSTING ME RS 799/- AND MY LOT OF HOURS, EFFORT AND MENTAL HARRASMENT.

I THINK AIRTEL HAS REWARDED ME FOR USING ITS SERVICES FOR MORE THAN 7 YEARS.

All this what I have written must have been recorded at your end along with the SMS’s which were send from both sides.

After this I can only request you to look into the matter and activate my mirror number.

Thanking You
Rajeev Kumar Jha
B-51A,
Pandav Nagar
Delhi – 110092
Tel - [protected]